Fig, with a look that exuded a mixture of determination and curiosity, approached the nearest wall, searching for some clue that would reveal the purpose of their unexpected fate. The shuttle, an artefact of unfathomable powers, does not act at random. His fingers ran over the cold stone, feeling every irregularity as if he could decipher the mystery by mere touch.
—Mmm... Perhaps it is not what is in plain sight that we must find, but what is hidden —he murmured, more to himself than to his companion.
Loraine clung to her arms, the cold of the underground chamber chilling her to the bone.
—Professor, there's nothing here...
Professor Fig, with his usual air of serenity, stroked his chin thoughtfully, muttering formulas and possibilities in a barely audible whisper. His gaze, lost in the void, seemed to search for answers in the air itself.
—Perhaps Revelio can be of help —he said finally, breaking the silence—. There's no better time than now.
-Revelio? —She repeated, frowning.
—A revealing charm —Fig explained, moving to stand beside her— Prepare your wand and focus.
Loraine watched him closely, as she had so many times before, the precise, almost poetic movements Fig executed with his wand, and recorded them in her mind. She breathed in deeply, feeling the magic flow through her being, and with a wand movement that emulated her mentor's elegance and certainty, she uttered with clarity and conviction, 'Revelio!'
—There, professor! —Loraine exclaimed excitedly, pointing in one direction—. It's a hidden door!
—Well done. Now let us proceed with caution and see what secrets await us.
Before them stood an imposing door, adorned with the enigmatic symbol of the flame that seemed to dance on its surface. The symbol, recurring in their adventures, seemed to have a special connection with Loraine. They both approached it, captivated by the mystery emanating from the metal symbol.
—That symbol again —Fig muttered thoughtfully—. It only seems to react to... you.
Moved by an inexplicable force, as if the symbol was calling to her, Loraine gently reached out her hand. A light touch of her fingers was all it took for the symbol to come to life, glowing brightly at the touch of her skin.
—Extraordinary... —Professor Fig whispered in awe of the unusual power emanating from his apprentice— If what is revealed before us is the way forward, I dare say we are one step away from unravelling the mystery of the chamber.
Contrary to all expectations, however, the door did not open. Instead, it vanished as if it were an illusion, swallowing up all the light that had previously flooded the room. A total darkness enveloped them, a silence so deep that it seemed to devour even the slightest whisper, leaving them in a claustrophobic gloom. Loraine felt fear curl up in her chest. The darkness seemed to have claws, claws that closed around her neck in a cold, suffocating embrace.
—Professor!? —she called urgently.
—I'm here, —Fig replied, placing his reassuring hand on his apprentice's trembling shoulder. With a deliberate gesture, he drew his wand and uttered firmly— Lumos!
The tip of the wand flashed, bathing their faces in a dim light that fought against the oppressive darkness around them. Despite the halo of light, the blackness seemed to devour everything around them, leaving them like a lone beacon in a sea of shadows. Loraine swallowed, her chest rising and falling with a rapidity that betrayed her growing panic.
YOU ARE READING
The Mentor (Eng)
FanficLoraine Hawks is a young woman who lives with her aunt and uncle in a small village in the south of Scotland. Her life has always been a torment, until one day, a strange, silver-haired man of elegant bearing appears at her door. With a voice that...
