Authour here: I´ve been out for some time, I´m quite busy right know I will have to reduce the number of chapter for a bit, but dont worry guys, i wont leave the story hanging :)
The forest was unnaturally still. The air felt thick, as if all the nocturnal sounds had been absorbed by an invisible force. Neither the hooting of owls nor the buzzing of insects broke the silence. Suddenly, the roar of a car tore through the calm. A vehicle was speeding down the road, and the driver, with a sharp swerve, narrowly avoided colliding with a figure that appeared in his path.
—Damn kids! What the hell are they doing in the woods at this hour? —the driver shouted, cursing as the car sped away, its taillights fading into the darkness.
Maximus watched the vehicle disappear, a cold glint in his lifeless eyes. The Inferius child had almost been run over. That incident could not happen again. "We're too exposed," Maximus thought as his eyes slid toward the distant lights of civilization. They needed to remain unnoticed at all costs.
—We're closer to civilization than I thought —he said, his tone almost casual but loaded with dark determination. His companions, Rachel, the child, and the adult, watched him with a mix of respect and expectation. Maximus could not afford to fail. He had already lost too much.
—We need to become invisible, especially you —he said, looking at the small child, whose youthful appearance contrasted with his macabre state. Maximus searched through his memories for something that could help them. Then he remembered: the Notice-Me-Not Charm.
With the wand he had taken from Regulus still in his left hand, he muttered the spell, casting it first on the child. "Forgive me if it doesn't work," he thought to himself, fearing that his control over magic wasn't as strong as he hoped.
A sigh of relief escaped his lifeless throat as the child's body began to blend with the surroundings, fading like a chameleon. "Perfect," he thought. He turned to the others and repeated the spell, watching as Rachel, the adult, and he himself blended into the darkness of the forest.
—It will work for now, but we can't rely on it too much. It won't protect us during the day. —Maximus gave a final glance toward the empty road and then, without wasting time, ordered:— I need your names. I can't keep calling you "child" and "man." If we're going to be companions, we need something more personal.
The child spoke first, his voice a shadow of what it once was. —Thomas.
Then the man responded, his tone low, almost grave: —Arthur.
Maximus nodded. "Common names," he thought, but that was fine. They would be useful for blending into both the Muggle and magical worlds if necessary.
—Alright then, listen. We need a safe place, a base from which to operate. Something far enough to be safe, but not so far that it prevents us from returning if we need to recover something. —Maximus looked up toward the distant lights. That place looked like a typical coastal village in the English countryside, with its low houses and the dim light of a pub still glowing. It seemed peaceful, too peaceful, as if all the inhabitants were asleep, unaware of the presence of these undead beings walking nearby.
As they moved forward, a silhouette atop a hill caught his attention. An old church, shrouded in shadows, with twisted willows surrounding it, almost as if nature had reclaimed it long ago. The undergrowth grew wild, and the dark stones of the building seemed soaked in centuries of forgotten stories.
Maximus smiled to himself. That place reminded him of the cave. The solitude, the darkness. "It will be perfect," he thought, finding some comfort in its eerie appearance.
When they reached the entrance, they encountered a large gate locked with a rusty padlock. Maximus quickly recalled the right spell. —Alohomora —he pronounced, but nothing happened. He frowned, feeling a surge of frustration. He knew his control over magic with this new wand was still uncertain.
He tried several more times, his frustration growing with each failed attempt. Finally, when he was about to give up, a click echoed in the night. —Alohomora —he said once more, and the padlock gave way.
—Get in quickly —he ordered as he pushed the rusty gate. A sense of danger overwhelmed him. He knew the camouflage spell wouldn't last long, especially at dawn, and their cadaverous faces would attract unwanted attention. They had to move fast.
The interior of the church was dark and silent, but Maximus preferred it that way. The air smelled of mold and abandonment, but there was something familiar in that desolation. He could almost imagine himself back in the cave, though without the cursed lake waters or the devouring fire that had nearly destroyed them.
He turned to his group, his empty eyes passing over each one. It was time to plan. He sat on one of the old church pews, the sound of the wood creaking under his weight.
—What should we do? —he asked, breaking the silence.
Rachel was the first to speak. —We need to get stronger. If we want to survive in this world, we'll need power —her tone was firm, filled with conviction.
Arthur and Thomas nodded silently, as if that decision was as obvious as the need to breathe.
Maximus watched them for a moment, then let his thoughts wander. The First Wizarding War was still in full swing. Chaos was everywhere. This was their opportunity. They could take advantage of the fear and confusion to grow stronger, to carve out a place in the new order.
But they would need a plan. A calculated move. They had to find the weak points and exploit them. The shadow of Voldemort still hung over the wizarding world, but Maximus knew that even the most powerful had weaknesses.
—Yes —he said finally, his voice barely a whisper—. We will get stronger. But first, we must find a way to harness the chaos. If we do it right, no one will be able to stop us.
Rachel's eyes gleamed with approval. Arthur and Thomas looked at him, awaiting his orders.
The abandoned church, wrapped in shadows, would be their sanctuary, the place where their rise would begin.
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Author notes
I´ve opened a p4treo n so if you like my works you can support me there!, I wont have new chapters or somenthing earlier but I´ve put polls there to vote for new arcs and storys :) anyways it´s only to support me if you like what I write.
patreon.com/Hujikiongyu
creation is haaaaaaard caaaaaarl
The first ray of dawn light pierced through the church just as Maximus and his group sealed the doors, temporarily securing their refuge in the shadows. The silence inside the building was overwhelming, broken only by the occasional creak of the old wood, which seemed to protest at their presence. Maximus walked toward the pulpit, his imposing figure gliding through the dim light. He sat on a chair nearby, feeling the faint warmth of the sun starting to touch his dead skin.
