"Licorice Wand."
The stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office sluggishly lifted its rear and hopped aside. The wall behind it split open, revealing a spiral staircase that rose automatically. Its steps were made of smooth, gray stone, and the entire mechanism operated with barely an audible hum.
Before Skyl even reached the office, he heard Dumbledore's booming laughter from above, loud enough to send every pigeon in the courtyard scattering.
"Professor, what's got you in such a good mood?"
Dumbledore was chatting with his old friend Grindelwald, exchanging jokes from the previous century. At the sound of Skyl's voice, he turned his head and immediately spotted the gentle young man. Skyl wore an unusual set of classical mage robes in deep blue. His hairstyle and the smile on his face were exactly the same as they had been the previous year.
It was as though he had never left the school and had merely enjoyed a brief summer vacation.
Time itself seemed to have no effect on him, like the moon reflected on a river, forever untouched by the current flowing beneath it.
The sight of him suddenly made Dumbledore feel genuinely old.
"Come in, come in." The elderly headmaster beckoned. He picked up the Elder Wand and gave it a wave, causing the silver teapot on the corner of his desk to pour steaming black tea into a bone china cup before adding six or seven sugar cubes.
Grindelwald was sitting on a tall stool beside the bookshelves, dressed in a shirt and dress pants. He looked like a distinguished Muggle professional pretending to be an intellectual while browsing books in a library. When Skyl entered, Grindelwald stood and pulled out the upholstered chair opposite Dumbledore's desk.
"Long time no see, Professor Grindelwald. There's no need to be so formal."
The first Dark Lord appeared to have taken on a second job as the headmaster's secretary. From an outsider's perspective, he even seemed poised to take over Hogwarts once Dumbledore passed away.
Of course, the next headmistress should theoretically be Professor McGonagall, the current deputy headmistress. Besides, Grindelwald informed Skyl that he was no longer even a professor.
Skyl was naturally surprised. "What? Is the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position still around?"
"I simply need to concentrate on my other endeavors."
"Such as pursuing a romantic relationship with Professor Dumbledore?"
Perhaps that remark was a little too teasing, because Dumbledore shot him a glare. "Drink your tea. Go on, drink it. May the scalding water turn your tongue into toad skin."
Skyl raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, Professor."
Grindelwald smiled faintly before returning to his stool. He crossed his left leg over his right, straightened his back, and lowered his head to continue reading an alchemy book written by Nicolas Flamel.
The other endeavor he had mentioned was Hogwarts' alchemy workshop, which he now oversaw.
"So you've hired another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year. Who is it?"
Dumbledore smiled. "An old friend of mine, Mad-Eye Moody. What do you think of him?"
"I haven't even met him."
"Then I take it there's nothing wrong with him?"
The old headmaster spoke with a mischievous smile. He was trying to set a trap for Skyl, hoping to trick him into predicting whether Professor Moody was trustworthy.
"..."
Skyl shook his head helplessly. He wasn't in the mood.
Dumbledore fell silent and exchanged a glance with Grindelwald. The former Dark Lord closed his book and quietly left the office, shutting the door behind him.
"Tell me what's troubling you, my apprentice."
"Tell you what?"
"You're unhappy, aren't you? Has something happened?"
Dumbledore rose from his chair. His loose, comfortable dressing gown carried the pleasant scent of bath soap. He walked over to a cabinet and retrieved a tin of cookies, followed by a jar of Cockroach Clusters, a jar of lemon drops, a box of butter fudge, and a box of pistachio baklava.
He piled everything in front of Skyl, filling every available inch of desk space.
His hospitality was so excessive that Skyl almost felt as though he had returned to his grandmother's house, although an elderly grandmother's cookie tin would usually be filled with sewing supplies and scraps of fabric.
"Just a few insignificant problems."
"Are they really insignificant?"
Behind his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore's blue eyes gleamed with wisdom.
"You see, Skyl, I've lived for quite a few years myself, and I've dealt with all sorts of people.
"It's always easy to overlook the feelings of those closest to us and convince ourselves that their problems are unimportant. But the people around us are responsibilities we must shoulder. Whenever you become involved with someone, you must understand that you're also becoming involved with a whole collection of troubles, and you cannot simply cast them aside."
"Is that so?"
"We never truly know anyone other than ourselves."
Dumbledore interlaced his fingers and rested them on his soft, protruding belly. He leaned back comfortably, looking rather like a cat curled up on a sofa.
"The way you treat others is ultimately the way you treat yourself."
