May 30, 1990
Black House Mansion.
One month. That was the time Asterion spent in this magnificent mansion, and honestly, it was a pleasant experience he never expected to end.
The entire mansion was divided into nine parts: the Entrance Hall, Living Room, Dining Hall, Guest Rooms, Main Bedrooms, Forbidden Library, Ballroom, Room of Animated Portraits, and finally, the Enchanted Gardens.
Asterion spent most of his hours in the Forbidden Library, as the name itself suggests, the library was a treasure trove of forbidden knowledge, with ebony shelves filled with volumes bound in black leather. The soft light from magical lanterns highlighted ancient scrolls, while leather armchairs invited readers to unravel the hidden secrets within the forbidden pages. Ancient masks and magical artifacts adorned the shelves, creating an atmosphere of reverence for the lost and archaic knowledge from a thousand years ago.
He threw himself with open arms into the sea of knowledge, finding himself fascinated by magic and the epics of human history in the face of adversities imposed by destiny itself. A destiny where humans triumphed in the face of the impossible, regardless of what they sacrificed. And magic, a whisper of chaos and entropy, where sorcerers imposed their own will on reality.
…
Seated in the soft and comfortable leather armchair, Asterion was reading a book that held great importance to him. This book compiled the experiences of all the bearers of the Black House's Inherent Technique, where they openly shared their life experiences, struggles, passions, and the complete insanity that pervaded their minds, without any distinction between good and evil.
In the pages bordering on madness, the knowledge of his nine predecessors in the [Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits] was recorded. Being he, Asterion Regulus Black, the tenth to possess this powerful Inherent Technique. The grandeur of these predecessors was indescribable, each one a genius in their own measure, transcending the limits of the prodigious, and often, the insane.
Yes, geniuses. That was the only adjective Asterion could use to explain the brilliance of his predecessors; there was no other word to describe them. Each more prodigious than the other, geniuses among geniuses, as well as mad among the mad. Among them, Corvinus Black stood out—the notorious ancestor of Asterion and the founder of the Black House – Corvinus Black, a Dark Lord who ruled during the years 800 to 1000 AD, leaving an extraordinary legacy in the annals of wizarding history.
Faced with the tens of thousands of pages detailing the experiments conducted with his Inherent Technique, Asterion couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and apprehension. He realized he was a mere novice in the presence of these extraordinary men and women, a pure and innocent white rabbit compared to the insane complexity of their minds.
These individuals had crossed the boundaries between sanity and insanity, revealing themselves as true visionaries or, in some cases, complete lunatics. Asterion glimpsed the possibility of also following the same fate in the face of the tempting whispers in the form of writing on those pages with forbidden knowledge.
They conducted tests on humans, cursed spirits, and any species they deemed intriguing. All of this for a single purpose, a goal speculated by Corvinus Black before his death, and one that all nine predecessors of Asterion embraced without hesitation or fear.
So, the second bearer of the Black House's Inherent Technique, Aries Black, devised the most insane, mad, and dirty plan a human could conceive.
[The Plan for Creating Gods]
Just by its blasphemous name, you could imagine the madness and megalomaniacal arrogance of the man.
Asterion finally understood why there were such a vast number of books and scrolls explaining the anatomy of various species, the vast majority extinct in the face of the relentless power that was time.
Allowing his body to fall weakly into the armchair, Asterion closed the book and held it tightly in his arms. In the end, he felt that perhaps he wasn't so different from those who came before him.
His attempt to create a cursed spirit capable of devouring all magical energy, wasn't it a budget version of the [Plan for Creating Gods] that Corvinus and Aries proposed?
It seemed like destiny was playing with him, like a puppeteer pushing him toward the abyss of insanity. The lingering question remained, one that everyone wanted to know, including Asterion himself.
Would he be cruel enough to walk this path?
Grindelwald pursued and still pursues this path, a path where his ambition surpasses all that is moral and human, regardless of how many people would die in the process.
