Chương 1: Chapter 1
Drip... Drip...
A steady drip of water reverberated through the cold stone cell, an atmospheric monotony that gave an unbending rhythm to his solitude. The cell, found in the maximum-security fortress of his creation, Nurmengard, was a palpable echo of the world he once tried to dominate. Now, it was his world in entirety.
He was sitting on the cold stone floor, propped against his austere bed. His frame was frail, his white hair scant, his cheekbones sharp under the harshness of his once striking features. Resting his elbows on the edge of the bed, he turned a tarnished old coin over and over in his thin fingers. He hummed a dissonant tune, the coin's metallic resonance adding to the chorus of the drip. Suddenly, the rhythmic dripping ceased.
The evanescent silence was followed by the metallic jangle of keys, and the solid thud of heavy wooden doors being thrown open - footsteps echoed through the deserted corridor. As the sound drew closer, Grindelwald's humming stopped.
Realization lit in his eyes as a grin spread across his parched lips. Those hollow cheekbones acquired a semblance of their past allure, and his eyes glittered with sinister delight. His seer powers, it seemed, hadn't waned with age.
He'd sensed who this visit was from. The figure stepped into the dim light.
A mirror image of Grindelwald, save for the contrast of vitality and vigor. He was just as tall, just as sharp-featured, but his cheeks were ruddy, and his white hair was thick and lustrous. Grindelwald chuckled, extending a hand theatrically, "Well, Hello there.... Brother."
The twin met his gaze without flinching his white and amber, heterochromatic eyes, shining in the dark, a small grin on his face, "Gellert." Grindelwald's eyes twinkled at this. There was an unspoken language between them, a shared knowledge born out of the absurdity and tragedy of their shared fates. Their shared seer powers, connecting them to a level, unheard of before.
"The White Death returns. To what do I owe this honor?" Grindelwald asked, his voice a croak, a whisper compared to the booming voice it once was. His brother shrugged, "I thought I should come to see you before…before…" His voice trailed off as he turned his gaze to the floor.
An inexplicable silence filled the room, broken only by Grindelwald's quiet laughter. "How dreadfully sentimental, we both know that my fate is sealed" he teased, but his eyes weren't laughing. There was something else there — a shadow of regret? Perhaps even fear?
The brother sighed, "Gellert…" Grindelwald held up a hand, "Enough Kaiser. Let us not waste my remaining time with cheap sentiment. We both know that he will be here soon... for the elder wand..."
He tossed the coin he had been fiddling with towards his brother. "A token from our past." His brother observed the coin for a long moment before pocketing it, a flicker of pain passing over his face.
They sat in silence for a while, immersed in their respective storms of thoughts, letting the restarting drip of water join their shared symphony of silence and introspection.
As the brother stood to leave, Grindelwald spoke up again. His voice was weaker now, barely above a whisper.
"Fate has been cruel, hasn't it, brother? Even the innocent game of a coin toss turned into a tool of divination…"
The twin paused at the door, not turning around to face him. "Yes," he agreed quietly, "Fate has been cruel. To the both of us..."
They did not exchange any goodbyes as the Kaiser left.
The rhythmic dripping of water resumed, filling the echoing silence. Grindelwald, with utmost effort, climbed back onto his bed, resuming his humming. This time, he held no coin. There was only the echo of the dripping water and the memory of a brother's visit as he awaited his expected demise.
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Amidst the dimming light of dusk, a young lad stirred awake, his wide dark eyes clouded with confusion, sweat dotting his pale skin, and a pounding headache clouding his thoughts.
His name, Kaiser, flickered in his muddled mind, but beyond that, his memories remained elusive, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Anxiety knotted his stomach as he surveyed the opulent room, its scarlet carpets, mahogany furnishings, and the grand bed draped in emerald curtains bearing a distinguished 'G' monogram. The air buzzed with a tangible magic, thick and enigmatic.
A sudden chime pierced the air, jolting Kaiser from his thoughts. Before he could discern its source, a small house-elf materialized in a puff of smoke. "Master Kaiser," the elf squeaked, "Your family awaits you at breakfast."
The word 'family' stirred an overwhelming agony within Kaiser, his hands instinctively gripping his head as memories rushed back—a world of wizards, magic, and noble lineages. Despite the flood of recollections, his mind struggled to assemble them. Witnessing his pain, the house elf swiftly vanished, returning with a potion, urging Kaiser to drink it, which he did without hesitation.
As the pain slowly faded away, he focused on the elf, a mix of fear and recognition in his eyes. "Where am I?" he cautiously asked. "Inside your quarters, youn-" the elf began before being interrupted by a boy barging into the room.
"Kaiser, you sleepyhead! Father's waiting!" the boy teased, whisking him away towards the dining area.
Upon entering the large hall, three figures awaited: a matronly woman with an air of warmth and a hint of longing in her gaze, a stern man—Stefan, likely his father—emitting an aura of quiet authority, and an old man in a butler's uniform observing them solemnly. Guided by the boy, Kaiser took a seat beside him, finding himself in an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar setting, the pieces of his memory still scattered and elusive, yet slowly returning back.
"Kaiser, Gellert, join us for breakfast," the man beckoned, while the woman observed with a warm gaze. Kaiser followed along, seating himself beside the talkative boy.
In the midst of the breakfast chatter, Gellert, his twin brother, prattled on about peculiar subjects—nonsensical ramblings that, oddly enough, felt familiar to Kaiser. At some point, something stirred within Kaiser, a rush of familiarity in the whirlwind of confusion that enveloped him.
Fragments of his both his past and new life cascaded back, a tidal wave of memories crashing through his mind. The whispers of his former self echoed in his ears, with realisiation that he had reincarnated into the Grindelwald family.
With a sudden clarity, Kaiser pieced together the puzzle—his name, his connection to Gellert, and the weight of the Grindelwald legacy resting on their shoulders. He was a Grindelwald, and Gellert, his brother, was none other than the future Dark Lord.
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