Chapter 591: The Ornament of the Stadium
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
Spells flashed through the air, their light merging and colliding against the stone wall, sending shards flying—but neither hit their mark.
The two newcomers were a pair of new arrivals. One was Lucas from Beauxbatons, still bearing the scorched marks from a Flame spell; the other was Seraphina from Ilvermorny, unharmed but covered in dirt, looking thoroughly flustered.
The air hung thick and damp, pressing down with a suffocating weight. They eyed each other warily, slowly shifting forward.
"There are already two inside," Lucas suddenly said. "They could intervene at any moment."
"You're right," Seraphina replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
Lucas: "Until we find the Golden Egg, I think we should temporarily join forces. What do you say?"
"That makes perfect sense," Seraphina agreed, nodding.
"Then... shall I count to three, and we both lower our wands?" Lucas asked cautiously.
"Fine by me," Seraphina said cheerfully, her wand still locked on him, every step deliberate and cautious.
Lucas: "..."
His smile tightened. He took a deep breath. "One... two... three!"
A sudden gust swept through, swirling dry leaves across the floor. But neither wand moved.
Wade quietly enlarged his Mirror just a little, watching with quiet amusement.
"You didn’t lower your wand."
"You didn’t either."
"Here’s an idea," Lucas said with a grin. "Since we can’t trust each other, why don’t we each pick a tunnel and explore separately?"
"Fine. You go first," Seraphina said without hesitation.
Lucas: "..."
He couldn’t possibly leave his back exposed like that.
"No," he said firmly. "We go together."
They inched backward toward the tunnel entrance, moving sideways like crabs, eyes locked, wands raised, muscles tense.
Suddenly, Lucas’s gaze caught a faint glimmer of reflected light—a tiny flash just behind Seraphina’s shoulder. She, focused entirely on him, hadn’t noticed.
A brief, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips. But he quickly looked away, afraid his glance might betray him.
The moment was fleeting. Yet Seraphina, watching him closely, sensed something. Though she couldn’t see his expression clearly, her instincts screamed alarm.
Her brows knit slightly. Without hesitation, she swung her wand and shouted, "Stupefy!"
Lucas had just begun to step into the tunnel, expecting—something—to happen. In that split second, a red beam lanced toward his chest.
He threw himself sideways—but she was relentless.
"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"
Her Stun Spells came fast and precise. She was a master of the charm, instinctive and unhesitating.
The final spell struck home. Lucas collapsed, unconscious, falling straight to the ground.
Seraphina exhaled, relieved. She cast a binding spell to secure him, then frowned as she turned to look back at the tunnel she’d just entered.
Lucas’s reaction proved he’d seen something.
But as she turned, Wade had already snapped the Mirror shut.
A series of Detection Spells flared near the tunnel entrance. Traps embedded in the floor glowed faintly in response.
Seraphina’s frown deepened. She’d used a Detection Charm to pinpoint the trap’s location. Lucas, standing far away, had spotted it with his bare eyes—proof of a staggering gap between them.
If it hadn’t been for the moment the other had let his guard down, she would have been the one defeated.
The thought weighed heavily. All the pride she’d felt after surviving the Fire Dragon’s trial vanished like smoke.
She was top-tier at Ilvermorny. But now, in the wider world, she realized—there were countless others just as gifted, even better.
For a moment, Seraphina stood still, heart heavy. Then she straightened, her resolve hardening.
She chose the same tunnel again.
Yes, there had been an ambush here. But the other path might be just as dangerous. Since she’d already uncovered the trap, this one was, comparatively, safer.
...
Unbeknownst to her, the stands had erupted in sharp, tense gasps. Her headmaster, Egilbert, let out a quiet sigh.
He knew exactly what she was thinking. He’d watched her grow up. He understood her choices.
He knew she hadn’t made a mistake.
But...
His fingers drummed rhythmically against his thigh. His eyes remained fixed on the streaming Mirror, watching the girl move forward.
Karkaroff glanced at Egilbert, a smug smile curling his lips. "A fine spellwork, yes. But luck is part of strength, isn’t it, Egilbert?"
Egilbert gave a cold snort. Leaning back in his seat, he shot Karkaroff a look of utter contempt.
"Karkaroff, from what I’ve heard, your reputation at Durmstrang isn’t exactly stellar. Viktor Krum is brilliant—yes—but was he really your doing?"
He studied Karkaroff with a sneer, though he didn’t speak the rest aloud. The message was clear: You? You’re not even worth the air you breathe.
Karkaroff turned red with fury.
...
"Expelliarmus!"
Before Seraphina even registered Wade’s voice, she was struck by a beam of light. Her wand flew from her hand. She staggered back, crashing into the wall.
She blinked up, stunned. Only then did she see Wade step from the shadows.
"Wade Gray?" she managed, forcing a weak smile. "I thought we had a good relationship? You’re not after the Golden Egg?"
She kept her eyes darting, searching for any chance to turn the tide.
But Wade didn’t waste words.
He flicked his wand sharply. "Stupefy!"
In the instant he opened his mouth, Seraphina lunged forward—aiming to snatch his wand, or at least disrupt the spell.
But as she charged, Wade took a step back. Her foot caught on nothing—just a sudden trip, as if she’d stepped on her own shoelace.
She stumbled forward, eyes wide with panic—then collapsed, struck down by the Stun Spell.
A longhorn beetle puppet crawled out from beneath her feet. Wade waved his hand. Seven or eight magical puppets surged forward, lifting her with mechanical precision—like ants carrying home a fallen comrade—and dragged her deep into the tunnel.
A giant spider emerged slowly from the darkness, watching as the girl struggled helplessly in its web. After a pause, it began wrapping her in translucent silk, layer after layer.
Wade glanced at the scene, then returned to his seat, calm and still.
The challenge wasn’t about waves of challengers. One contestant failed—or advanced—and the next stepped in immediately.
It wouldn’t be long before another prey dropped from the Compass.
...
Near the web, two hidden Aurors whispered in voices only they could hear:
"Should we extract Seraphina Piqueli and Lucas Barrow?"
"Did they sustain fatal injuries?"
"No."
"Then no need. The wreckage of the first to fall is part of the Stadium’s ornament."
"But if this continues, Wade Gray will claim half the Golden Eggs alone. I just saw the scorpion puppet about to secure the fourth one."
"...That’s the result of his individual strength. We shouldn’t interfere."
"Really? I think even the upper echelons don’t want this outcome."
"...I’ll check with higher command."
...
Wade opened his eyes. He took the fourth Golden Egg from the puppet’s grasp, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
