Eldritch Guidance

Beneath the Cait House, hidden deep within one of the city's forgotten labyrinthine network of secret tunnels, lay a concealed bunker. This underground refuge, once part of an old insane asylum, had been repurposed into a stronghold within Graheel for the Scarlet Witch.

In the same velvet-draped room, Scarlett sat at the long blackwood table, her striking presence commanding attention even in the dim, opulent space. Beside her was Cid, her soon-to-be disciple. Both of them sipped from delicate cups, the beverages within reluctantly prepared by the staff of the Cait House above. The air carried a faint aroma of spiced tea, mingling with the heavy scent of polished wood and aged velvet. The two engaged in one of their regular meetings.

Since their arrival in the hidden room, neither Scarlett nor Cid had spoken a word. They simply sat in quiet companionship, sipping their tea. The silence between them was heavy but not uncomfortable, shaped by mutual understanding rather than the need for words. Both bore the visible marks of exhaustion—dark circles under their eyes and a weariness etched into their features. Their fatigue was palpable, as if the weight of their respective burdens hung in the air between them.

Acknowledging the other’s tired state, neither felt compelled to break the stillness. It wasn’t an awkward silence but rather a shared pause, a brief moment of reprieve from the demands of their lives. Yet, the quiet could not stretch on forever. After another minute, perhaps two, Cid finally mustered the courage—or the need—to speak. His voice, though soft, would carry the weight of what had remained unspoken.

Cid: “So… what’s been happening with you?”

Scarlett: “Luke Vaga has happened to me,” she said, sounding annoyed.

Cid: “What happened?”

Scarlett: “The bastard is like a fucking Sloan slave driver. He has me running around enchanting all kinds of things without a moment of rest.”

Cid: “You told me about Luke Vaga, which surprised me at the time to think the owner of Vaga Industries was a patron of John, I would like to meet him one day.”

Scarlett: “You will one day. But, fair warning, he is really disgusting in person.”

Cid: “I feel like there is more to that comment than you letting on, but I’m not going to ask. Anyway, what is he making you do exactly?”

Scarlett: “I have no idea. He has me only make miscellaneous enchantments, stuff like making things warm, making something move in a certain direction, or something to keep impacts from damaging a mechanism. All basic stuff that doesn't have any immediate connecting function.”

Cid: “Why? That sounds like you could hire just any enchanter to do that kind of stuff.”

Scarlett: “I know. That’s what I told him, but I think he is a perfectionist. He wants the enchantment to be perfectly accurate. If the heating enchantment is off by one degree, he makes me redo the whole thing. That’s what has been so fucking frustrating. I make him an enchantment only to be asked to do it over constantly. And because of that, all my time is taken up. I tell everyone I’m working on something important, but people keep asking me for stuff, which would be fine if It didn't eat up much of my time. Now, I got Vaga asking for something to be enchanted, along with that white-tail bitch asking me to fix the fucking teleportation network.”

Cid: “You have access to a transportation network? I suppose you were going to eventually tell me about that one day?”

Scarlett: “Yeah, I’ll show you it one day, once you're fully my disciple.”

Cid: “OK. So back to Vaga, he didn’t even tell you what this was all for?”

Scarlett: “No. Just that it was something important for the cause.”

Cid: “The cause?”

Scarlett: “Oops. Wasn't supposed to say that.”

Cid was taken aback by Scarlett's unexpected response. Throughout their regular meetings, they had grown increasingly familiar with one another, gradually peeling back the layers of their guarded selves. What had started as cautious exchanges had blossomed into moments of genuine vulnerability, the kind some might have deemed too candid. They shared thoughts, fears, and even secrets, forging a bond built on mutual understanding.

Cid, in particular, had been willing to expose his own vulnerabilities if it meant making Scarlett feel more at ease and fostering her trust. He had believed their openness was reciprocal, a bridge of honesty that both had crossed willingly. That belief made her revelation—or lack thereof—all the more jarring. Despite all they had shared, Scarlett was still holding something back. The realization gnawed at him, stirring a mix of surprise and a tinge of hurt. What could she possibly be hiding after everything they had confided in each other?

Cid: “I thought you said you wouldn’t keep any secrets from me?”

Scarlett: “I said I would share all my secrets with you, except for the ones that are not mine alone to share. There are others involved with what Vaga is doing, and I can’t go behind them to reveal it to you. But, don’t worry. You’ll find out about it soon enough. I’m arranging a meeting with my collaborators so that I can introduce them to you.”

