"Of course, but may I ask what this 'small condition' is?" Hearing Rowena's words, Aries felt a surge of joy. She had not expected the ghost before her to be so easy to talk to.
Rowena did not answer her question directly. Instead, she silently summoned her own corpse.
As she watched the elegantly dressed mummified body walking toward her, a trace of fear rose from the depths of Aries's heart. She also noticed a detail. The face of the female corpse looked at least sixty percent similar to the ghost before her.
"This… could it be…"
"You guessed correctly. This is my remains," Rowena confirmed Aries's suspicion, then asked her another question. "Do you know who I am?"
"Rhys only said that you are his good friend," Aries replied truthfully.
"It doesn't matter if I tell you. I am one of the founders of Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw."
Hearing that name, Aries could not help but shiver.
Even as a member of a secretive organization like the Secret Society, she had heard of the illustrious reputation of the four founders of Hogwarts. They were legendary wizards who ended one era and ushered in another.
A figure who existed in myths and legends now stood before her. The impact was immense.
Then Aries suddenly realized something else. The way Rhys addressed the Ravenclaw before her was "old friend." Just what kind of existence was he? How many people in the world could call themselves old friends of Rowena Ravenclaw?
Aries faintly felt that she had touched upon some kind of forbidden knowledge.
"At certain moments, you are truly quite intelligent and possess very keen intuition," Ravenclaw praised from the side.
Aries: ?????
"You've also noticed that there's something off about Rhys's identity, haven't you?" Rowena asked with a smile.
A trace of fear surfaced in Aries's heart, and she waved her hands repeatedly. She knew very well that some secrets were better left unknown.
"That man's acting is terrible. Anyone who has spent enough time with him wouldn't believe that story of his. It's just that everyone is smart enough not to tear away the mask he wears, because no one knows what lies beneath that human skin. In that sense, his goal has been achieved. For now, no one has uncovered his true identity."
Rhys did not care whether others saw through the truth of the identity "Rhys Lint." He only cared whether his real identity had been exposed.
Faced with Ravenclaw's words, Aries could only respond with an awkward smile. She had no desire to continue this topic any further.
Seeing her reaction, Rowena let out a sigh.
"You are allowed to know these secrets, because you've already come this far."
Aries: !!!
A sharp alarm rang in her mind, her instincts screaming warnings at her.
"What exactly is your domain? You can tell me now, can't you?" Just as Aries reached her most guarded state, Rowena suddenly changed the subject.
"It's air. I have a certain level of control over air," Aries answered honestly.
"Good, very good!" Rowena's face lit up with joy as she praised her repeatedly.
After a short while, her excitement gradually faded. She told Aries that her own domain was "wind," which was relatively similar to Aries's.
Aries nodded, not fully understanding.
"This is crucial… the previous experiment must have failed because there wasn't a similar domain."
"What experiment?"
"It's nothing, just a minor detail." Rowena brushed past the matter and began rambling about her past.
"This is the deepest part of Hogwarts, and also where its secrets lie. Hundreds of years ago, in order to guard this hidden realm, I chose to become a ghost, and I have remained so to this day. To prevent things from developing beyond my control after my death, I placed extremely strict seals on myself, binding both me and my corpse to wander only within the dungeon."
After hearing Ravenclaw's account, even though they stood on different sides, Aries felt a trace of respect rise within her.
"Now I have regained my clarity, but the restrictions from back then still remain. This place is still my cage. I have always been an eagle trapped within it."
"What about your friends?" Aries asked.
Rowena raised an eyebrow. "For my old friends, not interfering is already the greatest concession. I don't blame them. If it were me, I wouldn't want Rowena Ravenclaw to leave the dungeon either. She's a dangerous individual. Some of her ideas can cause great trouble."
Aries: …
"Alright, we've talked enough about trivial matters. It's time to get to the point." Rowena's expression turned serious as she spoke solemnly to Aries. "I need you to open yourself to me completely and accept my soul."
Aries: ???
"No, I don't think I understand. You mean…?"
"I intend to lodge my soul within your body. Once the two of us become one, you will gain immense power. Whether it's Voldemort or Polaris, none of them will be your match. If necessary, I can even deal with them for you."
"But…" Aries was dumbfounded. She knew very well what that meant.
After accepting Ravenclaw's soul, she would gradually lose control over her body. She did not believe she could gain the upper hand against such an existence. In the end, their roles would reverse, and she would become Rowena Ravenclaw's puppet.
"Don't worry. I won't interfere too much with your freedom. You only need to do a few trivial things for me. Even if you can't, it doesn't matter, because I will handle it for you," Rowena's voice sounded by Aries's ear, tugging at her heartstrings.
Things could not get any worse, could they? The Secret Society had abandoned her, Voldemort was watching her like prey, she had offended Rhys Lint, and he had handed her over to Ravenclaw. This meant she could only obey Ravenclaw's orders. The fact that Ravenclaw was willing to discuss things with her was already reasonable enough. She could have acted directly.
This was where Aries's ignorance lay.
In this matter alone, Ravenclaw truly could not use force. Forcibly merging would only cause Aries's soul to be annihilated or severely damaged. At that point, in the eyes of the sealing magic, the one attempting to leave the seal would still be Rowena, and she would still not gain permission to come and go.
Aries had to merge with Rowena willingly.
Believing she had no way out, Aries agreed to Rowena's proposal and completely opened her soul to her.
A flicker of joy ignited in Rowena's eyes. From this day onward, she would no longer be an eagle trapped in a cage.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI