Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus lay in bed, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with too much information, like waves crashing against the shore outside the window.

These past few days have been filled with experiences, from the first day I met Freya, to my first encounter with the Whispers of the Abyss, to casting the second form of the Disintegration Spell, to that burning island, to the slumbering abyss, to that thing.

Where did that thing come from?

How long has it existed? Thousands of years? Tens of thousands of years? Or even earlier than humans?

It conveyed those messages so naturally, as if every spell could be interpreted differently by it.

Regulus hadn't thought about it much at the time, but now, looking back, he realized what that sense of entitlement meant.

It seems that all the magic, all the systems, and all the things related to magic in the modern magical world already existed there.

That's why it can match each path and point out another way.

Because those roads were already there; it just points them out, like pointing to a door that has been open for a long time.

It is simply stating things that have already existed, been verified, and been proven.

Regulus didn't know; he could only guess.

What about Grindelwald?

He obtained that document decades ago, and he must have been inside it. How did he respond when he faced that thing? Which path did he choose?

Or should I listen to his advice, and then go my own way, just like him?

Also, what exactly did he see?

That about his future.

If you could see the future, what would he look like? A powerful wizard? Someone in an important position? Or something else entirely?

If Grindelwald hadn't intervened, how would he have lit up Betelgeuse?

He thought about this question for a while, but couldn't come up with an answer.

It might light up one day, due to some opportunity, but I don't know how long it will take or what I will have to go through.

Regulus recalled Joachim's reaction the instant he saw the blue flames bursting from Freya's body, and his magic instantly coalesced.

But it certainly wasn't out of fear of Freya; rather, it was the very meaning of the magic itself that triggered his reaction.

Grindelwald stood at the very top of the entire human race, one of the strongest individuals on this planet.

That blue flame is his mark; seeing it reminds me of him.

Regulus couldn't help but wonder, what about him?

If one day he could be so powerful that he could leave his mark on the world, leaving behind magic that would trigger a reaction in people just by seeing it, what would that be?

The only magic truly belonging to him now, the one that only he can cast and that he developed entirely on his own, is the Disintegration Spell.

He imagined the scene if the Disintegration Curse was his mark.

The second form of the Disintegration Curse, at its lowest power, spreads silently.

Wherever it goes, everyone feels nauseous and uncomfortable, wanting to vomit but unable to, or wanting to faint but unable to.

If this happens frequently enough, it might eventually develop into—

Headaches and fevers are the curse of dispelling evil, colds and fevers are the curse of dispelling evil, and nausea and vomiting are also the curse of dispelling evil.

Whenever I feel unwell, I suspect it's him.

When the image popped into his mind, Regulus himself felt something was off.

But following this line of thought, he discovered there were deeper things worth considering.

Sound waves can transmit spells quickly, but if the distance is far enough, the speed of sound becomes insufficient.

The sound travels a long way from Britain to continental Europe, and from Europe to America.

The problem is that it can't travel that far. Sound waves attenuate as they travel through the atmosphere, becoming weaker with distance, and eventually disappearing completely.

He came up with the idea that radio waves are also waves.

If electromagnetic waves could be used instead of sound waves as the propagation medium, the coverage area would be completely different: 300,000 kilometers per second, circling the Earth in just 0.13 seconds.

Let's set aside whether we can replace sound waves with radio waves, or even whether the idea itself is feasible.

But if he could really do it, he might need a few more magic satellites.

You don't need many, three is enough; three satellites can cover the entire globe.

At that time, perhaps with just a thought from him, all living things on Earth will feel nauseous and vomit at the same time.

Or die at the same time.

Only highly skilled wizards, humans hiding in shelters, or magical creatures with strong enough magical defenses can survive.

Global deterrence, one person.

Regulus shook his head slightly. The idea was good, but there were too many problems to solve between the idea and its realization.

How can electromagnetic waves carry magic?

How can we ensure that the spell does not decay during transmission?

How can we precisely control the release from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away?

Magic satellites are something the magical world has never built before; there's not even a theory about them.

How do we send it up? How do we maintain the track? How do we prevent it from being shot down?

There are also more fundamental questions: Can magic travel that far from a wizard? Does the effectiveness of a spell decrease with distance?

Each problem requires many years of research, perhaps even a lifetime.

But we can use this idea as a direction and try to see how far we can go.

If it really works out, then he alone...

It could be a global deterrent, but more likely, it would become an enemy of all humanity.