That warmth wasn't the comforting kind of life, but something more sinister. The sunlight caused him a growing discomfort, similar to a slow and constant burn.
—It seems that the sun affects us in some way —he said softly, looking at his hands, which had begun to redden slightly—. Even if it's just a temporary aversion, we must avoid exposure to light. We'll need protection —he continued, speaking more to himself than to the others—. But we must be careful not to look like Death Eaters. The first step is to organize our knowledge. We must make progress.
He approached an empty shelf at the back of the church, where several old and crumbling journals had been left to rot after years of abandonment. With a flick of his wand and murmuring a Transfiguration spell, he turned them into three new, white-covered journals and handed them to each of his companions, along with pens he found among the debris.
—Write down everything you remember about the magical world —he ordered—. Everything you've absorbed since… we returned. That way, we can divide tasks and strategies.
Rachel was the first to start writing, her movements quick and fluid, almost human, as she filled the pages with long sentences. Beside her, Arthur and Thomas looked clumsier, their hands trembling slightly as they held the pens, as if struggling against some intoxication. However, they had one advantage: they didn't tire. Despite their awkwardness, they would keep writing for hours if necessary.
Feeling restless, Maximus decided to explore the church further. He moved with an unnatural agility, as if floating among the shadows. His empty eyes fixed on a small side door leading to what must have been the old pastor's quarters. The place was in ruins. There was a broken bed, with tattered sheets and a pillow that barely held its shape. The wardrobe, though dusty, still held an old robe hanging, worn by time but still in relatively good condition.
—Reparo —he whispered, pointing his wand at the robe. Instantly, the fibers of the fabric wove themselves back together, partially restoring it. It wasn't new, but at least it was usable, and its long-sleeved, hooded design would make it perfect for covering his skin from the sun. Maximus put it on and looked at himself in a piece of broken mirror hanging on the wall.
What he saw surprised him. His skin, once pale and cadaverous, had begun to brighten, though it didn't resemble that of a human. It was something more… beautiful in its strangeness. A different being, cold and distant, like a living marble statue. Despite his condition, there was an unsettling perfection in his reflection.
Lost in thought, a noise in the distance snapped him out of his reverie. He approached the window and saw a girl wandering through the forest with a small basket in her hand.
—"It's a lovely day, Mr. Mittens. We're going to pick more mushrooms so Mum can make that stew you like so much," —the girl sang softly, speaking to what seemed to be an invisible cat. Maximus could hear her perfectly from a distance, thanks to his heightened senses, honed by the silence in the cave. His ears picked up even the faintest cracks of branches beneath the girl's feet.
Maximus watched for a moment, evaluating the situation. "A child," he thought. It might be less intimidating than interacting with an adult, though he could always use a spell if things got complicated. He decided to approach.
With supernatural agility, he jumped through the window, landing softly on the forest floor. He followed the girl, his movements barely making a sound as he glided among the trees. The girl, however, began to sense his presence. She stopped for a moment, turning her head toward the trees.
—H-hello? Who's there? —she asked nervously, clutching the basket against her chest.
Maximus decided not to alarm her further. He made a deliberate noise, snapping a branch underfoot before approaching slowly.
—Hello, little one —he said in a voice that was gentle yet strange, so controlled it almost seemed inhuman—. My name is Max. What's yours?
The girl looked at him warily, taking a step back. —My name's Abby… but Mum told me not to talk to strangers —she responded, her voice trembling slightly.
Maximus murmured a spell. —Confundo.
The spell wasn't cast with complete precision, but it was enough to dull the girl's senses, relaxing her stance.
—Tell me, Abby, where are we? And how can I get to London?
Abby, in a semi-bewildered state, answered without much thought. —We're in Longhouse, in Cornwall. To get to London, you need to take the bus from the village square —she said, as if reciting something she had heard hundreds of times.
Maximus smiled slightly. He knew they would need money to travel. Taking advantage of the spell, he convinced her to return home and bring back as much money as she could find. The girl, in a trance, agreed without hesitation, running back to her house. As he waited, Maximus pondered. Going to London was the next step. There was Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic… resources and opportunities to consolidate his power.
Shortly after, Abby returned with 600 pounds in her hand, a considerable sum.
—I saw Dad hide money in a book —the girl said, her voice still somewhat dreamy—. He told me not to tell Mum.
Maximus watched her for a moment, surprised by her obedience under the spell. —Go back home and stay inside for the rest of the day —he ordered in a firm tone. Abby nodded and returned home.
Meanwhile, Maximus made his way back to the church, his thoughts focused on his next move. The journey to London would have to be at night, when they could move unnoticed, and the Confundus Charm would be useful if they needed to influence drivers or passengers.
When he returned, he noticed that several hours had passed. Arthur and Thomas had stopped writing. Thomas had barely filled four pages, while Arthur had covered at least ten. Rachel, on the other hand, was still focused, her journal almost a quarter full.
—Search around the church —he ordered—. We need clothes to cover ourselves. Something loose enough so that no one notices what we are. We cannot risk drawing attention.
They waited patiently for night to fall. The sun was already disappearing when Maximus heard another noise, this time coming from the main doors of the church.
—Damn old hag —a voice grumbled from outside—. She wouldn't let me in. Filthy woman. Well, at least I won't freeze out here...
The intruder shoved the door forcefully, and Maximus readied himself for whatever was to come.
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Author notes
I´ve opened a p4treo n so if you like my works you can support me there!, I wont have new chapters or somenthing earlier but I´ve put polls there to vote for new arcs and storys :) anyways it´s only to support me if you like what I write.
patreon.com/Hujikiongyu
yayyyy another oneeeeeeeee GIVE ME YOUR LOVEEEEEE
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