Mark sat down on his bed and gingerly opened the book.
The cover was old and tattered, with frayed edges that spoke of years of use. The pages inside were yellowed with age, and the ink had faded in places, but the words were still legible.
He started reading, his initial skepticism quickly giving way to a morbid fascination. The book wasn't a dry historical account; it was a collection of personal narratives, fragmented observations, and whispered rumors.
The early pages chronicled the formation of a rogue group of magic users – mages, witches, warlocks, and others who rebelled against the traditional covens and clans. They were hungry for knowledge, driven by a desire to break the rules, to see how far magic could go when freed from the shackles of society.
They tried many things, from spreading plague-ridden fleas across cities to locking humans in closed spaces with no light for days to injecting harmful viruses into human bodies and watching as they tore themselves apart. Their methods were as brutal as they were effective.
Yet amidst the carnage, they achieved breakthroughs. New schools of magic emerged, their discoveries branching far beyond the basic elements. Ether manipulation, for example, had evolved into intricate forms no one had dared imagine.
As their power grew, so did their arrogance. The text described their subtle infiltration into the world's power structures. Empires rose and fell at their whim, wars waged in the shadows of their influence.
The Black Death, the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, even the eruption of Mount Vesuvius – all were rumored to bear their shadowy fingerprints. He even read about whispered rumors of their involvement in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the catalyst for World War I, and the manipulation of many other economic shifts.
Holy shit.
But it wasn't just destruction. Some of their breakthroughs had positive consequences—advancements in medicine, scientific discoveries that humanity had claimed as its own.
It was a paradox: their genius uplifted the world even as their recklessness tore it apart.
But these successes were overshadowed by the widespread destruction and suffering caused by their more reckless pursuits. The world, both human and supernatural, was their playground, and they played with a careless abandon that bordered on madness.
Despite the chaos and destruction they left in their wake, the cabal's power and influence continued to grow. They attracted others like themselves – ambitious mages, power-hungry witches, and anyone who craved knowledge and power.
Kind of like a magical Fight Club.
And then, came the discovery, or perhaps the uncovering, of the Void.
The book dedicated an entire chapter to it, but even then, its true nature remained shrouded in mystery. What the hell is the Void? Mark frowned, turning the brittle pages. No one seemed to know for sure, not even those who had wielded its power.
There were theories, of course.
Some believed the Void was simply another element, like fire or water, but one that existed on a different plane, its properties fundamentally opposed to the energies that governed the natural world.
But why would one element be able to nullify others? Doesn't make sense.
Others argued that the Void was a separate dimension altogether, a realm of pure nothingness, a cosmic vacuum that could absorb and obliterate any form of energy that came into contact with it. A black hole for ether?
But the theory that unsettled Mark the most was that the Void wasn't just destructive—it was foundational. A primal chaos, the source of all ether, from which every spell drew its power.
That's even crazier.
The text went on to describe more outlandish theories – the Void as a gateway to the afterlife, a prison for ancient gods, a cosmic consciousness. Seriously, who writes this stuff?
Regardless of its true nature, the cabal recognized the Void's immense potential. They poured resources into researching it, experimenting with it, trying to understand and control its destructive potential.
And through their efforts, the Void Mages were born. Individuals capable of wielding this nothingness became the cabal's most powerful assets.
With the ability to nullify magic, to create voids where even the most potent spells fizzled and died, they were practically unstoppable. The cabal's power grew exponentially, their influence spreading like a shadow across the world. They were unstoppable.
Until they weren't.
The text described how their hubris led to their downfall. It was a familiar tale — ambition gone wild, corruption creeping in, power getting out of hand, and the inevitable spiral into darkness that sealed their doom.
Classic power corrupts - story.
But what struck Mark most wasn't the rise and fall of the cabal. It was how Void Mages were portrayed. They weren't the origin of their destruction—they were just another tool.
Yet they became the scapegoats, the shunned ones.
Why? Mark wondered, closing the book. Why the special hatred?
The cabal's atrocities were a collective effort, not the fault of a single group. Maybe it's just propaganda, he mused. A way to control the narrative and justify the persecution.
He knew how stories could mutate over time, how facts could be twisted, how fear could be weaponized. But even then, the systematic hunting down of Void Mages, the relentless pursuit of anyone with even a hint of that power… it didn't make sense.
He just had more questions than answers.
"Hey, babe."
He looked up to see Ria standing in the doorway, her face tired.
"Hey… When did you get back?"
"Just now," she said, kicking off her shoes with a weary sigh. "Those classes today were brutal. I'm pretty sure the professors get a kick out of watching us suffer."
"Tell me about it."
With a playful grin, Ria crossed the small distance, settling onto his lap, her warm thighs pressing against his.
"Did you miss me?" she asked, her voice a playful purr.
"We saw each other this morning, remember?"
She answered with a gentle jab to his stomach.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I missed you. Happy now?"
"Much better," she grinned, resting her head against his shoulder.
Sitting there, her body warm against his, he almost convinced himself to forget the secret gnawing at his insides.
"Whatcha reading?" Ria asked, her voice muffled against his shirt.
