Unbreakable Vow

Inside the Headmaster's Office, the atmosphere was heavy. Fawkes quietly preened on his perch. The portraits of former headmasters on the walls all pretended to be asleep, though their ears were perked high. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his fingertips pressed together, his gaze calm behind his half-moon glasses as he watched Silas standing before him. Professor Snape stood silently in the shadows like a black statue.

Silas racked his brains, trying to defuse the crisis with his best jokes and diversions.

"Professor! You have to believe me!" Silas looked utterly sincere, even a little wronged. "I really wasn't possessed by Voldemort! I swear! Think about it—I'm so sunny, cheerful, and positive(?). How could I possibly have anything to do with that noseless guy? Professor Quirrell was the one who got possessed! Really! That noseless old pervert made Quirrell smear garlic all over his turban every day, saying it was for his skincare! Does that even make sense?"

The corner of Dumbledore's mouth seemed to twitch slightly at Silas's nonsense, but he did not interrupt. He simply listened in silence.

Seeing no reaction from Dumbledore, Silas assumed he did not believe him and hurriedly added, "Oh, right! Actually, I think Voldemort may be evil, but he's a very independent person! Because he never lets anyone lead him around by the nose! After all... he doesn't have a nose to lead around! Hahaha!"

By the end, even Silas thought the joke was a little too cold, and he gave a couple of awkward laughs.

Unexpectedly, Dumbledore was not angered by the joke about Voldemort's nose. Instead, he actually let out a low, pleased chuckle. Shaking his head, he looked at Silas with a hint of helpless indulgence in his voice. "Child, you are very humorous."

Seeing there was an opening, Silas immediately pressed his advantage and thumped his chest. "See! That's what I'm saying! How could someone as humorous, charming, and kind-hearted as me possibly turn dark? You really don't need to worry about me going down an evil path! I'm such a good person!"

Dumbledore watched his eagerness to prove himself and fell silent for a moment. His blue eyes seemed capable of seeing through the hidden secrets deep in Silas's heart, as well as the dormant power that perhaps even Silas himself did not fully recognize. At last, he spoke, his tone becoming more serious.

"All right, Silas. I believe your intentions are good at this moment. However, the Unforgivable Curses... their power is too dangerous and too dark. For me, and for your other professors, to truly set our minds at ease, I need you to make me a promise."

Silas's heart tightened. "What promise?"

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "I want you to make an Unbreakable Vow to me."

Silas froze. "Huh? An Unbreakable Vow?" Of course he knew that magic. The price of breaking such a vow was death!

Dumbledore clearly stated the terms of the vow. "The vow is this—'You may only use the Unforgivable Curses against targets who intend to harm your life or the lives of others, and whom you cannot effectively stop by any other means.'"

The terms of this vow actually left Silas plenty of room to maneuver. It was not a complete prohibition.

Silas thought quickly. The vow sounded frightening, but its conditions were actually rather lenient, and he did not think he would slaughter innocents indiscriminately anyway. To get through this as quickly as possible, he nodded. "All right! I agree!"

Dumbledore seemed somewhat surprised by his readiness, but he quickly nodded. "Very well. Severus," he said, turning to Snape in the shadows, "you will serve as witness."

Snape walked forward expressionlessly and drew his wand. Silas extended his right hand, and Dumbledore took it. Snape touched his wand to their clasped hands.

Yet the legendary chains of flame that were supposed to coil around their arms did not appear. Snape's wand merely glowed faintly, and then everything returned to normal.

"That will do," Dumbledore said, releasing his hand.

Silas looked blankly at his own hand, then at the two professors. "That's... it?" Where were the magical special effects he had imagined?

"Yes," Dumbledore said gently. "The vow has been made. You may go now. Remember your promise."

Though Silas found it somewhat strange, he did not dwell on it. Letting out a relieved breath, he hurriedly said goodbye and slipped out of the Headmaster's Office.

After the office door closed, only Dumbledore and Snape remained in the room.

Snape walked to the desk and asked in his distinctive low, silky voice, "That vow... was never truly formed, was it? I did not sense any magical link."

