Waves crashed violently against the jagged rocks, the steep cliffs dropping straight down.
The weather wasn't great—dark, overcast skies cast an ominous feeling over the place.
The wind was picking up, rustling their clothes as it blew past.
This location was so remote that John couldn't help but admire Voldemort for even managing to chose it.
Other than the vast sea and barren rocks, there wasn't even a single tree in sight.
A faint, intermittent wailing echoed in their ears, sending a dull ache through their heads.
John noticed Tommy's expression was grim. As a werewolf, his mental resilience wasn't the best.
Reaching into his small pouch, John clapped his hands together, and the materials in his palms transformed into a pair of earplugs.
"Put these on."
He handed them to Tommy. John's own mental strength was formidable—he didn't need them.
Tommy hesitated. If he wore earplugs, he worried he might miss some of John's instructions.
John chuckled, signaling that it was fine. He reached out and lightly touched Tommy.
John's voice resonated directly in Tommy's mind:
"If you don't wear them, you won't be much help in there anyway."
Hearing this, Tommy was taken aback by the wonders of mind magic. Without further hesitation, he put the earplugs on.
Once he put the earplugs on, things improved significantly—the wailing could no longer reach him, and Tommy's complexion finally returned to normal.
Walking on the surface of the water, John used his Meteor Shoes to keep from sinking.
Tommy dove straight into the sea, swimming toward the cave entrance beneath the distant cliff.
John was the first to step into the entrance. Calling it a cave wasn't entirely accurate—it wasn't very large, more like a crack in the rock.
As soon as he stepped inside, the piercing screams grew even louder. John frowned slightly but didn't show it.
Tommy arrived as well. Though the water was shallower inside, it still reached up to his neck.
Beyond the entrance was a narrow passage. The two moved forward, one behind the other.
John's voice echoed in Tommy's mind: "How did those two get inside?"
Tommy recalled the two men who had lost their minds. "They went crazy, saying they could hear something, and then just ran straight toward the cave entrance."
"Oh?"
"I tried to stop them, but it was too late. A while later, the screaming stopped. When I led people inside to check, we found them dead."
As John listened, he spotted a staircase ahead, leading up into a large cavern.
Ascending the steps, John took in his surroundings. The constant wailing was starting to get on his nerves.
Tommy swam up to the stairs and climbed out, adjusting his earplugs uncomfortably.
With a quick Cleaning Charm, he dried his soaking wet body.
John carefully observed his surroundings. Standing in the middle of the cavern, he noted that there were no visible doors or passageways.
His eyes shifted, pupils turning vertical. Gradually, faint traces of magic appeared within his vision.
The magical residue extended to the cave walls. John stepped forward, running his fingers along the surface.
This was where the magical presence was strongest—most likely the entrance.
He circled the cavern once, examining every detail before stopping back at his original position.
"This is where the two were found?" he asked.
Tommy nodded. "When we got here, they were already dead. Judging by their expressions, they must've seen something terrifying before they died."
"Seems like someone attacked them from outside." John habitually tapped the cave wall with his finger before remembering that he had left his ring with Heinrich.
He could feel something… this wall was craving something.
"Blood," John concluded after a moment of observation. He turned to Tommy. "Put some blood on it."
This was a blood sacrifice mechanism—entry required an offering.
Tommy didn't hesitate. Stepping forward, he pulled a dagger from his robes and sliced his arm.
Blood splattered onto the cave wall, staining its rough surface.
When it came to anything requiring blood, John preferred not to use his own.
In the wizarding world, using human body materials could create unexpectedly powerful magic.
If acquired by the wrong hands, who knew what might happen?
To be cautious, it was better for Tommy to be the one to offer blood.
A blindingly white archway appeared on the cave wall, and the blood vanished.
Beyond the arch, a doorway opened, leading into a pitch-black void.
John placed his hand on Tommy's wounded arm. As his fingers brushed over the cut, the wound disappeared as if it had been nothing more than a smear of paint wiped away.
"The one who attacked must still be inside. Stay sharp."
With that, John stepped forward into the darkness.
Tommy followed closely behind. The relentless screams echoed around them, distorting into what seemed like hallucinations.
"Shelby... I'm here, ...Tommy Shelby.... I'm here.."
"Who?! Who's there?!" Tommy shouted.
John stopped abruptly, his expression turning serious.
Pressing a hand to Tommy's forehead, he activated his mind magic, expelling the invasive voice.
Tommy shuddered, suddenly realizing what he had just done.
