The Witch let out a soft sigh, her eyes resting on him for a moment, then drifting back to the eternally dim outside, where the Land of Illusion seemed never to have seen a sunny day.
"It is the impermanence of fate, my Apprentice."
It seemed so many loved to speak of this word; the more powerful the Wizard, the greater their reverence in tone, yet in the Witch's voice there lingered a sadness that defied explanation.
Was it related to King Arthur or perhaps Merlin?
Ian thought that such secrets, even if he asked, the Witch might not grant him an answer. Still, some questions must be tried, or one can never know.
Just as Ian was about to ask,
the Witch raised a finger to interrupt him.
"Perhaps you should head to your friend's village."
She clearly had no desire to continue this discussion. Naturally, Ian chose to remain silent, understanding her intent, though two questions still weighed on his mind, ones only a Legendary Level Witch could answer.
"Teacher, I still wish to consult you about two matters." Ian quickly measured how long he could remain. Ever since advancing his Magic Power, he could stay in this land for nearly half a day.
"Ask."
The Witch leaned back against the bench, her hands resting gracefully on either side.
Her posture was elegant and composed, long hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, lending her stunning beauty a touch of wild defiance.
"It's like this. I am studying a Magic, but seem to have hit a bottleneck."
Ian caught Witch Morgan's glance. The magic wand formed from the picture frame still rested in his hand, so he raised it and recited the Spell.
"Summoning God Guardian!"
Though not as comfortable as his own, it still sufficed. The tip of the magic wand shimmered with silver substance, but the glow only lingered like mist swirling about.
The wavering silver simply expanded and filled the space, failing to unleash the true power of the Patronus Charm.
No matter how Ian continued to channel Magic Power, the whole castle faded from gloom to a storybook glow in the silver light, but the numbers on his personal panel remained steady as a mountain.
[Patronus Charm (Level 0) 49/50]
There was no sign of further progress at all. Ian found this hard to fathom, for he was certain he'd mastered this Magic through and through, not missing the slightest thing.
"You might be suited to another Magic called [Mirage Reappearance]... but that will have to wait until you've fixed my Guardian." Witch Morgan's eyes, deep as the night sky, calmly took in the scene, her tone tinged with astonishment and reflection. "You do not lack joy, but you lack the key element to form this Magic."
A sharply insightful remark.
It resonated perfectly with Ian's intensifying feelings inside.
"Yes, my professor said the Patronus Charm summons one's soulmate. The Dementor and Patronus come from the same place—it is the companion who, when a Wizard dies, blazes the trail ahead."
Ian laid out Grindelwald's doctrine, including his views on Dementors. He felt certain that the Legendary Witch, herself one of the Dead, would know more of such things than Grindelwald ever could.
"Your professor is quite the scholar. Not bad—so it seems there are still some truly gifted Wizards in later generations." The Legendary Witch arched her brows in mild surprise.
Her words plainly confirmed Grindelwald's theories about the Patronus Charm and Dementors.
"So, Teacher, where is my soulmate?" Ian blinked, voicing to his mentor in the Misty Illusion Realm the very doubt he'd raised with Grindelwald before.
In contrast to Grindelwald's confusion and bewilderment, the Legendary Witch curved her lips in a subtle smile, as if not the least surprised that Ian could not summon his Patronus.
"Every Wizard has their own soulmate—you might try guessing why you don't." The Witch's tone was laced with mischief.
Ian blinked.
"Could it be that my soulmate fell in love with a wild Patronus and ran off?" His response was clearly beyond the Witch's expectations.
"..."
The Witch's expression stiffened for a moment, then she sighed. "What on earth goes on in your head all day long? How do you always come up with such wild fancies?"
Her hand pressed against her forehead; whether from Ian's answer or exasperation, she felt a headache coming on. "Soulmates can't just be led away by some wild Patronus, because in fact, there are no wild Patronuses. Only when a dead human faces the choice of two roads does their soul give birth to what you call a Patronus... It guides the choosing soul through a life it never lived before."
"That life... is called Wizard."
Witch Morgan sat there on the bench, raising her gaze to Ian.
"So, my Apprentice, you shouldn't ask me why you lack a soulmate… but ask yourself: what sets you apart from other Wizards?"
Her eyes seemed to pierce all the truths of the world.
Though her voice remained soft, the information within it hit like thunder, and the turmoil in Ian's heart left him unable to meet her gaze.
He felt a little guilty.
Some secrets can perhaps be revealed; others must always remain... In that moment, beneath the shock, Ian knew at last why he could not summon a Patronus.