Lily's description of the afterlife gave Victor Wick a sudden, fleeting urge to shoot himself.
This was the world of the dead? This was bloody heaven!
No work! No eating! You don't even need to sleep! Just pure leisure!
Wasn't this exactly the kind of retirement he had dreamed of?
"So, do you often run into famous people from history over there?" Victor's interest was thoroughly piqued.
"Not often... I've heard that not everyone's experience of the afterlife is the same. Some people go to places different from where we are."
Her words gave Victor pause.
'Not everyone's is the same? Does that mean there's more than one afterlife?'
"Maybe... The atmosphere there is wonderful. Everyone is so kind," Lily added.
"Have you seen any of the Death Eaters who were killed?" Victor asked immediately.
"No. James and I traveled for a while, but we never saw them. Perhaps they go somewhere else entirely."
"I see. It seems the concepts of Heaven and Hell aren't entirely baseless." Victor felt a flicker of realization. "So... do you have a limited lifespan over there?"
"No," Lily replied. "However, there is a place... or rather, a door. Any spirit who grows tired of that world can leave through it. But no one knows where it leads, because those who pass through never return."
"A door?" Victor frowned. "If it's a one-way trip, does anyone actually go through it?"
"Of course. When you realize life has become infinite, it eventually turns tedious... I have James to keep me company, but many others never find their loved ones. So... they leave. In fact, James and I promised each other that once we grew tired of it, we'd step through that door together. Everyone says it's the gateway to a brand-new adventure." Lily's eyes sparkled with a unique light. 'Classic Gryffindor...' Victor thought.
In truth, with such a mysterious door existing, few people could suppress their curiosity forever.
They were already dead, after all; how much worse could things get?
At the very least, a person like him would definitely be unable to resist...
Suddenly, Victor rubbed his nose and asked with a hint of awkwardness, "So... since I basically yanked you up here, James probably... maybe... won't be too worried, right?"
Lily blinked, only just remembering she had been summoned abruptly without a word to James.
Panic instantly flared across her features.
Victor scratched his head. He had exploited a bug, using an evil witch's soul to 'swap' Lily out.
If James blinked and found his wife replaced by someone else... his expression would certainly be something to behold.
'My bad... my bad... Sorry, James, I didn't mean to...'
Of course, that witch was a notorious Dark wizard, truly evil according to Lily.
Her soul might not even end up in the same place as James anyway... probably?
"Can you summon James here as well?" Lily asked suddenly.
Victor looked at the equipment, which was currently smoking from being overloaded, and shook his head. "There was a hiccup when I summoned you, and the equipment is damaged. I won't be able to perform a second summoning ritual anytime soon."
Beside them, Snape lowered his head, a flash of secret joy crossing his eyes.
"Then... what should I do? You should probably send me back first," Lily said urgently.
"There's no need for that much trouble. I'll just send a message over there," Victor said, shaking his head.
He'd spent so many Galleons and broken so much gear to get her here; he wasn't about to send her back so easily.
Besides, Snape would hardly agree to her being sent back so soon.
If he offended Snape now, where else would he find such a hardworking, free laborer?
Snape's eyes widened as he stared at Victor. Did this guy have those kinds of connections? He could send messages to the dead?
Wait! It's a lie!
Victor was lying just to keep Lily here!
Realizing this, Snape felt a surge of gratitude toward Victor.
In fact, he had never been so grateful to another person in his entire life.
Victor felt a chill run down his spine at the sudden, intense gaze from Snape.
'What's the old bat's problem? Why's he glaring at me so fiercely? I said I wasn't sending her back!'
"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Lily asked with a bitter smile.
She wasn't a fool; she could see Victor was making excuses.
She didn't blame him, of course. No one was obligated to help others fulfill their regrets.
Victor had already done more than enough for the Potters.
Victor looked at Snape, then back at Lily.
He pointed toward the door. "Severus, step out for a moment."
Snape looked at him in shock, unsure why he was being asked to leave.
However, Snape didn't refuse. He just kept looking back over his shoulder as he walked, which annoyed Victor so much he nearly kicked him out.
The door was shut tight once more.
