Twin Stars Fall, Miracle is Born

Location: London, an alley near Wood Orphanage

Time: A rainy night in 1932

Ares Phoenix's last conscious thought was of two brilliant lights entangling and tearing apart, a sigh filled with endless regret and release, and the crisp sound of a cold glass bottle shattering.

Then, there was falling.

Endless falling.

And then...

(￣﹃￣) → (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ → (.-`ω′-)

[System loading... Detecting unknown spacetime turbulence... Anchoring coordinates...]

A voice, sounding somewhat synthesized but inexplicably filled with grievance and panic, echoed in Ares's chaotic mind.

"Ugh... so dizzy... feel like throwing up..." Ares felt as if he'd been stuffed into a washing machine, even the act of "thinking" feeling incredibly difficult.

[Warning! Warning! Insufficient energy! Carrier too fragile! G-going to fall! (;′??Д??`) ]

"Fall... fall where?"

[Down! Down! You'll be smashed into a pancake! Host, think of something quickly!? (????)?... No! It's (?Д?≡?Д?)!]

A solution? He couldn't even move a finger right now, how could he possibly think of a solution?

Just as he thought he was about to become the fastest-dying transmigator in history, a gentle yet firm force caught him, like an invisible hand, cushioning his descent.

[Phew... (′-ω-`) Safe landing... Almost died at the start!] The System's voice carried the exaggerated relief of a narrow escape.

Ares landed heavily on the cold, wet flagstones. While he hadn't become a "pancake," he was still dazed and disoriented, his bones feeling like they'd been disassembled. The cold rain immediately lashed mercilessly against his face, jolting him and restoring some of his consciousness.

He opened his eyes to a peculiar vision—his left eye a vibrant blue, his right a grayish-black. This was the "heterochromia" of his new body, which he noticed upon waking. The rain blurred his vision, but he managed to prop himself up, finding himself lying in a dirty, narrow alley, the air thick with the smell of garbage and damp mold. In the distance, a gloomy-looking building, seemingly devoid of any joy, stood shrouded in the rain.

"This... is Wood Orphanage?" he murmured softly, his voice carrying a child's youthfulness, yet possessing a hoarseness and knowingness beyond his years.

[Ding dong! (??????)?? You got it right! This is the mission location—Wood Orphanage! Host is so smart!] The System's tone immediately became cheerful, as if it wasn't the one panicking moments ago.

Ares, or rather, the current Ares, looked down at his noticeably shrunken body, clad in ill-fitting, tattered clothes. He felt the chaotic fragments of memories about "Albus Dumbledore," "Gellert Grindelwald," and the "Blood Pact" that had appeared in his mind, and sighed helplessly.

He was probably one of the most bizarre transmigator ever—he hadn't fully transmigrated; it was more like a collection of consciousness and energy, using the legendary "Blood Pact" as a core to reconstruct a child's body in this world. He was the miracle, and accident, born from the collision of Dumbledore's "love" and Grindelwald's "obsession" amidst spacetime turbulence.

[Host, host! Don't be discouraged! (′?ω?`) We have a mission! A grand mission!] The System, sensing his low spirits, immediately tried to cheer him up with its energetic (and childish) voice.

"Mission?" Ares leaned against the cold, wet wall, letting the rain wash over his cheeks. The newly formed, winding, chain-like mark beneath his left eye, as if drawn with golden blood, glowed faintly under the rain. "You mean that... [Anchor Fate in the Shadows]?"

[Yes, yes, yes! (ノ?ヮ?)ノ*:??? Our ultimate goal is to nurture Tom Riddle! To prevent him from becoming that noseless freak! To redeem him with love! To surround him with warmth! To make him a model wizard of the new era, embodying the five loves and four beauties!] the System declared in a slogan-like tone.

Ares: "..." He was noseless... that was supposed to happen much later, wasn't it?

He rubbed his aching forehead. "Speak plainly."

