N-A-A Chapter 512, Section 521: A Brand New History 5
Chapter 512, Section 521: A Brand New History 5
Chapter 512, Section 521: A Brand New History 5
"legend?"
"I asked curiously."
Something seemed to have been touched in his fragmented memories.
"Yes,"
Mentor Lina turned to face him, her gaze solemn. "A legend about ravens roaming the human world. The specifics are top secret, a silence we must guard. All we know is that this door connects to an extremely special place, or perhaps—time. Our duty is to wait."
"Waiting?" The man in black robes was even more puzzled. "Waiting for what?"
Instructor Lina's gaze returned to the bronze door, her voice as soft as a sigh: "Waiting for the day—when someone walks out from inside."
The voice just fell.
As if in response to her words, the massive bronze gate, silent for countless years and considered an ancient relic or even just decoration, suddenly and without warning, began to light up from the inside out with its enormous raven emblem at its center. First, a tiny, star-like glimmer of light ignited where the raven's eye should be.
Immediately afterwards, the light, like flowing mercury, spread rapidly along the intricate patterns of the emblem, illuminating every engraving. It was deep, pure, and not dazzling, yet it possessed a refined quality that seemed to transcend time and space.
"What's going on!"
The man in black robes was greatly alarmed.
Is it coming?
Lina's eyes also began to waver.
The bronze door itself seemed to come alive, trembling slightly and emitting a deep, resonant hum, like a colossal beast awakening from its long-dormant state.
The view of the room behind was not visible through the crack in the door.
Instead, it flowed with a richer light, as if mixed with starlight and the night, and a trace of a familiar yet strange aura that transcended endless distance and time.
The air in the observation room seemed to freeze. Instructor Lina held her breath, her hands pressed tightly to her chest, and her eyes flashed with disbelief, a mixture of shock, ecstasy, and a sense of divine reverence that came after fulfilling a generation's duty.
The legendary vigil, could it be today?
The black-robed wizard, still bewildered after undergoing memory reconstruction, stared blankly at the glowing bronze door and the illuminated raven emblem.
"What's wrong with my brain?!"
In the depths of his fragmented memory, in some tightly sealed corner, a distant crow's cry seemed to ring out, accompanied by a blurry image.
In the endless darkness and green mist, a tall figure stood, a dark fire dancing at his fingertips—he blurted out, his voice hoarse and broken with excitement.
"Really—will someone—come out?"
The humming of the bronze door grew louder, and the light emanating from it intensified. Bathed in the light, the tightly closed door seemed to become—not so absolute.
The light swirled and converged in the center of the door crack.
Then, under the unwavering gaze of the two, the bronze door silently opened a crack inward.
Light, like a tangible tide, poured out from the slightly ajar door.
It wasn't just "light," but rather a condensed manifestation of "possibility" and "presence." It wasn't dazzling, yet it made everything in the observation room—the stone walls, the furniture, even the air itself—seem transparent and light, immersed in a tranquil glow that transcended reality.
"Squeak squeak squeak!~"
The light flowed with indescribable colors, as if the deep blue of the midnight starry river, the dark gold of the autumn forest, and the mottled green rust of ancient bronze had all been shattered and then blended together.
Behind the crack in the door, instead of the expected room or corridor, lay a surging, profound emptiness. But this emptiness was not nothingness; it contained an unimaginable depth and sense of distance, as if connecting to some extremely distant point in time and space governed by entirely different laws.
Faint, scattered points of light flickered within, like reflections of distant stars, or like ripples on the river of time.
"As expected! He's going to walk among mortals again!"
Lena was completely stunned. As a taciturn person passed down through generations, she knew every detail about the door and the legend of the "Raven," but those were all texts, oral accounts, and abstract duties.
When the legend truly revealed just the tip of the iceberg before her eyes, the shock and tremor that came from the depths of her soul almost rendered her incapable of thought. Her hand remained pressed against her chest, and she could feel her heart pounding wildly like a drum, strangely resonating with the deep hum emanating from the bronze door.
"Is it the person you mentioned?" The black-robed wizard was even more dismayed. He involuntarily took a half step back, not out of fear, but out of an almost instinctive awe and dizziness.
