Lighting the Soul

Over the next few days, Regulus attended classes as usual, went to the Library as usual, visited the Forbidden Section as usual, and went to the Room of Requirement as usual, without rushing to the Forbidden Forest.

Last time, I was looking at the moonlight when the idea suddenly struck me, and I wanted to go.

It's a strange feeling; it's like a thought pops into your head, and you want it to come true.

Then they encountered Sirius, met Dumbledore, and witnessed a Werewolf transformation.

I thought about all sorts of random things, and then listened to Dumbledore talk about spirit and consciousness.

He didn't know if it was just a coincidence, some kind of intuition, or simply a whim.

There are many things in the Wizarding World that are difficult to explain.

Premonition, intuition, sixth sense, or something else; going further up, it's Prophecy, or foresight.

Some wizards are born with it, while others never encounter it in their entire lives.

He didn't know if he had it, but it was highly likely he didn't; the Black family had never heard of any ancestor with such an ability.

These skills are mostly tied to bloodlines; you can only have them if your ancestors had them, and you probably won't have them if your ancestors didn't.

I wonder how the original prophet of the Trelawney family acquired this ability—was it innate or acquired?

And Grindelwald, was he also born that way?

Regulus dismissed the thought; it had nothing to do with him.

He didn't intend to deliberately pursue this feeling; perhaps it was just a coincidence. But anyway, it wouldn't take much effort, he could just wait.

If so, it might indicate something; if not, then forget about it.

The Forbidden Forest is right there; you can go anytime you want.

One afternoon in late September, at the Library.

Regulus was sitting in his usual spot, flipping through a book about mental Magic. He was reading a crucial part when he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.

Sirius.

He stood in front of a row of bookshelves, flipping through some book quickly, making a rustling sound.

After flipping through the books for a while, I put them back, pulled out another one, and then... clatter.

The noise could be heard throughout the entire Library.

Madam Pince stood up from behind the counter, her hooked nose facing him, her gaze like two knives.

"Mr. Black!"

Sirius was just flipping through the book, but he was so focused that when he was called out, his hand trembled and the book almost flew out of his hand.

He turned around, met Madam Pince's face, and froze for a moment.

Then he forced a smile, it was hard to tell whether he was trying to please or just habitually provoking.

"If you don't feel like reading in the Library, you can go outside."

Sirius opened his mouth as if to explain, but then swallowed his words back.

He carefully shoved the book back onto the shelf, making sure his movements were gentle, and glanced at Madam Pince out of the corner of his eye to see if she was far away.

Regulus looked away; he knew what Sirius was looking for: a way to keep the Werewolf during the full moon.

He already knew the answer: it was Animagus, but no one asked him, and he wouldn't tell them on his own initiative.

Friendships are something outsiders shouldn't interfere with; let them have their own fun.

He recalled his conversation with Sirius during the holidays, about talent and about the path.

He had Sirius try out all the Magic he could get his hands on, to see which area he progressed the fastest in, which area he found easiest, and which area he wanted to continue exploring.

I don't know if he tried it, or if he found it.

If Sirius discovers he's good at Transfiguration and consciously works on it, would it take him longer to master Animagus?

How long did it take in the original story?

It seems to be one or two years, or longer?

Regulus wasn't sure, but he knew that Sirius was doing something worthwhile, no matter what.

That's good.

He turned a page and continued reading.

One Wednesday in late September, in the early morning, at the Room of Requirement.

Hermes lay on the ground again, limbs outstretched, chest heaving, eyes half-closed, like a stranded fish.

Several fake wands were scattered around him, along with the broken arms and legs of several Wooden Dummy.

He wouldn't have achieved this level of skill if he were alone.

But he knew Regulus was still in that small room inside, and he knew that when he finished training and came out, he would see him lying there, and he would use Levitation Charm to scoop him up and take him back to his Dormitory.

So he confidently pushed himself to the limit, knowing someone would take care of him anyway.

He might need to lie down for a while longer.

Regulus ignored Hermes outside.

This guy, taking advantage of the fact that he wouldn't actually leave people here, has become increasingly audacious, always training until he's exhausted, and always waiting to be rescued.

It's like I've raised some kind of pet.

But Regulus didn't say anything. It was a good thing that he was willing to train; it wouldn't be difficult to make a quick buck anyway.

He sat in the small room, thinking about what the professors had said for the past few days.

Professor Slughorn said that Magic Power is a partner, not a servant.

Professor McGonagall said that some things cannot be changed by Transfiguration: location, relationships, and points in the timeline.

Dumbledore said, will overrides instinct, and self-awareness is the foundation of everything.

These words are too far removed from his reality.

He could understand, knew it was right, and knew it was something on a higher level.

These words are too far removed from his reality.

He could understand, knew it was right, and knew it was something on a higher level.

But to truly transform them into tangible power will take time and require a deeper understanding of Magic.

The professors pointed him in the right direction, but he had to walk the path himself.

Regulus felt his current state.

Mental strength, willpower, physical strength, and spiritual stability all originate from Star Orbit Meditation.

The Five Star Rotation, and with each rotation, he grew stronger, slowly but steadily, a feeling he could clearly sense.

This progress has been ongoing since the day Bellatrix was illuminated.

But what those professors said was still beyond my reach.

Even if you can't reach it, you still have to think about it.

