CHAPTER 14

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CHAPTER 14

Elizabeth gently laid Elmi on a bed of soft grasses. She retrieved a handkerchief from her magical bag and began to tenderly clean his face, her heart heavy with worry for her son. With great care, she examined his small body, searching for any signs of wounds or injuries. She discovered some minor bruises and small cuts, likely the result of the magical blasts during the battle. 

As she lovingly caressed his innocent face, her greatest concern was the potential emotional scars he might carry. In the aftermath of the intense battle, she couldn't help but regret her decision to use Diffindo on the woman, a choice made in the heat of the moment.

As Elizabeth tenderly cared for Elmi, Mr. Cipriano seized the moment to approach the assailants. Gently, he removed their masks, revealing their faces, but he couldn't recognize any of them. Even though the wizard with the monkey mask had proven to be a formidable opponent, they were unknown to him.

Mr. Cipriano took Elmi's camera and captured images of the bodies for evidence. As he turned to the woman with the colorful wolf mask, his expression shifted. He recognized her instantly, 

"She is from the Ministry."

Elizabeth, while tending to Elmi's wounds, made a realization, "Now we know how they got here. We must have surprised them with the unplanned visit."

Mr. Cipriano nodded and continued while shaking the colorful animal mask in his hand, commenting, "These are festival masks; they must have been planning to attend the festival this evening. They just improvied to hide their faces. She was suspected of being affiliated with Antonio Malveira. The others might be from his circle, too."

Samuel Cipriano, after taking care of the apparatus used to drain the unicorn's blood, turned his attention to the unicorns themselves. With a few incantations, he skillfully dispelled the paralyzing spell, allowing the majestic creatures to regain their mobility. However, it was evident that the ordeal had left them weakened, and they moved with a sense of dazed weariness.

As the unicorn pair slowly rose to their hooves, their young colt, initially frightened, returned to their side and began to leap and frolic around them. Witnessing this heartwarming scene, both Elizabeth and Samuel couldn't help but smile. The unicorns, with their precious colt in tow, made their way toward the protective embrace of the Amazonian forest canopy.

Samuel observed the effects of Elmi's spell on the surrounding environment and the assailants' clothing. As time passed, he noticed the gradual reversal of the magical impact. Turning to Elizabeth, he expressed his astonishment, "I am truly astounded by your son's talent. At just seven years old, he can cast charms and curses at the power level of a second-year student. What's even more fascinating is that, apart from the levitation charm, I've never heard of the rest. Are they common spells in England?"

Elizabeth, though equally taken aback by her son's abilities, maintained her composure. She responded, "No, they are not common. Mr. Cipriano, you know that we owe our lives to my son, right?"

After a brief moment of reflection, Samuel nodded, acknowledging, "Yes, if he hadn't surprised them with his spells, we would have been overwhelmed and faced dire consequences."

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment but then gathered her courage to make a request, "In that case, may I ask you to keep what you witnessed today a secret?"

Samuel appeared a bit confused by Elizabeth's request. He asked, "I can't understand..."

Elizabeth interrupted him, her tone resolute, "I don't want my child to be the center of attention, and I don't want others to know that he can cast different spells. If you truly believe you owe him a debt, then I would like you to take an Unbreakable Vow, swearing not to disclose anything about my son."

Samuel took a moment to think, and his expression turned from confusion to shock. He responded, "Are you saying he invented all those spells?"

Elizabeth didn't directly answer his question but fixed her determined gaze upon him. Samuel sighed and said, "Alright, I will agree to your terms, but I have a condition as well. I can't comprehend how a seven-year-old could invent spells. I want to understand how he is doing it."

Elizabeth sighed in return and admitted, "I don't know how he's doing it either. This is my first time witnessing those spells."

Samuel's curiosity intensified as he pondered Elizabeth's response. He said, "I've realized that your son is not like other seven-year-olds. He's more mature, intelligent, and composed. Even though they were weak spells, the ability to invent new spells is incredibly shocking. If you allow me to speak with him, I will accept your conditions."

...

He woke up in a state of panic, drenched in sweat, his mind still haunted by the vivid nightmare he had just experienced. For a brief moment, he attempted to reassure himself that it was all a terrible dream. However, the searing pain that radiated from the bruises on his body quickly shattered that illusion, forcing him to confront the grim reality.

His thoughts raced, and his heart pounded in his chest as he grappled with the truth. It wasn't a nightmare; it had happened. He, along with his mother and Mr. Cipriano, had taken the lives of four assailants to protect themselves. The knowledge of this act, this deed of violence, clawed at his conscience.

Desperation and confusion enveloped him, and he found himself clinging to a justification that his mind could accept – they had acted in self-defense. The assailants had threatened their lives, and they had no other choice. He whispered to himself, "It was kill or be killed. It was their fault for attacking us."

Yet, beneath that defense mechanism, the emotions surged. As he examined his hands, trembling and bloodied in his imagination, he realized they were clean. His thoughts became a tumultuous mix of guilt, anger, and self-preservation. He began to dehumanize those they had fought, convincing himself that he had protected his mother and that the cost of their lives was nothing compared to losing someone he loved.

At that moment, Elmi's mother entered the room, carrying potions and hot towels. Her concern was palpable as she was taken aback by the fact that Elmi was already awake. She checked her clock and was clearly surprised, commenting, "It didn't even take you 2 hours. You should be out cold for at least 6 hours." Her motherly instincts kicked in as she approached her son, affectionately inquiring about his well-being,

"How are you? Do you have any pain?"

With loving care, she opened one of the potions and offered it to him, saying, "Drink this; it will make your cuts and bruises all better. My brave man, you protected your mother." Elmi was still reeling from the shock of witnessing violence and death for the first time, but he wasn't a child; he could see that his mother was doing her best to provide comfort and distraction during this trying moment. Elmi struggled to keep his emotions in check and kept repeating the same lines like a mantra in his mind: "The cost of their lives was nothing compared to losing someone I loved." 

...

Even though he was a mature soul inside a young body, receiving comforting and loving care from his mother always felt good. As Elizabeth gently applied some salve to Elmi's bruises, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Elmi..."

He turned his attention to her, and she pressed further, "Can you tell me where you learned those spells?"

Elmi was well aware that he couldn't reveal the truth, as there were no existing spells like the ones he had used. He decided to craft a response that mixed lies with partial truths, replying, "I don't know how I learned them. One day, I woke up from sleep and just knew them."

After their separate conversations with Elizabeth and Samuel, Elmi found himself faced with similar questions from both of them. He gave them identical answers, stating that he didn't know how he had learned those spells, and it was as if he had woken up one day with the knowledge of them. While they seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his answers, he couldn't possibly reveal the truth – that the spells were from a different universe and that he was a reincarnated soul with knowledge beyond his years.