I have to absorb them. Now.
The decision was instant and absolute. There was no time to hesitate. The Beyonder Characteristics were already corrupting his physical form. Delaying would only lead to a far more gruesome outcome.
Dudley focused his will, his consciousness reaching out into the void to touch the two mysterious, gelatinous masses. He guided them, pulling them into the core of his being.
The moment they made contact, the Characteristics dissolved. His vision exploded in a chaotic firework display of disorienting colors: brilliant reds, eerie blues, and dazzling whites burst behind his eyes.
At the same time, soft whispers echoed at the edge of his hearing. The sounds seemed to travel from an impossibly distant place, across countless eons and dimensions, making it impossible to decipher even a single syllable. A throbbing pain pulsed in his temples.
He felt as if he were walking on air, his body swaying uncontrollably, perpetually on the verge of collapsing into a petrified heap. The entire experience was both terrifyingly familiar and strangely new.
Fortunately, the ordeal didn't last long. The chaos subsided, and Dudley found himself back in his bedroom, gasping for air as he steadied himself against his desk.
"Phew… No accidents," he murmured, a wave of relief washing over him.
The experience was a stark reminder of the first time he'd ever consumed a Potion—that same potent cocktail of tension, excitement, and mortal fear. But he was no longer a novice. He knew how to navigate these treacherous currents, and these were merely two low-Sequence Characteristics. Absorbing them was well within his capabilities.
Once his heart rate returned to normal, a profound sense of composure settled over him.
"Two sets of Characteristics. Two Pathways," he mused, sinking onto the edge of his bed. "The Black Emperor and the Judge. They're adjacent Pathways, convertible at the higher Sequences. For me to have both simultaneously… does that mean I had already achieved fusion at a high Sequence?"
The moment the thought formed, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his skull, and the vague, maddening whispers returned.
He grimaced and wisely abandoned that line of thought.
Clearly, some truths were still beyond his reach. His newly awakened spiritual intuition was screaming at him not to pry.
"Forget it," he sighed. "One step at a time."
He turned his focus inward, to the new reality of his body. He was a Beyonder once more. A dual-Sequence Beyonder.
"The Black Emperor Pathway, Sequence 9: Lawyer," he recalled. "Skilled at finding and exploiting loopholes, whether in rules or in an opponent's defenses. Adept at using Order as a weapon. Also possesses extraordinary eloquence and powers of persuasion, capable of subtly distorting a target's thoughts, making them feel a sense of closeness and a willingness to trust."
"The Judge Pathway, Sequence 9: Arbitrator. Possesses a natural charisma and an aura of authority that convinces others to yield. It also grants excellent combat skills for handling unexpected threats. When facing an Arbitrator in a conflict, others often feel their confidence drain away, replaced by an overwhelming desire to concede."
"When combined…" A slow smile spread across his face. "They complement each other perfectly. Even as a low-Sequence Beyonder, in a normal world like this… I can thrive."
He was already intimately familiar with these abilities; he barely needed to reacquaint himself. He walked to the mirror and studied his reflection. His eyes had changed. They were deeper now, their pale blue having shifted to a brilliant, electric shade—a clear sign that the Beyonder power within him had not yet fully settled.
He took a deep breath, consciously reining in the power, letting it subside. Within moments, his eyes returned to their normal, light blue hue.
A soft rustling of footsteps came from the hallway.
"Diddykins, my little darling? Are you feeling rested? You haven't forgotten we're going to the zoo, have you?" Petunia asked softly through the door, her voice laced with fear of setting him off again.
"I remember, Mum. I'll be right down," Dudley replied, his tone even and calm.
"Oh, that's good! We'll be waiting downstairs." Hearing his normal voice, Petunia sighed in relief. A contented smile spread across her face as she headed back down.
A few minutes later, Dudley descended the stairs.
Harry was standing in the corner of the living room, watching him with wary eyes. The incident with the book had shattered any illusions he might have had. Any friendliness from his cousin was simply the prelude to a new and crueler prank.
Seeing Harry being punished, Dudley felt another pang of guilt. Before he could decide how to make amends, the phone rang. Petunia hurried to answer it.
When she returned, her face was grim, a mixture of anger and anxiety.
"Bad news, Vernon," she announced. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jabbed a finger toward Harry.
At her words, Harry's eyes visibly brightened. A day away from Mrs. Figg's house, with its overwhelming smell of cabbage and endless photos of cats, was a miracle.
Dudley's new senses keenly caught the subtle shift in Harry's demeanor.
"What are we going to do now?" Petunia said, glaring at Harry as if it were his fault Mrs. Figg had been so clumsy.
"We could call Marge," Vernon suggested uncertainly.
"Don't be ridiculous, Vernon. She hates the boy," Petunia snapped back.
"Ahem."
Dudley cleared his throat lightly, and all eyes in the room turned to him.
"I think," he said with a serene smile, "we should take Harry to the zoo with us."
Vernon and Petunia stared, their jaws slack with disbelief. Dudley? Willingly asking to take Harry anywhere? They had to be hearing things.
Even Harry looked utterly incredulous. He desperately wanted to go—he'd never been to a zoo in his life. But he had never dared to even dream of such a thing. The best he could have hoped for was being left home alone to watch TV and sneak a go on Dudley's computer console.
Then, suspicion crashed down on him. Wait. No. He's planning something!
Dudley, take him to the zoo? Be that kind? Impossible. This had to be the setup for his most elaborate prank yet.
Dudley, however, ignored Harry's panicked expression and turned his calm gaze to his parents.
"If we leave him at home, he might get into trouble," Dudley stated reasonably. "It's better to take him with us. That way, we can keep an eye on him."
His tone was placid, yet it carried an undeniable authority, a subtle persuasive power that was almost hypnotic.
Vernon and Petunia froze, exchanging a quick, silent glance.
"I think… I think Dudley's right," Vernon said slowly, as if the idea was his own. "We can't leave the boy alone. You know what he's like…"
"Mmm, our little darling is so thoughtful," Petunia immediately agreed, nodding vigorously. "That settles it, then."
***********
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