Learning of Helga's true state, Tver finally felt his heart ease. He certainly had no desire to deal with all four Founders.
"In that case, where is Madam Ravenclaw?"
Helga tilted her head playfully once again. If she were younger, she might have looked like a mischievous sprite darting through the forest.
"Why don't you guess?"
Then she handed the badge back to him, her gesture carrying a subtle hint.
"You mean… the badge can reveal where the other three Founders are?"
Tver took the badge and studied it carefully.
Compared to the other three immobile animals, the badger representing Hufflepuff now seemed alive, its eyes glimmering as though it truly possessed a spark of life.
Yet this time, no guiding thread appeared—not even the one for Hufflepuff.
Noticing the confusion in Tver's eyes, Helga chuckled softly. "You must awaken the magic within it before you can sense the thread."
"How do I awaken the magic? In the past, whenever my understanding of magic deepened, the badge would activate on its own."
Helga's expression suddenly turned odd, and her next question was even stranger.
"Are you… normal?"
"?"
A metaphorical question mark practically popped up above Tver's head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Helga looked even more puzzled than he did. "From what I know, for someone to activate this badge purely through comprehension of magic, their progress would need to be extraordinary."
"If a normal person's magical learning is like walking, then you're flying—flying so fast that even your shadow can't keep up."
Helga suddenly rose to her feet and walked up to him, studying him more seriously than before.
"That kind of growth isn't possible through ordinary magic. You must have studied dark magic—and not just studied it, but mastered it to a remarkable level—to advance so quickly."
Under her sharp gaze, Tver looked away, replying calmly, "If you were in my position, you would have made the same choice."
Helga placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't dwell on it, child. In our time, studying dark magic was quite common."
"But if you wish to further awaken the badge's power, you must focus on something else. That is the proper way to use it."
"For example, have you heard of the legend of the Four Elements?"
Tver's head shot up in shock. His eyes locked onto Helga's, searching for answers in her gaze.
Seeing this, Helga said softly, "The Four Elements are the key to awakening the badge. Once you grasp their essence, it will respond to you."
"But…" Tver hesitated. "I've read several books about the Four Elements, but they only describe their traits. There's nothing about how to learn or understand them."
Leaning closer, Helga whispered into his ear, "Because it isn't something that can be learned through study."
Then, with a force that didn't match her gentle demeanor, she shoved him hard.
Unprepared, Tver stumbled backward.
But the moment his back hit the ground, he felt himself sink straight into the earth.
And then he saw it—the world beneath the surface.
Layers of black, brown, and white soil intertwined like strands of woven fabric.
Fabric?
Only then did Tver realize he was floating in a void. The world below seemed split open, forming a vast canvas stretched out before him.
At the same time, Helga appeared beside him once more, her expression solemn and dignified.
"See? This is the land. When still, it lies like a sleeping giant. But when that giant awakens—"
With a wave of her hand, the cloth seemed to catch a breeze, rippling lightly.
Yet that small movement made the entire land roll and shift in response to Helga's gesture. The force of it struck Tver like an earthquake—vast, unstoppable, overwhelming.
Waves of magic, as heavy and ancient as the earth itself, surged toward him, washing through every cell of his body.
Though he stood motionless in a void, surrounded by emptiness, he felt the crushing weight pressing down on him.
And it was real suffocation.
Tver's breathing grew harder and harder. Even as he opened his mouth wide, not a single breath of air entered his lungs.
He stared at Helga in shock.
The magic within his body reacted instinctively, struggling against the pressure. The two forces clashed and fused in the struggle, merging and then flowing back into him.
Now it was Helga's turn to be astonished. She hadn't expected someone so young to be able to resist her magic here.
This wasn't an ordinary space. In fact, it wasn't a space at all—it was her consciousness.
Everything happening around them was a manifestation of her magical insight, shown to Tver through this illusion.
In other words, every sensation he felt was within her control.
After all, this was only a fragment of her consciousness, and even pulling Tver here had required her home-field advantage.
Yet despite that, Tver's own magic and his grasp of the Sea of Consciousness allowed him to gradually tear apart her magic and absorb it into himself.
Helga sighed softly, shaking her head. "I already knew you were extraordinary, but I didn't think you'd reach this extent."
Only then did Tver realize that Helga wasn't attacking him at all. She was helping him—guiding him to understand the Four Elements through this experience.
But he couldn't stop the magic that poured out of him on its own. He could only watch helplessly as Helga's magic grew weaker and weaker.
"What should I do now?" he asked anxiously.
Helga gave him a helpless smile. "How was I supposed to know your body would resist so strongly? Forget it."
Before he could respond, she placed her hand on his chest and gave him a firm push.
Just like before, his vision spun—and then everything went dark.
When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the ground. Not inside Helga's cabin, but back in the Forbidden Forest—the prickling grass beneath him made that clear.
Helga's voice echoed faintly in the air, growing softer with each word. "You'll have to comprehend it slowly on your own now. I need the little magic I have left to tend to the Forbidden Forest. Honestly, how does this even happen..."
Her voice faded completely, leaving only the rustle of leaves and distant birdsong.
Then, a small rabbit hopped into view.
It smacked its lips, as if realizing this strange two-legged creature couldn't possibly eat it, then bounced away in mild annoyance.
Tver glanced at its fluffy tail and let out a quiet laugh.
They said a rabbit's tail wasn't as short as most people thought—if you pulled it out, it would defy common sense.
Once, he wouldn't have spared such a thought. But now—
Tver lifted his right wrist.
The curse still lingered, but it had been compressed to a mere speck by the vitality surging through him. Once he uncovered the secret of the badge, it would disappear completely.
Sprawling out on the forest floor, Tver spread his arms and legs wide, a broad grin on his face.
Warm sunlight filtered through the canopy, falling across the young man's features.
He was eighteen, and at that moment, he shone brighter than the sun itself.