Asterion didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it at this moment. He closed his eyes and murmured to himself:
Perhaps it was a recurring question throughout the millennia, where geniuses asked the same question, where the ends justify the means.
"How many have died for my ambition."
He reflected on this phrase countless times in his mind.
…
Observing his great-grandson distracted while eating, Arcturus elegantly wiped his mouth with a white handkerchief. "You seem distracted, Asterion. Is something bothering you?" The man's black eyes looked at the child with concern.
"Grandfather, you read that book," Asterion asked, raising his head and looking directly into his grandfather's eyes.
"You mean the book that every bearer of the family's Inherent Technique must read?" Arcturus furrowed his brow, asking somewhat uncertainly. He remembered seeing Asterion reading the book earlier in the library but hadn't paid much attention at the time. It seems he gave something he shouldn't have to his great-grandson.
"Yes," Asterion replied.
Arcturus looked at his great-grandson's pale face and responded honestly, "Only those who have inherited the true Inherent Technique of the family can read that book. I tried when I was your age, but it didn't open to me."
"You read something that bothered you." Arcturus quickly connected the dots and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
Asterion lowered his head, keeping his gaze downcast. "Although I cannot speak about it, as I am bound by the eternal vow..., but what they want me to do... it's simply... insane."
"How insane are we talking about?" Arcturus furrowed his brows deeply. He did not expect this to happen when he gave the book to Asterion.
"So insane that it makes Voldemort seem like a pure and adorable little bunny in front of our ancestors," Asterion replied with a wry smile, hiding the bitterness beneath.
Arcturus widened his eyes in shock but quickly composed himself. "I don't know what you read in that book, but you are a Black, Asterion. I can advise you, but only you will carry the weight of your actions." He looked at his great-grandson and continued, "No matter what our ancestors desire, what truly matters is what you want. But for now, don't think too much about it. You're only nine years old; you still have plenty of time."
As he finished speaking, silence dominated the atmosphere, a thoughtful yet comfortable silence.
Translated by AI.
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Autor's Thoughts: Asterion's ancestors were crazy! Which honestly is not surprising, given how the Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits works.
In the next episode, we'll see a new character entering Asterion's life!
Comment and let me know what you think so far! Preferably with good things, it inflates my ego, hahahaha!
Until morning!
In the Black Mansion, breakfast was served at 7:00, lunch at 11:00, afternoon tea at 15:00, and dinner was served at 18:30. Never late or early.
Punctuality was something the old patriarch of the Black House highly valued, so Asterion always made an effort to be punctual to avoid a long discourse on the importance of punctuality from Arcturus.
Asterion descended the stairs for breakfast to find Arcturus comfortably reading a newspaper while sipping a cup of hot coffee.
Taking a sip of coffee as he turned the newspaper page, Arcturus greeted his great-grandson. "Good morning, Asterion."
"Good morning, Grandfather," Asterion replied as he spread strawberry jam on his toast. He was seated on the right side of the table, near the central chair where only the patriarch could sit.
Noticing Arcturus' interest in the newspaper, Asterion asked curiously, "Any interesting news?"
"Just Grindelwald doing his usual with his acolytes in Europe, preaching his beliefs and recruiting more followers for his cause," said Arcturus, his voice indifferent and cold, showing no change when mentioning the Dark Lord.
"Dumbledore and Grindelwald have never faced each other?" Asterion asked curiously. He was genuinely curious about the fate of the two lovers in this alternate reality.
After a moment of silence, Arcturus replied, "Not that I know of, but I presume there hasn't been a battle between the two. A fight between wizards of their caliber would easily destroy a city, and concealing the destruction of an entire city is not an easy feat."
Asterion nodded in agreement with his words. Baskerville was only a semi-special-grade cursed spirit, but the dog was capable of easily destroying a large expanse of land. The destructive power of a special-grade would be even more devastating, like walking atomic bombs.
