CLANG!
The skeleton—still pale white and gleaming wetly, threaded with thin streaks of crimson blood that hadn't yet dried or coagulated—crashed heavily to the warped wooden floor, sending a scattering of startled moths skittering away in panic in all directions from beneath the rotting floorboards where they had been hiding from the light.
With the hunchbacked witch Wrenly slain by her own creatures, consumed in mere horrifying seconds, the black hurricane woven from countless wriggling tendrils of dark mist finally fell completely still.
The mist hung suspended motionless in the center of the room, defying gravity. Four or five pairs of crimson eyes, glowing like hot coals pulled from a forge, were turned to observe the Golden Viper.
WHOOSH!
Then, without any warning, the dark tendrils coiled rapidly back together into a single cohesive mass. Rather than attempt an escape through the shattered window into the freedom of the night beyond, they retreated with apparent intelligence into the cracked glass tank, pressing themselves into the furthest corner and trembling visibly—watching and waiting with those crimson eyes fixed on Bryan.
Bryan let out a short, speechless breath, then pulled back the swirling cloak of magical energy that had been concealing his identity.
The vortex of power that had been masking his face dissolved like smoke in wind, revealing the face of a young man beneath.
"What in the world is that thing?" Kakus asked in complete disbelief.
Wrenly had tried to use her own bound creatures as weapons against them—and had paid for it immediately with her life, consumed by the very forces she sought to unleash.
The scene before them was equally horrifying and utterly surreal, something that would haunt nightmares.
Kakus stared wide-eyed at the fresh skeleton sprawled on the floor with its bones still glistening and the churning black cloud still billowing within the damaged tank, his voice was breaking slightly as he spoke.
"I'm not certain what they are exactly—I've never encountered anything quite like them—"
Bryan shook his head with honesty, examining the creatures.
The spells and magic passed down through the ancient lineage of the Secret Occult witches were utterly unlike those practiced by modern wizards in almost every fundamental respect.
All Bryan could sense through his magical perception was that the consciousness radiating from the black cloud did not belong to anything remotely human or even humanoid—it felt considerably closer to the mind of a magical creature.
"And what about the thing still in the tank?" Kakus pressed urgently. "Should we just leave it here?"
"It needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, the Muggle villagers living peacefully below the mountain will be in terrible danger once it inevitably escapes,"
Bryan said softly.
The creature seemed to possess a keen, clear intelligence. The moment Bryan finished speaking those words aloud, the coiled dark mist erupted into violent agitation.
SCREECH!
The sudden, high-pitched wail brought Kakus to his knees instantly. He clapped both hands desperately over his ears, his face twisted in absolute pain. Even Bryan's mind flickered unsteadily for a brief instant under the concentrated psychic assault.
In that brief, stolen moment of distraction when both men were vulnerable, the black cloud swelled rapidly and exploded with tremendous force—shattering what remained of the thick glass tank entirely then launched itself like a dark comet directly toward the broken window.
HUM
And in the very instant it was about to breach the house and escape into the darkness—the entire world froze.
Time seemed to stop in its tracks.
A single golden spark, tiny and brilliant like a newborn star, drifted slowly through the suspended air like a falling ember.
The moment it made the slightest contact with the edge of the dark cloud, the entire wriggling mass detonated like a burst of cotton set ablaze—collapsing into a brilliant bloom of golden flame and within a single second, only a few wisps of pale smoke remained, dissipating rapidly into nothing.
WHOOSH
A clean wind swept in through the shattered window, carrying away the oppressive stench of rot and old blood that had permeated every corner of the house for years.
The pure light of the moon, at last unobstructed by the dark presence that had polluted this place, poured into the room and chased the remaining darkness from its corners.
"How many is that now, Kakus?"
Bryan raised his hand with a casual gesture and erased the bones from the floor with wandless magic, vanishing them completely from existence, then settled back onto the shabby sofa as though nothing remarkable had just happened in front of him. His voice was perfectly composed and calm, as though they had been discussing the weather.
Kakus wiped the cold sweat from his brow with a trembling hand and fished a tightly rolled piece of yellowed parchment from inside his coat—its surface dense with names. His fingertip traced slowly down the long list and came to rest on one.
"This is the—" He paused, looking up at Bryan with a hesitant expression and uncertainty.
"The seventeenth elimination in just ten days, Mr. Watson. Perhaps we should consider slowing down the pace for a while. We haven't made any obvious missteps that I'm aware of, and you've been extraordinarily careful, but with this many notable figures from the underworld disappearing in such a short time, someone with connections is bound to grow suspicious and start paying close attention to patterns in what we've been doing."
"As you think best—I trust your judgment on this—" Bryan agreed easily without resistance.
"As it happens, I have an appointment to see someone shortly anyway—oh, actually, Kakus, before I forget, I have something important I need you to post as a commission on the underground network."
For someone of Bryan Watson's considerable renown and fearsome reputation throughout the wizarding world, there was certainly no shortage of people who would leap at the chance to act on his behalf directly if he asked.
That he was still routing a task through the underground commission network rather than asking personal contacts or using his own considerable resources told Kakus one thing with absolute clarity: this was not a simple job.
"Of course—in that case, let me take notes—" Kakus responded immediately.
He swiftly produced his notebook from his inner breast pocket, flipping it open to a blank page.
"What are the specific requirements and parameters for this commission?"
"Hmm—an escort task for transporting something valuable. A very substantial sum of wealth that will attract unwanted attention,"
Bryan considered for a moment, organizing his thoughts carefully, then continued.
