Mysterious Little Boy

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It seemed to come from every direction, yet also from deep underground. Like an enormous heart beating. The entire cellar seemed to tremble faintly with that rhythm. Yes, the sound made the whole space quiver, and Ian could feel the "ground" beneath his feet rising and falling with its pulse.

The sound did not come from any single direction. It pervaded the entire space, as if he had been placed inside the chamber of some colossal living creature. An absurd and terrifying thought exploded in Ian's mind: Could this be the evil god's heart? Had the entire cellar long since been assimilated, transformed into one of its pulsating organs?

He tried to use a legendary wizard's vision—the extraordinary ability that could pierce fog and see a hundred paces through the night. Yet the darkness here seemed tangible, a pure, corrupted "void." His sight was like a searchlight cast into the deep sea; its beam was swallowed instantly, leaving him unable to see clearly even a meter away.

This darkness itself was part of the evil god's power.

"Damn it..."

Ian cursed under his breath, enduring the searing pain in his body and the dizziness clouding his mind as he struggled to his feet.

"At least the Cushioning Charm didn't fail completely." Ian muttered as he checked himself for injuries. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, he seemed to be all right.

The darkness here was highly unusual.

Not even his extraordinary vision as a legendary wizard could penetrate this thick gloom.

The air was filled with a cloying organic scent, like a mixture of blood and musk.

"I need to see."

Ian considered it briefly.

"Lumos."

Ian raised his wand and cast Hogwarts' most basic illumination spell. A soft, steady