Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

The room was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.

The silence felt as if it had isolated everything in the world.

Zatanna stood in the endless darkness and suddenly recalled the song her father used to sing to her.

"There is a house on a certain street, and in that house, there is a door. We will all walk through that door eventually, but not too soon. What awaits in the darkness? Loneliness? Cold? Unforgiving shadows? No, what waits there is..."

To reassure herself, Zatanna softly sang the song her father had taught her.

As she reached the final line, a light suddenly flickered on.

A familiar yet eerily unfamiliar voice joined her in completing the song: "Love!"

Then, her mother appeared before her, dressed in a flowing white gown, smiling warmly.

"Mother?!"

Zatanna stared in disbelief.

The woman standing before her looked just like the radiant figure on the old posters—slowly becoming more and more like the mother she remembered.

Tears welled up in Zatanna's eyes, and without hesitation, she rushed forward.

Throwing her arms around her mother, she sobbed uncontrollably.

The room was nearly empty, save for a single sofa. After crying for a while, Zatanna wiped her tears and asked, "Mom… am I dead?"

Her mother gently shook her head. "No, you're not. Only the head of the Secret House can enter through this black door while still alive, Zatanna."

Zatanna frowned in confusion. "But Burks said Dad was the head of the Secret House."

Her mother sighed and explained, "The house chooses its own leader. When you were very young, it chose you. To protect you, we let everyone believe your father was the leader—including Burks."

"Later, I fell ill and passed away. Your father wrote letters to me to ease his grief."

Her mother smiled at her and said, "Imagine his surprise when I wrote back! For years, we exchanged letters under the Black Door."

"This is the Black Door, the Realm of the Dead. Originally, I wouldn't have been able to see you after my death. But that is the magic of the Secret House. In every room, you can witness incredible things and glimpse the deepest secrets of your heart."

She gently stroked Zatanna's hair. "Sometimes, it even defies space and time, revealing your greatest secret."

"I should apologize to you, Zatanna. We've kept so many secrets from you. But parents make mistakes, even in the afterlife."

Zatanna bore no resentment. Instead, she was overwhelmed with emotion as she recounted everything that had happened outside.

After listening, her mother tidied Zatanna's hair and said, "You've done well. But now, it's time to go. Someone needs you. Go, and walk the path that belongs to you."

"But I'm scared, Mom. Can I really do this?"

Zatanna revealed her vulnerability, clutching her mother's hand. "I act brave, but the truth is, I'm not. I'm scared, Mom. That's my secret."

"Only those who refuse to share their secrets are hurt by them, even in a house full of secrets."

Her mother smiled. "As for the Witch Queen..."

She leaned in and whispered a few words into Zatanna's ear.

Hearing the spell her mother taught her, Zatanna hesitantly asked, "Does this really work, Mom?"

"You are far stronger than you think, Zatanna. Your true self holds immense power. Since the House has chosen you as its guardian, it proves you are no less capable than anyone else."

Encouraged by her mother's words, Zatanna nodded firmly.

After embracing her mother, she turned to leave.

But after a few steps, she suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Mom, is Dad okay? I've been searching for him, but I can't find any trace of him."

"He is fine. But what the future holds, Zatanna, that is for you to shape. Your journey is far from over."

Zatanna looked at her mother's gentle smile and felt a realization dawn within her.

Elsewhere...

Peter raised his arm, blocking an ice spear materializing in midair.

With a sharp crack, the shattered ice fragments rained down to the ground.

"How long do you plan to keep using these little tricks?"

Peter's hands pulsed with celestial energy, but due to the space's distortion and the relentless assault of freezing magic, he couldn't find an opening to release it.

"What are you?!"

The Witch Queen stared at him in disbelief.

She had bombarded him with spell after spell, reinforced by a prearranged magic circle—yet she hadn't been able to take him down in such a short time.

How could this be?

After all, this man wasn't even a magician!

Taking a deep breath, the Witch Queen's eyes glowed an eerie black. "I am the greatest sorceress in Grim Grimoire Town, and I have never seen anyone like you!"

