Chapter 6: The Chance to Live Again
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"So… I'm just supposed to become a ghost in this place now?" the boy asked, his voice hollow and dry as it echoed in the void.
Merlin shook his head gently, his ancient eyes full of both pity and purpose. "No, my boy. I do have an option for you—one final path. If you're willing to take it, that is."
The boy scoffed, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Oh, really? And what grand plan is that?"
Merlin didn't react to the sarcasm. He understood it—it was the defense mechanism of someone scared, confused, and lost. He simply smiled, calm and unbothered.
"You see," Merlin began, his voice slow but strong, "in my world, I was once a mage of great renown. With time and experience, I grew more powerful than I ever intended. My magic, once a tool for good, drew the attention of beings far beyond mortal comprehension—supreme entities that exist beyond the reach of the most peoples in that world"
He sighed, the weight of countless years pressing down on his shoulders. "Not all of them were evil… but not all were kind, either. One among them, cruel and powerful, struck me down and accidentally i ended up into this abyss—a void suspended between life and death. Her dark energy traped with me here, and now… I am little more than a shadow of what I once was."
The boy listened, wide-eyed but unsure of what he could do.
"My soul is shattered," Merlin continued. "My body corrupted by death's energy. This place doesn't allow true death, nor does it offer life. I float in a limbo of eternal pain—every breath I take is worse than the last."
The boy swallowed, the gravity of Merlin's suffering beginning to settle in his chest like a cold stone. "So… what does that have to do with me?"
"There is one way to end this," Merlin said. "One single path I have left. If you were still alive in your own world, perhaps there would've been another. But as a soul, summoned here after death, you are untethered. That makes a soul-binding ritual possible."
The boy's brow furrowed. "Soul-binding? What are you talking about?"
Merlin stepped closer, speaking carefully now. "I will merge my soul with yours. This will allow your essence to grow strong enough to forge a link with my world—the one you know through stories. If it works, we can open a portal to my world. The world you might recognize as the world of Harry Potter."
The boy blinked, stunned. "So, you're telling me… I could go there? To the wizarding world?"
Merlin nodded solemnly. "Yes. But this ritual comes with a cost. I will sacrifice myself—my soul will fade. Yet my essence will live on within you. My magic, my thought process , my instincts… they will guide you. You won't be alone."
The boy's heart twisted. "But I won't be able to use magic, will I? Not really…"
"You will," Merlin assured him. "Not immediately. But with time, my essence will awaken your potential. Magic is in you now—it's in your soul. And that's where true magic has always resided."
The boy took a moment, struggling to comprehend the enormity of what Merlin was offering.
"Why me?" he asked finally, his voice quiet.
"Because you answered," Merlin replied simply. "You reached out from the edge of death and grasped my fading light. I saw your will to live. I saw your resistance to despair. That alone made you worthy."
He placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "And for all that you've endured, I wish to give you this chance. A chance to live again."
The boy looked at the old wizard in awe. Even in agony, Merlin stood tall, his spirit unbroken. He could only imagine the torment he'd suffered—centuries of pain in a place where time meant nothing, where even death wouldn't come.
Still, doubt lingered. The boy's eyes narrowed slightly. "This… this kind of offer doesn't come for free. I'm dead. I have nothing to offer in return. Why would you do this?"
Merlin chuckled softly, a sound both warm and mournful. "I understand your suspicion. But truly, I have nothing left to lose. I am broken, trapped, and beyond saving. This… this is my only escape. By helping you, I help myself. A final act of purpose, before I vanish."
He paused, his eyes turning distant. "There may be… side effects. Parts of me—my personality, traits, perhaps even some of my burdens—might remain with you. My talents and instincts, too. We'll become one, in a sense."
Hearing this, the boy's curiosity sparked. "So… you're saying I'll inherit your magical abilities?"
"Some of them," Merlin said with a small smile. "You may become a mirror of me in many ways. But in the end, you will still be yourself."
The boy felt his pulse quicken. To walk in the footsteps of Merlin—the greatest wizard to ever live—was a dream no one could ever imagine. He nodded slowly, giving his consent.
With a wave of his hand, Merlin summoned a crystal sphere. Its surface gleamed with ancient runes and a carved image of a dragon coiled around its core.
"This," Merlin said, "is the Philosopher's Core—a relic I crafted long ago. It can bind opposites, merge that which was never meant to be merged. It is through this that we will perform the soul-binding ritual."
He lifted the orb, which began to glow with a deep, pulsing light. "It is the same artifact I used to craft my staff, my wand—call it what you will. It's said to be made of English oak and yew, bonded through this crystal's magic. Its core is unlike any other—phoenix feather, basilisk eye, ashes of a boggart, hair of a Thestral and unicorn… a masterpiece of life and death entwined."
The boy's eyes sparkled. He had seen the Harry Potter movies—he knew what Merlin had created was beyond legendary.
As Merlin prepared the ritual, the boy hesitated. "Can I ask one last thing?"
"Of course," Merlin replied gently.
"How long have you been trapped here?"
Merlin looked up, his face unreadable for a moment. "This place lies outside time. It exists beyond clocks and calendars. But… if I were to guess based on the outside world's rhythm… nearly twelve thousand years."
The boy's breath caught in his throat. "Twelve thousand years…?"
"To suffer alone in darkness, unable to die, unable to live…" Merlin said softly. "Yes. A fate worse than hell itself."
The boy felt a surge of resolve rise in his chest. He would help. He had nothing to lose—and perhaps, everything to gain. He met Merlin's gaze and nodded firmly.
Merlin smiled, truly and peacefully this time.
"Then let us begin," he whispered.
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English isn't my first language. so, if you find any mistakes. leave some commens and I will respond to it.
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