[(.-`ω′-) Fine. Simply put, find him, stay with him, guide him, don't let him go astray, and incidentally... uh, save the world?] The System's voice grew quieter, ending with a hint of guilt. "Of course, throughout this process, this System will serve you wholeheartedly! Providing necessary knowledge and a little bit... really just a little bit of help! After all, we don't have much energy! (???)"

Ares looked at his small, thin hands, feeling the peculiar magic flowing through this body—warm yet cold, full of life yet tinged with a hint of destruction. He gave a wry smile. "To 'nurture' the future Dark Lord who will make the entire wizarding world tremble, looking like this? System, are you sure you're not sending me to be his appetizer?"

The memory fragments in his mind told him that Tom Marvolo Riddle was not an ordinary child who could be appeased with candy and stories.

[Don't worry, Host! ?(????)? You are the 'Living Blood Pact'! A miracle of light and darkness! Infinitely potential! And you have me! The cutest and smartest 'Guardian System' in history! We will succeed!] The System began to paint a grand picture again. "First, we need to find a way to sneak into that orphanage..."

Just then, suppressed, tearful screams and a few triumphant laughs echoed from the alley entrance, interrupting the System.

Ares instinctively shrank deeper into the shadows, cautiously peeking out.

He saw a few older boys, wearing similarly tattered clothes, surrounding a small figure. The child in the center was facing away from Ares, his face obscured, only his thin, trembling back visible.

"Monster! Hand over what you stole!" a tall boy shoved him fiercely.

"I... I didn't steal..." a faint, yet exceptionally clear and calm voice replied, carrying a restraint unbefitting his age.

"Liar! We all saw it! Your weird tricks!"

Another boy stepped forward, trying to snatch the hand he was clutching tightly. The moment his dirty hand was about to touch him—

Something extraordinary happened.

There were no spells, no wands. The small figure being cornered suddenly lifted his head. Ares caught a glimpse of his pale, small profile.

Immediately after, the boy who tried to snatch the item let out a terrified scream, as if burned or electrocuted. He yanked his hand back, stumbling backward several steps, pointing at the small boy and stammering, "He... he used that trick again! It's witchcraft!"

Fear flashed across the faces of the surrounding boys as they retreated.

The boy called a "monster" slowly stood up straight. He turned around, his icy gaze sweeping over his tormentors.

In that instant, Ares saw his eyes.

They were... impossibly dark, like the deepest night. There were no tears, no pleas, only an almost cruel calmness, and a suppressed storm on the verge of eruption. His hair was the color of pure black jade, his features exquisitely beautiful beyond gender, yet as cold as a marble statue.

He said nothing, just looked at them.

Under his gaze, the older boys, after a few blustering curses, shoved each other and quickly ran away.

Silence returned to the alley, broken only by the sound of the rain.

The black-haired boy stood still, breathing slightly heavily. His clenched fist slowly loosened, revealing a dirty, oddly shaped stone within. He lowered his head, his expression unreadable, but an aura of loneliness and... danger, blending with the cold, rainy night, emanated from him.

Ares held his breath.

He knew who he was.

Tom Riddle.

His future... target for cultivation.

[High-energy reaction detected! (⊙?⊙) Target individual has appeared! Magic fluctuation: Violent! Emotional state: Extremely unstable! Danger rating: ★★☆ (Low threat to host currently, but extremely high potential)]

[Initial quest triggered: The Beginning of the Anchor!]

[Quest requirements: Establish first non-hostile contact with the target without revealing your own abnormality.]

[Quest rewards: Basic magic stabilization techniques, a small amount of local currency.]

[Host! (??????)?? Our great cause begins here! Go! Pika... no, Ares!]

Ares looked at the still slender figure of the future Dark Lord, standing alone in the rain. He then felt his own equally weak body, and the somewhat unreliable system in his mind.

He took a deep breath of the cold, rain-scented air.

This path, it seemed, would be much more difficult than he had imagined.

And the first step was to walk towards that... abyss.