That light, that aura emanating from behind the door—it was all so familiar!
It was so familiar that the fragments of memories deep within his soul, sealed and distorted by countless barriers, began to stir wildly, trying to break free of their cages. He vaguely "saw" some fragments: a shattered boulder, a green mist, a shadow that blotted out the sky—and a figure standing at the boundary between light and darkness, whose face was obscured but whose back was incredibly resolute.
"Crow—"
A barely audible syllable escaped from his trembling lips. Throughout the scene, both Lina and the black-robed wizard were tense.
They watched the changes in the bronze door. A surge of light, like a tide, poured forth from the slightly ajar bronze door, carrying a quality that stirred the soul.
The silhouette in the deep "emptiness" was indeed becoming clearer, like a star slowly emerging from the depths of the night, gradually outlining an undeniable form—a tall and upright figure, the hem of a dark, antique-style robe, a hand steadily holding a magic wand, and even the blurry lines of a serene face could be vaguely seen.
"He is coming!"
Lena held her breath, her heartbeat seemingly stopping at that moment.
Generations of vigilance, the silent duty passed down from generation to generation by countless unsung heroes, all the perseverance and hidden expectations seem to be turning into reality in this very moment.
"By the great God of Destiny!"
The black-robed wizard was completely stiff, except for his eyes, which were wide open through the gaps in his scars, fixed on the figure that was getting closer and closer behind the door.
"Um."
Lina nodded.
Ian Prince.
The terminator of legend, the raven returning from the other side of time, is about to cross the giant gate that separates legend from reality and truly step into the era he himself has rectified.
His features became completely clear.
He seemed to stand at the boundary between light and "emptiness" behind the crack in the door, and one could even see the subtle details on his robe.
The wand tip bore the marks of wear and tear, as if weathered by time, and the last wisp of dark green and silvery magical light was fading away. He slightly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the doorway, landing on the observation room and the two waiting figures, his eyes deep as if containing the changes of billions of star orbits.
He even—seemed to move slightly, as if he were about to take that step.
Lena's heart pounded wildly, almost bursting out of her chest. She instinctively straightened her back, preparing to greet this legendary figure with the utmost solemnity. The black-robed resident also involuntarily clenched his fists, an indescribable surge of excitement rippling from the depths of his fragmented memories.
However, just as Ian's figure solidified to its fullest extent, as if he were about to completely step out of the light in the next instant—the raven emblem light on the bronze door, which had been flowing steadily and even shone brighter because of his appearance, suddenly fluctuated violently without warning. Like a lamp with a faulty connection.
It flickered for a fleeting moment.
Immediately afterwards, the light did not go out, but suddenly collapsed and contracted inward! It was as if an invisible, higher-priority gravitational force was pulling the outflowing light, along with the surging "emptiness" behind the door and the clearly visible figure of Ian within it, backward!
"what?"
"What's going on!?"
Lina and the black-robed wizard were both stunned.
The light shining through the crack in the door dimmed instantly, receding as quickly as the tide.
All I saw was...
Ian's clear outline appeared even more ethereal and transparent against the backdrop of rapidly fading light. He made no struggle or resistance, but in that final moment, Lina seemed to catch his calm gaze, which lingered on her for an extremely brief instant.
There seemed to be a hint of understanding in his eyes?
Or is it simply a confirmation?
no one knows.
Then-
The light was completely absorbed into the bronze door.
The "emptiness" vanished, and behind the crack in the door, it returned to a bottomless darkness, then regained the texture of an ordinary stone wall, as if everything just moments before was merely a fleeting illusion.
The bronze gate emitted a final, low, sigh-like hum, and the raven emblem on the gate dimmed completely, leaving only the dull color of the most primitive, ancient metal.
It stands there quietly, heavy, cold, and silent, a stark contrast to its radiant appearance just minutes before, as if it were about to open a new era.
"Clang!"
A soft sound, caused by the relaxation of muscles due to excessive tension, was the sound of the black-robed wizard unconsciously taking half a step back, his heel hitting the ground.
Dead silence.
