As "Quirrell's" fingertip brushed against the shimmering gold-red blood droplet, a searing sensation surged through his soul.
It felt like being plunged into boiling water.
But Voldemort didn't care. This pain? He could handle it.
He'd endured worse—far worse. The agonizing twists of dark magic transformations that warped his body, the soul-splitting torment of creating his Horcruxes—those were far more intense than this burning sting.
And then there was the rebounding Killing Curse that had nearly shattered his soul. That pain dwarfed anything the world could throw at him.
When he saw the strange creature strike back, a wisp of golden flame flickering into existence, "Quirrell" instinctively Apparated. He was confident in his speed.
As the golden flame reached for him, his form began to blur and twist.
But just as "Quirrell" was about to slip through space like a fish through water, a heavy, unyielding sensation enveloped him.
It was as if the fluid space around him had frozen solid, trapping him in place.
The fish that should've swum free was stuck, motionless.
This was a new experience, one "Quirrell" wasn't prepared for, and it cost him a split second of hesitation.
Hiss—
In that fleeting pause, the tip of the flame latched onto the gold-red droplet like it was drawn to it.
The next instant, the blood burst.
Fueled by that single drop, the golden flame erupted, stretching and clinging to "Quirrell's" finger, then his palm, his wrist…
Pain!
A vicious agony slammed into Voldemort's soul.
If the earlier burning felt like boiling water, this golden fire was molten lava.
But the soul-searing pain snapped him out of his daze. With a flick of his wand, "Quirrell" sent an invisible blade slicing through the air.
Slash!
His entire arm was severed at the shoulder.
In less than a blink, the golden flames had devoured his forearm and were creeping past his elbow, hungry for more.
"Quirrell" pointed his wand again.
The remaining stump of his upper arm exploded into a bloody mist, forming a fleshy curtain to shield him.
His eyes darted toward the female unicorn, its body riddled with cuts. "Quirrell" decided to settle for his original plan: to take the blood of the unborn foal.
Drip.
Dark red blood trickled from "Quirrell's" eyes and nose. His magic faltered, growing sluggish.
"Damn it!"
"This useless body!"
Without hesitation, "Quirrell" transformed into a wisp of black smoke and shot toward the sky.
He didn't spare another glance at the female unicorn or risk staying to harvest the pure, fresh blood of its foal.
In his current state, with his magic draining so fast, lingering even a moment longer would make it nearly impossible to escape that strange, powerful creature.
Seeing the enemy flee, Luster summoned clouds beneath its hooves, ready to give chase.
But it stopped itself, flashing instantly to Selenia's side.
It conjured two flames, one to cover its own wounds, the other to envelop Selenia's body.
These flames still glowed a vivid gold-red, but the golden hue burned brighter, more vibrant.
At the gash on Luster's side, black and green mist hissed as the flames burned them away.
Selenia's condition was far worse. Her body was covered in cuts—some shallow, some deep. The worst was a gash across her belly, so deep you could almost see…
Luster spat two globs of saliva, one into Selenia's mouth, the other onto her wounded abdomen.
As colorful, toxic fumes rose from Selenia's body, the qilin's saliva began to heal her wounds.
But it was too slow.
The mixed poisons couldn't be fully purged by the cleansing flames, and they continued to corrode Selenia's body.
And…
Luster's gaze lingered on Selenia's abdomen, anxiety deepening in its eyes.
Selenia let out a faint, pained whimper.
Understanding her, Luster didn't know how to respond. Her foal…
It separated a tiny cloud, catching a drop of its own gold-red blood from its wound and guiding it into Selenia's abdomen.
Looking again at the situation inside, Luster tried to comfort her:
"It's okay, it's okay…"
"Just hold on."
Luster summoned more cleansing flames, letting them pour into the surrounding fire wall, making it burn fiercer and sealing the sky with a dome of flame.
The next moment, Luster vanished.
Seconds later, it returned, accompanied by a young wizard pulling on a robe.
Lucien drew his wand, listening as Luster quickly recounted what had just happened.
The entire ordeal had lasted only a few minutes, but its intensity was staggering.
Lucien's expression darkened. He waved his wand, levitating the unconscious Asterion to Selenia's side.
Of all the unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, why did Voldemort have to target them?
He should've bound them in his gourd for safekeeping!
If Luster hadn't been there by chance…
Lucien glanced at the little qilin, noting the wound on its side.
"Master, I'm fine. The wound's almost healed," Luster said.
"Please, check on Selenia first—and her foal."
Lucien nodded, crouching beside Selenia to assess her injuries.
Her wounds were brutal, covered in blood.
He immediately recognized the magic that had harmed her.
It was the same dark spell Quirrell had taught him just days ago—a blend of potions and curses.
The cuts themselves weren't hard to heal, but the potions' effects were the real problem.
Lucien's eyes swirled with black as he used his Seer's Sight to analyze the potions lingering in her wounds.
The more he looked, the grimmer his expression became.
It wasn't just a mix of potions—it was a precise combination, crafted for a complex, vicious effect.
Selenia's injuries were one thing, but…
He glanced at her abdomen. Through the deep gash, he could see the situation inside.
A flicker of pity crossed his eyes.
There was still hope.
Luster said it had used a drop of qilin blood, which had stabilized the foal for now.
But it was still dire. More qilin blood wouldn't help—the foal couldn't handle that much raw vitality.
And in Selenia's current state, natural birth was impossible.
She'd need help.
Delivering a unicorn…
Lucien pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, tapped it with his wand, and words appeared on its surface.
Handing it to Luster, he continued using magic to treat Selenia and her unborn foal.
"Luster, go find Mr. Newt!"