Neither wizards nor Muggles would allow this kind of magic to exist, much less would they allow a wizard capable of inventing it to exist.

Regulus snapped out of his reverie; he'd been thinking too far ahead.

Finally, he thought of Freya.

It's been less than a month, but it feels like we've known each other for a long time. And now, the journey is over.

He could stay here and enjoy this relaxed life until school starts, patrolling daily, going out to sea, studying magic, and bickering with Freya.

Sea breeze, sunshine, the sound of waves—no Voldemort, no Death Eaters, no things that require constant preparation.

But he didn't intend to do that.

Even if the atmosphere in Britain is tense and oppressive, that's where he should be.

Blake's family is over there; he was born there, grew up there, and has things to do and paths to walk there.

This place is nice, but I can't stay here forever.

As for what changes the complete illumination of Betelgeuse and the further refinement of Star Orbit Meditation brought about, he wasn't in a hurry to think about them.

Consciousness sinks into the depths, the star orbits revolve, the five stars return to their positions, Betelgeuse burns, Betelgeuse guards, and the three stars of the belt connect.

Calm your mind and go to sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already evening.

The sun was setting in the west, casting a golden path across the sea, while the clouds were tinged with orange-red, layer upon layer reaching the horizon.

Regulus got up, straightened his clothes slightly, and walked out of the hut.

Not far away, Freya stood on the edge of the cliff.

She stood there for an unknown amount of time, her back to him, facing the sea, her platinum blonde braids hanging down her back, swaying slightly in the sea breeze.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, casting a warm hue over her dark gray hunting outfit.

Regulus walked over to her, and the two stood side by side.

He was a head shorter than her, so he had to look up to see her profile, but standing together, they didn't look out of place.

A boy, a young witch, one tall and straight, the other on the path to becoming tall and straight.

The setting sun shone from the side, casting long shadows of the two men, and neither of them spoke.

Regulus knew this was the moment of farewell.

It's been less than a month since we first met, which isn't actually that many days, but it feels like a long time.

Those patrol nights, those dinners in the tavern, that tacit understanding that didn't need words.

Some people can spend years together and still not become close, while others feel like they've known each other for a lifetime after just a few days. Freya is the latter.

They all knew this wasn't the end, so saying goodbye was actually quite simple.

After standing there for an unknown amount of time, Freya spoke first: "Keep that skeleton."

Regulus looked at the sea: "I know."

"That's not what I meant," Freya tilted her head and lowered her gaze. "I meant that when you use it, they can sense your location, so don't try it randomly."

Regulus smirked: "Afraid I'll have trouble sleeping and chat with them at night?"

Freya glared at him, her gaze as fierce as ever, but not truly fierce.

She stared for two seconds, but couldn't hold back; her lips twitched, but she quickly suppressed it.

She took something out of her bosom.

A small glass bottle, about the size of a thumb, contains a pinch of powder. The powder is grayish-blue and glitters in the sunset, like a small piece of the night sky contained in a bottle.

She handed the bottle to Regulus: "Take it back. It's okay if you can't figure it out."

Regulus took it and looked at it against the light. The powder was very fine, so fine that the particles were almost invisible, like condensed smoke.

He put it in his pocket: "You've figured it out?"

Freya didn't reply to him. She turned back to look at the sea and remained silent for a while before saying, "Actually, that person asked me to pass on a message to you."

Regulus raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

He said that when you are ready, you can go see him.

Regulus's heart stirred slightly. What was he preparing? Was he preparing sufficient power, or preparing to face the situation?

He didn't show it on his face, but simply asked, "What are you preparing?"

Freya looked at the distant horizon: "He said, you'll find out, and he'll find out too."

Regulus smiled, the Riddler.

But he didn't say it aloud; instead, he asked again, "What if Dumbledore doesn't allow it?"

Freya glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Regulus then asked, "What if I can't go because I haven't finished my homework?"

Freya's eyes widened as she stared at him, as if to confirm she hadn't misheard.

Operation?

I was talking to you about Grindelwald, but you were talking about homework?

Her eye twitched, she took a deep breath, and her chest heaved noticeably.

Freya did not intend to respond to this question.

Regulus was mostly serious, but occasionally he would say something that left her speechless.

It's not that I don't understand, but rather that even if I do understand, I don't know what to say, or I don't want to say anything, or I'm simply too lazy to say anything.

Then she said directly, "If, and I mean if, you feel uncomfortable when you see him, you can tell me."

This was said somewhat cryptically, but Regulus understood it.