Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw-Chapter 102: Crossroads

Nero remained silent, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts, absorbing the revelation before him.

The twin embodiments of Muzen stood before him: Mu, the incarnation of Void and Muga, his presence like a shadow cast upon existence itself; and Zen, the embodiment of Muso, an undeniable force of completeness and Peerlessness.

Their very existence was a testament to the impossible choices one could be forced to make when standing at the precipice of power and identity.

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"This was our answer to our predicament," Zen stated, his voice measured, unwavering.

It carried neither regret nor pride, only certainty.

Mu stood beside him, arms crossed, his gaze distant, as if he saw something beyond the present moment. "Yours is slightly different from ours, yet I believe our story may give you some insight into how to proceed."

Nero exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples.

The magnitude of what he had learned weighed heavily on him, pressing down like an unrelenting force.

It was one thing to suspect that the Void Principle was reshaping him from within, but another entirely to see before him living proof that the path could lead to a split, a permanent sundering of self.

"Yes... I think I need a bit of time to process that," he admitted, organizing his thoughts. "But essentially, my prime choice is to gain a certain level of proficiency in Void to prevent the law from consuming me, or changing who I am beyond recognition. And if I fail... splitting my soul remains an option."

Mu shook his head slightly. "I would frame it in another way."

His darkened eyes, endless voids of contemplation, met Nero's with piercing intensity. "You have multiple choices before you, Nero."

Zen folded his arms, his posture steady yet contemplative. "You could indeed attempt to divide your soul and body into two, as we did. But I would not recommend it."

Nero frowned. "Why?"

Mu sighed, an uncharacteristic flicker of something almost like weariness crossing his face.

"Because we did it as a last resort. We could not fuse these two extremely contradictory principles. We could not make them coexist within a single entity. Our only choice to survive was to become two."

Zen nodded. "And even then, it took us ten years to fully recover from the ritual. A decade, Nero.

Ten years of weakness, of instability, of rediscovering our own natures.

Ten years of existing as incomplete beings, learning how to function independently yet remain a singular entity to the outside world."

Mu's expression darkened. "And the cost was far higher than time. Some of the ingredients required for the ritual were so rare that even we nearly failed to acquire them.

Some of them may no longer even exist. You could spend your entire lifetime searching and still come up empty-handed."

The weight of their words settled over Nero, a heavy truth pressing down on his chest. But he was not one to be easily deterred. "Then... mastering Void is my only viable path?"

Zen's gaze was sharp, unwavering. "Yes. If you can reach enough proficiency, you may be able to keep it under control. But understand this, Void is not merely a principle. It is an abyss.

It is not passive, it does not simply exist. It is aggressive. It consumes.

It rewrites the very way you think, the way you behave, the way you channel magic. It strips away everything until only nothingness remains."

Mu's voice was quieter, but the weight of experience gave it an unshakable authority. "Other principles can also be dangerous.

Practitioners of Death often lose themselves in the border between the living and the departed.

Those who delve too deep into Oblivion fade away, erased from both memory and time.

Even the Principle of Love has ensnared those who sought to wield it as a tool, twisting them into slaves of uncontrollable devotion."

Zen's expression turned solemn. "But Void? Practitioners of Void have all lost themselves in the process, as far as we know."

Nero's hands clenched into fists. "All of them?"

Mu nodded. "Even me. In a way, I am not who I used to be."

A silence stretched between them, the weight of that statement sinking deep into Nero's thoughts.

He had seen the power Void could grant, but to wield it was to walk the edge of the abyss itself. The price was steep.

"Be prepared," Mu continued, "to potentially lose any other chance to grasp different principles if you go too deep. Void is not just emptiness, it is finality. It is erasure. If it overtakes you, there is no way back."

Nero took a slow, steady breath, grounding himself.

The battle within him had already begun, the pull of Void whispering in his soul.

Was this truly his fate? To choose between annihilation or fragmentation?

Zen's voice broke through his thoughts. "Finally, there is always a chance for you to go beyond what we have done, Nero."

Nero looked up, surprised. "You think there's another way?"

Zen smirked slightly, his golden eyes gleaming. "There is always another way. It is just that not anyone can seize it. We were bound by our limitations, by our fears and our lack of understanding at the time. You, however, you are different. You still have time."

Mu hesitated, then nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Maybe spending time here will give you an idea of how to tread another path."

"No matter your decision, we will help you, Nero" concluded Zen with a grin.

Nero exhaled slowly, looking at both of them. "Another path..."

Could he truly find a new way forward? One that neither erased him nor shattered him?

Could he forge something beyond what Mu and Zen had done? His mind raced with possibilities, but for now, one thing was clear.

He could not afford to rush this decision. A wrong choice could cost him everything.

As the wind whispered through the training grounds,

Nero closed his eyes. He would find his answer. He had to.

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