Inside the Headmaster's Office.
Under the dim yellow light.
Fawkes the Phoenix, with his magnificent feathers, was curled up on a perch by the window, dozing lightly. His resplendent tail feathers occasionally trembled, radiating a warm and mysterious glow.
White steam drifted up from the fireplace, slowly spiraling through the air and lending this ancient, solemn room a touch of dreamlike color.
Ian stood before the desk, lowering his head to stare at the book Dumbledore had handed him. Gilt letters shimmered faintly across its dark brown leather cover.
"Dark Power: Spell Conversion"
—By Tom Riddle.
This was absolutely not a development Ian had expected.
To be fair.
The moment Ian took the book, intense curiosity welled up inside him. Countless guesses flashed through his mind. Who could have written a book about dark power and spell conversion?
He had guessed Grindelwald, that powerful and mysterious dark wizard whose research into Dark Magic was unparalleled. He had also wondered whether it might be Merlin, the ancient and highly capable Legendary Wizard who might have left behind such a taboo and unconventional magical work. Ian had even guessed that it could be his own teacher, Morgan.
After all.
Strange fates always linked his Destiny with Morgan's through all kinds of coincidences—any of those people might have researched dark power and achieved cutting-edge results in the field.
Of course, observant as Ian was, he had not overlooked the old Headmaster standing before him. This great white wizard, Dumbledore, was likewise among the foremost figures in history when it came to dark power.
However.
Even if Ian had been given a hundred chances, he never would have imagined seeing the name of Voldemort, a name that ought to have been taboo, on a book Dumbledore handed him.
"This..."
Ian's voice caught in his