"It's me." Xifa replied softly.
"It's really you!"
The eyes confirmed that it was not a fantasy in my heart.
Elise's expression softened visibly.
She raised her arms and hugged Xifa.
...
The two were affectionate for a while, and Elise took the initiative to let go of Xifa.
"How did you get here? Do you know everything?"
As she spoke, Elise's expression gradually changed from joy to sadness. Her head gradually lowered, and her voice became smaller and smaller.
"Didn't you invite me in?" Xifa asked in confusion.
"Of course not...not necessarily...probably..." The more she spoke, the less confident Elise became.
In fact, every cell in her body yearned for Luna or Xifa to appear here every minute.
Why? Elise raised her head suddenly, "How did you get here? I didn't remember teaching you the Imperius Curse!"
"The Imperius Curse?" Xifa was surprised. Did every time someone helped her suppress the Silent Beast, did she have to cast the Imperius Curse to get here?
"Of course, the Imperius Curse can only enter my consciousness." At this point, Elise looked at Xifa with a wary expression.
"Say! Who are you!"
Xifa couldn't laugh or cry, thinking about how he used Legilimency, then gave up resistance and let Elise pull him into her mind.
"So, it's really me who invited you in!"
Elise stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed.
After some rough and tumble, Elise's lifeless aura was relieved.
Xifa breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. It was gloomy and did not look like a place where he would stay for a long time, so he asked.
"Have you been staying here? Is there no exit? Let's get out of here first, Luna is still outside taking care of us!"
Those twisted and fighting minions in the darkness have disappeared since Xifa appeared here. Naturally, Xifa didn't gain much from looking around.
Xifa naturally thought that this was what it was like here, although he always felt like he was being spied on.
But this is Elise's heart, and it is not impossible for her to pay attention to herself.
"This place is my spiritual world. I can go out if I want. However, I remember that I didn't build a passage to get here. How did you get here?"
As she spoke, Elise looked at Xifa with some confusion.
Xifa's appearance is so strange, he does look like a familiar person in his eyes, but this...
"Ah! Thanks to your mother's portrait..."
After hearing Xifa's experience, Elise couldn't stop crying again.
This was her mother's last love for herself... After a long time, she wiped away her tears.
With tears on her face, Elise said, "Let's go."
"Here..." Xifa hesitated when he saw that this place was dark, with only the big candle in front of him.
"It doesn't matter, as long as you two are safe, this place will never be lost!"
Elise stared stubbornly into Xifa's eyes and said firmly.
In other words, do you still want to silently support yourself here?
Xifa elicited what Elise was thinking, and he felt a pain in his chest.
At this moment, he really wanted to stay here to accompany and protect Elise.
However, rationally, I told myself that letting Elise stabilize her condition first this time was already the limit.
He and others were still in the Forbidden Forest, and Charles, who had regained his breath, would catch up with them at any time.
If I leave like this... I will come back here again when I go back!
Xifa clenched his fists slightly and made up his mind.
Just when Xifa made up his mind.
Elise, who was a little excited beside her, built a distortion portal on the side.
Xifa looked around and saw a deep blue color in the round door.
Elise said on the side that as long as they pass through it, they can wake up in reality.
Huh? Did I forget something?
With some concern in his heart, Xifa turned back habitually. He planned to take one last look at this barren land to see if he had forgotten something.
At this moment, his pupils shrank suddenly.
The red carnation was suddenly embedded in the dark material.
Under the red light, he discovered that many twisted black threads were drilling into the branches at the bottom of the flower.
After signing Xifa's hand, Elise stepped forward and found that she couldn't pull Xifa. She looked back with a smile in confusion.
However, seeing the scene in front of her, Elise's face turned a little pale.
The carnation has just a hint of red on the black base.
Underneath the black substance, red veins continued to grow and spread, and the veins formed by a faint glow resembled the appearance of an animal.
"It shouldn't be!" Elise was a little panicked, causing the ground here to start shaking.
"What? Do you know what's going on?" Xifa quickly asked, knowing what the situation was so that he could better solve the problem.
"This is part of the Silent Beast, it shouldn't appear here!" Elise was a little panicked.
"I know." Xifa murmured, "I just think there's something wrong with this carnation."
"Carnation?" Elise was a little confused. Xifa smiled bitterly and explained the origin of carnations that he had ignored.
"Isn't she my mother?!" Elise's heart was greatly shocked.
The ground here shook.
