12.The Final Rampage

The confrontation with Grindelwald poses the greatest challenge for Aurelius. Unable to fight back, he faces one of the world's most powerful wizards, which undoubtedly adds immense pressure.

Fortunately, they are not hostile towards each other. In Grindelwald's eyes, Aurelius, a mere squib, is working for him.

"Fooled me again," Aurelius thought to himself, feeling somewhat relieved. In this moment of happiness, the troublesome Obscurus within him calmed down slightly.

But his happiness was short-lived.

Upon returning to Second Salem, Aurelius was met with Mary's icy gaze.

"Where have you been?"

Aurelius sensed trouble and knew that making excuses wouldn't help. Despite his apprehension, he bravely approached his mother.

"Sorry, Mom, I'm late."

"You were distracted during my speech and interrupted its rhythm," Mary remarked, her voice soft but with a chilling undertone, like a whispered threat.

"Sorry, Mom."

"You left without saying goodbye, almost causing me to miss an important business opportunity when you returned..."

"Sorry, Mom..."

"I asked you to hand out flyers, but you disappeared and still haven't returned..."

"Sorry, Mom..."

"Don't call me mother!" Mary's voice rose, and she stood up, towering over Aurelius as she spoke. "I'm not your mother. Your mother was a wicked and disturbed woman!"

"..." Aurelius was stunned. He looked up into Mary's piercing gaze.

"Do you know?" Aurelius asked, his voice devoid of its usual cowardice.

"Know? Of course, I know! You monster! Your mother was just as monstrous! You destroyed my home! You killed my husband!" Mary's rage consumed her words.

Yet, as soon as the words left her lips, Mary recoiled instinctively, stumbling back and gripping the handrail for support.

Aurelius stared at her. "I'm a wizard, you know it, and you've known it for a long time!"

Perhaps she had let it slip because Mary proceeded to pour out all her pent-up resentment and anger from over a decade: "How could I not know? I had a happy family, a husband who adored me!"

"My husband was kind. When he saw you, he took pity and adopted you. He treated you as his son. But what did you do?! You burned him alive that winter night!" Mary's voice became increasingly hysterical.

Aurelius took a step back, the pieces finally falling into place.

Credence had shown his magical abilities at a young age, but being too young at the time, he had no recollection of the events that transpired when he was sent through time. Even Credence himself had forgotten those memories!

Credence's magical outburst had caused a fire that claimed Mary's husband's life.

This leaves one question: How could a two- or three-year-old child burn someone who loved him dearly? Aurelius longed to know the answer. At that moment, it felt as if his consciousness penetrated Mary, transcending time and space. In the cold winter, there stood a slightly old house with a fat man wrapped in a thick quilt. He wore an awkward smile as the woman questioned why he had forgotten to buy firewood. It wouldn't have been so difficult if the fireplace could light a fire.

Then, suddenly, the fire started!

Flames engulfed the entire house in an instant.

Men and women ran out of the house in a panic.

The woman managed to escape, but the fat man couldn't seize the opportunity because he remembered the child who was still inside...

Legilimency?

Aurelius used Legilimency?

He had no idea, he never knew that Credence was a natural Legilimency.

He didn't have time to think about this. His head ached. In memory of this tragic event, the Obscurus grew stronger than ever before!

Death, sadness, pain, crying... all of these served as the finest nourishment for the Obscurus, much like taking an Energy drink!

"You wished for a fire to keep warm, and I created the flame. Mr. Mason failed to escape, but after the fire, you found me unscathed amidst the ruins," Aurelius reluctantly spoke, "You despise wizards, even more so now. Is that why you hate me?"

"Shouldn't I hate you?! Shouldn't I hate wizards?! My grandfather told me about the existence of wizards. He told me how detestable wizards are, but I thought he was merely spinning a fairy tale. I never took it seriously! How I regret not taking it seriously! Mason, Mason was so kind, he treated everyone with kindness, everyone regarded him as a good person..." Mary burst into tears, her bloodshot eyes burning fiercely, as she tightly gripped Aurelius's face, "Such a good man, he treated the world with kindness, but what did he get?! He was burned alive by you, an evil wizard! Tell me! Shouldn't I hate you?!"

"I can't wait to kill you!"

Mary's tone and gaze were remarkably convincing. Her hatred for Aurelius ran deep within her soul, only growing stronger with each passing moment.

"But you didn't kill me."

"Of course, I couldn't kill you. I want to keep you. The flag of Salem is red, the red of flames, and the stain of blood! Of course, I must keep you and take an oath at the Second Salem. I will personally burn you at the stake during the conference! I will use you, this wicked wizard, as the first sacrifice!"

Boom!

The Obscurus went into a frenzy, one that Aurelius couldn't control even if he wanted to!

This was his first bout of madness while still in control of his faculties.

Silently, it tore at his body, battling for dominance.

Aurelius failed to suppress it, and he couldn't continue to hold it back.

Drawing upon his last shreds of mental strength, he uttered his final words to Mary: "I'm sorry, but goodbye -"

"What?!"

With a deafening noise, Aurelius's body shattered and was consumed by tendrils of black smoke, the sound of screams reverberating through the darkness.

An unknown entity rushed towards the terrified Mary, cloaked in the black smoke.

In an instant, it pierced through Mary's body and stole her life away. Sora's body appeared drained of blood, with shrunken skin and a fearful expression. It stumbled down the stairs and collapsed on the floor.

The Obscurus wreaked havoc in the Second Salem camp, violently tearing apart the flag that Mary had crafted with her own hands - the thing she cherished most. The flag instantly shattered into pieces that scattered everywhere.

"Ah!" Chastity's scream halted the Obscurus' destructive behavior.

I couldn't help but feel pity for Chastity as she looked on in horror.

Momentarily still, the Obscurus broke free, crashing through the roof and disappearing into the night sky.

Tonight, an eerie silence fills the air. Tonight, the demon that had been suppressed for years is unleashed.

Tonight, the moon is absent.

It is destined to be a night of bloodshed!