Dumbledore sighed softly, his gaze turning toward the pitch-black night outside the window. "The Unbreakable Vow is an exceedingly extreme form of magic, one that demands a life as its price. I do not wish to impose such a cruel restraint upon a child."

He turned to Snape, wisdom glimmering in his eyes. "But I achieved a similar result. That child... believes that the vow has been made. Given his nature, because he accepts that 'rule' in his heart and believes himself bound by it, he will voluntarily abide by it. That is more effective than any compulsory magic. I believe it will help keep him from easily straying down the wrong path in pursuit of power."

Snape remained silent, complicated emotions swirling in his black eyes. He had to admit that Dumbledore's grasp of the human heart was always so precise.

As for Silas, he left carrying the relief of having "passed the test" and a promise of "self-restraint." He did not know that Dumbledore had used a well-intentioned "lie" to place upon him a shackle stronger than any magical contract—one born from within his own heart. This seemingly perilous crisis was quietly resolved under Dumbledore's careful planning, and a seed that would guide Silas toward the light was planted.

After returning safely from the Headmaster's Office, Silas slipped once more into the empty classroom he often used. Closing the door, he let out a long breath and dropped to the floor.

"Whew... that scared me to death. I thought I'd really have to pack up and leave this time." He patted his chest, still shaken. "The Old Bee really isn't easy to fool. Good thing I'm clever."

He recalled Dumbledore's "Unbreakable Vow." Though the process had been a little strange, he had indeed taken that promise to heart.

"All right, all right," he muttered to himself. "Since I promised not to casually show off with the Unforgivable Curses, I'll have to rely on real skill. Looks like I need to step up my practice of my 'legal' offensive methods."

He brought up the skill tree interface and looked at Balzaha Lightning (LV2) on its third tier, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"I need to level up Balzaha Lightning as soon as possible. Once it reaches LV5, I can unlock those two stronger-looking offensive spells on the fourth tier." He imagined Sekern Red Belt binding enemies while Borsat's Thunder bombarded them relentlessly, and his motivation surged.

But then his gaze drifted involuntarily to the other side of the skill tree, to that branch which had only just been activated and radiated an ominous violet-black glow—Dark Magic.

Within his consciousness, the scroll called "Darkhold (Fragment · Chapter One)" floated silently, giving off an alluring yet dangerous aura.

Silas licked his lips, excitement and curiosity flashing through his eyes. "Besides... Dumbledore only said I couldn't abuse the Unforgivable Curses. He never said I couldn't study Dark Magic, right? Hehe... now that I'm here, how could I not take a look?"

He decided to begin setting foot in this unknown realm filled with forbidden power.

[The host has decided to begin exploring the power of the Dark Dimension. A wise—or perhaps bold—choice.] The system's voice sounded at just the right moment, carrying a hint of encouragement. [The first tier of the Dark Magic skill tree has now been unlocked: Dark Dimension Summon.]

As the system explained, an icon lit up at the base of the gray branch representing Dark Magic on the skill tree. Its design resembled a twisted spatial rift, with vicious claws and fangs faintly visible reaching out from within.

[Dark Dimension Summon,] the system explained, [allows you to tear open a tiny rift in reality and summon low-level dark creatures from the Dark Dimension to fight for you. They are ignorant and unfeeling, unafraid of pain, making them perfect cannon fodder and harassment tools. Of course, controlling them requires a resolute will, or dark energy may easily corrupt your mind.]

Silas looked at the icon and stroked his chin. "Summoning underlings? That sounds pretty good! Much more civilized than charging in and swinging my fists myself. So what are we waiting for? Let's see what kind of thing I can summon first!"

He was itching to try it, ready to begin his first practical experiment with Dark Magic. The light spells of Vishanti needed practice, and so did the forbidden power of the Dark Dimension! To Silas Cyril, power was power. Why should it matter whether it came from light or darkness? If it worked and worked well, then it was good power!

Naturally, he selectively ignored the system's warning about "corruption of the mind." In his view, as long as he was strong enough, there was no power he could not control!