Chapter 252: 248) Another sin
At Hogwarts, the following days were slightly calmer. My actions during dinner managed to reduce the tension caused by the Chamber of Secrets issue, which seemed to be a relief for everyone.
However, that didn't mean my life got any easier. Hermione wasted no time in scolding me for my comments in front of the entire dining hall. She did it so vehemently that anyone would think I had jeopardized the integrity of the school. Of course, her reprimands only made the other girls laugh, who seemed to enjoy the scene.
But beyond the joke, Hermione and the others were worried; a needle in the penis was no laughing matter. Even though what I said was a blatant lie, they couldn't be sure, and I had to spend time and energy reassuring them. At first, it was a bit hard to convince them everything was fine, but with some patience and charm, I eventually succeeded.
The most peculiar matter, however, were my sisters: Ginny and Luna. Though neither mentioned what had happened directly, there was something different about their behavior. They seemed more... cautious and nervous, as if they were afraid of me. At the same time, their attitude towards me became strangely affectionate and, to be honest, a little clingy.
Luna was the most obvious. At one point, she literally wrapped her arms around my torso and her legs around mine, like a koala determined never to let go. She stayed like that for a while, pressing her face against my chest with that enigmatic expression she always wore. Ginny, though less intense, took my hand and refused to let go, walking beside me as if she were...
It's not that affection between us was strange; we had always been close. What was odd was that these displays were so public and prolonged. Still, I must admit, their strategy worked. With them being so affectionate, even feeding me during meals, I couldn't find the will to come up with an appropriate punishment for what they had done.
Aside from that and the noticeable absence of McGonagall, things at Hogwarts didn't change too much. As for the smaller matters, I took the opportunity to do a small favor. In secret, I suggested to Lavender that if she needed a friend to talk to about certain topics, she could visit Myrtle. But, of course, I made it clear they couldn't cause any trouble.
...
At the estate, my time was completely occupied. My experiments, Elise's situation, missions, time with my girls, lessons for the Evans sisters... and many other things. However, at that moment, all of that was behind me. There were no clones at Hogwarts or anywhere else. It was just my real self, sitting in meditation in the middle of the forest, with Elise lying nearby, watching me attentively.
"When will you begin?" Elise asked, her voice a mix of concern and boredom.
"Soon... I'm calming my mind. I don't even know if this will work, but if it does, I want to be mentally prepared. Last time, it happened naturally; this time, it won't. I have to be careful not to cause any problems." (Red)
"Is that why it's just the two of us?" (Lys)
"Yes. Our connection... I don't think anyone, other than you, is close enough to make me come to my senses if I lose myself." I answered, looking at her with tenderness, transmitting my emotions telepathically.
I could see her expression change. Her emotions fluctuated between happiness and shyness, almost to the point of jumping up and down in joy. Being recognized that way seemed to make her incredibly happy, even more so than the girl who expected a child from me. It was surprising how, over time, Elise became more human in her attitude and emotions.
I took a deep breath one last time before starting. I felt my inner self, my magic fully charged, each type of magic I mastered resonating within me. At this moment, with no clones or distractions, I was in one of my strongest states, not considering any additional bonuses.
"Well, I'll begin. As long as I don't harm anyone, you don't need to intervene. Although, if it takes more than a day, do it anyway." I explained to Elise, making sure she understood the importance of her role.
With everything ready, I placed my hand over my chest, charging it with energy to the limit, and began to release my power. I felt my blood magic begin to overflow, almost uncontrollable, and as soon as I detected a loss, I applied my [Blood Control] at maximum power.
My eyes turned red as a torrent of intense emotions began to consume my mind, slowly but burningly, without limits. I made a superhuman effort to keep injecting my power into myself, desperately clinging to sanity... if I could still call it that.
'Why can grass be green... why can it photosynthesize and I cannot?'
'Why can air be everywhere and necessary for living beings? It's not better than me, I'm more necessary.'
'Why can Elise have me as her partner? I deserve me more than her...'
Ideas that were increasingly dark and twisted invaded my mind, distorting my perception to the point of losing sight of who I really was. And I wasn't the only one affected.
Elise, emotionally connected to me, felt the weight of every thought, every emotion that emanated. Although she wasn't directly affected by the overflowing power, her connection to my feelings forced her to face them. I could feel her insides struggling, but she couldn't stop the disgust and fear from taking over her gaze. Her eyes reflected horror at what I was becoming, her expression filled with a disdain she had never shown toward me before.
In that state, I could barely continue with my experiment. However, whether due to an involuntary physical reaction or the power surrounding me, something urged me to keep going. It was as if the self-loathing, the idea that others could accomplish it and I couldn't, forced me to not stop. Using all my power in [Envy] was no joke.
I felt how my mind began to blur, as if a cold flame were consuming my brain from the outside in. In the midst of that process, a notification appeared before me, floating like a divine message, and at the same time, an unnatural calm washed over me.
