Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw-Chapter 123: Echoes of the Abyss

Nero finished reading Lilith's letter, his fingers lingering on the parchment as he absorbed her words.

A small smile played on his lips, he could almost hear her voice, filled with that usual mix of sharp intellect and quiet determination.

Despite the distance between them, her presence felt vivid, her experiences unfolding before him as if she were recounting them in person.

As expected, she had chosen to study abroad, much like himself, Alaric and Ember.

But if Mahoutokoro was refining Nero's discipline and control, then Durmstrang was forging Lilith in fire and ice.

Indeed, Lilith had ventured into the cold, merciless halls of a school infamous for its grueling regimen and mastery of the darker arts.

Nero,

You really are a troublesome one, you know that? 

I understood your reasons, yet, I was somehow annoyed at you for heading off to Japan, but then I went ahead and did the same thing. 

So, I suppose I have no right to complain. 

Still, don't think for a second that this lets you off the hook. 

One day, I will make you explain how you always seem to be one step ahead of everyone.

I chose Durmstrang.

Predictable? 

Of course. Slytherin's heir, buried under ice and blood, where power isn't just respected, it's demanded. 

You'd probably say it suits me, and you wouldn't be wrong. 

But even I wasn't fully prepared for what awaited me here. 

Durmstrang doesn't coddle its students. 

Weakness is carved out of you, and if it refuses to leave, you are left behind. 

There are no second chances.

They don't waste time with the illusions of safety like Hogwarts does. 

The moment you enter, you understand: magic is power. 

There's no room for half-measures. 

Our instructors push us constantly. Combat is not an elective, it's a necessity. 

They throw us into duels, pit us against creatures most would never face outside of books, and expect us to come out stronger. 

And if we don't? 

We are deemed unworthy of Durmstrang's legacy.

You'd probably enjoy it here, in a twisted way. 

The spellcraft is more aggressive than at Hogwarts. 

Everything is meant to be practical, efficient. 

I've been forced to think faster, react faster. It's a battlefield disguised as a school. 

The first week alone, I watched twenty students drop out. 

They simply couldn't keep up.

But I thrive in places like this, Nero. You know that.

My focus has been on Destruction and Annihilation Magic.

You'd love Annihilation Magic. 

It's a discipline centered around complete magical eradication, dismantling spells at their core, breaking enchantments beyond repair, even unraveling constructs that should be permanent. 

It's elegant in its brutality. Durmstrang doesn't fear destruction the way most do. 

They promote it, believing that to build something new, the old must first be reduced to nothing.

Of course, I'm taking it a step further.

By weaving Oblivion into Annihilation Magic, I've started to create something... deeper.

Annihilation erases, but Oblivion devours. 

It leaves no trace, no memory, no lingering energy.  freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The first time I tested the combination, the entire dueling hall went silent. 

My opponent didn't even understand what had happened, only that his magic was simply gone, as if it had never existed.

It's exhilarating, Nero. To wield something so absolute. 

To erase even the possibility of resistance.

But it's also dangerous. I can feel it. 

Oblivion demanding more, asking for control beyond what I've given it. 

I won't stop. I will just have to be careful.

I'm also learning the art of Chain Magic, binding spells together in sequences that force opponents into unavoidable traps. 

Imagine a curse that slows an enemy's reflexes, immediately followed by an illusion that bends their perception of time, leading to a finishing blow before they even register what's happened.

Beyond magic, Durmstrang is as brutal socially as it is in training. 

You earn respect through strength, not words. 

I've had to prove myself, not just in combat, but in every interaction. 

Even the professors watch closely, assessing who is worth their time and who is not.

There are some who still see me as an outsider. 

They mutter about my lineage, about how Slytherin's heir shouldn't have gone to the current Hogwarts. 

But I don't care. Their doubts only fuel me. 

And besides, those who matter have already begun to take notice.

One in particular, Professor Volkov. 

He's a relic of the old ways, a sorcerer with more experience in dark magic than most will ever dream of. 

He's taken an interest in me, though I can't yet tell if that's a good thing or not. 

He teaches Advanced Dark Arts, a class most students fear. 

He believes that true mastery comes from understanding magic at its most raw. 

Not simply controlling it, but bending it until it has no choice but to obey.

He's already given me an assignment: to craft a spell entirely my own. 

Not an alteration of an existing one. Something completely new. 

I have some ideas, but I'll need time. 

Maybe when we meet again, I'll show you what I came up with.

I won't lie, Durmstrang is dangerous. 

This place isn't for the weak. But I refuse to be anything less than the best.

Speaking of meeting again, how's Japan? 

Have you figured out your Void predicament yet? 

I assume not, otherwise, you'd have written about it. 

I won't say I'm worried, because I trust you and your talent, but I'd rather not return from Durmstrang just to find out you've been swallowed by some existential abyss.

Oh, and thank you for your letter. 

I won't admit it out loud, but it was good to hear from you. 

Maybe I miss our little battles of wit more than I thought.

Don't get yourself killed, Nero. 

Who else would keep things interesting?

Lilith

Nero exhaled slowly, rolling up the parchment as a faint smile tugged at his lips.

Lilith always had a way of making things sound both dramatic and perfectly reasonable at the same time.

Though... her letter felt a bit more assertive than usual.

"Who is it this time?" Mio asked lazily, sipping her tea as she leaned against the doorframe.

"She is... a good friend of mine," Nero answered, his tone even.

Mio gave him a sharp look. "Oh? That's interesting.

You reacted differently than the last one. So, is this one your girlfriend?"

Nero let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "...She isn't."

Mio studied his face for a moment before smirking. "That so? You don't normally hesitate so much to answer."

He ignored the remark, turning toward the window.

Outside, the sky had darkened.

A storm was brewing, its winds carrying whispers of change.

Durmstrang suited Lilith.

He had never doubted that she would excel, but even he hadn't expected her to dive so deeply into its teachings.

hain Magic. Annihilation Magic infused with Oblivion... that was a terrifying combination.

Dangerous. Powerful. Uncharted.

Just like Lilith herself.

Across the world, they were both growing, both forging their own paths in the crucible of magic.

And one day, when they stood side by side again, they would see just how far they had come.

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