Fleur's hand shot out, her fingers wrapping tightly around Erwin's arm. The grip was instinctive, a reflex born of fear.
Erwin looked at her, puzzled. "Is something the matter?"
She shook her head, a flush creeping up her neck. "It's nothing. I just have this constant feeling that if I let go, you'll disappear."
Erwin smiled. "Is this a common feminine fantasy?"
Fleur couldn't help but smile back, the tension easing from her shoulders. "Perhaps. It's getting chilly. We should head down."
"Agreed," Erwin said.
A soft luminescence enveloped them both. It wasn't the crackle of raw magic, but something gentler, more controlled. Together, they floated down from the tower and touched the ground with silent grace.
Fleur stared at him, her eyes wide. "No matter how many times I witness it, your abilities never cease to amaze me."
"It's just a method of using magic," Erwin replied casually. "You'll master it one day, too."
"Maybe," she murmured, then her expression turned serious. "Are you leaving?"
Erwin nodded. "There's no reason for me to remain in France. I have other matters requiring attention."
Fleur searched his face intently. Suddenly, she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. Erwin instinctively caught her, his hands settling at her waist.
She buried her face in his shoulder. "No matter what you do, Erwin, I believe you aren't a bad person. You would never harm our world. If you ever need me... I'll be there. Just... don't forget me."
Erwin's heart tightened. He said nothing, simply patting her back gently.
Fleur pulled away. Without another word, she turned and walked into the manor. She liked Erwin—his composure, his strength, his presence—but she knew he didn't belong to her. He didn't belong to anyone. She didn't dare hope for a future with him; meeting him was fortune enough.
Erwin watched her depart, then shook his head. Debts of the heart are always the most difficult to settle.
He vanished from the spot.
He didn't return to England. Instead, he materialized beside Ravenclaw's spirit drifting on the wind, and the two of them traveled directly to the East.
This time, Erwin didn't alert anyone. He moved unseen, undetected even by the protective wards surrounding the land.
Ravenclaw floated beside him. Seeing their destination, the spirit feigned a dramatic yawn.
"We're back in the East again? I'm positively exhausted just thinking about it. Very well, I'm going to sleep. You handle your own business, young Erwin."
Without waiting for a reply, Ravenclaw dissolved into a shimmer of light, retreating into the diadem.
Erwin smiled. See? Ravenclaw, always so clever.
He sealed the diadem and took a single step. The scenery around him blurred, shifting rapidly.
Erwin reappeared before a cave hidden within a dense thicket of weeds. It was clear no one had set foot here for decades.
Erwin sighed at the sight of the entrance before stepping inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a blade sliced through the darkness, thrusting toward his throat. Erwin didn't flinch.
The sword froze an inch from his neck, hovering in the air as if hitting an invisible wall.
From the shadows, a figure emerged. "Master... is that you?"
An elderly man in corroded armor approached, his steps faltering.
Erwin looked at him. "It is. I have returned."
The old man's eyes instantly reddened. "Master, you've finally returned! I've guarded this place for countless years, following your orders. I waited for you!"
Erwin nodded solemnly. "You've served me well. Your duty is complete. It is time for you to begin a new existence."
The old man paused, glancing down at his own translucent form. A sudden realization washed over him. "So... I am already deceased."
"Go," Erwin said softly. "You will have a different existence now. Consider it my compensation to you."
The old man dropped to his knees, kowtowing deeply. "Master, there is no need for compensation. My purpose was to guard this place for you. Now that my duty is complete, I ask only for your blessing in the future."
As he spoke, his body transformed into starlight, dissipating into the air.
Erwin sighed, but he dared not use his authority over Death here. To do so in the East would risk reopening the gates to a place like Fengdu. Even now, he lacked the confidence to face what lay beyond those doors. The laws of magic here were simply too different.
He turned and walked deeper into the cave, passing through a long, winding corridor until he stood before a massive bronze door. It looked impossibly heavy.
"It is time," Erwin murmured.
He raised a hand and placed it directly on the cold metal. Streams of magical energy flowed from his body into the door. As the energy entered, the intricate patterns etched into the bronze began to shift, flowing like liquid silver before recombining.
Finally, the patterns settled into two massive characters on the twin doors:
永生 (ETERNAL LIFE)
Erwin stared at the words. "The curtain is raised," he said. "Only, I am the one who lifted it."
He vanished from the spot.
Meanwhile, at Kunlun.
Inside the Sect Leader's cultivation chamber, the Head of the Kunlun Sect snapped his eyes open. "What is this? Why are the dragon veins activating simultaneously?"
He rose in alarm. "Ever since Erwin revived them, they've been dormant. What could have disturbed them now?"
He rushed to the back mountain, the seat of the Kunlun dragon vein's main artery. The Sect Leader peered into the depths of the earth and frowned.
The dragon veins were fully active, their immense power surging upward. It seemed as if they were gathering their collective strength to suppress something.
The Sect Leader was utterly baffled. One by one, the Kunlun elders arrived, their faces pale.
"What is happening, Sect Leader? Why is the dragon vein causing such a commotion?"
"I don't know," the Sect Leader replied grimly. "Now, perhaps only one person knows the truth."
"Erwin?" an elder asked. "Has he returned to the East?"
"He must have," the Sect Leader said. "To evade the detection of our protective arrays, his current strength must have surpassed ours considerably."
The Sect Leader immediately deployed Kunlun's tracking techniques, scanning the entire territory of the East. He found nothing.
By the time Erwin arrived at Diagon Alley, the sun was high. He stood before the doorstep of Zeli's shop, the bustling wizarding world oblivious to the ancient forces he had just stirred.
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The new journey starts now.
Check out Hogwarts: I, Tom Riddle, Am a Good Teacher and help us hit the rankings! If you liked my last book, you'll love the vibe of this one. Don't forget to drop those Power Stones!
— MrGrim