Chapter 23: The Test Before School Even Begins

The fact that objects from the Ethereal Realm could be brought into the real world…

Ian had just uncovered another astonishing secret.

Thinking about it, though, it made perfect sense.

If he could bring mundane things like candy and chocolate into the Ethereal Realm, then logically, bringing something out of it shouldn't be impossible either.

"What a fascinating world…"

Ian murmured to himself, marveling at the fragment of fabric in his hand.

This world held too many mysteries, most of them still undiscovered.

Had it not been for his unique gift, who knew how many more years it would take before anyone in the living world even scratched the surface of the Ethereal Realm's secrets?

For most sorcerers, the Ethereal Realm was an adventure that could only be embarked upon in death. The living had no means to explore it, let alone study it.

Even if Ian were to share his discoveries with scholars or other wizards who specialized in the Ethereal Realm, they wouldn't have the means to verify his claims.

The greatest sorcerers of the world knew frighteningly little about the Ethereal Realm, simply because only the dead could tread its ethereal paths.

Yet Ian had just brought back a piece of clothing from a ghost.

That changed everything.

"So it's not just some intangible afterlife…"

By all logic, ghosts were merely energy.

And yet, the torn piece of fabric in his hands felt solid—real.

The line between the ephemeral and the material had suddenly blurred.

Could it be that bringing things out of the Veiled Realm wasn't something that could be done at will? That there were hidden conditions or rules that needed to be met?

Thinking back, Ian recalled that Professor Mara had deliberately torn the fabric from her dress. Given her abilities, she could have conjured parchment out of thin air if she wanted to.

But she hadn't.

Instead, she had taken a piece from her own elegant, pristine gown.

Did that mean the object needed to be something personally sacrificed in order to be transported to the living world?

"That might be the key!"

Ian glanced at his other hand.

Before he had been pulled out of the Veiled Realm, he distinctly remembered holding the wand Mara had conjured from a metal picture frame.

Yet, that wand hadn't come with him.

It was just like the failed experiments he had conducted when he first obtained his ability. The flowers and plants he had picked from the Ethereal Realm had always vanished upon his return.

At the time, he had assumed that everything within the Ethereal Realm was merely composed of raw energy, unable to manifest in reality.

But now, that assumption had been shattered.

The warm, tangible fabric in his palm was proof that the Ethereal Realm wasn't just some intangible dreamscape.

It was something more.

Even if bringing objects back required specific conditions or rules, the fact remained—the boundary between life and death wasn't absolute.

And if a ghost's clothing could cross that boundary…

Could a ghost itself return to the living world?

Ian's breath caught in his throat.

"Now that is a bold idea."

Ian's heart pounded at the sheer weight of the thought.

It was a notion steeped in forbidden knowledge.

If the dead could return, if there was a way to truly bring someone back…

Forget the ethical and moral implications. Such a discovery would shake the very foundations of the magical world.

It would be a legacy so great that his name would be immortalized in wizarding history.

"Forget Chocolate Frog cards—I'd be getting whole statues in my honor!"

His mind raced with possibilities.

"Hell, if I could track down Lily Potter's spirit and bring her back, Harry Potter would probably hand me his entire vault at Gringotts!"

"And if she gave him even one extra boost of motherly encouragement, forget that classic 'Harry Potter trains and grows stronger' storyline—Snape would probably go ballistic and personally bash Voldemort's skull in!"

Of course, that was just Ian's imagination running wild.

But who could say for sure?

This was a world where love was considered the most powerful magic of all.

And if sheer obsession could manifest such power… then perhaps, just perhaps, the idea of bringing back the dead wasn't as impossible as it seemed.

"This is worth looking into."

Ian's mind raced.

The next time he entered the Ethereal Realm, he needed to ask Professor Mara about this.

She had to know something.

Sure, she didn't seem like the most trustworthy person, but she was genuinely teaching him magic.

For better or worse, he was her student now.

Who knew what their relationship would become in the future?

But for now, having someone to guide him—even a morally dubious one—wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"That mirror she asked for… could it really be the Mirror of Erised?"

Ian hadn't forgotten her request from their first meeting.

Even though she had accepted him as her apprentice without receiving the mirror, it was obvious that she really wanted it.

A fair exchange.

If she was giving him knowledge, he had no problem returning the favor.

That was how Ian operated.

He didn't like owing people.

Even the money Snape had left for him—the gold he used to buy his books and supplies—felt like a loan, not a gift.

"Maybe if I find the mirror for her, she'll be so pleased that she'll just go ahead and teach me the other two Unforgivable Curses as well."

After all, he had already learned the Killing Curse.

His spot in Azkaban was basically reserved at this point.

Might as well go all the way.

It was like collecting limited-edition cards—who leaves a set unfinished?

The same reason Chocolate Frog cards sold so well was the same reason people spent fortunes in gacha games.

"This homework better not involve any Dark magic…"

Shaking off his thoughts, Ian turned his attention back to the fabric in his hand.

The moonlight streaming through the window wasn't enough to illuminate the strange markings on it.

"Lumos."

Drawing his elder wand, Ian cast the illumination spell. A soft glow filled the room, and with it, a small notification flashed in his mind.

[You have gained 3 points in Lumos proficiency.]

"Nice!"

Bringing the light closer, he examined the fragment carefully.

And immediately, he froze.

The text on the fabric was a tangled mess of distorted, twisting symbols—completely unintelligible.

"…Ancient script?"

Something about it seemed familiar.

"Wait… I've seen this before…"

Ian's eyes widened as realization struck.

He bolted upright, practically launching himself off the bed, and dashed to the pile of books near his desk.

Digging through them, he pulled out a familiar textbook.

"The Theory of Magic, by Adalbert Waffling."

Flipping through the pages, he quickly found the section on the origins of magic.

And there it was.

The same strange, winding script—Ancient Runes.

Ian exhaled sharply.

Professor Mara's homework wasn't just about learning a new spell.

It was about learning to read and understand Ancient Runes.

The magic recorded in the fabric was just a bonus.

The true lesson was the language itself.

And that…

That was far more valuable than he had expected.