Chapter 290 Dreams And Illusions
Evan spent that night pondering over the matter.
Deep in his heart, there was an uncontrollable emotion to intrude into the Acromantula's nest, to fight against them, to kill Aragog, to prove his strength to the Centaurs, to earn their recognition, and to pass the final test, to obtain what Gryffindor had left behind.
Boys are often adventurous, always relishing in adventure and combat.
The same applied to Evan, though not as enthusiastic as Harry and Ron. However, he had been preparing for this for the past few months, even concocting some dark magic spells for it, with the sole challenge of finding a viable way to enter Aragog's Lair.
Now, all the issues were resolved, and all that remained was to fight.
Evan placed his wand beneath the pillow and made a decision.
By the time he drifted off to sleep, he found himself once again facing the vast cave of Aragog.
Before him, the misty domed cobwebs and the cold, damp air.
He shuddered violently, unsure of what had transpired.
The last thing he remembered was still lying in his warm, comfortable bed; how could he have suddenly arrived at this place, in the depths of the Forbidden Forest?!
Evan heightened his vigilance. He heard a strange voice, as if someone were speaking beside him.
In the next moment, Evan heard it clearly, and in the cave before him, a deep voice called out to him. The voice, in the endless darkness, seemed to come from the unknown abysses of the earth, whispering incessantly, and Evan couldn't quite discern what it was saying.
He shook his head. This was unmistakably the Lair of the Acromantulas, yet there were none around.
Besides the whispers in his ears, the dark Forbidden Forest was eerily silent, and everything was so abnormal.
Tracing the source of the voice, he slowly descended down the gentle slope towards the dark Lair, and behind the massive domed cobweb, he spotted an ancient, mysterious blue stone door with a blurry symbol on it.
If not for the fact that he knew for certain that he came from a Muggle family with no magical heritage or talent, Evan would have started to wonder if he had a prophetic ancestry and if one of his ancestors was a legendary sage or a seer.
It was because this dream was too vivid, vivid enough to unsettle him.
Evan didn't know what awaited him beyond the door. He wanted to ask Aragog, but the giant spider was entirely out of sight.
"There is nothing to fear, if it's only a dream," Evan murmured, focusing on the magical ripples around him.
He did not immediately open the stone door before him, as he recalled an old book of magic he had recently read and the peculiar magic described in it.
Evan suddenly speculated that he might have drawn the attention of an unknown creature in Aragog's Lair on the night a few months ago, the night when he went after Peter Pettigrew and burned Aragog's Lair.
Perhaps everything he saw now was not just a fantasy; maybe the essence of this dream was not just his own mind.
Unlike a prophecy, this dream could be the creation of a powerful unknown creature in the depths of the cave. This creature might want him to see this. Perhaps, everything he would see beyond this door could be something that creature wanted Evan to discover.
Contemplating this, Evan suddenly shuddered.
To cast such an incredible illusion spell that still had an effect on him even after months, only meant that the magical power of that unknown creature was even stronger than Dumbledore's. Perhaps that's why Dumbledore had not found it hidden in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
A magical creature or a wizard even more powerful than Dumbledore, Evan dared not think about it any longer. He didn't know who the other person was, nor what they wanted to do; but it definitely wasn't going to be something good.
Perhaps that's why the strength of Aragog was far beyond the limitations of the Acromantula species. The owner of the voice could be the source of its strength.
Now, it was calling to him, not to his servant. What did it want to do?
The more he thought about it, the more fear Evan felt. By combining his magical knowledge with the magic books he had recently read, he felt that his assumption was very likely. A dreadful unknown creature was influencing him through magic.
The only thing he could be grateful for was that the other side was trapped in Aragog's Lair, sealed behind the ancient stone door and unable to escape.
There must be extremely restrictive conditions that must be met before releasing it.
Curiosity killed the cat, Evan pushed aside the curiosity that had just been awakened, instinctively stepped back, his inner instinct telling him that regardless of what was inside, what he needed to do now was to stay away, even in the illusion of dreams. He also had to stay away from the stone door in front of him, away from Aragog's Lair, away from the owner of that voice.
Otherwise, he would encounter opponents and endless problems that could prove even more challenging than Voldemort.
There would always be ways to appease the Centaurs. It wasn't necessary to risk dealing with the unknown to kill Aragog and encounter an ancient and mysterious magical creature.
Just as Evan was about to leave, the blue stone door in front of him suddenly opened.
The faint whisper became clearer, and Evan seemed to hear what the other man was saying. Then he saw a pair of giant eyes blood-red staring at him from behind the stone door. They were too large, too large to be real, and showed no emotion whatsoever.
Beneath those large bloody eyes was a suffocating darkness.
Evan widened his eyes. He raised his wand hurriedly, and before he could cast a spell, everything began to blur, and he woke up from his dream.
He was sitting on his bed, panting, cold sweat covering his body.
It was nearly three o'clock in the morning, and he felt like he had a terrible nightmare, but it was so strange that he couldn't remember anything.
The room was silent, and Evan was very thirsty. As quietly as possible, he got out of bed and went to pour himself water from the silver jug beneath the window. He tried to recall what he had just dreamed, but he couldn't remember anything at all. He could only vaguely feel that the dream was related to Aragog's Lair.
Evan shook his head and tried not to think about it.
He thought he was just too excited about the upcoming battle.
He took a sip of water and looked out the window. There was no one in the courtyard. Not a single gust of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest. The Whomping Willow was still and appeared innocent.
"Anyway, if I go to Aragog's Lair and explore it, everything will become clear!" Evan said to himself.
Perhaps self-consolation had played a role; he felt calmer, set down his cup, and returned to his bed to go back to sleep.
This time, he slept deeply and did not dream of anything.