(Grim Grimoire Town: A Witch's haven located in the outermost layer of Hell, founded by the Puritan magician descendants of Roanoke. Klarion the Witch Boy is from this place.)

"As you can see, I'm just an ordinary human. I wouldn't call myself stubborn, but I'd rather not die young."

Peter stopped his movement and replied.

"Ordinary human?"

The Witch Queen scoffed. "I've never met an 'ordinary human' like you. Even compared to the Olympians, you're not far behind."

She paused for a moment, suppressing her irritation. "But you will fail. The secrets will be mine. And if necessary, I will reduce this place to rubble."

"No, you won't."

Before she could act, a voice came from behind her.

Zatanna, wearing her signature top hat, walked toward them.

The Witch Queen froze, stunned by her sudden appearance.

"You dare return?" she asked in disbelief.

"I came to show you a magic trick."

"What trick?"

Zatanna removed her hat. "I will make the Guardian of Magic appear for you."

The Witch Queen eyed her suspiciously. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"The last Guardian of Magic—it's me."

Spreading her arms, Zatanna smiled. "What do you think of this trick?"

Hearing Zatanna declare herself the Guardian, the Witch Queen was utterly stunned.

"Impossible!"

She couldn't believe it—Zatanna was the Guardian?!

Zatanna took a deep breath and said, "You're right. My parents did share their secret magic with me. I just never realized..."

She looked at the Witch Queen and said, "The secret is—they loved me."

"You understand love, don't you?"

Zatanna's words struck directly at the Witch Queen's heart.

"The secret of magic is love. That's what my parents tried to teach me. When you have love, you can unlock every secret."

"Lies!"

Before Zatanna could finish, the Witch Queen, enraged, pointed her staff at her.

"You think you understand my heart? You're just a child! How dare you lecture me about love?!"

She unleashed a massive, sky-darkening blizzard aimed directly at Zatanna.

Faced with the overwhelming magical assault, Zatanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Recalling the reverse incantation her mother had taught her, she infused it with powerful emotions and magic. A brilliant surge of energy erupted from her.

"Water is you, rubber is me, reflect upon yourself now see!"

As the Witch Queen roared in anger and unleashed her magic, Zatanna cast her counter-spell.

"And back to you it shall be!"

A vast wave of magical energy burst from her, forming a mirror-like barrier around her.

The Witch Queen's spell struck the barrier—and was instantly reflected back at her.

Caught off guard, the Witch Queen was hit by her own magic and encased in solid ice.

On the sidelines, Peter—who had been enjoying the spectacle—blinked in surprise.

"That's it? She's done for?"

He glanced at the panting Zatanna, then at the Witch Queen's frozen, vividly expressive face.

Could the magic of love really be this powerful?

"Mr. Podrick, I won!"

Before he could react, Zatanna excitedly rushed forward and hugged him.

"I did it! I really did it!"

"Yes, you did."

Peter coughed, patting her on the shoulder to calm her down.

Regaining her composure, Zatanna looked at the frozen Witch Queen, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment.

Peter turned to her and asked, "What do we do with her?"

"She'll stay sealed in ice. If she gets out, she'll only cause more trouble."

Zatanna stepped away from Peter's embrace, a little embarrassed. "So, it's better to keep her this way."

A Few Minutes Later...

With the key retrieved and the Secret House put back into slumber, everything returned to normal.

Downstairs the next morning, Zatanna rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.

Peter was setting the table with fried eggs, while Berks, the rabbit, twitched his ears, sniffing the food.

Something about the scene felt familiar.

Zatanna took a deep breath, sat down, and greeted Peter. "Good morning, sir."

"Morning, Zee."

She took a bite of toast, propped her chin up, and asked, "Sir, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Last night, why did you push me away?"

Peter hesitated before replying, "Because I thought you'd be a burden if you stayed."

Zatanna frowned but then chuckled. "I figured you'd say that. But still... thank you."

She held out a golden key. "I want you to keep this for me."

Peter eyed the key. "You want me to hold onto it?"

"Yes. Since you solved the Sphinx's riddle, you're now half the master of the Secret House."

...

Join patreon if you want. patreon.com/GreekGreenGlass