Cid: “Wait, you said you had a hard time relying on and trusting others. I thought you were a lone wolf, yet you're working with other people?”

Scarlett: “I don’t trust them, and the work I do with them is kept at arm's length. They are all patrons of John, and I know I should be able to rely and trust on them, but…” she said as she trailed off, unable to finish.

Cid: “T-That’s fine. You don’t need to say it. J-Just please don’t cry on me again,” he said, worried that Scarlett was about to break down like their heart-to-heart conversation before.

Scarlett: “You're not going to catch me crying like that again. Let’s change subjects away from me. I see I'm not the only one that looks tired. What’s going on with you?"

Cid: “Ugh, it’s so frustrating. The Book of Grand Design is broken.”

Scarlett: “That book from John? I highly doubt it’s broken.”

Cid: “Then it’s messing with me. It is not telling me what I want to know.”

Scarlett: “Or maybe, you're not using it right. Tell me what’s going on.”

Cid: “I’ve been doing experiments to try and figure out how the thing works, I thought I did, but now it has gone all wonky on me. Just when I discovered an important element I was missing.”

Scarlett: “Could you tell me what you discovered?”

Cid: “I found out that fate is broken.”

There was a momentary pause in the conversation as Scarlett paused to process what Cid just said.

Scarlett: “Come again?” she said, sounding surprised.

Cid: “Well, not so much broken, as it seems like it’s just gone.”

Scarlett: “W-what!?! What does that even mean?”

Cid: “I’m not exactly sure. I was surprised when I found out, too. It seems like fate is this fundamental natural force, a Prime Order, in the world, and it's been breaking down for years. Now it seems to be completely gone."

Scarlett: “But, Prime Orders are fundamental forces and laws for existence to function. It’s like time, space, the boundary, thermodynamics, and even death. No Prime Force can be altered in any meaningful way, let alone completely removed.”

Scarlett was speaking of one of the fundamental laws governing the nature of existence—a Prime Force/Order, an immutable force woven into the very fabric of reality. These laws were absolute, unyielding to the whims of mortals or even the Nameless Gods themselves, who were said to hold no power over them. While such forces could occasionally be bent under very strict limitations, they could never be broken. To do so would be to defy the unchangeable law that upheld the function of the universe.

As an example, Scarlett pointed to one such Prime Order: the Boundary. This invisible, impenetrable force separated the physical world from the Dreamscape, a mysterious and perilous realm beyond mortal comprehension. The law of the Boundary was uncompromising—it decreed that no portal could be opened between the two realms. Any attempt to breach this divide would not only fail, but also unleash catastrophic consequences upon the one who dared to make the attempt. This reality made even the boldest of scholars and sorcerers think twice before entertaining such dangerous ambitions, for the punishment was swift, merciless, and inescapable.

Scarlett: “Not even the Nameless Gods could do something like that.”

Cid: “I know, but unless the Book of Grand Design is lying to me, it is true.”

Scarlett leaned back into her chair, raising her thumb to her lips as her gaze drifted into the distance. She was processing the weight of Cid's words, her mind turning over the implications with growing intensity. She had no reason to doubt the information Cid just told her. If what he claimed was true, it pointed to the existence of a Prime Force previously unknown—a fundamental rule of the universe that no one had ever uncovered. This revelation hinted at an undiscovered aspect of the world's intricate design, one that had eluded even the most learned of mages throughout history.

What made the matter even more perplexing was Cid's assertion that this Prime Order no longer functioned as it once had. If it had truly ceased to exist or been rendered dormant, it unraveled a profound mystery that shook Scarlett to her core. Such an anomaly suggested questions far beyond magic or science—it beckoned her to contemplate the very nature of existence itself. What could cause an immutable force to vanish? And if one Prime Force could fall, what did that mean for the stability of the others? The thoughts spiraled through her mind, leaving her both intrigued and unsettled.

Scarlett: “Hmm. Did the book tell you how Fate functions in the world?”

Cid: “It works in conjunction with another Prime Order no one knows about, called Destiny, to determine what happens in the future of living things.”

Scarlett: “Isn’t that the same thing?”

Cid: “No, not from what I understand. Fate is an absolute, while Destiny is a probability. Think about it like this, fate determines what you can’t do or will happen, while Destiny makes things less or more likely to happen. It might be in my Destiny that I’m unlikely to become a powerful mage, so Destiny will throw roadblocks in my way to make that outcome less likely to happen. But if fate says I can’t become a powerful mage, then that’s that, there is no way around it.”

