HP: Embrace the Darkness

Ases wiped the blood off his fingertips, took out a mirror from his alchemical ring and looked at himself in the mirror. He found that his face was red, as if he had been pinched. There was a cut on his lower lip, which was bleeding. There was a faint tooth mark near the wound.

These obvious signs of venting anger made Ases stunned, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

He began to think back on what he had done during this period, and then...he felt completely disheartened.

"Is it too late for me to admit my mistake now?"

The young master, who had been rebellious for several days, sat down subconsciously, with his hands placed obediently at his sides, his pair of affectionate eyes so gentle that they almost dripped with tears.

Snape was standing in front of him, with his arms folded menacingly. Upon hearing what he said, he put on a sinister smile without saying a word.

Although Ases could not hear whether Snape said anything, he probably guessed that Snape was still angry, and said dejectedly: "Okay, I know I was wrong, don't be angry."

Snape snorted, the air pressure slightly warming up, "You'd better know."

Perhaps because he was invisible and intangible, the lethality of the Potions Master suddenly weakened a lot. Soon, Athis felt guilty and keenly noticed a blind spot. He narrowed his eyes, scanned the surroundings, and finally stopped at the place where he thought Snape was most likely to stay.

"So... the sudden activation of the magic circle at that time was not an accident. You want to give up being with me? You... don't want me anymore?"

The Potions Master, who was just full of vigor, was caught in a weak spot. His arrogance immediately waned, and his eyes wandered guiltily until he heard the last sentence of Ases, which seemed to contain countless grievances. Then he looked at Ases and retorted breathlessly: "I didn't..."

Just as Snape understood Athis, Athis also understood Snape well enough that he understood why Snape did what he did when he learned that Snape was by his side.

Knowing that Snape had given up on him once, it was impossible for him not to be angry, but the Potions Master was a soft-hearted person and would not take any tough measures. If he continued to be angry, both sides would lose face.

Aces lowered his eyes, and his sharp voice suddenly became softer, "I was almost unable to feel your presence, Sif."

Looking at Athis's dimming profile, Snape felt a little uncomfortable.

He still didn't regret what he did that day. Even if it happened again, he would not hesitate to give up being a burden, but he couldn't bear to see Ases look aggrieved.

Especially this grievance was caused by him.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard Arces's even quieter voice.

"Besides, do you really think that without you in my world, I can go back to the way it was before? Sif, you underestimate how much you mean to me. I can't reverse time and space or bring the dead back to life for now, but I can still do other things."

Ases raised his head slightly, revealing his pupils that were suppressing madness, and peeled off his heart almost indifferently.

"How about erasing my existence from this world and accompanying you?"

As if he thought his proposal was perfect, Ases squinted his eyes comfortably, his fingertips flickered, and a crazy and paranoid light lit up in his dark eyes, and the darkness surged, as if he would drag people into an endless abyss in the next second.

Snape didn't feel scared, but he didn't want to delve into what the "other things" Athis mentioned included. Just hearing this, he didn't expect Athis to say anything to reassure him, so he could only compromise and said, "I won't abandon you."

Ases couldn't hear what Snape said, so he could only speculate based on his understanding of Snape.

Afraid that Snape would not give up, he continued, "You haven't said you love me, and we haven't gotten married yet. You can't just give up on me. This is unfair, Sev. I respect your choice, but can you please think about me when you make your choice?"

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as your consent..."

After a pause, Ases curved his lips and said without question, "Okay, you agreed, don't break your promise again.

Snape, who was clearly arranged, was almost laughing out of anger. He raised his hand to pinch Athis, but knowing that he couldn't touch him, he softened his heart when he saw the red face and touched Athis's head instead.

"I agreed."

There was always silence in the air.

Ases believed in his own judgment and also believed in Snape's love for him, so he stopped discussing this topic and stood up and walked to the ice coffin.

"Sev, can't you go back?"

Snape nodded.