Arcturus continued speaking while reading his newspaper, "Although there was no direct confrontation between the two men, the main forces on both sides clashed in Berlin and Paris. The two cities were nearly destroyed during the war. To this day, the magical ministries of both countries harbor a deep hatred for Grindelwald and Dumbledore."
"So, the two main protagonists of the war didn't face each other directly. That's interesting. Could it be that they didn't want to or couldn't fight each other?" Asterion's lips curved into a mysterious smile, pondering the eternal vow between the two, which likely had not been broken so far.
Looking at his great-grandson with suspicion, Arcturus asked with a slightly surprised tone, "Are you suggesting that Grindelwald and Dumbledore have an eternal vow preventing them from fighting each other?"
"Maybe?" Asterion just shrugged and calmly continued eating his breakfast.
Arcturus snorted coldly at the innocent appearance of the cheeky boy. If he didn't know any better, he might have thought his great-grandson was a Seer. The boy did say strange things from time to time.
When Asterion finished eating, he was about to retire to his room when he was stopped by Arcturus' voice, "Your etiquette, politics, and fencing teacher will arrive today at 3:00 PM. Be presentable and ready to join us for afternoon tea."
"Someone you know?" Asterion asked curiously.
"Yes, my great-niece and your cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, born Black," the old man replied, closing the newspaper and placing it on the table. The house-elves of the Black House, along with Kreacher, swiftly cleared the table with a simple wave of their wands.
"Her husband didn't want their son to inherit the Black throne?" Asterion said, recalling the old patriarch's angry words he had heard once.
"Humph! Even if I were to die, that man's son would never inherit this mansion. A descendant who has not practiced the simplified inherent technique will never become the patriarch of the noble House Black!" Arcturus' eyes clearly expressed the disdain he felt for Narcissa's husband, Lucius Malfoy.
"So why did you allow his wife to come and teach me?" Asterion, aware of Arcturus' contempt for Lucius, couldn't understand how the old patriarch would allow the wife of someone he disliked to instruct him.
"Boy, family is family. Your cousin, Narcissa, is a true Black. We protect each other, regardless of anything." Arcturus looked sternly at his great-grandson, who listened with the same seriousness, and continued with the explanation. "Even with what Bellatrix did, your other cousin, I placed her in a special cell in Azkaban. That's what a family should do. We are kin above all else, always united against the world."
"So why was Andromeda expelled from the family?" Asterion asked, expressing one of his doubts after hearing his great-grandfather's words. If his family valued family affection so much, it seemed irrational to expel Andromeda Black.
"She..." Upon hearing the name of his other great-niece, Arcturus showed a complicated expression before responding: "She was not expelled for marrying that trash she calls a husband. She was expelled for choosing not to practice the simplified inherent technique of the family. She chose not to be a Black, so she didn't need to bear the burden of the family."
Asterion understood. Whether Narcissa or Bellatrix, both practiced the simplified inherent technique of the Black House - the [Manipulation of Cursed Spirits]. Each member had the choice to practice or not practice this technique; if they chose to practice, they would be considered a true Black and enjoyed all the power and prestige of the family, but if they chose not to practice, they would not be recognized as such by the family and would be expelled.
"Don't worry, Grandfather, I'll be properly ready to welcome my dear cousin," Asterion said, showing a rare smile on his lips.
Arcturus was surprised by the boy's smile and simply closed his eyes with an equally rare smile. Although the boy was sarcastic, somewhat careless, and had terrible habits, he was learning that family was the most important thing in this cold world, where only family affection could give a bit of warmth.
Translate by IA.
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Author's thought: I thought Narcissa would appear in this chapter, but when I realized it, I ended the chapter like this. But don't worry, she'll appear in the next one. By the way, I created an auxiliary chapter with images of some characters; if you're interested, take a look and comment on something.
Special note: I might be without internet for two days, so don't worry if I don't respond or post any chapters.
Ko- fi.com/asterionblack
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