"Calm down!" Xifa held Elise's face. "You haven't communicated with your mother for a long time. Maybe the Silent Beast did something to you when you weren't paying attention!"
Hearing Xifa's words, Elise agreed with Xifa's guess. This place has gradually stabilized.
"This candlelight is very important, so protect it!"
Heaving a sigh of relief, Xifa let go of his hand and turned to face the red lines that reflected his body.
"Is it a phoenix?" Xifa murmured.
Elise calmed down after hearing Xifa's words. "It's a phoenix. My Obscurus is in phoenix form. My grandfather and Professor Dumbledore spent a lot of effort to restrain it."
After trying to remember for a while, she continued. "Professor Dumbledore's Patronus defeated it at that time and separated its thinking and origin into my body."
After her words fell, she quickly came to the candlelight, put her skirt under her calves and knelt down.
Raise your hands as if holding a light.
"Xifa, the only magic that can be used here is the Patronus Charm! You have to use the Patronus to defeat it!"
After saying that, she closed her eyes.
It seems that he knows that Xifa is fighting against him by his side.
This time, Elise's emotions are unprecedentedly rich and tenacious.
The range of the small light spread from dozens of steps to nearly a hundred steps in an instant.
The dark matter was forced out of the light, and the surrounding scene was reflected in Xifa's eyes.
Within a distance of dozens of steps, there are uneven stone slabs. Beyond this range, there are exposed stones full of corrosion scenes.
It was like a gap like a coastal dirt road suddenly turned into a rocky cliff.
patron saint...
Hear Elise's instructions. Xifa understood that he had to use his guardian spirit to fight with it, defeat it, and erase its consciousness.
Perhaps in the future, as Elise's negative consciousness accumulates, the Silent Beast will appear and break out again.
But let’s talk about the next thing later.
I don’t think about it that much anymore, but when it comes to fighting with a guardian angel...
Xifa was a little helpless, his patron saint was a 'lizard'!
"Calling God to Guard"
However, at this moment, Xifa himself could not expect it.
What a strong desire to protect him.
As soon as he finished his thoughts, a pure white dragon-shaped patron saint with the same height as him suddenly appeared in front of him.
Although it may be unusual to get your own Patronus from Dumbledore before.
But seeing this scene, Xifa was still a little happy in his heart.
But then, this hint of joy disappeared.
For the first time in Elise's heart, she fought against the Silent Beast, which she had never met before.
Xifa did not dare to act rashly. He was on guard, waiting for the lines that seemed to appear on the black dome in the distance to take shape.
He couldn't guarantee what strange consequences he would have if he rushed out of the candlelight.
Gradually, the complex red veins took shape and slowly fell off the dark substance.
It’s really a phoenix!
Xifa was a little shocked. Elise's last name was Dumbledore. Could it be that her mother or grandmother...
Strange, why do I always think randomly here? Is it because my Occlumency level is not enough?
While Xifa was reflecting, the lines forming in front of him suddenly closed.
A black-red fire cocoon dripped down from above.
Remote control patron saint? No, it's too uncomfortable to fight like this. Since it's just imagination...
Xifa's heart moved, and the patron saint came to him and wrapped himself in it. His perspective, hands and feet turned into the dragon's senses.
At this moment, I am a dragon!
Under the gaze of Xifa's dragon eyes, the fire cocoon that fell not far away slowly cracked.
A hand as white as jade emerged from it, but the nails were black.
Wait until the people inside are completely revealed in front of Xifa.
Xifa actually froze on the spot, he didn't know how to act.
The person in front of me looks so much like Elise, I can even say that just looking at the appearance, it is Elise.
However, she has black hair and red eyes and is wearing a black dress.
One white and one black, pros and cons?
【fraud! They are all liars! 】
After 'Elise' opened her eyes, she roared hoarsely, [Elise, Xifa also covets my power. He knew the flower, but he still got it! 】
However, as Elise knelt down and sat down, she devoted her heart and soul to the candlelight. 'Elise's roar will not be heard by her at all. Elise was naturally unmoved.
"What are you talking about?" Xifa was speechless, a bit like Elise's collection of negative emotions, and her methods of confusing people were so childish. "I had no choice at the time. If I didn't take it, how would I see Elise?"
'Elise' was stunned when she heard this.
For a long time, it seemed to be angry and ignored Xifa and rushed towards Elise.
This time, she had the support of "flesh and blood" and could move freely in the candlelight. Elise could not use the candlelight to protect herself.