"You can't go back." Arces said firmly, "If you could go back, you wouldn't be in your current state, and there should be a distance limit, is it the body?"

Ases also did not call Snape the corpse, but unlike Snape, he firmly believed that Snape was still alive, but was in a rather special state.

"It's normal for the body and soul to have limitations, but I don't know the range. But it won't be too far, ten or twenty meters?"

As Aces spoke, he helped Snape move his limbs, lifting his hands, feet, arms and head.

Without a soul, the body's vital signs also disappeared. To keep the body from decaying, Snape had to be placed in an ice coffin.

The ice coffin is a special alchemical prop. Its effect is related to time. The cold air can temporarily maintain the body's state at the state when it was put in. However, the body is affected by the cold air and the limbs are extremely stiff. If Snape does not move regularly, he will probably lose the ability to move for a period of time when he wakes up, so Asis helps Snape move his body every day.

Snape watched his body changing positions in Athis's hands, his mouth twitched, and he looked away, unable to bear it.

"Besides the distance limit, what else could it be?"

Ases was still talking to himself, sorting out his thoughts.

"Time? Or..."

He suddenly called Snape's name in concern.

"Sev."

Snape looked over.

"I'm not sure yet, but we must be mentally prepared. The soul cannot survive without the body. A soul that exists alone may be suppressed or eroded and eventually cease to exist. Otherwise, there will definitely be traces of the existence of souls in the magic world."

"Aren't ghosts considered souls?" Snape asked in confusion. After asking, he remembered that Athis couldn't hear him, and laughed at himself.

Aces understood Snape's confusion and shook his head.

"At present, ghosts and portraits are not souls. The only true soul is Voldemort!"

After several days, Aces finally remembered that there was another Voldemort.

He took out the pearl that sealed Voldemort, crushed it, and a gray smoke flew out of it and headed straight for the door.

Athis raised his hand, and his magic power turned into a long whip to circle Voldemort in the smoke and pull him back. Voldemort's soul was extremely weak after being imprisoned for so many days, and he couldn't even struggle, and returned smoothly to Athis's hand.

"Let me go! How dare you do this to me! I am the great Dark Lord."

Voldemort wouldn't be stupid.

Watching the soul twisting in his hand, Athis let go of his hand in disgust, leaving only the magic whip wrapping around Voldemort. His hand shook, and Voldemort screamed.

"Sev, I can see him, why can't I see you?"

As he spoke, Athis turned his head slightly to face Snape's usual position.

Snape was indeed standing there, and his originally calm eyes softened when Aces looked at him.

Ases knew him too well and could always guess where he was, what he wanted to say and what he wanted to do, giving him the feeling that he was still alive and that Ases could still see him.

"If the problem isn't with me, then it's with—you."

"is my problem."

The two said in unison.

Athis rolled up Voldemort, and suddenly he pointed Voldemort's head at Snape, "Voldemort, do you see anyone here?"

Voldemort knew the current situation and looked up at the direction pointed by Athis. He looked very hard and squinted his eyes for a long time before he said uncertainly: "There seems to be something there. I can see a human figure."

"Sif, please speak." Ases suppressed his excitement and wanted to communicate the problem first. "If he can hear us, he can be our mouthpiece."

Snape said a few words casually.

A look of doubt and confusion appeared on Voldemort's face. "I can't hear it clearly. The sound is very vague, as if it comes from far away."

Somewhere far away?

Aces mused.

"Sif, do you think there is something separating us?"

Snape thought so too.

Their ways of thinking had unknowingly moved closer to each other over the years of close proximity, which was why Athis could guess Snape's thoughts.

After thinking about it, Ases decided not to take any risks with Snape. It would be safer to maintain the status quo until he figured out what was separating Snape.

"Sif, have you felt weak these days? If so..."

Ases hesitated about how to pass the message. He couldn't bite him every time, right? He didn't mind, but Sif was shy, and it was a bit irritating to pass the message in this way.