Victor finally turned to Lily. "I wasn't lying."
He produced the mirror and greeted Merlin within.
"I haven't mentioned you to outsiders, but since Lily isn't exactly an outsider anymore, I don't think telling her violates my promise."
Merlin's face still bore a kindly smile. "Not at all. I would be more than happy to act as a messenger for Mrs. Potter... Forgive me, since you didn't close the mirror, I overheard your conversation."
"Then I'll leave it to you." Victor nodded.
Lily stared at the mirror in astonishment. "Mr. Merlin! It's actually you!"
"Oh? You know him?" Victor asked.
"Of course... you know his status in the wizarding world. James and I saw him from a distance once while we were over there." Lily sounded excited. "Mr. Wick, I truly believe now that you have the power to resurrect us."
If Victor could establish a direct link with a figure like Merlin, then their situation was likely no great feat for him.
Victor smiled and looked back at Merlin.
"You wanted to ask about the door, didn't you?" Merlin chuckled.
"You seem to know me well." Victor laughed as well.
"How could someone who developed a resurrection technique never before seen in the wizarding world not possess a modicum of curiosity about the unknown?" Merlin said kindly.
"So you must know the answer."
"I didn't originally, but after I became... an 'instruction manual,' many things suddenly became clear to me."
"Can you tell me? About the door..."
"There is no harm in it. That door represents rebirth," Merlin smiled. "As you know, this world is built on balance."
Victor realized the truth. Even summoning one soul required another in exchange; this world was indeed obsessed with balance.
And... rebirth?
"The door represents reincarnation... Souls who enter will return to the living world... with a brand-new life."
"I knew you would understand." Merlin looked at Victor with admiration. "It's a pity I was born several centuries too early, otherwise we surely would have been the best of friends."
"It's not too late, Mr. Merlin."
"Indeed... it's not too late..." Merlin's eyes shifted as he glanced at Lily. "Now, how do you plan to house Mrs. Potter? I must warn you, her state is entirely different from that of a ghost. She doesn't have enough of a lingering obsession... she cannot remain in this world as a ghost for long."
"I've already prepared for that, Mr. Merlin." Victor took a pole, about eighty centimeters long, from a nearby box.
At the top of the pole was a roll of dark, eerie black cloth.
"This is called a Soul-Refining... er, no, it's a Soul-Summoning Banner. If Mrs. Potter resides within, she can stay in this world indefinitely. I've also prepared plenty of soul energy inside to help nourish her spirit... by the time we reach the resurrection day, she'll be in the best possible state for the final step," Victor explained softly.
Merlin looked at the strange tool, his brow furrowing slightly. "A Soul-Summoning Banner? Why does it look like an incomplete Horcrux to me?"
"Hey! It certainly isn't!" Victor acted a bit defensive. "How could my grand Soul-Summoning Banner be associated with something as low-class as a Horcrux?"
In reality, he had indeed borrowed some concepts from Horcrux creation, but he had refined them through multiple improvements!
Horcruxes might be foul, but one of the core concepts was quite useful.
With a bit of modification, it became an excellent vessel for preserving a soul.
Of course, because the root remained the same, once Lily's soul entered, this thing was essentially a variant of a Horcrux.
As for why he made it into a Soul-Summoning Banner... that was purely for the aesthetic.
Besides, inscribing rune sequences on a large banner was much easier than on a locket or a ring.
"Mrs. Potter, please come inside. I'll take you to see Harry. As for James, Mr. Merlin will help you deliver your message," Victor said.
Lily finally felt at ease.
In truth, if it weren't for her concern for Harry, she wouldn't have craved resurrection so much.
Victor gave the banner a gentle shake, and Lily's ghost drifted into it.
"How does it feel?" Victor asked.
"The sensation here... is wonderful! Very comfortable!" Lily's voice rang out from the banner in surprise.
"That's good..." Victor smiled with satisfaction.
Housing Lily wasn't the ultimate purpose of this banner... after all, he had originally prepared it for the Dark Lord.
The soul energy inside didn't affect Lily much, but for the Dark Lord... that would be a different story entirely.