Just then, a calm, almost indifferent voice came from the stairwell: "It seems you've broken into a place you shouldn't have, and destroyed things you shouldn't have."
The two Werewolves spun around, the one bitten by the skull still chuckling foolishly.
A man in a grey-black cloak stood there, seemingly out of nowhere, his hood obscuring most of his face, revealing only a pale chin and tightly pressed lips.
He held no wand in his hand, yet an indescribable chill emanated from him, as if the air itself had frozen.
The Werewolves paused, then burst into laughter.
"Where did this wild Wizard come from, daring to meddle in the affairs of us Werewolves?"
The leading Werewolf released his foot from Finn's back, turned around, and said with disdain, "If you know what's good for you, scram now, or we'll deal with you too."
The man didn't respond; he simply slowly raised his hand.
No light shone from his fingertips, but Finn and Lina both felt the warm air in the shop instantly turn bone-chillingly cold, and they couldn't help but recall their father's death and the tragic fate that awaited them.
The smile had not yet faded from the leading Werewolf's face when his body suddenly stiffened.
His eyes widened, and a gurgling sound came from his throat, as if something invisible was choking him.
The next second, his entire body seemed to be gripped by an unseen giant hand; the sound of bones shattering clearly echoed, his body twisted at a grotesque angle, and with a 'thump,' he fell to the ground, utterly motionless.
The other Werewolf panicked completely, clutching Lina tightly, while simultaneously drawing his wand at top speed, intending to cast a spell.
But before his incantation left his lips, he saw his body suddenly pierced by something; a grey-black shadow moved too fast to be seen, leaving only a bloody hole in his chest, and then he softly collapsed.
"Heh heh, heh... Ugh..." Seemingly stimulated by his companion's blood, the last Werewolf finally recovered from his dazed state.
"Don't come any closer! Or I'll kill her!"
Lina closed her eyes, and Finn's eyes were bloodshot with urgency: "Let go of my sister!"
The man stopped, his gaze from under the hood falling on Lina's face, seemingly confirming whether she was injured. Then, his voice sounded again, still calm and unwavering: "Put her down."
These three words seemed to carry some magic; the Werewolf's arm began to tremble uncontrollably, his grip on the knife loosening.
Unbeknownst to them, black mist had seeped into the Werewolf's body.
He wanted to resist, but found his body completely unresponsive, only able to watch as the knife clattered to the ground, simultaneously releasing his grip on Lina.
Lina immediately broke free and ran to Finn's side, the siblings looking at the man with terror.
The man no longer looked at them; he simply raised a finger.
The last Werewolf suddenly let out a piercing scream, his body igniting like paper, emitting grey-black flames, and in a few seconds, he turned into a pile of ashes, leaving no trace.
The entire process was so fast that people couldn't react. From the moment the man spoke until the three Werewolves completely vanished, it was only two or three minutes.
Only the flickering halo of the kerosene lamp and the siblings' hurried breathing remained in the shop.
The man turned and looked at them.
He slowly pulled back his hood, revealing an ordinary face with a shallow scar on his chin, and sharp eyes that held a sense of detachment, like a traveler who had wandered alone for many years.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone softer than before.
Finn shook his head, looking at the bloodstains and ashes on the ground, then at this powerful Wizard who had suddenly appeared, and hesitated before speaking: "Tha... thank you. May I ask, who are you?"
The man's gaze swept over the puddle of purple goo in the corner; a hint of displeasure seemed to flash in his eyes, but it quickly vanished.
He looked at Finn and Lina, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth that wasn't exactly friendly, but not cold either: "My name is Moran Kevin, and I am Borgin's friend."
"Mr. Borgin's friend?" Lina's eyes widened in surprise, and she subconsciously touched the empty spot in her pocket—her wand was still lying far away—"But we've never heard him mention you."
"I've been wandering outside," Kevin said indifferently, his tone carrying a casual air of course, as if stating the most ordinary thing,
"Doing dangerous work, rarely returning to London. I happened to be passing by, heard some commotion inside, and came in to take a look."
His explanation was reasonable; Wandering Wizards were inherently unpredictable.
Finn and Lina exchanged glances, and although they still had countless questions—such as what magic he had just used, how no light had even appeared at the tip of his wand when he waved it, and what his relationship with Mr. Borgin truly was—
Feeling the subtle, dangerous aura emanating from Kevin, the siblings still dismissed the idea of pressing further.
Kevin had no mind to consider what the siblings were thinking, surveying the well-protected shelves and potions, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Watch the shop until Borgin returns," he said, leaving those words, and turned to walk towards the door.
"Wait!" Finn couldn't help but call out, "How can we ever thank you?"
Kevin's hand was already on the doorknob; he didn't turn around, simply waved his hand, his voice drifting in with the cold wind that rushed in as the door opened:
"No need."
The door gently closed, the wind chimes emitting a crisp sound, as if bidding farewell.
The rain was still falling, but the chill in the shop had dissipated, leaving only the warm glow of the kerosene lamp and the overflowing ripples of awe and curiosity in the siblings' hearts.
Finn struggled to get up, picked up his and Lina's wands, cleaned up the mess on the floor, and then looked at the puddle of purple goo in the corner, saying in a low voice:
"Mr. Borgin's friend... who exactly does he know?"
Lina didn't answer, she just gently stroked the hawthorn wood wand in her hand.
She truly felt the power of magic for the first time.
If she had power like Mr. Kevin, she should be able to kill Cole and avenge her father, right?
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