The candlelight is now just limiting the speed at which dark matter can be integrated into 'Elise's body.
Ignore yourself? Xifa's heart was clear, so he naturally wouldn't let things go unnoticed.
With a thought in his heart, he moved quickly in dragon form in front of 'Elise'.
He raised the dragon claw and tore it apart.
'Elise' obviously did not expect that Xifa's patron saint could reach such an extent. She thought that only the patron saint who was a phoenix like herself could deal with her.
Without noticing, she was torn open a large gash in her arm by Xifa who was ready to attack.
There was no blood spilled. Xifa looked at the red threads and twisted black in the wound with an incomprehensible expression.
Of course he knew there was something wrong with this red carnation. No mother would give a carnation to her child.
I used Occlumency to force this idea out, and as expected, it captured me and used it to induce me.
Even if you are extremely reluctant, you still have to take it. There is no way, I need it to help me find Elise.
Otherwise... Xifa glanced at the candlelight.
Since you can't fight for the time being, let's communicate through language.
Anyway, the longer time drags on, the more Elise’s mind is consumed.
The candlelight also dimmed.
Likewise, as time goes by, the dark power he gathers becomes greater.
At that time, the light can only protect Elise, so Xifa will be lucky if he falls into the darkness!
The well-educated 'Elise' confronts Xifa, hold on, I have the advantage! it thought in its mind.
However, it was afraid that Xifa would lose his composure, so it opened its mouth to talk to him.
【Do you really want to stop me? 】
The voice of 'Elise' was not clear and crisp, like the sound of an old radio.
"Of course! Give me a reason not to stop you!"
Although it is best to be able to communicate, especially this kind of confrontation on the patron saint, it puts a lot of mental pressure on myself.
Every move, every minute and second of continuation, is like casting a new spell.
I also wish I could find out its weaknesses from its mouth.
[Aren’t you here to enslave me and turn me into a war machine? 】
[Both my parents died in the war! 】
【I hate war! 】
【But you want to control me...】
【Only I can kill everyone who wants to control us! Elise! 】
...
As if a chat box had been opened, 'Elise''s words popped out in a series. Although there were many words, there was no logic.
Like a combination of intermittent memories.
Is this... the darkness Elise once was? Witnessing the death of her parents, her grandfather was also busy with school work and indifferent to her...
However, this level of pain...
Xifa ducked in front of 'Elise' and tried his best to catch the struggling animal.
in its surprised and puzzled expression.
Sifa rested her forehead against its head.
"You will feel it! My pain!"
Previous life...The lonely childhood of being an only child...The bumps on the way to school...The loss of entering society as an adult...Parents...
Xifa didn't even have time to convey his admiration for the red warriors, it was just the pain of his own petty ambition.
'Elise' couldn't hold it any longer and gradually stopped struggling.
"Why are you in so much pain and still living so normally?" 'Elise' figure gradually faded away. It was a little confused and asked.
"The way to defeat fear is to face it." Thinking of this sentence, Xifa said it slowly.
"With you protecting me, I feel relieved..."
After saying that, the blackened 'Elise' in front of her slowly dissipated.
Xifa's patron saint status was also broken. Under its fierce struggle, Xifa kept gritting his teeth and persisting.
It was finally over. Xifa felt as if he had stayed up all night and had a splitting headache.
As a result, he was not in the mood to understand why the blackened 'Elise' said that the main body was protected by herself, so it felt relieved.
The dark matter no longer surges, and the pressure to maintain the candle flame disappears.
Elise, who was sitting on her knees, naturally felt it.
She slowly opened her eyes, and her other senses returned to normal.
She heard Xifa's heavy breathing and quickly went up to support Xifa who was half kneeling.
Xifa shook his head and said that he was fine. The key was to wake up to reality quickly.
Silent beast, just wait for me...
This time only the consciousness of Silent Beast was cleared. From the fact that these dark substances did not disappear, it can be seen that Silent Beast did not disappear.
However, Elise can relax for a lot of time... This was Xifa's last thought when he stepped into the portal.
————————
In the Forbidden Forest, heavy rain was still pouring down.
Luna, who was tense in the rain, found that Elise's expression softened and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
At the same time, Xifa woke up with a splitting headache.
Fortunately, the cold rain hitting his face made him barely conscious.
In his vision blurred by the rain, he seemed to find a red dot in the sky in the distance, which refreshed him again.
