Chapter 48: Echoes of the Past (1)
The vault pulsed with an almost living energy, the air thick with ancient magic.
Nero could feel it seeping into his skin, humming in his bones.
This was it, the moment when the past would no longer be a mystery to his friends, when they would finally understand what he had been carrying alone.
Lilith, Ember, and Alaric stood motionless, their gazes locked onto the four towering figures before them.
The legendary Founders of Hogwarts, preserved not in mere memory but in magic itself, waiting for this moment. For all their bravery, uncertainty flickered in their eyes.
Helga Hufflepuff stepped forward, her warm gaze settling on them with motherly reassurance. "There is no need to fear," she said gently. "You were always meant to remember."
Salazar Slytherin regarded them with a calculating expression, his voice smooth. "Though, I must admit, it will not be a gentle experience."
Rowena nodded, lifting her hands. A soft glow emanated from her fingertips, casting long shadows along the vault's walls. "The memories are already inside you, waiting to be unlocked. But magic of this nature is not passive. Memories are not merely recalled," she warned. "They demand to be relived."
Godric Gryffindor smirked, arms crossed over his broad chest. "So, brace yourselves. This is going to be a hell of a ride."
Nero turned to his friends. "Are you ready?"
Ember scoffed, masking her unease with a smirk. "As ready as I'll ever be."