Chapter 9: The Confrontation

Máximus, still shaky from exhaustion, carefully held the locket in his hands and opened it. As soon as he did, a dark, spectral mass emerged, forming the shape of a gigantic, shadowy head. The air around him grew heavy, and unintelligible whispers filled the cave, echoing like the voices of the lost. The head turned slowly, scanning its surroundings, as if searching for something.

"Ssssss... Who has awakened me? Ssssss... Is the main body in danger? Ssssss..." The voice was a chilling hiss, like the language of a serpent.

The spectral head suddenly swiveled, its eyes locking onto Máximus. Although it saw him as an Inferius, it noticed something unusual in his gaze—a spark of humanity that seemed out of place in such a creature.

"Ssss... I suppose you'll do..."

Without warning, the black smoke lunged at Máximus, entering his mouth in a rush of dark mist trying to devour him from within. Máximus felt a paralyzing cold course through his body as his mind began to fog and a dark mist invaded his thoughts. He remembered fragments of his past life: his parents' death, his isolation in the cabin, and the stormy night of his accident. But something within him surged with an unfamiliar strength, an energy he didn't recognize. He fought back against the darkness trying to consume him.

When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the cave. He found himself in a vast place, an immense lake of dark waters that seemed endless. Only one large island broke the horizon.

"Where... where am I?" he murmured, confused. "This isn't the cave..."

He moved toward the island, and upon arriving, he saw a human figure walking, equally confused, in the distance. It was a spectral form, and as he got closer, he realized it was the fragment of Voldemort's soul.

"What is this?" Voldemort whispered. "This is not the mind of a human... nor of a corpse... There shouldn't be anything here."

Máximus and the specter stood face to face. Voldemort looked at him with a mix of surprise and rage.

"You... what are you? You shouldn't be here..." Voldemort said, raising a spectral wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

The spell hit Máximus directly, but he didn't die. He remained standing, though he felt as if something inside him had been lost, something he couldn't identify. He knew he couldn't let Voldemort continue.

Before Voldemort could react, Máximus dashed toward the lake and dove into its dark waters, seeking refuge.

"No! You cannot escape me!" Voldemort shouted, furious.

As Máximus plunged into the depths, something about the water felt strangely familiar. Around him, more corpses began to appear—the same Inferi who had once been his grave companions. But this time, something was different. He could feel a connection to them, almost as if he could communicate. He sensed their emotions, their unfulfilled desires... they craved the same thing he did: life.

"We can come back..." Máximus whispered to them, filled with newfound determination. "We can! I will make it, for them... for me!"

With firm resolve, he raised his voice among the submerged corpses.

"Rise and follow me! We have been disturbed, bothered, interrupted! The intruder wants to take away what little we have left! If we cannot rest even in death, then neither shall they!"

The fragment of Voldemort, still confused on the island, looked into the water, trying to decide its next move. But then, a cold hand grabbed him by the ankle from the depths.

"What is this...? Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted, but the spell had no effect.

Desperate, he cast a Cruciatus curse, but it, too, was futile. From the lake, dozens of corpses began to emerge, surrounding him, pulling at him, biting his spectral form. Voldemort, weakened by the fragmentation of his soul, struggled to stay conscious. His magic, now only a shadow of its former power, was no match for the Inferi.

Hidden among the bodies, Máximus approached from behind. Something in his instincts told him to attack in a more primitive way. Without hesitation, he lunged at Voldemort's spectral head and bit down with all his might.

"AAAHHH!" Voldemort screamed as his spectral body disintegrated into pieces.

With one final surge of strength, Máximus absorbed the remaining fragments of Voldemort's head. He felt a strange vitality course through his body, an energy that almost made him feel alive again. With the fragment of Voldemort destroyed, he collapsed to the ground, exhausted. His eyes slowly began to close as he drifted into a deep sleep, surrounded by the Inferi who had followed him.