Kai Adler's pupils constricted, and his heart clenched as if in a vice.
Without thinking, he swept his hand through the air. Hermione felt an unseen force wrap around her and yank her forward. She flew helplessly through the air—straight into Kai's arms.
He caught her effortlessly, steady and firm, as though she weighed nothing at all. Her body was warm and soft, like cotton candy, and Kai didn't even dare to hold her too tightly, afraid she might break under pressure.
Hermione's small face was pressed against his chest, and for a moment, the world fell completely silent. All she could hear was the rapid, heavy beating of his heart, echoing like a hammer into her own. Her pulse involuntarily synced with his.
"Are you alright?"
His voice rumbled through his chest, making her cheeks tingle.
"I… I'm fine…"
The words came softly from where her face was buried against him, and in that moment, Kai's heart completely softened.
Right then and there, he made a silent promise—he would do everything in his power to protect the soft, brilliant girl in his arms from ever being harmed.
They stayed like that for a beat longer before Hermione blinked out of her daze. She wriggled free, hopping down and glaring at him, flustered.
"What was that for all of a sudden?!"
Kai's eyes drifted toward the wand lying on the ground. The black mist that had lashed out like a snake's tongue had now retreated, coiled back into the wand as if it had lost interest.
"Because of that," he said simply.
He raised his hand, and the wand flew into his palm. This time, Hermione saw it too—black mist seeped from the gaps in the wand's wood, curling toward Kai like a living thing.
Hermione instinctively recoiled, a chill running down her spine. That black mist felt wrong—like looking into something ancient and unspeakably dark.
"Don't—!" she started.
"It's alright," Kai said gently, a calm smile on his lips.
To her astonishment, tendrils of the same black mist emerged from his fingertips. The two mists reached for each other, twining in the air like they were… communicating.
Moments later, they merged into one, and the wand settled comfortably in Kai's hand. The eerie mist vanished. Now the wand simply looked unique—nothing more.
Hermione stared, wide-eyed. "What was that?"
Kai hesitated.
He knew how people viewed it—how dangerous and unnatural it was considered. An Obscurus. A living parasite born of repression and pain, always ending in tragedy. Most witches and wizards would consider someone like him a walking disaster, one that had to be controlled… or destroyed.
Hermione would know about it eventually. With how much she read, it was only a matter of time.
But to his surprise, Hermione suddenly waved her hand and said, "It's alright. I'm not that curious anymore. Let's keep reading."
She picked up a new book and sat back down like nothing had happened.
Kai blinked, a little stunned.
He knew how obsessive she could be about knowledge—how any mystery would normally consume her. But now she was showing restraint, even grace. He felt something stir in his chest.
Still… this couldn't stay hidden forever.
He sat beside her and asked gently, "Do you know what an Obscurus is?"
Hermione lifted her chin proudly. "Of course. I read about it in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It's a form of Dark Magic. Usually forms when a child under ten suppresses their magic under extreme emotional or physical stress. It manifests as black mist that lashes out uncontrollably and—"
She cut off, eyes wide, staring at him.
"—and they usually don't survive past ten!"
Kai offered a dry smile. "Because of my mentor… I survived."
It was true. The only reason he was still alive was because of him—his so-called mentor—who had drilled brutal magical control into him until he could command even the most volatile energy without losing himself.
Hermione's expression softened. "When you were little… did it hurt?"
Kai looked away. "I don't remember."
Also true. He didn't know what the original boy had gone through. By the time Kai's consciousness had taken over, the Obscurus was already embedded inside him. Maybe the boy had died during an eruption… and Kai had taken his place.
A light touch brushed his hand.
He looked up.
Hermione's warm brown eyes were staring into his, her fingers gently brushing his knuckles. Her lips pressed together like she wanted to say something comforting—maybe even something kind.
"Then…" she began.
Kai leaned in ever so slightly, hoping she'd say something to soothe the raw edge inside him.
"Then what's the deal with this wand?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
They blinked at each other. Hermione looked innocently confused, and Kai wanted to laugh or cry—he had just bared a soul-deep secret, and all she cared about was his wand.
Well… she was twelve. Maybe he was expecting too much.
Still, her lack of fear or disgust made him feel unexpectedly at ease.
He lifted the wand. "My mentor made it. Apparently, it's crafted from some type of elder wood."
"Elder wood?" Hermione asked, frowning. "Like… the Elder Wand?"
"Doubt it," Kai shrugged. "You'd probably know if it was anything legendary. But that's not the interesting part."
He gave the wand a little wave. A fine black mist rippled off it, curling in the air like smoke from a candle.
"The core," he continued, "was made from remnants of my Obscurus eruptions. My mentor preserved them using some special enchantments."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You mean… the core of your wand is made from your Obscurus?"
Kai nodded. "Which means only I can wield it. Anyone else tries, and the magic inside attacks them—like it almost did to you."
Hermione instinctively scooted away from the wand, eyeing it with a mix of fear and awe.
"Then… it must be incredibly powerful, right?"
"No idea," Kai said. "But there's one way to find out."
He casually pointed the wand at the grass nearby and muttered, "Bombarda."
He had used this spell dozens of times—it usually made a small blast the size of a dinner plate.
But the moment his magic channeled through the wand, he knew something was wrong.
Very wrong.
In a blink, he grabbed Hermione and Apparated them several meters away.
A deafening boom shook the earth behind them. When they landed, Kai turned to see a crater at least ten meters wide where they'd been standing. Smoke billowed into the air. The surrounding grass had been completely incinerated.
"My books!" Hermione cried.
All the ones they'd been reading—now reduced to ashes.
Kai, meanwhile, felt a perverse satisfaction thinking of Gilderoy Lockhart's smug, smirking face going up in flames.
"We'll need to visit Diagon Alley tomorrow," he said lightly.
Hermione groaned in dismay, then turned on him with a deadly serious look.
"You are not using that wand at Hogwarts. You'll use your White Ash one instead!"
Kai raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll listen to you. Besides… it matches your vine wand, doesn't it?"
Hermione flushed, letting out a small, indignant huff. But she didn't look away—her heel lifted slightly off the ground, betraying a subtle flicker of delight.
Kai gazed once more at the enormous crater. That much raw power… it was terrifying.
The White Ash wand was good—stable, pure. Not meant for Dark Magic. It was perfect for school.
But this wand…
There would be a time and place for it.
Eventually.
A startled shriek came from the house.
"What happened?!" Mrs. Granger stood at the back door, staring in horror at the ruined yard.
Kai scratched the back of his head. "Er… maybe the gas line exploded?"