"There's some truth to that, Professor."
"One day, everyone we know will leave us. But there will always be one person who remains with you forever, yourself. And when that day comes, you will discover traces of everyone you've ever known reflected within you."
Skyl pretended to take the lesson to heart and nodded gratefully.
The smile faded from Dumbledore's face. His expression grew serious.
"What exactly happened?"
"A girl is going to die. And it's because of me."
Skyl gently bounced his leg, resting his cheek against one hand while his ring finger lightly scratched his lips.
"She's a girl I admire very much. I saved her once, but I can't save her a second time."
"Is there any way to keep her alive?"
Whether it was Dumbledore or Millicent, their first concern was always finding a way to save someone's life.
People who had experienced genuine suffering refused to believe that any obstacle in life was truly insurmountable. Even if they had to grit their teeth until their gums bled, they would fight to survive.
The meaning of life lay in survival. Keeping oneself alive, keeping others alive, and keeping all living things alive. These were the three levels of compassion a mortal could attain.
In the trolley problem, if Dumbledore could stop the trolley with his own body, he would jump onto the tracks without hesitation.
Just as he would choose to sacrifice Harry Potter if doing so were necessary to save the wizarding world, when forced to choose between saving Harry and saving himself, he would choose to sacrifice himself instead.
The nobility of morality manifested itself in precisely these difficult decisions. The old headmaster possessed enough wisdom and composure to make the choice that would benefit the greatest number of people.
"If she forgets me and stays away from me completely, she'll survive. That's the only way."
"Then let her forget you."
Dumbledore smiled easily.
"What a simple solution. Nobody has to die, and everyone gets a happy ending."
Skyl suddenly smiled, feeling a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders.
"But I won't forget her. I see now. She isn't the one who can't bear to let go. I am. Thank you, Professor."
"Will you regret it?"
Skyl leaned back in his chair, unable to find an answer.
Melina really was a wonderful girl. So wonderful, in fact, that she could leave someone with a lifetime of regrets before they even realized what was happening.
She truly was the Madoka Higuchi of the Lands Between.
...
Deep beneath the Royal Capital.
Melina stood before the door sealing away the Frenzied Flame.
The journey had been anything but easy. Without Millicent's assistance, it would have been almost impossible for her to traverse the perilous sewers alone and defeat Mohg, the Omen, who guarded the way to the Frenzied Flame.
But now, she stood before the final obstacle.
"Don't go," Millicent said. "Stay alive."
"The Frenzied Flame must be eradicated. This is the final step toward securing peace for every living being in the Lands Between."
Melina explained why she had no choice but to proceed.
The Frenzied Flame was effectively a nuclear weapon. If it were unleashed, the entire Lands Between would be destroyed. Melina intended to sacrifice herself to eliminate the greatest remaining threat to world peace.
Millicent understood her sense of duty.
Death held no terror for people like Melina. They had already dedicated their lives to a greater cause. Even if nobody ever learned of her sacrifice, Melina would never regret making this decision.
And so, Melina removed her clothing.
Anyone seeking an audience with the Three Fingers had to be completely naked. There could be no barriers between living beings. Otherwise, the Frenzied Flame would burn away their sanity and drive them mad.
Melina had to remain in possession of her senses.
"Thank you."
Before pushing open the door, Melina turned to express her gratitude. She extended her hand and offered Millicent a golden whistle.
"I couldn't have made it here without you. Please give this whistle to Skyl, and ask him to take good care of Torrent."
Looking at the girl, her pale, unadorned body as delicate as a white fish, Millicent suddenly felt overwhelmed by an infinite sadness.
Melina's first life had ended in self-immolation, a sacrifice she had willingly made to become the Kindling Maiden.
And now, she was about to sacrifice herself for a second time.
Everything she had done was for the sake of all living beings in the Lands Between.
This sorrowful land had buried countless sorrowful stories. Even the gods endured suffering, while ordinary beings struggled and drowned in an endless sea of misery.
But now, everything was beginning to change for the better.
The Empyrean Ranni would soon lead the Lands Between into the new world. Once Melina eliminated its greatest remaining threat, this land would surely enjoy a long period of peace and prosperity.
"Goodbye, Torrent."
She gave a brief smile before looking at Millicent.
"And I wish you both happiness. Take good care of yourselves."
Millicent stood frozen, gazing at the girl's frail figure as she walked step by step toward the door of the Frenzied Flame, glowing crimson and flowing gold.
She looked like a tiny white star being swallowed by the abyss.
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