"If love is true, it doesn't matter if you aren't together every single day."
That's a quote used to describe love, and it sounds incredibly poetic. But in Rey's opinion, it was total bullshit.
Everything in the world has an expiration date, and love is no exception. After enough time passes, love either transforms into a deep, familial bond, or it dissipates like smoke in the wind.
Perhaps there is that kind of "till death do us part," "end of the world" love that can transcend time and space to become a beautiful legend.
But that kind of love is far too rare. At the very least, Rey hadn't seen many real-life examples; what existed were mostly just stories passed down by word of mouth.
Legends are usually just artistic exaggerations. They contain people's yearning for something beautiful, which is why they become legends in the first place.
Like the movie Ghost. A classic tale of love between a human and a spirit. Rey had certainly seen it in his past life.
The ending for the hero and heroine in the movie was touching. But what happens after the ending? Does it stay beautiful forever? That seems unlikely.
If Sam and Molly truly loved each other, Sam would inevitably have to leave Molly in the end.
True love isn't about selfishness or possession; it's about hoping the other person lives well, regardless of your own condition.
Love in movies is always tragic and moving. Love in reality is often helpless. Love without a material foundation is like a raft in the ocean—a single wave can destroy it.
In reality, that "material foundation" is a stable economic source. Whether it's a little or a lot, it at least needs to cover the basic expenses for two people.
Otherwise, the pressure of life alone is enough to crush a beautiful romance into powder. Two people who can't even fill their stomachs don't have the energy or the heart to maintain a beautiful relationship.
Rey knew exactly what the chasm standing between him and Helena was. That foolish woman, for his sake, had likely already decided to break up with him, and she was very determined about it.
It was only because of his own cold demeanor that she hadn't fully voiced it yet.
She wanted to give him the cold shoulder, let things fade slowly, and eventually, she would probably stop appearing in front of him altogether.
Having identified the root of the problem, Rey knew exactly what he needed to do next.
Restore his ability to use magic, find a way to wake Reypel, and then resurrect Helena.
---
The day after Easter marked the beginning of a full month-long holiday.
Students began to leave Hogwarts, and Rey stood at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, watching them go.
He had stood there for a long time today as well.
When Agnes left Hogwarts, she waved to Rey on the tower top, and Rey smiled and waved back. Agnes had told Rey that if he was too bored and had nowhere to go, he could come find her at her house.
Rey had smiled and nodded at the offer.
By the time almost all the students had left Hogwarts, it was already dusk.
Rey had stood in this spot for another entire day.
For the whole day, Helena hadn't appeared, which was within Rey's expectations. Even though he knew she wouldn't come, Rey just wanted to wait and see.
Honestly, if Helena had come out to see him, Rey wasn't sure what he would have said to her anyway.
After swallowing cold wind all day, Rey sighed, turned around, and left the tower.
Just as he walked down from the tower, Helena's transparent figure appeared exactly where he had been standing, watching his retreating back disappear.
Rey had stood on the tower all day, and Helena had watched him from the shadows all day.
There was a reluctance to let go, a heartache, and an indescribable flavor of bitterness in her heart.
"But this is all for his own good." Whenever she felt she couldn't hold back and wanted to go out to see Rey, this sentence gave her the resolve to stay hidden.
Looking dejected, Helena lowered her head and sighed silently.
---
"I thought you truly had a heart of stone. Since you're hurting so much, why didn't you come out sooner?"
Just as Helena lowered her head, Rey's slightly angry voice rang out in the tower.
Helena was startled. She hadn't expected Rey to double back. Caught red-handed, she struggled internally for a moment before preparing to turn into a breeze and flee the tower.
"Wait. I have something to say. You can leave after you hear it."
Rey's voice carried an undeniable authority, giving off a bit of a "domineering CEO" vibe.
The intensity of his tone made Helena feel that if she dared to leave now, Rey would turn Hogwarts upside down to find her.
And Rey absolutely would do that, because right now, he was angry. Helena could feel it clearly.
"What is there left to say?" Helena hesitated but ultimately stayed, asking with a hint of petulance.
Stopping Helena with just one sentence made Rey rejoice internally.
Actually, he hadn't been very confident; he was afraid Helena would just walk away. Although his angry tone was convincing, seeing Helena turn back in a huff extinguished more than half of the rage he had built up over the day.
However, while the anger was gone, the attitude couldn't weaken.
This woman in front of him was foolish enough to need a lesson. Making her a little scared and submissive would be for the best.
With a stern brow and undiminished intensity, Rey stepped closer to Helena and said slowly, "I might have a way to resurrect you."
He spoke firmly, without a hint of joking.
However, the concept that death is irreversible seemed deeply rooted in Helena's mind. Hearing Rey speak such a fairytale-like sentence, Helena lifted her head and prepared to leave again.
"Woman, I haven't finished talking."
Helena had just started to move when Rey, knowing she was about to bolt, immediately let out a cold snort to stop her.
---
Stopped by a cold snort from the man she liked, Helena actually froze. It seemed she really felt a twinge of fear, and for a moment, she didn't leave.
This was the first time she had seen Rey speak to her like this. She hadn't expected him to be so domineering when he was serious.
Feeling the shift in power, Helena stood obediently in place, waiting for Rey to finish.
Actually, she was a little annoyed at herself for staying so spinelessly just now. Helena raised her delicate eyebrows and glared fiercely at Rey. Her meaning was clear: If what you say next is more nonsense, I'm walking out right in front of you.
"I have been to the Valley of Wraiths."
Rey paused for a beat, then spoke.
"So what?"
Helena retorted, unwilling to show weakness, sounding a bit angry herself.
Rey gave her a cool glance, not bothering to bicker, and continued, "The wraiths inside can manifest physical forms. If we start from that angle, maybe we can find a way to resurrect you."
"That's too ethereal. The Valley of Wraiths has been lost for ages. Where would you even find clues?"
Helena sighed softly after hearing this. She knew Rey was doing this for her. But this kind of thing was like chasing a reflection in the water. She was afraid that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Breaking up seemed inevitable. Helena didn't want Rey to torment himself, and she certainly didn't want him taking risks to resurrect her.
However, no matter what she thought, Rey's next words shook her.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm just notifying you unilaterally. Since you're determined to hide from me, what I do is none of your business. You just need to wait obediently. Once I bring you back to life, you're going to have a whole bunch of kids with me."