Regulus pondered Dumbledore's words, his mental defenses, and his self-awareness.

The Guardian Image of Bellatrix has been integrated into the Constant Shield Charm.

The Constant Shield Charm Spell is called Constant because it takes effect passively and does not require the deliberate manipulation of Magic Power.

He maintained it for nearly a year, and the Magic had become almost instinctive; it was there without him even thinking about it.

What about mental defense?

He only uses the Legilimency when needed; it's not always kept open.

Keeping the Legilimency continuously is certainly possible, but that would mean constantly consuming Magic Power and mental energy.

And more importantly, it makes people feel like there's a membrane between them.

Maintaining Legilimency for a long time can make it difficult for people to feel emotions and connect with others. By keeping yourself too tightly wrapped up, you can't connect with anyone.

Regulus didn't feel he needed to run into anyone, at least not right now, but he didn't want to either.

But now, he has another idea.

Bellatrix represents Protection, Protection me as I am. Could this "I" also become part of the barrier?

If self- Protection and mental defense can be combined to make me more stable, wouldn't it be possible to achieve a similar defensive effect without constantly maintaining Legilimency?

Regulus began to try, but this was clearly not something that could be accomplished in a day or two.

During his daily meditation, he would repeatedly ponder a single question at the center of the Star Orbit orbit.

who I am?

Dumbledore, he said, "I know who I am."

But now, in the deepest part of his Star Orbit Meditation, he was thinking even more deeply.

The name Regulus Black, the identity of the heir to the Black family, and all that he has learned and experienced so far.

What is that most fundamental element, the basis upon which I am?

It is that which will never waver, no matter how the world changes, no matter what Dumbledore's guidance, Voldemort's gifts, or Grindelwald's arrangements.

He needs to find it and make it clear enough to be the strongest barrier in the spiritual realm.

On the first day, I didn't see anything.

The next day, it was still empty.

On the third day, a somewhat blurry outline appeared.

On the fourth day, the outline became a little clearer.

Day 5, Day 6, Day 7.

He does this every day.

In the deepest part of the Star Orbit orbit, at the core of the Spiritual World, he repeatedly sensed, repeatedly confirmed, and repeatedly asked himself that question.

Finally, he saw it.

At the center of the Star Orbit's orbit, in the place where the light is most intense, there is a human figure.

It's very small, about the size of a thumb, standing there with its back to him, or rather, there's no distinction between front and back; it just exists as it is.

Regulus stared at the Dark Lord, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

That's him.

Put aside his appearance, his identity, his experiences, and all external factors, that is what makes him who he is.

The light from the Star Orbit flowed over the Dark Lord like water, like wind, like time, but it remained still, simply existing.

All Magic Power, all will, all perception, all thought originate from there.

Regulus knew what it was.

His soul—for the first time, he saw his own soul.

This process lasted for an unknown period of time. In the Spiritual World, time itself has no meaning; it could be a moment, or it could be a day.

When he came out of meditation and opened his eyes, the small room was still the same, the light was floating in the air, and the four walls were quiet.

Regulus looked down at his hands; nothing seemed to have changed, but he knew something was different.

He continued practicing in the days that followed.

Every day I meditate, every day I watch that the Dark Lord, watching it become clearer and more stable in the center of the Star Orbit.

Watching the light flowing through it, it grew brighter and purer.

The process was slow, but he wasn't in a hurry.

By the end of September, Regulus sensed a change; it was subtle, but noticeable enough.

My senses have become more acute; things that I used to need to concentrate to perceive, I can now capture with a mere thought.

The Magic Perception —the traces of those spells, the faint activity in the materials, the subtle emotions that the wizard inadvertently revealed—was all as clear as if I could see them with my own eyes.

Spatial Perception: the boundaries of the room, the thickness of the walls, the subtle folds in the air, and even the spatial rhythm created by the Castle itself as it breathes can all be clearly perceived.

The Patronus has become more powerful, its light is more dazzling and silvery-white, and its form is more solid and more agile than ever before.

At this moment, it emerged autonomously from Regulus's chest and moved lightly through the small room.

Each flap of its wings stirred up a swirling starlight that circled around Regulus, appearing and disappearing intermittently, its shimmering light revealing an almost instinctive Guardian Will.

Even the Fiendfyre became more obedient; when those orange-red flames swirled around it, there was an inexplicable sense of closeness, as if it were willing to be tamed.

Regulus knew that the progress brought about by the illumination of Bellatrix had only been fully digested at this point.

The Star Orbit Meditation was constantly in operation, continuously enhancing him; his Magic Power, spirit, and will were growing stronger every moment.

But these advances only truly stabilized after the little man appeared at the center of the Star Orbit.

That Guardian Star illuminates not just a corner of the Star Orbit, but something deeper—the soul.

Now the starlight of that star has been completely integrated into his system, and with each Five Star Rotation, it nourishes that little man.

It is clearer and more stable than before, as if it has taken root in the center of the Star Orbit.

Now he can move on to the next step: illuminating Saiph.

Regulus stood up, pushed open the door and went out. Outside, Hermes was still lying on the ground.

Upon seeing him, Hermes' eyes flickered, waiting to be rescued.

Regulus tapped his finger, Levitation Charm.

The two drifted towards the Dormitory, one after the other.

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