"Sorry, sir, I—"
"Shh~~"
John cut him off, raising a hand for silence and listening carefully.
After a moment, he spoke calmly, "The thing inside doesn't want us to have an easy time."
He drew his wand, and at its tip, a glowing orb of light formed before he flung it forward with force.
The orb burst upon impact like a flashbang, illuminating the space ahead.
Pale, ghostly figures were outlined in the sudden brightness.
Without needing John's command, Tommy immediately rushed forward, firing seven or eight spells in quick succession, shattering the figures.
"Inferi," Tommy said grimly.
They stood at the edge of a vast black lake, its surface stretching endlessly into the distance.
The cavern was immense—so high that even looking up, the ceiling was lost in darkness.
The Inferi had crawled out of the water, and the eerie screams from before had come from them.
Now, with them driven back, the wailing had vanished.
John activated his night vision, his slit-like pupils scanning the area intently.
Tommy lit his wand, staying alert.
"This place has anti-Apparition wards. There's a green light in the distance."
John observed carefully. He noticed something extending from the lake's surface.
Leading Tommy along the shoreline, he reached the spot where the thing extended.
Only he could see it.
Running his hand along the cave wall, his fingers tightened—he had found it.
Following the trail, he arrived at the lakeside and infused it with magic.
Beneath the mirror-like lake surface, a thick green bronze chain emerged.
Gripping the chain, John tapped it with his wand.
The chain coiled onto the shore, gradually piling up.
From the lakebed, a small boat was slowly pulled up.
"Looks like it can only carry one person at a time."
John eyed the boat. It required magic to summon, and the amount he had infused was only enough for one person.
There was still someone hiding in the dark—he had searched the entire cavern but hadn't found them.
"Are they waiting to make a move when we take the Horcrux?"
A ghostly light flickered in John's eyes as he looked at Tommy. "You go first. I'll follow. Be careful of the Inferi in the water, and don't take off your earplugs."
Tommy immediately jumped onto the boat, which slowly drifted toward the green light at the center.
John's body tensed, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
A ghastly white face, as pale as marble, floated beneath the water. John had to admit—the person hiding was well concealed.
Activating his Sight, he watched as the boat approached the landing.
Reinfusing magic, he sent the boat skimming across the mirror-like surface of the lake, leaving only a quickly fading ripple in its wake.
Sitting in the boat, he realized the number of Inferi was even greater than he had expected.
Beneath the water, hundreds—possibly thousands—of Inferi lay submerged.
He suspected Voldemort had slaughtered an entire village to create this defensive mechanism.
The pitch-black lake was eerie, with only the green glow and the light from Tommy's wand providing any illumination.
When John reached the center, he found a small island in the middle of the lake. He saw Tommy's tense posture finally relax.
At the center stood a stone basin, the source of the eerie green glow.
Looking closely, he saw that the basin was filled to the brim with a luminous, emerald-green liquid.
It looked like some kind of potion, shimmering with phosphorescent light.
John reached out his hand, but before he could touch it, an invisible force prevented him from getting any closer.
"Is the Horcrux in here?"
He stared at the emerald-green liquid and tried a siphoning spell, but it had no effect.
He tested several other spells, but none worked to remove the liquid.
Even when he conjured a bowl to try and scoop it out, it remained untouched.
"Voldemort, you really seem to have a thing for this," he muttered.
First, the blood sacrifice at the entrance, and now this glowing green liquid.
None of it was instantly fatal—it was as if Voldemort wanted to watch his victim suffer, breaking them down slowly until they were consumed by despair.
"Such a twisted hobby," John murmured under his breath.
He looked at the liquid again. He couldn't reach into it, couldn't separate it with magic, couldn't scoop or drain it, and even a Vanishing Spell didn't work.
"If it can't be altered by any means... does that mean it has to be drunk?"
John eyed the substance suspiciously. He had a feeling it wouldn't taste good.
But taste was the least of his concerns—drinking it was almost guaranteed to have dire consequences.
John looked at Tommy, sighed, and said, "Tommy, I really regret bringing you along. If only it were someone else."
With only the two of them here, the one who had to drink the potion was obvious.
Tommy had already heard John's mutterings earlier. Seeing himself as nothing but a servant, he stepped forward with the resolve of a man facing his death and respectfully said, "My lord, I have always awaited your command."
"Very good." John smiled in satisfaction.
He dipped a bowl into the green liquid, scooping it up until it was full.
The emerald glow reflected onto his face, making the scene look even more eerie.
__________
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