"Wait, traveler..." One of them struggled to raise his head, his voice hoarse.
"Begging for mercy?" Sagreles sneered, idly twirling the wand he had taken. "Don't you think it's a little too late for that?"
With a crisp snap, he broke the other man's wand in two.
"You forced me to use these spells..." He took a deep breath, his tone carrying a trace of melancholy. "I had thought these incantations would rot away in my heart forever."
A burning meteor crashed onto the flesh-and-blood monster. The crimson meteorite melted into its massive body like a drop of water. An eerie red glow began to spread across the monster's skin, as though it had gained new strength.
"Choose how you want to die." Sagreles' voice was terrifyingly calm. "Quickly... or slowly?"
The flesh-and-blood monster let out a deafening roar, its huge body beginning to writhe.
"Kill us, and you'll be lost in the river of time forever!" the woman suddenly shouted, her voice remarkably clear through the howling wind.
Sagreles' brows drew together sharply. He raised his left hand slightly, and the dense swarm of meteors instantly froze in midair. The flesh-and-blood monster stopped moving as well.
"Interesting..." With a tap of his wand, blue light enveloped the broken wand, restoring it with Reparo.
"Tell me..." His gaze was sharp, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Rowena Ravenclaw, what else do you know?"
The woman met his gaze without surprise, as though she had expected him to recognize her.
"You need my help. Otherwise, once the hourglass of time runs out, you'll be trapped in the cracks of time forever."
Sagreles narrowed his eyes. "Go on."
"I followed the guidance of the stars to come here and show you the way home." Light flickered in Ravenclaw's eyes. "In exchange,