"If you do, slap me. If you don't, don't. If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent."

Snape: "..."

He wanted to slap Ases right now.

"Wait, Severus?" Voldemort's IQ suddenly came online, "Severus? He's here? He's yours, and he betrayed me too!"

"Be careful with your words, Mr. Riddle. Sev is not your property, let alone betrayal."

Athis tightened the magic whip with an expressionless face and watched Voldemort struggling and wailing on the ground with cold eyes.

Snape turned his head away indifferently, pretending not to see it.

Athis controlled his strength and exerted it just right. With a flick of the whip, he stuffed Voldemort into the newly taken out pearl and put it back into the alchemical ring.

"Sev, don't pay attention to what he said."

Snape slowly folded his arms, and his black robe rolled up as he moved, making him look like a big bat.

The big bat raised his chin arrogantly: "Use your brain, why should I care about what an irrelevant person says."

"Sif, someone is coming." Ases glanced helplessly at the door leading to the outside, as if he could see William wandering around the door without finding the direction. "I'm going to be away for a while. Don't be afraid. I'll be back soon."

The big bat snorted: "It seems that someone's brain has left the job. When did I ever say I was scared? Besides... I have always been by your side."

"Sev, I love you."

Athis's sparkling eyes were aimed accurately at Snape, and they met his gaze with only a few centimeters away.

Snape moved over silently and nodded modestly, "I know -"

After a pause, he added: "You can't hear it. I will tell you the rest in person next time."

Athis nodded without noticing anything. No matter what Snape said, nodding in agreement was the right thing to do.

Outside the house, William walked around the nearby open space several times and was almost done digging three feet into the ground.

It's really frustrating to say, Grindelwald was able to go in because he dropped something the last time he came here, and he found it by following the clues, but William had never been to the house here. He gave it directly to Athis after purchasing it. He didn't even remember where the house was, let alone find the house under the protection of the Fidelius Charm and go in.

After the fifth circle, a house finally appeared under the moonlight. The door of the house slowly opened. William couldn't wait any longer, so he walked up directly, opened the door himself, and looked into the eyes of Ases inside.

"Running away from home? I don't remember teaching you this." William said coldly.

Ases poured William a cup of hot tea, and after he sat down, he explained clearly: "Father, good evening. Whether you believe it or not, I want to tell you that I have never thought of running away from home. This time it was purely an accident. I fainted here, and when I woke up and was about to go back, I learned that there was another me at home. In order not to destroy the arrangement of the house, I did not go back rashly."

Knowing that William would be worried, Ases focused on explaining why he didn't go back.

"You fainted!" William's face suddenly darkened when he heard this. "Why didn't you tell us about such a big thing? No! Come back with me now for a check-up."

"Father." Ases held down William's hand, "My expression may be a little wrong. You may understand it as drowsiness caused by lack of sleep, or just catching up on sleep."

Snape glanced at Athis who was lying with open eyes and smiled coldly. So was the excessive blood loss fed to the dogs?

William was so angry that he laughed. Why didn't he realize that Ases was so humorous before?

"You have no say. You must come back with me for the checkup. I don't care where you go after the checkup."

The father and son looked at each other, and Ases lowered his head first.

"It's too late now. I'll go back tomorrow."

"can."

As long as Ases is willing to go back for a physical examination, William doesn't care whether it is tonight or tomorrow.

"Aces, there is one more thing."

Ases' heart sank and bitterness spread.

Is he asking him to give up Sif again?

"It was our fault that your grandfather and I handed all the affairs over to you."

Ases looked up in surprise, and a pair of warm big hands fell on his shoulders and patted him twice, as if expressing their dissatisfaction.

"What? You think I'm here to ask you to give up Severus?"

Ases smiled bitterly and agreed with William's words.

"I can't think of anything else except this... I know I was wrong in this matter. I shouldn't have threatened my mother with myself in front of her, but I really can't give up on Sif, my father."