Only the two people's slightly heavy breathing remained in the observation room, along with the faint, strange scent in the air that had not yet completely dissipated, a scent that seemed to be a mixture of stardust and ancient parchment.
This proves that what happened just now was not a dream.
That great being—didn't emerge?
The black-robed wizard wanted to ask but dared not.
The anticipation of reaching the summit only to be suddenly plunged into emptiness left the black-robed wizard momentarily disoriented. He stared blankly at the bronze door, which remained tightly shut and showed no further signs of disturbance.
Then he looked at his mentor, Lina, beside him.
Hesitant to speak.
"Uh—" Instructor Lina remained standing in place, leaning slightly forward in a welcoming posture, but the excitement and blush on her face had faded, replaced by a complex mix of faint disappointment at not getting what she wanted, a deeper sense of awe, and—a peculiar sense of relief and enlightenment.
She slowly straightened up, took a deep breath, and calmed her turbulent emotions. Then, she turned to face the black-robed wizard, who looked bewildered and was about to blurt out "Why?"
"He—that sir—didn't come out?" The black-robed resident's voice was dry and filled with disbelief. He finally couldn't help but ask the question.
no way.
Curiosity killed the cat.
But the wizard's curiosity was even greater than the cat's.
The more outstanding a wizard is, the more this is true. His performance before the world reset also shows that he is a very outstanding wizard.
For a wizard like him...
Curiosity is naturally hard to suppress.
"Yes."
Lena's voice returned to its usual gentleness and composure, but with an added, almost imperceptible, remoteness: "The Great One—did not choose to step out of this door at this moment."
She has calmed down again.
"Why? Why is that?" the black-robed wizard asked urgently, bewildered by this sudden turn of events. "The door was clearly open! He appeared! We all saw him! Could it be—could there be something wrong with the door or the ritual? Or were we unprepared?"
He made his guess with some trepidation.
"No, no, no, it's not what you think." Lina shook her head gently, her gaze returning to the silent bronze door.
His eyes were deep and intense.
"The door is fine, but the ritual—perhaps there isn't a fixed ritual at all." She said slowly, as if sorting out her thoughts. "How can we presume to know the will of that great one? The bronze door connects to an incredible space-time, and his appearance may simply be—for confirmation."
Lina started to imagine things.
"Confirmed?" the black-robed wizard asked, puzzled.
"Confirm whether the time correction is complete, confirm whether the Watch is still active, confirm—" Lina's hand unconsciously went to her chest, where the mark of the "Raven Prophet" was pulsating with a faint yet incredibly clear and warm pulse.
It was similar to the resonance felt when the door opened before, but more stable, more—everywhere. This was probably why Lina imagined it this way.
She had already developed faith in Ian.
Naturally.
No matter what happens, they can always find a story that benefits Ian.
This is just my own imagination.
However, within this African Ministry of Magic, no one was qualified to question Lina's imagination anymore, after all, she was a true prophetic wizard who had lived for a thousand years.
Although she hadn't reached the level of legend, she herself was a legend. She closed her eyes, feeling the connection emanating from the mark—a connection that, though spanning a long period of time, remained vivid and unwavering.
"Yes, yes, the raven must be confirming whether the 'anchor point' and 'proxy' are still there." She opened her eyes, her gaze clear and knowing. "I can feel it—He has returned. Right now, in this era, He has reappeared in the world."
"You're back? Where are you?" the black-robed wizard asked hurriedly, looking around as if Ian might suddenly emerge from some corner of the room.
He didn't know why he wanted to see the ravens so much.
perhaps.
Seeing ravens made him feel like he could recall something.
"We shouldn't be too curious about this," Lina smiled, a smile carrying the tranquility and contentment characteristic of a devout believer. "We don't know. Nor do we need to know."
Her millennia of wisdom were displayed in calm and composure at this moment.
"Don't you need to know?"
The black-robed wizard was even more confused.
He was still young after all, and his desire to see ravens was hard to suppress. He imagined countless possible images of ravens in his mind.
elder?
Child?
Or some other image?
Or is it simply the shape of a raven?
It must be said that the black-robed wizard after the time reset was far more active in his thinking than when he was corrupted, and even began to imagine that Raven was a woman.
A beautiful woman.