I Won't Learn This or That

The image of the Starry Sky Kite emerges, with silvery-white wings, star-like eyes, and a free and curious demeanor.

"Patronus Charm."

The message sounded again.

"The purest embodiment of positive emotions, composed of joy, hope, and a love for life, symbolizes the softest and brightest part of your heart."

That sounds like a compliment, but the next sentence isn't.

"But when you summoned it, did you ever consider that you were entrusting your emotions to a mythical beast?"

The image of the Starry Sky Kite was magnified in my consciousness, and every feather and every ray of starlight seemed to be questioned.

"It's beautiful; it's a reflection of a certain aspect of your inner self, but a reflection is ultimately just a reflection, not the essence."

"When danger comes, you summon it, let it fight back, and you entrust your responsibility of Protection to an other formed from your emotions."

"That's weakness."

The message was devoid of emotion, as if it were making the most objective statement.

True Protection shouldn't be left to Protection Patronus; you should become the Patronus yourself.

"To place your hopes on mythical beasts is weakness; to become an inviolable absolute darkness or absolute light is true Protection."

The image of the Starry Sky Kite swayed slightly, as if blown by the wind.

"Can you do it? Give up summoning it, and become it yourself?"

Regulus didn't speak. He could sense that the message was about another path, but it wasn't his path.

His Starry Sky Kite is a reflection of his inner self and an externalization of his emotions.

Its power lies precisely in its externality; it represents him, but it is not him.

It can go where he cannot go, do what he cannot do, and resist what he cannot resist.

Become it?

What does that mean?

Does it mean giving up places you can't go, things you can't do, and things you can't resist?

Or does it mean turning yourself into someone who can only Protection, but not others?

He didn't think about the answer; he only knew that this wasn't right for him.

Moreover, is it absolute darkness or absolute light?

He has thought about this problem.

After the Astronomy Tower Incident and his conversation with Dumbledore, he came to the conclusion that what he wanted was to achieve extreme results through gentle means.

He still thinks that way now.

If he had a choice, he would want absolute power, so that both darkness and light could be his.

Regulus had barely stabilized the shockwaves from the impact on his Patronus, and before he could even catch his breath, the tentacles of his core reached out into another area.

His Space Magic, which he was very proud of.

"Spatial Warp."

The message resurfaced, calm, objective, and devoid of any emotion.

"You observe House-elf and discover that they can disappear and reappear out of thin air. You deduce that this is due to the principle of Spatial Folding, and then you imitate it to develop a version for humans."

Regulus remained silent, but the word "human" stirred something within him.

The voice didn't use the term "wizard"; it was speaking of humans.

"But have you ever considered that House-elf can do this because their Magic is fundamentally different from that of humans?"

That's not a skill that can be learned; it's a talent ingrained in your blood. What you're imitating is merely the surface, far from the essence.

The information continued to spread, touching upon the structure of the spell in his consciousness.

"You used Magic Power to forcibly fold space, making two points stick together. This does work, but it's inefficient."

Each time you Warp, you're fighting against the elasticity of space, which tries to return to its original state. You're holding it down, so you need a cooldown period, and therefore you can't use it continuously.

You're imitating the talents of House-elf, which are shortcuts through bloodlines, not the opening of new paths. You've only learned how to do it, but never truly understood why.

The Spatial Anchor Charm was also affected.

"This tradition comes from your family. Your ancestors spent a lot of effort to solidify it and leave it to you, their descendants."

You inherited it, used it, and combined it with your Spatial Warp to achieve spell teleportation.

"But have you asked yourself? If you stripped away the Black name, if no one left you this legacy, could you have gotten this far on your own?"

Regulus remained silent.

"You're piecing together two borrowed elements to create a new application, which is indeed a form of creation, but it's still a combination, not a fusion."

The core message became more profound, as if guiding him in a certain direction.

"True Space Magic is not about folding space with brute force, nor is it about forcibly fixing it with anchor points. True Space Magic is about making space itself willing to change for you."

You don't need to hold it down; you just need to invite it, and it will fold, unfold, and make way for you on its own.

"Just like when you face Fiendfyre, you shouldn't try to suppress it, but rather let it willingly submit to you."

These words stirred something within Regulus.

"But you can't do that yet. You're on the path of control, not coexistence. Your relationship with space is one of domination and subordination, not cooperation and resonance."

