4 The Eldritch Portal

"The Eldritch Portal"

In a room that looked like it had been hit by several storms, surrounded by books and papers with illegible writings, sat an eight-year-old boy.

"Ugh, damn it! I'm so close, I just need one more rune, just one!" the boy shouted, shaking his hands over his head.

"Step, why don't you go out and play with your friends? You've been locked up studying all week. Why not take a little break, dear?" An elderly woman entered the room after hearing the boy's frustrated sighs, carrying a tray of cookies.

"Yes, Grandma, I'm almost done. I just need to place the last rune, and that's it," Stephen said, trying to coax his grandmother into giving him a little more time.

"Stephen, you know you can't activate the runes without your grandfather or Misty present. We don't want you blowing something up again," Perenelle said, giving her grandson a firm look of admonition.

"I know, Grandma. I'm just calcu— Wait, that's it, I found it! Grandma, I'm going to find Grandpa and Misty to verify it. Yes! I think I finally did it!" the blond-haired boy exclaimed, jumping happily from his seat and dashing out of the room, leaving his grandmother behind.

"Oh, that boy... Well, he'll have to clean up his room later. What a mess!" Perenelle murmured as she looked around and slowly walked away.

In another room, Nicolas Flamel, the greatest alchemist of all time, was enjoying his downtime, playing with some of the trinkets he had created.

Clash

"Grandpa, I did it! Help me verify it. I need a wand and Misty to observe," the boy said, entering joyfully and kicking the door open.

"Again, kid, I told you not to kick my office door. And what did you accomplish this time? Another bomb? Haha. A wand, huh? I think I left it around here," the old man replied, slowly turning around as he searched for the wand he had created for his grandson to test his spells.

Normally, wands are given to young wizards when they start their magical education, as that is the optimal time to control their growth and power. But at just five years old, Stephen had control equivalent to an eleven-year-old—perhaps even better. So one day, he asked his grandfather for a wand to test the rune work he had been doing.

From a very young age, Stephen locked himself in the library to study Nicolas Flamel's books. The Flamels didn't mind, as they believed that the more you know, the less harm you can do to yourself. Of course, they also weren't too worried because they didn't own any books on dark magic. As long as he was supervised during his experiments, they thought there wouldn't be much trouble.

Or so they believed—until Stephen started exploring runes to create, as he called them, spells from a place called Kamar-Taj. The Flamels had never heard of it, but it piqued their curiosity. Using these ideas, Stephen created a circle of sparks that later exploded. Fortunately, the only damage was to himself—he completely burned off his hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. As punishment, he had to go an entire week without fixing it.

"Here it is, take it. Wait while I activate the test circle and, in the meantime, organize my books, please," Flamel said, walking over to a magical circle he had created to prevent his grandson from destroying the property. He placed a glowing rock on a rune in the corner.

"Misty!"

With a small cry, a plop was heard, and an elegantly dressed house-elf appeared. This was Misty, the Flamel family's house-elf. The Flamels had struggled to convince her to wear proper clothing—every time they tried to give her new clothes, she would burst into tears. Eventually, they managed to trick her by telling her it was just for appearances and that she was merely borrowing them. After years of working for the Flamels, Misty was no longer as nervous and even felt proud to serve them.

"Alright. Misty, Grandpa, you will finally witness the true Eldritch spell," Stephen said while pointing forward with the wand in one hand and tracing a circle with the other.

At first, this movement seemed strange to the Flamels, but then Nicolas observed closely and realized it produced the same effect as wand movements—perhaps even improving it. This intrigued Flamel, as it was a novel method of control.

As the boy concentrated, a circle of sparks slowly formed before them, opening until it reached the size of a circular doorway. Yes, a doorway, because through it, they could see a surprised Perenelle standing in the kitchen.

"Oh, Grandma, there you are. Come on, join us," Stephen said, beaming with joy at finally making his magic work. His smile shone as brightly as the sun.

"No, Master. Hu, let Misty check first," the little elf said bravely before diving headfirst into the portal.

The sight made the family laugh, though they were also astonished by the magnificent spell before them.

After Misty confirmed there was no danger, Perenelle slowly stepped through the portal, while Nico, wand in hand, closely observed the portal's workings—just in case.

"So this is the spell you wanted to achieve, kid. Well done, though I think it could be a bit problematic if it comes to light," Nicolas said, his initial amazement shifting into concern.

"Why, Nico? I think it's a fantastic magic. Any wizard would want to learn it," Perenelle said, looking at her husband with curiosity.

"Yes, every wizard would want to learn it, and it could even change the magical world. But..." Nicolas replied, glancing around the room with sadness.

"It's a transportation spell, but the anti-apparition barrier didn't even flicker. That means any dark wizard with this spell could do many things—even use it to commit crimes," Nicolas Flamel said, trying to sound gentle so as not to disappoint his grandson.

"I knew it, Grandpa. Don't worry. This rune I created is just the foundation for many other spells that will later be easier to use. And this spell was the hardest to create, so unless someone knows what I know, it's unlikely anyone else will achieve the same result," the boy said, his voice filled with exhaustion and a hint of pride.

"Then, I can finally res...t..."

As he spoke his last words, the boy's eyes began to close, and he slowly fell forward. Fortunately, the little elf snapped her fingers, preventing him from hitting the floor.

"Oh, this child... How long has it been since he last rested? Misty, please take him to his room," Perenelle requested, worried about her grandson, who now floated with his eyes closed but with a huge smile on his face.

—

—

Thank You for Reading

Dear readers,

Thank you for joining me on this literary journey. If you enjoy my novel and wish to continue reading, I invite you to support my work through Patreon and Ko-fi. Your contributions will allow me to keep creating and sharing more exciting chapters.

I hope to count on your support and continue bringing you unforgettable stories!

ko-fi.com/yodarki

https://www.patreon.com/c/YoDarki