In the vast Pacific Ocean, a small island stood alone, as though at the edge of the world.
The island was small, but its terrain was treacherous. Sheer cliffs ringed its shores, and a mountain rose at its center, nearly impossible to climb.
No plants grew there. There was not even a trace of life, as though the island were a dead and barren wasteland.
Then a black vortex appeared high above the island. A figure tumbled out of it and plummeted toward the ground.
Jerry had been in his room at the Orphanage only moments ago, but the Ring had suddenly transported him a hundred meters into the air. Luckily, he shook off the dizziness from the teleportation in time.
Realizing his predicament, he immediately transformed into the Raven Patronus. His body became light and powerful, and after adjusting his posture, he managed a steady landing.
Jerry landed panting, his heart still pounding hard and fast.
Anger surged through him. If he ever found out who had sent him that damned Ring, he swore he would serve them a taste of Avada Kedavra!
Once he had calmed down, Jerry examined his left hand.
His middle finger was perfectly intact, and nothing was on it. The mysterious Ring might as well never have existed.
Yet Jerry could clearly sense it beneath the flesh of his left middle finger, seemingly fused with the bone.
He pressed and prodded his finger, but nothing felt unusual.
He tried bending and straightening it with all his strength, but nothing impeded its movement.
Still, whenever Jerry focused on the Ring, he could clearly sense it hiding beneath his left middle finger.
As Jerry puzzled over the Ring's presence, a sudden sting shot through the inside of his left wrist.
Startled, he hurriedly pulled up his sleeve to see what had happened.
A black mark the size of a thumbnail had appeared there. Its shape was identical to the pattern on the Ring, as though part of it had been branded onto his skin.
Jerry touched and pressed the mark, but strangely, he felt nothing. It seemed no different from an ordinary mark or tattoo.
With a sigh, Jerry gave up examining the Ring and the mark. He looked up at the blazing sun, then out at the vast sea surrounding him, his thoughts racing.
Now he had to figure out how to survive on this barren island.
Jerry went to the island's edge, took off his heavy coat, and carefully made his way along the rugged cliffs, searching for a path down.
The island was small, so it did not take long to circle it. When he returned, he felt even more hopeless. Sheer cliffs surrounded the island, with no way down in sight. Forget fresh water—he could not even reach the sea.
Jerry noticed something else strange. There was no sign of life anywhere, and even the seawater was an eerie deep black.
With no other choice, Jerry headed toward the mountain inland. The Ring had brought him here for a reason.
The route grew more treacherous as he climbed. By halfway up, there was nowhere left to put his feet. Jerry could no longer afford to conserve his magic, so he transformed into the Patronus and flew to the summit.
The summit was as barren as the rest of the island, but Jerry soon spotted something unusual: the ruins of an ancient structure.
The buildings had all been made of stone and had long since collapsed. Only broken walls and fallen Stone Pillars remained.
Jerry searched the ruins for a long time, hoping to find something useful or a written record explaining the place. Despite his efforts, he found no worthwhile clues.
Time seemed to have erased every trace of what had once stood there, leaving only broken walls and fallen Stone Pillars.
Just as Jerry was about to give up, he sensed a response from the Ring on his left hand. It seemed to be pointing him in a direction. Surprised, he decided to follow its lead.
Following the Ring's guidance, Jerry arrived at a Clearing beside the ruins. He had searched it earlier and found nothing.
Just as he began to think the Ring had been mistaken, a stone stele appeared out of thin air before him.
"Wh-what is this..." Jerry murmured, staring at the stele in shock.
The stele was pure white, about five meters tall and two meters wide, and covered in densely carved, mysterious writing.
Jerry stepped closer. Its surface was smooth as a mirror and spotless, in stark contrast to the crumbling ruins around it. Time had left no mark on it, as though it had been sealed away from the passing years.
As Jerry approached, the Ring hidden in his left middle finger appeared.
Seeing it, Jerry wondered if he could take it off now.
But before he could try, the Ring slid easily off his finger.
Jerry stared at the Ring in his right palm, hardly able to believe it. Was it really that simple?
While Jerry was still relieved and bewildered by how easily it had come off, the Ring suddenly seemed to come alive. It turned into a beam of light and sank into the stele like a pebble dropping into water.
The moment the Ring vanished, the stele began to change. It gradually turned transparent, then became a mass of liquid floating in midair.
This is bad! Jerry turned to flee.
But the stele, now merged with the Ring, released a powerful suction that dragged Jerry into the liquid.
The force was too strong for Jerry to resist. He felt the liquid swallow him as he gradually lost control of his body.
Jerry struggled to break free, but it was no use.
Once it had swallowed him completely, the liquid stele gave a violent shudder. A torrent of energy surged out from within it and enveloped Jerry.
The energy engulfed him in an instant, plunging him into what felt like a world of chaos.
Jerry felt an immense force pulling him along. He could no longer control his body.
Under its influence, Jerry's consciousness faded, and he sank into sleep.