"Just some… research," Mark said, holding up the book. "Remember Julian? The guy Lida told me about?"
She nodded.
"He gave me this to read. Said it would help me understand… things."
"What's it about?"
"Old stories. History stuff."
Should I tell her? He'd been debating it for days, the words hovering on the tip of his tongue, but he always chickened out at the last minute.
"Everything okay?" She asked, pulling back slightly. "You seem… off."
"Just tired," he hedged, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. "It's been… a long day."
She gently ran her fingers through his hair, her touch a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. For a moment, he just held her, breathing in her scent, the familiar vanilla and spice that always calmed him.
I could stay like this forever, but….
Mark's heart thudded in his chest as he held her close, the words burning on the tip of his tongue. What if she panicked? What if she saw him the way the world perceived—dangerous, unpredictable, better off gone?
She deserves to know. He tried to convince himself, but the fear lingered. This was Ria. She wasn't just anyone. Losing her would hurt more than he cared to admit.
"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
"Uh oh. This sounds serious."
"Kind of."
"What is it?"
He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. Just say it, Mark. Rip off the band-aid. "Do you… know anything about Void Mages?"
Ria blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"A little… My dad used to tell me stories about them. He used to say they were disasters waiting to happen. Unstable, destructive, impossible to control. He called them… the worst."
"He hated them, huh?"
"He had his reasons," she explained. "They were dangerous, unpredictable. Often made a mess of things, and they were a huge pain to deal with. He's not a fan, to say the least."
"What about you? You think they're… bad news too?"
"I've never met one," she said with a shrug. "So it's hard to say. But the stories aren't great. They messed things up. A lot. Nobody wanted them around."
"Well, that's just great," he muttered, his stomach clenching.
"What happened?"
Mark hesitated. Here goes nothing. "What if I told you… I'm one of them?"
"What?"
"Y-yeahhh."
"Are you serious?"
Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes, Ria. I'm serious."
He quickly explained his unusual heritage, the conflicting duality that flowed through his veins.
Ria froze, then slid off his lap as if burned. He watched her pace the room, her eyes narrowed with disbelief.
"Wow. That's… insane."
"So I've been told."
"But… how is that even possible? A mage and…Vo- It doesn't make any sense."
"I have no idea." He was just as confused as she was. "Genetics is a weird, mysterious thing I guess."
"But it's not possible," Ria insisted. "It's like… like mixing oil and water. They don't mix."
"I'm full of surprises, apparently."
She raked her fingers through her hair. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"It just… never came up." And because I was scared.
"Never came up? Mark, you're a Void Mage! That's not exactly something you casually forget to mention."
"I didn't want to scare you."
"Scared?" Ria scoffed. "You think I wo scared?"
"It's not about that. It's about what people think. Lida told me how they're hunted, feared…"
Her eyes flashed. "That doesn't explain why you didn't tell me. This is huge."
"Look, I was going to tell you, okay?" He insisted. "I just… I didn't know how. It's not exactly easy to just casually drop into conversation, you know? 'Hey, Ria, by the way, I'm a void mage. Want to grab a pizza?'"
"So you just decided to keep it a secret? What the fuck?"
"I was waiting for the right time…"
"The right time? There's no right time for this kind of shit!"
"Hey, you didn't exactly tell me you were next in line for Crescent, did you?" He countered, his frustration mirroring hers.
"That's different."
"How is it different?"
"Because I was going to tell you, idiot!" Ria exclaimed. "I just… you freaked out about the bond, remember? Had a fight with me, and basically ran away after you slept with me."
Mark winced, her words hitting harder than he'd expected. She isn't wrong. He had panicked when the bond became too much, when everything about her felt too intense, too fast, too real. He still hated how much he'd hurt her back then.
"Ria…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, okay? You're right. I handled this badly. I just didn't know how to bring it up. I didn't want to screw things up between us."
"You think this doesn't screw things up?" She gestured between them, her tone softer now but still edged with hurt.
"I know..." He trailed off, the words failing him. How do I explain this? "I've been a coward about this. I kept waiting for the right moment, but now I get there was never one."
"No," she agreed, her voice gentler now. "There's not."
Ria sat down beside him, her hand hesitantly reaching for his. "I'm sorry too."
He blinked, startled by her words. "What? You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who—"
"Yes, I do," she insisted. "You're right. It doesn't matter why. I kept something from you, and that wasn't fair. I—"
"No," he cut in, shaking his head. "You were right not to tell me. I did freak out. I wouldn't have listened not then. I wouldn't have understood."
"But…" She hesitated, her lips parting as if to argue, but then she sighed. "I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me sooner."
"I do trust you…. But this… this stuff… it's not just dangerous—it's terrifying. For me, for you, for anyone who knows about it. I didn't want to drag you into that."
"I'm already in it, Mark," she said, her voice firm. "We're bonded, remember? Besides not telling me doesn't protect me—it just leaves me in the dark."
"I just… I didn't know how to handle it. Especially after… well, after the way we met."
"What's wrong with the way we met?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly… normal. It was just… so sudden. So intense. So… I don't know… kind of rapey?"
The word hung in the air between them, heavy and awkward.
