Chapter 72: Sebastian’s Test

They entered inside a spacious office lined with ancient tomes, enchanted relics, and several artifacts radiating an aura of dormant menace. 

The walls pulsed faintly with containment wards, so intricate that Nero doubted even his Raven Eyes could decipher them without considerable effort. 

At the center of the room, a desk carved from obsidian-like stone stood as an anchor in the magical storm.

Ironquill stepped aside, allowing Nero to advance.

The air thickened, the weight of layered enchantments pressing against his senses.

Then, slowly, the man took his seat behind the desk, one hand brushing across a silver rune etched into the wood. 

The wards responded, settling like a vast, unseen beast curling back into slumber. 

He was middle-aged, perhaps in his early forties, with short-cropped silver-streaked hair and a face lined not with age but with experience. 

His robes, a deep shade of charcoal, bore faint traces of enchantment, protective wards woven into the very fabric, subtle but potent. 

A thin scar ran from his jawline down to his collarbone, disappearing beneath the folds of his cloak.

Ironquill, standing beside Nero, folded his hands in front of him. "Young Master Nero, allow me to introduce Sebastian Drake. One of Gringotts' finest curse-breakers, an expert in ancient magical artifacts, and one of the few wizards with the experience, and recklessness, to lead expeditions into the truly cursed ruins."

Sebastian gave a slow nod, his piercing gaze unwavering. 

"Sebastian will do. Titles mean little in the field when one wrong move can leave you as nothing more than a cautionary tale." 

His voice was smooth, but there was a weight to it, the tone of a man who had seen more than most and survived to tell the tale.

Nero met his gaze evenly. "Then just call me Nero. I'm not here for titles either."

Sebastian smirked. "Good. That means you're here for something else. Let's hear it."

Nero leaned back slightly in his chair, keeping his posture relaxed while his mind remained sharp. "I've spent the last few years studying rituals, magical traces, and dark artifacts. Theory can only get me so far. What I need now is hands-on experience."

Sebastian tilted his head. "And why would a boy like you be in such a hurry to play with cursed objects? Gringotts pays its curse-breakers well, but you just said you're not here for money."

"I don't need the money," Nero admitted. "Just the knowledge."

Sebastian exhaled through his nose, exchanging a glance with Ironquill. 

The goblin gave a knowing nod.

"An interesting request," Ironquill mused. "But before we even consider allowing you near Gringotts artifacts, there's a question that needs to be answered. Do you still have the Trace on your wand?"

Nero smirked. "Knowledge has its own ways."

Ironquill let out a low chuckle. "Good. That's a no, then."

Sebastian studied him for a long moment, then reached into a side drawer. 

He withdrew a small, obsidian-colored box and placed it on the desk between them. "Then let's see if your 'knowledge' is worth a damn."

He flicked the box open, revealing a dull, metallic ring resting on a silk cushion. 

A dark aura shimmered around it, subtle, yet unmistakably dangerous.

"Your first test," Sebastian said. "This ring was unearthed from a collapsed ruin in Egypt. The wizard who first touched it… well, let's just say he's no longer among us. The curse is old and malicious. Your job is to scan the artifact, determine its nature, and purify it, without setting off any nasty surprises."

Nero leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he studied the ring. 

He extended his hand just above it, never making direct contact.

The moment his magic brushed against it, he felt it: a cold, insidious presence, tendrils of cursed energy slithering around the metal like unseen chains. 

He closed his eyes, focusing on the magical signatures.

Then, with trained precision, Nero extended his senses, using his own method to decipher the curse.

A faint, silvery-blue shimmer coiled around his fingertips as he traced intricate patterns in the air above the artifact, his movements deliberate yet fluid. 

The ambient light in the room seemed to waver, as though the magic itself acknowledged his intent.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Runic Analysis?" he muttered, more to himself than to Nero. "That's not something you just stumble upon…"

He watched in silence, curiosity piqued. Is he self-taught, or does he have a mentor hidden away somewhere?

Nero didn't respond immediately. 

His magic flowed outward, forming a thin web of detection magic that latched onto the curse's structure. 

Within moments, patterns emerged before his eyes, interwoven layers of runes, forming a binding curse meant to latch onto anyone who so much as grazed the ring's surface.

"Layered curse," Nero murmured. "Designed to activate upon skin contact. The primary effect is rapid petrification, but…" He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "There's a secondary backlash woven into the structure, probably meant to disrupt counter-curses and latch onto the attacker instead."

Ironquill gave an approving nod. "Quick assessment."

Sebastian, however, was watching him carefully. "That's only half the battle. Now, can you undo it?"

Nero didn't answer. Instead, he moved his wand in slow, deliberate motions, tracing counter-runes into the air above the artifact. 

Each movement was precise, too precise for a student his age. 

He wasn't just guessing; he understood the fundamental logic behind the curse's structure.

The ring quivered. 

A low, ghostly hiss emanated from it, as though the trapped magic was resisting.

Nero adjusted his approach. 

Instead of brute-forcing the curse apart, he focused on the runic key that bound it together. 

One by one, he destabilized the primary curse anchors, forcing the magic to collapse in on itself rather than lash outward.

A few tense moments passed.

Finally…Fwoosh!

The cursed energy dispersed in a harmless pulse, vanishing like mist. 

The ring lay still, stripped of its malignant presence.

Sebastian exhaled through his nose, a slow smirk forming on his lips. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He leaned forward, his gaze sharp with intrigue. "For a kid your age, that was almost… unnatural."

Nero smirked back. "Some people play Quidditch for fun. I learn magic."

Sebastian let out a short laugh. "I see." He drummed his fingers on the desk. "Alright, kid. You've got talent, I'll give you that. But curse-breaking isn't about talent alone. It's about surviving long enough to make use of it. So tell me…When do you want to start?"

Nero grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."

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