"Whoever takes this commission will need to be genuinely skilled in combat and defense. Make sure the posting emphasizes the danger very clearly—there will almost certainly be attempts to seize the cargo during transport.
And of course, the contract must bind them absolutely: they cannot so much as covet the treasure they're guarding for even a moment. They must protect it loyally and fight for it with everything they have."
'The learning-machine workshop?'
The thought surfaced briefly in Kakus's mind as he tried to puzzle out what Bryan was planning. He let it pass without voicing it aloud.
"How many people do you need for the escort specifically, and what's the offered payment per person?" Kakus asked practically.
"No cap on numbers—I only require genuine skill and willingness to be bound by an unbreakable magical contract with all its consequences,"
Bryan said calmly.
"As for the payment—two thousand Galleons per person who signs on."
"Two thousand Galleons per person?!" Kakus exclaimed in genuine shock.
His pen stopped dead on the parchment mid-writing. He stared at Bryan with undisguised amazement, his eyes were turning wide.
"That could run you tens of thousands—possibly a hundred thousand Galleons or more depending on how many accept the commission. Are you truly certain about this expenditure? I mean—perhaps you might want to cap the headcount, or bring the fee down slightly?"
"That won't be necessary at all,"
Bryan's tone did not waver in the slightest, showing no concern about the money. He reached into his coat and produced a heavy leather purse.
"There are twenty thousand Gold Galleons here in this purse. Each person who signs the contract may draw half their payment in advance before the mission even begins. If it isn't enough to cover everyone who signs on, cover the rest from your own funds for now—I'll repay you in full immediately afterward, Kakus. Hmm—and make sure to tell the hired wizards that the remaining half will be paid out regardless of whether the mission succeeds or fails."
He paused for emphasis. "If any of them have doubts about surviving the job and want to make arrangements, they may leave a forwarding address for the final payment. I'll see that it reaches whoever they designate."
Kakus looked at the composed, utterly untroubled face across from him, and felt his astonishment deepen considerably into something like awe.
The Golden Viper was not known throughout the criminal underworld for his generosity or lavish spending. What kind of treasure was Bryan planning to move—and what could it possibly be worth—that he would spend so extravagantly without even blinking or negotiating?
"The start date and exact departure point?" Kakus asked, keeping his voice professional.
"The starting location must remain completely confidential for now for security reasons—it's within Britain, that much I can say without compromising the operation. As for the precise date—"
Bryan considered the timeline carefully, calculating in his head.
"Roughly the final days of this month. In the days leading up to the start, you'll need to have everyone assembled and isolated—absolutely no communication with the outside world is permitted."
Kakus reviewed his notes and confirmed he had captured everything accurately, then let out a quiet breath of relief.
"Will you be taking part in the escort yourself?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
"Ah, that—"
A light moved through Bryan's eyes that Kakus couldn't quite read or interpret fully. His smile deepened, carrying something unreadable beneath the surface.
"Maybe I will … maybe I won't. It depends on how things unfold."
The two men left the hunchbacked witch's crooked house behind them and stepped out onto the flattened summit of the hill. They stood gazing down at the valley spread out far below in the encompassing darkness.
The night's first lights were kindling across the plain far below them, and the scattered glow of ten thousand homes glimmered like patches of delicate spiderweb in the enveloping dark.
"Should we raze this place completely to the ground?" Kakus asked practically. He glanced back at the old house with its odd angles and turned to Bryan for instruction on cleanup.
"A reclusive, malicious old witch—no ties to the Muggle village below, no ties to modern wizarding society or any family who might miss her. There's no reason to go further than necessary or draw attention,"
Bryan shook his head, declining the suggestion.
"By the way, Kakus—you haven't forgotten what we discussed before?"
"Of course not,"
The tension had only just left Kakus's face; now it returned with this reminder of greater responsibilities ahead.
"You'll need to be ready soon—" Bryan gave a brief nod.
"The new department for incorporating the Secret Occult witches as a recognized group will be established soon. The organizational structure, how it will function once it opens its doors, and what policy support it will require—those details are yours to determine."
"Understood—" Kakus nodded firmly with determination.
"Since our last conversation about this vision, I've given it a great deal of thought and detailed planning. The first priority, in my view, is establishing a formal system for fairly assessing the specialized knowledge and skills of the Occult practitioners. Once that certification mechanism exists and functions properly, recognition from the Ministry of Magic becomes essential for legitimacy in the eyes of the broader wizarding community. And, naturally—"
Kakus paused, choosing his next words with care.
"Your learning-machine workshop is in extraordinary demand right now—people are competing fiercely for positions there. If the workshop were to set an example by issuing a public statement that it welcomes Secret Occult practitioners who have passed the new certification process—"
"That's not an obstacle at all,"
Bryan nodded with quiet approval.
"I'll find an appropriate opportunity to speak with Remus about implementing that. Don't forget to remind them firmly, though—those practices that no longer belong in this modern world must be set aside completely.
We are building a bridge to carry them into modern wizarding society and give them legitimate lives, but they must be willing to make real sacrifices in return."
Kakus acknowledged this with a solemn nod.
"Then—I have a trip to Paris to make. The commission is in your hands, Kakus—"
Bryan clapped a hand briefly on Kakus's shoulder, a genuine smile crossing his face.
"I'll see you again soon—"
And with that simple farewell, he was gone—dissolved into the open wind wandering through the hills.
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