Death (Part 2)

Three years earlier.

Not long after graduating from Hogwarts, Lin An returned from Egypt with stolen ancient texts and runes. Those scrolls came from the hidden collections of wizarding noble families, and nearly all concerned the "Afterlife."

He had pondered it repeatedly: if he wanted to bring his family, Lily Potter, back, he had to find where souls went.

And judging by how Harry Potter had been killed by Voldemort and then returned to life, there truly was some kind of "other shore" beyond death.

So he decided to verify it himself.

He first brewed an extremely rare potion—the False Death Potion. After drinking it, the heart and magic nearly stopped completely, entering a state akin to death.

Then he took out an Egyptian scarab—a symbol of Resurrection, regarded by the ancients as a guide to the realm of the dead.

Using an alchemical array, he bound part of his soul to the scarab. He was not creating a Horcrux, but establishing a "recall channel."

When his soul drifted toward the Afterlife, the scarab would serve as an anchor and pull him back to reality.

Late at night, he ordered the House-elf to stand watch beside him. If he had not awakened after three hours, it was to inject the antidote immediately.

Lin An drank the potion. The world instantly fell into a sea of white light.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an empty white room—

The walls had no boundaries, the floor was smooth as a mirror, and familiar traces floated in the air: magic, consciousness, and echoes of souls.

Unlike the "King's Cross Station" Harry had seen back then, this place felt more like his laboratory.

A chill swept over him.

A tall, blurry figure emerged from the Void, draped in a pitch-black cloak. It had no face, and its voice was like a cold wind piercing bone.

"An interesting wizard. You dared to step into this place willingly?"

Lin An answered calmly, "It seems you are—Death."

"People often call me that." The figure slowly looked down at him. "Are you not afraid?"

"Afraid?" Lin An smiled faintly. "Fear comes from ignorance. I merely wish to understand."

"Understand death?" The voice seemed to smile without smiling. "Wizards throughout the ages have tried. Some craved immortality, while others foolishly dreamed of conquering me. Yet after seeing me, they all became afraid."

"They fear you because you control life and death." Lin An's tone remained steady. "But in truth, you are merely the embodiment of laws. Death does not rule life; it only maintains balance."

The shadow trembled slightly and fell silent for a moment.

"How do you know that?"

"It is simple." Lin An raised his head, his tone composed. "If you could truly take lives at will, why would you need to use the 'Deathly Hallows' to lure the Peverell Brothers to their deaths?

That proves—you must follow certain rules. You cannot actively interfere with the living; you can only guide souls away after they die."

The air suddenly turned icy.

The black figure's cloak billowed like a silent storm.

"You dare mock me?"

"I am not mocking you." Lin An's expression was calm. "It is merely logical deduction. Besides, you just admitted it yourself."

The aura of death suddenly froze, and the voice lowered. "You are more interesting than those foolish mortals."

Then its tone shifted. "But do you think I have no way to deal with you? I cannot touch you, but I can touch them."

As the words fell, the white space abruptly changed.

Two familiar figures appeared before Lin An—his parents.

They floated quietly in the air, their eyes closed and their expressions peaceful.

With a wave of Death's hand, the pure white world transformed into a crimson sea of fire.

Countless souls screamed amid the flames as the two figures were slowly pushed deeper into the inferno.

"As the gatekeeper of the realm of the dead, I can decide their fate.

Your choice will determine whether they sleep in peace or burn eternally in Hell."

The flames reflected in Lin An's eyes, yet his expression did not change in the slightest.

"You wish to threaten me with emotion?"

He said indifferently, "That only confirms my judgment—you are not omnipotent.

If you truly were an absolute 'law,' why would you need to gain an advantage in negotiation by tormenting others?"

The shadow's aura faltered, and the flames wavered with it.

"You..."

Lin An stepped forward, his voice as cold and harsh as grinding metal. "You are merely a system that maintains order, like time, gravity, and Fate.

I have no intention of challenging laws. I only wish to understand them. Once I understand them, I will rewrite them."

The sea of fire abruptly subsided. White light emerged once more.

Death watched him for a long time before suddenly letting out a low laugh. "Rewrite laws? That is precisely humanity's most dangerous desire.

Remember, wizard. The more you understand, the closer you are to me."

As the words faded, the world shattered.

Lin An abruptly opened his eyes and found himself lying on the experimental table.

The antidote vial in the House-elf's hand had long been empty. His chest rose and fell faintly as his heart began beating again.

The scarab on the table had already crumbled into ashes.

A trace of icy aura still lingered in the air, as though that presence had never truly gone far.

He slowly sat up and carefully wrote the final lines of the experiment report:

"Death truly exists.

It is not a god, but the mask of order.

And I will strip away that mask with reason."

Before the ink had dried, he set down his quill, his expression calm.

From that moment on, he no longer feared death.

Because he had seen it—and returned from it.