Constantinople

The night was deep.

Arriving in the ancient capital of Rome.

Floodlights illuminated the Golden Horn, revealing the Winky mosques and the silhouettes of their slender minarets against the night sky.

It is now evening prayer time.

In this ancient city, the call to worship echoes... calling believers to attend services.

Apart from the devout worshippers rushing to the mosque, everyone else in the city continued with their lives.

The boisterous tourists drank rak, savoring the local specialty spirit;

Vendors hawked fake Byzantium- style antiques, mass-produced from the small commodities market, asking for 80,000 yuan right off the bat.

There were also young, romantic Turkey girls standing at the window, smoking hookahs, beckoning customers into their rooms to ponder the "doctrine" of their Allah's Great Study...

Amen... Ah, Phat, Allah!

This is a fragmented and chaotic city, filled with objects from different times and spaces, and various opposing cultures:

Religious, secular; ancient, modern; Eastern, Western...

But this chaos is strangely intertwined, accommodating and harmonious, without any sense of conflict.

after all,

This is Byzantium.

It is Constantinople.

It's Istanbul.

It is the holy land of the Jingluo.

Standing on the dividing line between Eurasia, it has weathered two thousand years of history and served as the capital of both the Rome and Ottomans Empires.

It has a broad mind, a profound historical background, and is inclusive of everything... regardless of culture.

It's like... Chang'an, the capital of East Asia, where you can stumble upon ancient tombs just by digging a subway line;

It's like... Baghdad, the "land of God" in West Asia, which is recorded in the Code of Hammurabi.

It's far from being comparable to Washington, D.C.., a young city dedicated to imitation.

Tonight, among these busy crowds, stands a handsome sixteen-year-old boy.

Despite his young age, he wore a loose white robe, a Hui hat, and carried a tattered copy of the Quran, looking like an imam.

Many people showed him respect upon seeing him, and even the young women soliciting customers on the roadside dared not pester him too much or try to "preach" to him physically.

Tom witnessed all aspects of the world and all living beings.

he,

A calm and still mind.

Calm and composed.

He had been in Constantinople from United States for over two months, and the old man had neither led him to search for Death nor taught him Prehistoric Mysteries.

He was simply made an imam, to study the Bible and the Quran daily...

Besides that, I walked through the streets and alleys of the city.

According to the old man:

"Only by engaging in worldly spiritual practice can one better perceive that lost power."

Although Tom didn't feel anything, he still completed the task very well and persisted every day.

My state of mind has also become much more peaceful.

Stepping over a serpentine column from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Tom arrived at the city's most famous spot.

Hagia Sophia Cathedral.

Saint Sophia Cathedral was originally built in 360 AD as an Orthodox cathedral.

In 1204, the Doge of Venice led the Fourth Crusade, occupied the city, looted it, and converted it into a Catholicism church.

Later, when Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque.

And so, through twists and turns, the Sophia Cathedral has continuously shifted its faith... and the characteristics of the three churches have all remained on it.

Tom gazed at the church and inexplicably thought of the old man who called himself Slytherin; he was just as eccentric.

At first, it seemed out of place, but now it's becoming more and more appealing.

The Saint Sophia Cathedral shines brightly in the dark night sky, its enormous form resembling a mountain.

The central dome is incredibly spacious.

Four towering minarets rise from the four corners of the cathedral, each with a balcony and a silver-grey spire.

Tom unconsciously felt insignificant.

He didn't linger long, walking slowly along the marble path, through the visitor entrance, and to the cathedral door.

There are three recessed archways, below which is a large bronze door.

Several armed security guards stood on both sides, preventing anyone from passing through.

Tom navigated the bronze gate with practiced ease and entered the inner Entrance Hall. The security guards seemed not to even see the young imam.

Upon entering the inner Entrance Hall, a profound silence descends, as if a wall separates this place from the bustling city into two distinct worlds.

The interior Entrance Hall is decorated with unparalleled luxury, with polished stone walls that gleam under the elegant chandeliers.

Tom walked through the Entrance Hall and came to a huge door.

The famous Imperial Gate, during the Byzantium period, was accessible only to the emperor.

Imperial Gate lies an even more magnificent and grand hall.

The dome, over 150 feet high, resembles the crown of the entire building.

Forty arched ribs, like sunlight radiating outwards from the center, extend into a circular arcade with forty arched windows.

In the most prominent place, there is a huge mosaic of Jesus. On the left and right sides, there is a large disc with inscriptions in Arabic calligraphy:

The names of Muhammad and Allah.

It's as if... Jesus is both Allah and Muhammad.

Three gods in one.