Suddenly, I stopped feeling my power; I had simply stopped it. But I didn't feel fear, anger, or even pain. I felt absolutely nothing. It was as if everything inside me was empty, a terrifying abyss that, paradoxically, couldn't scare me. I looked at the world with absolute indifference. Even when my eyes fell on Elise, who was looking at me with a mixture of fear and concern, I felt nothing. However, I noticed something: every time I looked at others, the only thing that seemed to catch my attention was everything they had that I didn't.
[Ability: "Essence of Envy" acquired]
[Essence of Envy (Level 1)]
-When you witness an ability or characteristic that you don't possess and feel genuine envy for it, you can copy that ability. It only works if the ability is witnessed directly. You can only copy one ability at a time. When you acquire this ability for the first time, you can permanently copy one characteristic.-
I read the message with a clear mind, although my sanity was returning slowly, piece by piece. However, I couldn't help but feel contempt for myself. Not only did I have to rely on others' abilities, but I could barely copy one at a time. It was pathetic. Surely someone else could do it better, but... then I would copy them, and no one would be better than me.
I remained trapped in that whirlwind of thoughts while Elise desperately tried to communicate with me through our telepathic connection. Even though I had clearly told her not to intervene unless absolutely necessary, her concern pushed her to ignore my words.
Elise had been watching me intently throughout the whole process. She could see how my face went from a whirlwind of emotions to absolute indifference. But she also saw something else, something that happened just as I reached that empty state.
Elise had been watching me intently throughout the whole process. She could see how my face went from a whirlwind of emotions to absolute indifference. But she also saw something else, something that happened just as I reached that empty state.
A spectral figure began to project itself over me. It could be described as a woman, bald and faceless, but only by the shape of her body. She wasn't human. Her form lacked defined edges; she had no straight lines or angles, except in her arms and legs. Her skin, if it could be called that, was like the surface of a mirror, reflecting everything around her with unsettling precision.
It wasn't just that figure that had changed. My own body seemed different. My skin reflected the light strangely, as if it had a certain transparency combined with a shiny, reflective texture. It seemed as if I myself was becoming a reflection.
However, none of this was what worried Elise the most. What terrified her was that, for the first time since we bonded, she couldn't make her voice reach me. Our connection, which had always been unbreakable, was now blocked by an invisible barrier. For the first time, she felt completely separated from me, and that fear was deeper than any she had experienced before.
In reality, it wasn't that I couldn't hear her at all. I could feel her, piercing in my mind, a persistent presence. But other things demanded my attention. In the end, it was she who helped me focus on what was happening. My eyes turned to Elise, and at that moment, she became my target. All this time, I had been looking around, considering which ability or characteristic I might permanently copy. Chlorophyll... plant cells... tree bark... the hardness of a rock... the vastness of the sky...
Everything seemed absurd, and yet, incredibly desirable.
When I finally focused on Elise, even in that strange state of distorted clarity, I knew she was important to me. Although I couldn't avoid questioning why. I looked at her and wondered: what could I envy about her? In this state, the answer seemed to be everything. But I had to choose.
"Copy her race? Be a unicorn? Maybe not so bad, though it would be weird to ride her later..."
"Her gender? Be a woman? It would be interesting, but... I'd lose the chance to fuck with my girls... though maybe not with Tonks..."
"Her indifference to civilization? I could live comfortably in nature with her... No, I still have things to do in human society..."
The options flooded my mind, and just as I felt that malicious state beginning to fade, an idea took shape. It wasn't necessarily better than the others, but it seemed just as valid. Fearing that I might lose the opportunity, I clung to it and chose it with determination.
Just as that choice was etched in my mind, the strange state that had consumed me disappeared abruptly, like a bubble popping. At the same time, a new message appeared before me:
[Alignment: "Good" obtained permanently]
I felt a shift inside me, as if within the absolute darkness that defined me, a small white light appeared, pushing the shadows back. But it wasn't enough. The light couldn't dissipate all the darkness. I could feel it clearly: Elise's goodness wasn't as powerful or pure as my evil alignment. There was an imbalance.
Inside me, I felt 40% of that goodness and 60% of my evil. Although the light wasn't dominant, it wasn't being completely defeated either. For every ten blows of darkness, four were held back by that new luminous presence.
The change wasn't just internal. I could notice subtle transformations in my body. There was a persistent pain in my gums, and upon investigating with my powers, I discovered that the lines of my hidden fangs were changing. I was gaining molars, and my false teeth were strengthening. If Newt were here, he'd probably say that my diet had just changed.
I didn't know what other changes my body or mind would undergo, but I suspected they wouldn't be drastic. Elise's goodness wasn't pure enough to completely restructure me. There was no detailed message listing concrete benefits, like when I acquired my evil alignment. However, I felt like I could do more now, as if both forces, despite the difficulty, were complementing each other instead of canceling each other out.
I lifted my gaze after this introspection, fixing it on Elise. Her face showed a mixture of concern and contained tears.
"Everything's fine, Lys... it's all fine now," I said, extending my hand to stroke her.
But she didn't wait. She lunged at me before I could react.
I can't say it's comfortable to have a huge unicorn crushing you, but I could endure it after what I had just made her go through. I hugged her tightly and slid my hand over her shiny fur, comforting her.
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