Chapter 159 - Death of Arcturus (1)
Asterion returned to the stadium with a calm expression, but inside, he was deeply shaken.
He wasn't surprised that Grindelwald had asked him to succeed him, but it was the plan that Grindelwald had revealed that left Asterion completely stunned by the audacity of the Dark Lord's scheme.
He had thought the God Creation Plan of the Black House was bold, but what Grindelwald was about to do was blasphemy of the highest order. No! Not even blasphemers could be as mad as Gellert Grindelwald.
Still a bit dazed, Asterion noticed Narcissa approaching him with her usual calm expression, but he knew his cousin too well to recognize that she was more than nervous at that moment. A bad feeling sprouted in his chest. And when Special Grade Wizards had a sense of foreboding that something bad was about to happen, it usually became reality.
His thoughts were confirmed as Narcissa drew closer and whispered, "Arcturus is calling for you."
Asterion took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He understood—Arcturus was going to ask him to kill him!
In this moment of celebration, with joyful and excited voices all around, Asterion felt as though his world was gradually turning gray.
Closing his eyes, he felt the sounds growing more distant, and when he had completely calmed himself, he slowly opened his eyes, revealing two red orbs.
"I will say goodbye to Daphne. Bring the whole family," Asterion calmly ordered, ignoring Narcissa's concerned expression.
Narcissa hesitated to obey, seeing Asterion's completely expressionless face, but she nodded after meeting his majestic gaze.
As Narcissa's figure receded, Asterion walked toward the stands, where he found his fiancée talking with her friends.
Daphne, who was chatting with Tracey, noticed her fiancé approaching. She smiled brightly, but her smile quickly faded when she saw his eyes—so cold they could freeze hell.
Daphne wasn't afraid of him and stepped closer, asking, "Did something happen, Asty?"
"Arcturus," Asterion replied briefly, causing Daphne's eyes to narrow sharply. She quickly connected the dots and looked at him with a sad expression before embracing him.
"I'll be here when you need me," she murmured in his ear, her voice filled with melancholy. She knew how important Arcturus was to Asterion—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Arcturus was practically a father to him.
Asterion nodded and kissed her forehead tenderly before saying his goodbye.
"We'll talk more later."
Daphne nodded and watched his back with concern. For some reason, she felt that her fiancé was carrying the weight of the world. This frustrated her to no end—she wasn't a delicate porcelain doll, yet she couldn't do anything to help Asterion. This wounded her pride and made her feel powerless for the first time.
"We will walk side by side, Asterion. I swear in Merlin's name," she whispered, clenching her fists, her blue eyes filled with determination.
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Ophelia had always imagined that when she walked into Black Manor, it would be a happy occasion because she would finally be meeting her mother. But she was wrong.
Her great-uncle, whom she had never met, was dying, making the entire situation deeply depressing.
She ignored the luxurious mansion she had only ever imagined seeing in books and looked at the old man in the bed with tears in her eyes. He looked skeletal, with no fat on his body, his bones pressed against his skin, making him appear extremely fragile.
His hair was completely white and lifeless, dry, and brittle.
For some reason, Ophelia felt dark ripples emanating from his body, as if something within him was on the verge of breaking free at any moment.
"Asterion," Arcturus's dry lips moved as he called out his great-grandson's name.
"Yes, great-grandfather," Asterion said calmly, holding Arcturus's skeletal hand.
"You have been my pride. From the moment I took you from the orphanage, you became the most important thing to me—my legacy and my honor to my ancestors," his voice, though weak, was firm and gentle. He sounded relieved. "I would have liked to see you marry and have your own children, but I've already been selfish enough to leave my wife alone for so long."
Arcturus turned his head with difficulty and looked around the room full of people, focusing especially on his irresponsible grandson, who was trying not to cry.
"Look at you, still a child at the end of my life—what a disappointment, my unworthy, drunken grandson," he said, glaring at Sirius.
"You old bastard, can't you be kind even at the last moment we'll see each other?" Sirius responded with a bitter laugh under his grandfather's accusing gaze. But he smiled, seeing that his grandfather seemed to have accepted death with peace.
"And who are you, little one?" Arcturus asked, looking at the young girl with black hair and red eyes, much like Asterion's. However, the girl had no trace of cursed energy in her body, indicating that she hadn't inherited the innate technique of the Black House.
"Pleasure to meet you, Great-Grandfather. I'm Ophelia Black, Bellatrix's daughter," she said. Arcturus smiled at the girl's politeness. He didn't ask about her origins—it no longer mattered. He was simply happy that the Black House had gained another member.
"Be a good girl and study hard," Arcturus said gently, shifting his gaze to Cygnus's three daughters. "Your father and mother would be proud to see the dazzling women you've all become. Except for you, Bellatrix."
His sentence ended with a chuckle as he mentioned Bellatrix.
"They'd probably lock me in a room and forget the key," Bellatrix muttered loud enough for everyone to laugh despite the sadness hanging in the air.
"Narcissa, when I'm gone, Asterion will need someone to help him manage all the Black family estates," Arcturus said, looking at Narcissa, who was dressed in her elegant black gown.
"Yes, Great-Uncle," Narcissa lowered her head, trying to hide her red eyes from all the crying.
Then Arcturus's gaze fell on the gentlest of Cygnus's three daughters, Andromeda. "As the patriarch of the House of Black, I decree that all descendants of Andromeda Tonks may reclaim the Black name." His words left both Nymphadora and Andromeda wide-eyed with shock.
Arcturus then turned his gaze to his other great-grandchildren, Draco and Dorea Malfoy.
"Stay strong and honor your house's name, hold your heads high, and be proud of where you come from," he said in a gentle tone, finally addressing them all with warmth.
Draco and Dorea nodded repeatedly, not daring to disobey the old patriarch's words.
"Come, Asterion," Arcturus said firmly but kindly, looking at his great-grandson.
Asterion gritted his teeth, gently lifting Arcturus's frail body as he exited the room under everyone's sorrowful gazes.
"Where are they going?" Ophelia asked, confused by what was happening, but her eyes remained fixed on Bellatrix. However, the girl was disappointed to see that her mother didn't even glance at her.
"It's something every heir and patriarch does at the end of the life of each Black family patriarch," Sirius explained to his niece, gently stroking her hair.
"And what would that be, Uncle Scoundrel?" Ophelia asked her scruffy-looking uncle.
Laughter echoed through the room at the way Ophelia addressed Sirius.
"Nothing a child needs to know," Sirius replied in a helpless tone. Clearly, he thought of himself as a handsome and mature uncle—how could he possibly be a scoundrel!?
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Next Chapter Second Volume: , Chapter 160 - Death of Arcturus (2), Chapter 161 - First Phase of God's Creation Plan (1), Chapter 162 - First Phase of God's Creation Plan (2), Chapter 163 - First Phase of God's Creation Plan (3), Chapter 164 - First Phase of God's Creation Plan (4), Chapter 165 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (1), Chapter 166 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (2), Chapter 167 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (3), Chapter 168 - Vellory of Arcuturus Black (4), Chapter 169 - Torture and Secrets (1), Chapter 170 - Torture and Secrets (2), Chapter 171 - Conspiracies and Secrets (1), 172 - Conspiracies and Secrets (2).