"Rapey?" She repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "Mark, there are a lot of things in this world that could be labeled as 'rapey', but I'm pretty sure our encounter wasn't one of them. I didn't feel forced, or coerced, or… anything even remotely close to that." She growled shaking her head. "I don't see how our first encounter could be classified as anything even remotely close to that."
Damn it, idiot. Wrong word. "Okay, okay, maybe bad choice of words. I just meant… it was unconventional. Intense. A little overwhelming."
"What do you mean? You didn't like it?"
"What? No no that is far from what I'm saying…." he stammered struggling to find the right words. "It was… incredible. Probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. But it was also terrifying. I realized I didn't even know your name. I didn't know anything about you. And to be honest, I was scared….. Scared I might have hurt you."
"Mark," She sighed, "we've talked about this. That's how it is between bonded. The connection, the intensity… it's part of who we are."
"I know that now… But you have to understand, I wasn't raised like you. Lida, she trained me, yeah, but she never wanted me to be a part of this world. She hoped my abilities would stay dormant, that I could live a normal life, away from all this… this stuff. But after meeting you, things went sideways. Fast."
"Well, you can rest easy. It was definitely awesome getting fucked by you."
Mark stared at her, speechless for a moment, then he burst out laughing. How does she do that?
"Seriously," he shook his head, "You're impossible."
Ria simply shrugged, a playful grin spreading across her face.
Mark exhaled, his laughter fading into a softer, more vulnerable tone. "I just… I got confused, okay? I know it's not a good excuse, but it's the truth. I didn't know how to handle it, how to process it. I wanted to tell you, but I kept waiting. I didn't expect to… to feel this way about you, Ria. Not so quickly."
"I get it, Mark. It was a lot to take in. All at once."
"That's an understatement," he muttered with a humorless chuckle. "Meeting you flipped my entire world upside down. Then Lida started explaining everything—the bond, how Void Mages are hunted, all these things I didn't even know about myself… It was overwhelming. I didn't know which way was up."
Ria's expression softened, her fingers reaching out to brush his cheek. Her touch steadied him, pulling him back from the spiral of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Ria," he said quietly, his voice thick with regret. "For everything."
"You don't have to apologize," she said. "We were both trying to figure things out. It's not like either of us had a guidebook for this."
"It's just… I didn't know about this part of me, this darkness, until recently. And now, it's like I'm in over my head."
"I get it. It was too much. But you don't have to face it alone. You have me, okay?"
He leaned into her touch, savoring the warmth and comfort she offered.
"So you're a hybrid, too," Ria tilted her head thoughtfully. "Just like me."
"Yeah," Mark admitted, summoning his blade.
Ria's eyes widened as she took it, her fingers tracing its edges. "This is… incredible."
"So I've been told."
She turned the blade over in her hand, examining it with a newfound curiosity. "Do you think this is why they attacked us that night?"
"That's my guess," Mark replied, dispelling it with a flick of his wrist. "That guy, Elia- he kept taunting me to use it."
Ria was silent for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. With all the crazy shit that's been happening, it makes sense that you'd have some powerful stuff running through your veins."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a theory about the bond," she explained. "It's mostly speculation, of course, but some believe it's a way of preserving powerful bloodlines. A way for unique abilities to be passed down."
"You think there's a connection? Between the bond and my powers?"
"Maybe. We're both hybrids," she said, shrugging. "And I'm guessing your lineage… enhances it somehow. The duality of your nature, the mage and the void combined… it's probably why the bond feels so strong."
"I guess that makes sense," he said, though he was still struggling to wrap his head around the implications. "But it's not like we have much control over it."
"It has to be. I am sure about it."
"It's not like I'm complaining. But sometimes… it feels like it's too much, you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"This connection… it's so intense," Mark explained, struggling to articulate the overwhelming emotions that sometimes swamped him. "It's just… a lot, sometimes. Feeling everything so intensely. Like I can't tell where your emotions end and mine begin."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to overwhelm you."
"No, it's not your fault." He shook his head. "It's just… something we have to deal with, I guess. But I wouldn't change it for anything."
"Me neither," Her hand slid into his, fingers locking together. "Mark…. we share so much more than just this bond. We have fun together, we laugh together, we support each other… We're building something real, something special. Don't let the intensity scare you."
"You're right," he said, squeezing her hand.
"I know this is all new for you," she continued, her thumb gently stroking his knuckles. "You've got your own baggage, your parents, your powers, all the secrets… It's a lot to carry. But I want you to know… I'm here for you. For all of it. But I think we also need to cherish what we have."
Ria paused, her gaze meeting his, her expression earnest. "And I want you to know, Mark, that I don't care that you're a Void Mage. It doesn't change how I feel about you. It doesn't change… us."
Her words hit him like a physical blow, a wave of relief washing over him, erasing the doubts and anxieties that had plagued him for weeks.
"Thank you, Ria," he whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace.
For the first time since they'd met, he didn't question their connection, didn't doubt the authenticity of his feelings.
The chaos of their connection, the uncertainty of his powers—it all faded in her presence.
His feeling for her, just felt… right.