SWNOVELXO Chapter 234: Mastering The Spell
It had been three weeks since the start of the summer holidays, and Cael found himself in his Home as he wanted to be—alone, undisturbed, and completely focused.
The warm summer breeze drifted through the windows of his quiet home, rustling parchments and runic scrolls scattered across the table. Sunlight pooled on the wooden floor where he stood barefoot, wand in hand, at the center of a protective circle drawn in chalk and etched with shimmering runes.
This was not ordinary spellwork.
He was practicing Veyarum—The Veil of Truth Hidden, the first spell granted to him by Myrddin Wyllt , one of the members of the ancient Council of Magic he had discovered in the lost castle. Unlike a simple Disillusionment Charm, Veyarum did more than cloak the caster from sight—it erased all magical presence. No detection spell, no tracking enchantment, no ward could find what had been touched by this spell. It was as though the target no longer existed.
And Cael was practicing to master it.
He had started small. His first tests were on minor objects—a quill, a feather, a broken watch. He focused, pointed his wand, and whispered, "Veyarum."
The pen vanished.
Not in a way one could see through it, or detect it by any means. It was gone—completely removed from magical awareness. Even when he cast Revelio, not a trace appeared.
For a moment, he panicked.
"Where is it?" he muttered. He waved his wand, tried a dozen revealing spells. Nothing.
Then he remembered something Myrddin had said in the painting: The erased objects can only return through the path of the runes.
He reached for one of the runic tablets, traced the reappearance rune, and the pen shimmered back into view on the table.
It had taken him nearly two weeks of repetition to control the spell. Every day he trained, hiding and restoring chairs, books, whole corners of the room—until his body trembled with magical fatigue. But with every attempt, his control grew stronger, smoother.
Now, the time had come.
Cael stood within his circle of protection. His fingers tightened around his wand. He drew a steady breath.
"Here we go…" he muttered.
He raised his wand to his chest and cast, "Veyarum."
At once, a shiver passed through him, like cold water being poured over his skin. He gasped at the sensation—chilling, almost numbing. Then… stillness.
He looked down at his hands. He could still see them.
"Did it fail?" he asked aloud.
A quiet ping echoed in his mind—the system's voice responding.
"Host, examine yourself in the mirror."
Cael blinked. "Good idea."
He stepped carefully toward the long antique mirror by the fireplace. As he stood in front of it, his breath caught.
There was nothing.
No reflection. No shadow. No shimmer. It was as if he had never existed.
"Bloody hell…" he whispered.
He reached up to touch his face. His fingers responded. He still felt his body. He could perceive himself—his magic knew he was there—but the mirror confirmed the truth. Nothing outside of his own consciousness could sense him. Not even enchanted glass.
Twenty minutes passed in that invisible state before his magic finally waned and the effect dissipated. His reflection slowly faded back into the mirror, solidifying like mist coalescing into form.
He smiled, exhausted but triumphant.
"That'll do."
He collapsed onto the sofa, body drained, chest rising and falling in deep breaths. His fingertips still tingled with residual energy. Just as he was about to rest his eyes, a soft chime echoed in the back of his mind—the system's voice again.
"Congratulations, Host. You have successfully completed the quest: Mastering the Veil. Reward unlocked: Patronus Charm."
Cael sat up straighter.
"No way…" he grinned. "Hell yes. Two ancient spells in one summer."
Still buzzing from success, he opened the spell information and began reviewing the Patronus Charm. He knew the incantation—Expecto Patronum—but the real challenge was conjuring the necessary emotion. Happiness. Hope. The kind of pure light that drove away darkness.
He waited until his magic recharged, then stood once more in the center of the room.
"Alright. Time to see what I've got."
He focused.
First, he tried the memory of receiving his Hogwarts letter, that moment of disbelief and wonder.
"Expecto Patronum."
A wisp of white mist flickered from his wand, but it sputtered and faded before taking shape.
"Not enough," he muttered.
He closed his eyes. Dug deeper.
This time, he summoned memories of his family. His mother's laughter, his father's warm embrace, his bald older brother giving him noogies, and his sister shouting when he snuck into her room to steal sweets. The way they would chase each other around the house. The way they lived before everything changed, he died and now he is here but not with them .
A smile broke across his face.
"Expecto Patronum!"
His wand flared with light.
A stream of brilliant silver erupted from the tip, swirling upward. The mist gathered, compressed, and then took form.
A small cat.
Adorable, sleek, and elegant, it landed gracefully on the table and sat, tail curled neatly around its paws. Its head tilted curiously at Cael, as if sizing him up. The light from the Patronus bathed the room in soft silver glow.
Cael stared, then laughed—genuinely, joyfully.
"A cat, huh? Of course it is a Cat ."
He reached to pat it, but his hand passed through the glowing form like mist through moonlight. The cat blinked slowly, then leapt down and padded in circles before fading gently into nothing.
"Learned it in a day," he said to himself with pride. "Harry took months—and he was already a prodigy."
He knew it wasn't entirely fair. The system had helped. And he'd been gifted ancient knowledge no one else had access to. But still… a Patronus. At 14.
He was very happy with what he accomplished.
He leaned back against the sofa once more, staring at the ceiling.
"Alright," he said aloud, grin still lingering.
"Time for France."