0105 The Door to Ruins

The night was deep and dark, but the moon shone brightly over the vast plain, casting a silvery glow on everything below. The moonlight was so intense that it seemed like a powerful searchlight was shining on people's heads, revealing every detail of their surroundings. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, creating a contrast of light and shadow on the ground.

In the camp where the Muggles had set up their tents, most of them had fallen into a deep slumber, unaware of the magic that was about to happen. But there were still some Muggles who were awake, drinking and laughing around the fire, enjoying their last moments of ignorance.

In the nearby scenic park, several night patrol staff were also asleep, curled up in their cozy guardhouse. They had no idea that a wizard had sneaked into their territory and cast a stun spell on each of them, ensuring that they would not be disturbed by any noise or movement.

In the middle of the park, there was a circle of large stones that looked ordinary and ancient. They were called Stonehenge by the Muggles, and they had attracted many tourists and researchers over the years. But none of them knew the true nature of these stones, or the mystery that lay behind them.

As the night progressed, a thin mist began to envelop the stones, creating a mysterious atmosphere. The stones seemed to come alive, emitting a faint and subtle aura that only a few could sense.

In fact, the Muggles had discovered this phenomenon a long time ago, but after a series of experiments and research, the Muggle scientists could not give a reasonable explanation. In the end, they could only attribute this phenomenon to the abnormal geomagnetic field here.

"–This Stonehenge is broken, and the missing pillars are the key to opening the ruins. For a long time, we found one pillar, but still failed to make up for it."

In front of the stone gate that marked the entrance to the portal, Cliodna spoke with a hint of regret in her voice. She was a druidess, a descendant of an ancient magical tradition that had been almost forgotten by the modern wizarding world. She wore a simple linen robe that was slightly yellowed by time, and held a grapevine wand in her hand. Her hair was green as grass, and fluttered gently behind her. She looked like a fairy from a storybook, but her eyes were cold and sharp. She fully met Bryan's image of this 'mysterious' queen of banshees.

Bryan pressed his palm against one of the pillars that formed the gate, feeling the warmth that radiated from it. He wondered what kind of magic was hidden inside these stones, and what kind of world awaited him beyond them. After a while, he didn't ask how to open the 'door', but turned his head and looked at Cliodna who seemed to have no emotional fluctuations at any time. He casually asked,

"How many times have you failed?"

"I've been in three times–"

Cliodna replied indifferently, "My teacher has been in five times, Mr. Watson. There is a suppression that ordinary people can't resist in the space behind the door. Of course, it won't bring too much trouble to such a powerful wizard as you–"

Bryan knew that Cliodna's 'ordinary people' were not Muggles, but other wizards who were not as skilled or experienced as him. He was not too worried about the suppression, as he had faced many dangers and challenges in the underground world. He was more interested in finding out why he was here in the first place.

"–Because of incompleteness, when we enter the door, our position is also random and not fixed. The predecessors of Druidism left a mark in the center of the ruins. I can reach there by relying on the mark, but Mr. Watson, you may need to rely on your own strength to reach the center of the island."

Cliodna explained further as she pointed her wand at the stone gate. Bryan noticed that she used the word 'island', which confirmed his suspicion that they were going to enter another dimension that was isolated from the rest of the world. He nodded without hesitation. He knew that this trip was not only to help Cliodna get her so-called 'holy relic' that belonged to Druidism from Merlin's eternal resting place, but also to figure out why the ancestor of druid's 'prophecy' had something to do with him.

Prophecy is something that seems illusory, but also follows logic and causality. Bryan never thought that he would encounter such a thing just because he was 'unlucky'.

"Then open it, Miss Cliodna. I can't wait to see what's inside–"

Bryan shook out his wand from his sleeve and stepped back a few steps. He spoke with a cold and calm tone, but his eyes betrayed his excitement and curiosity. However, before Cliodna could perform the opening spell, she stopped and looked at him with a serious expression.

"Before entering the ruins, we will encounter some obstacles. Mr. Watson, you need to be mentally prepared."

She warned him as she aimed her wand at the huge stone gate in front of them. Bryan raised his eyebrows and asked,

"What kind of obstacles?"

Cliodna did not answer directly, but said with a slight tremor in her eyelashes as she stared at the stone gate,

"When the pillars are in place, this stone gate will become its original appearance: an Mirror of Erised. I think you must have heard its legend."

Bryan felt a chill run down his spine as he heard the name of the mirror. He had indeed heard of it, and he knew what it could do. It was a mirror that showed the deepest and most desperate desire of one's heart. It was a mirror that had driven many people mad with longing and despair.

"Mirror of Erised - mirror reflecting inner desire."

Bryan nodded and muttered something under his breath. His face was expressionless, but that was a sign of his inner calmness. He quickly ran his Occulumency shields in his mind, hiding his astonishment very well from the mysterious woman beside him.

"Mirror of Erised has two sides: one can reflect people's deepest desires; and another one is used as a door for ruins. Only those who dare to face their past that they least want to recall have the qualification to step into ruins."

Cliodna's voice was low and solemn, as if she was reciting a sacred oath.

Bryan's eyebrows moved imperceptibly as he searched quietly for memories in his mind. There were many things he didn't want to look back on, and some things about Mirror of Erised that he had never read or heard before. He wondered how she knew so much about the mirror.

The existence of Mirror of Erised was not a mysterious secret. In many books introducing legendary alchemy items, there were introductions about this magical mirror that could reflect people's hearts. However, Bryan had never heard before that Mirror of Erised had two sides, and that they had different effects.

In addition, there was another problem that puzzled him: why would the mysterious ruins that Bryan had not yet entered use Mirror of Erised as a door? What was the connection between the mirror and the ruins?

There was no consensus in the wizarding world about the creator of Mirror of Erised. Even if Cliodna told him now that the mirror was made by Merlin, Bryan would not be too surprised. But there was something about the name 'Eris' that caught his attention. He was sure that even many Muggles were familiar with it.

In Greek mythology, Eris was the sister of Ares, the god of war, and the daughter of Zeus, the father of heaven, and Hera, the queen of heaven. She was the goddess of 'dispute and discord'. Among her myths, the most famous one was 'The Golden Apple Controversy', which sparked the Trojan War.

Thinking of this, Bryan's eyelids trembled violently. If it weren't for the emotional disguise through Occulumency, he might have gasped in shock.

Island - golden apple - Druidism

Several nouns flashed through Bryan's mind like lightning, making him guess, or even confirm, that he had found out the truth.

Since he learned about 'Merlin's eternal resting place' from this mysterious woman, Bryan had only taken it as a joke. In modern wizarding world, Merlin, who had almost become a mythical figure, how could his resting place appear easily? But now, Bryan was not so sure about his judgment.

The central belief of ancient Druidism, the most important island in legend of King Arthur, and the ideal holy land in Muggle Celtic mythology - Avalon Island. In addition to 'blessed island' and 'heavenly island', there was another very easy to ignore alias: golden apple island!

Could it be that behind this door was really 'Merlin's eternal resting place'?!

In a few moments, Bryan's palm was sweaty and his lips were tightly closed. He resisted asking Cliodna beside him anything, but his heart was a mess.

Cliodna noticed Bryan's strangeness, but she didn't say anything. After glancing around cautiously, she raised her wand and pointed at the boundless night sky. A stone pillar with a primitive and ancient aura appeared in a dazzling and dazzling white light.

Bryan took a deep breath and let his calm reason take over his body again. He said nothing, but his nerves were tense and focused on Cliodna's actions.

He had to be so careful because this Druid Priestess beside him who was bathed in vague light and shadow hid too many secrets in her heart. He had to guard against her!

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