"You can continue down this path. It's effective, it can make you stronger, and it can give you an advantage in battle."

But it has its limits; you can never reach the heights of those who truly understand the essence of space.

"And they..."

The crucial message paused for a moment, as if hesitating, then continued, "They don't need Magic."

That concludes the information; we will not delve further.

Regulus, however, was pondering that word in his mind. "They?"

Does it refer to wizards?

Or were they beings who, in the immeasurably distant past, were also capable of using Magic...?

The blurry thing before my eyes is undoubtedly ancient.

The information and ideas it conveys are completely contrary to the current mainstream understanding.

It seems to possess a higher, more profound perspective; from its point of view, Magic always seems to have another path to take.

Judging from the information it conveys, those paths have all been proven and have been successfully explored.

But there is no such figure in the current Wizarding World.

A name flashed through Regulus's mind: Grindelwald.

He arranged for him to come here, so what about Grindelwald himself?

Was he also given these messages?

Have you seen this thing before, and heard its alternative interpretation of Magic?

If so, how did he choose?

Before he could think it through, deep within his consciousness, his Star Orbit Meditation was triggered.

The Orion Four Stars shone in his Spiritual World; that was his foundation, something he had built up bit by bit.

"Star Orbit Meditation."

There seemed to be something indescribable in the voice conveying that message.

mood?

That doesn't seem right; it's more like something deeper.

"You temper your spirit, body, and Magic Power with the trajectory of the stars; you visualize Orion and let its light illuminate your inner world."

You believe that if you continue along this path, one day the entire Starry sky will unfold in your Spiritual World.

"This is your creation, your path, your most cherished possession."

Information is continuously output.

"But have you ever considered what you're imitating?"

The Star Chart of Orion unfolded in my mind: Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, the position, brightness, and trajectory of each star were marked.

"You are imitating the stars; you let them illuminate you, guide you, and refine you. You see yourself as someone who needs to be illuminated by the stars."

"But true power is not about being illuminated; you must become the source of your own light."

"You don't need to imitate the stars; you can become the stars themselves—no, go even further than the stars, become the abyss that devours light."

Orion's light appeared somewhat dimmed under the illumination of that message.

"Stars may fade, but the abyss will not. Stars need to exist to shine, but the abyss does not need to exist; it only needs to cease to exist to devour all existence."

"If you continue down this Star Orbit Meditation, at best you'll become a bright star, but above that star lies an abyss."

Would you like to take a look at it?

Regulus's Spiritual World fluctuated violently, and he was astonished.

This message describes a completely different way of being.

It does not exist; it devours light.

He doesn't need to be illuminated; he can be the End of all light.

He couldn't understand it, but he sensed it.

Guided by that message, he saw it—the abyss that the object represented.

It does not belong to darkness, because darkness is merely the absence of light; its essence transcends darkness.

It is something that does not exist in itself, does not need itself, and renders light meaningless.

If it continues down this path, Star Orbit Meditation will indeed be surpassed and overtaken.

Just as stars are meaningless before an abyss.

Regulus steadied himself.

He recalled his earlier thought: this message was suggesting another path, but that wasn't his path.

His path is to become a bright star, to let himself shine, and to illuminate his own path with his own light.

That path is to become an abyss that devours light, to make oneself cease to exist, and to render all light meaningless before it.

Two roads, heading in completely different directions.

He can choose to glance at it, but he doesn't need to go up to it.

Just then, Bellatrix, the star he had never been able to fully illuminate, flickered slightly.

It wasn't lit up yet; it only responded briefly.

It's like saying that you're aware of the existence of another path, but you still choose your own.

This is what it Protection — to Protection the path you choose to take from being shaken by anything external.

Regulus was certain.

He regained his composure and looked at it again.

It is still there, constantly changing, alternating between the Shenhai and the stars.

But this time, he no longer passively accepted its deconstruction; he began to actively analyze what it was saying.

Is the Severing Charm an enforcement of world rules or a creation of the user?

The Patronus Charm: Weakness or Wisdom?

Space Magic: combination or fusion?

Star Orbit Meditation: Is it to imitate the stars or become an abyss?

He needs time to think about these issues.

But at least for now, he knows he won't be swayed by it.

Update released! All the readers are checking it out on Cola!