"Jesus is the youngest of the Tale of the Three Brothers. He received the goblet of Death and drank the liquid inside."

"He was executed in Rome, but resurrected three days later," an aged voice rang out.

Tom turned his head and found that the old man had appeared at some point.

He stood in the corner, wearing a small round cap, a purple Catholicism robe, and a white vestment.

The glass panes embedded in the gold panels reflect and reflect again, creating the Saint Sophia Cathedral's most famous "mystical light"... all falling upon him.

The old man looks more like Jesus or Muhammad than in the portrait.

"Where's the wine glass?" Tom asked.

"It ended up in Britain, where it was obtained by Merlin, and became known as the Holy Grail." The old man walked across the pulpit and came over:

Later, the Rome invaded Britain, stole the Holy Grail, and took it back to Constantinople, where it was placed in this Saint Sophia Church.

Later, the Doge of Venice looted the church and took the Holy Grail back to Venice.

Tom suddenly remembered something; his pupils dilated, and he looked on in disbelief.

"That's right." The old man seemed to know what he was thinking, and nodded and smiled. "Three years ago, the White Dragon incident in Venice was related to the Holy Grail."

William received Death's goblet.

I was at St Mark's Basilica at the time and witnessed the whole thing.

Tom couldn't help but sigh; the more he learned about William, the more terrifying he seemed.

What else is there that he doesn't know?

"Then why didn't you stop it?" Tom asked, puzzled.

"Why should I stop it?" The old man looked at the peaceful night in the distance and smiled.

"Three wizards passed the trials, met Death, obtained the Deathly Hallows, and then spread them throughout the world."

It should have been obtained by a worthy wizard; otherwise, why would Death go to all that trouble?

It's like Prehistoric Mysteries, only those who are worthy of learning it.

Why should I stop them?

Whether it's Jesus, Merlin, or William... it's all the same.

Tom squinted, lost in thought.

"Tom, do you know why I brought you here?" The old man walked to the window and looked out at the vast sea.

Tom shook his head.

Back then, when Osman I was still the tribal chief, he dreamed of a wizard shrouded in black robes.

He appeared to me in a dream and said:

There is a city situated at the junction of two seas and two continents, like a diamond between two sapphires and two emeralds.

Obtaining it would grant one the world's largest territory.

That city is Constantinople.

Tom also went to the window and looked into the distance.

He could see a dazzling, angular peninsula jutting out into the dark Sea of Sea of Marmara.

That is the Bosporus Strait, which is like a wide rift that divides Constantinople, and even the Eurasian continent, in two.

Judging solely from the description of the dream, only Constantinople fits the criteria.

This city is naturally centered on the 30km-long Bosporus Strait.

West Coast Europe

East Coast Asia

It presents a sandwich-like situation from both sides.

To the north is the Black Sea.

To the south lies the Sea of Marmara.

Like two dazzling gemstones.

Bound by Eurasia and overlooking Africa, "embracing three continents and bordering five seas"... this is the unique geographical location of Constantinople.

Indeed, after the Ottomans Empire occupied Constantinople, it did seize a large amount of land and even cut off the Eurasian trade route, which led to the Age of Exploration.

Tom frowned slightly and said, "Just a dream, and it caused hundreds of years of war and conflict?"

This conflict continues to this day and remains one of the most intractable problems in the Muggle world.

The black-robed wizard who appeared in his dream was far more skillful than him.

"It was Death who sent me this dream," the old man murmured, gazing at the breathtaking scenery in the distance.

"Death has appeared in my dreams more than once, guiding the wizard to find the Deathly Hallows."

"Then why did he appear in Mehmed's dream and guide him to Constantinople?"

The old man was silent for a moment, then said softly:

"Because this eternal city, straddling the two continents of Asia and Europe, is a bridge from the old world to a more ancient world."

"A bridge to an even more ancient world?!"

"That's right." The old man, his face beaming, spread his palms and pointed into the distance.

"Back then, the young Dumbledore and Grindelwald planned a pilgrimage."

Our final destination is here.

The familiar the Tale of the Three Brothers, their quest for Death, begins here.

They started from Constantinople, and the passageway lies beneath this city!

That's where the Underworld and the human world meet.

Tom's eyes widened.

"Tom, you can go find that boy now, bring that piece of his soul here." The old man patted the young man on the shoulder:

"The time has come. I'll send you to meet your Death. He'll like you."

Tom nodded.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew in from afar, bringing not only coolness but also the sound of believers praying.

Countless people shouted:

"La-ilaha-illa-Allah."

There is only one God, Allah.

The old man gazed at the sea, where a vast, menacing storm Feng Yun was gathering on the horizon.

He also prayed softly:

There is only one God, Death.