Scarlett: “I see what you mean. So, there is a little wiggle room for Destiny, but not so much Fate. Doesn't sound like Destiny is a Prime Force if It can be altered, If it determines something, and you still overcome it.”

Cid: “But, you're not altering Destiny. The probability remains the same regardless if you overcome the odds or not.”

Scarlett: “OK, I see. So, what about Fate? How does it work together with Destiny to determine the future?”

Cid: “Fate doesn't control every outcome in the future. It only determines key points of your future. Something like a major accomplishment, a defining event, or someone’s…death. It will only make those events certain to happen. That’s where destiny comes in. It fills in all the gaps that fate has no control over. More of your day-to-day things.”

Scarlett: “Fate determines… death,” she mumbled as she trailed off into thought.

Hearing Cid's words, Scarlett's thoughts drifted back to the day she had come perilously close to death in her hidden bunker. She remembered the terrifying sensation of her soul tearing away from her body, an irreversible descent into oblivion halted only by John’s timely intervention. The potent Yggdrasil leaves and the mysterious soul-sipping pot had somehow pulled her back from the brink. Even now, the memory of that moment sent a chill down her spine.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she had been fated to die that day. If so, John’s actions would have defied Fate itself—a Prime Order. Scarlett had once entertained the notion that John might possess the power to manipulate Fate, but that was before she fully understood that Fate was a Prime Order, and an actual force in the world. Scarlett had always known John was powerful, his talents veiled in secrecy, but altering or circumventing a Prime Order seemed beyond the reach of even the mightiest beings.

Recalling Cid’s earlier statement about Fate breaking down over the years, Scarlett began to piece together a new possibility. Perhaps John hadn’t defied Fate outright, but rather seized the opportunity presented by its malfunction. If the Prime Order governing Fate had already been fracturing, it might have created a rare, fleeting chance for John to intervene and save her life.

If this theory were true, Scarlett’s admiration for John only deepened. It wasn’t just his power that impressed her, but his cunning and resourcefulness in exploiting the very cracks in the foundation of existence to alter her fate. It was a feat she could hardly fathom, and yet it left her with a profound sense of gratitude—and a lingering awe for the man who had pulled her back from the void.

Scarlett: “This is all very grand and esoteric information you are telling me, something that Archmage Jenna would be jealous of me knowing about before her,” she said as she smiled, happy about one-upping a former colleague. “So, Fate is broken or gone, does that affect divination magic by chance?”

Cid: “I imagine it would.”

Scarlett

Cid: “Not exactly. After I identified that fate was gone, I adjusted my calculation to account for that. And, it worked for a little bit, but not now. It seems that with the absence of fate, other powerful forces can influence people's future.”

Scarlett: “What do you mean by powerful forces?”

Cid: “Just that. Overwhelming powerful beings or things. It could be a place of great power, a powerful object, a being of great power like dragons or giants, or individuals that gather a lot of power themselves. Heck, I found out that celestial bodies can exert enough influence to alter certain people's futures now. I think in my case, my proximity to Mr Li warps my future, that’s why both he and I are having a hard time seeing the danger ahead.”

Scarlett: “That would mean my future is warped too. Since I’m close to John.”

Cid: “Yeah, I tried using the book on you, and it didn’t work. Um, sorry if that was rude to do.”

Scarlett: “That’s fine.”

Cid: “I also tried to use the book on John as well. I asked the book how many patrons John has and got an awful splitting headache when I asked. The Book of Grand Design doesn't seem to like answering too many questions about Mr Li.”

Scarlett: “Well, that seemed obvious. You should know better than to ask those kinds of questions.”

Cid: “I know.”

Scarlett: “So, your problem is that there are too many powerful forces around you at the university. That’s not surprising. The university has a bunch of archmages and powerful objects laying all over the area. I’m sure that place must be miserable for you.”

Cid: “I wish that was my only problem. I came across another group of individuals who were being influenced by something, and they came to me for help. I decided to help them, and now almost none of my predictions are accurate after helping them.”

Scarlett: “Someone came… to you? For help? Cid, what’s going on?”

Cid: “It’s, um… Um, I, um…” he stuttered, unable to answer.

Scarlett: “Does someone at the university know about you and John?” she said, sounding a little concerned.

Cid: “No! Well… not exactly.”

Scarlett: “What happened?” she said in a deadpan and serious tone.

Cid: “You remember those other students that I set up to take the credit for defeating Sorin?”

Scarlett: “Yeah?”

Cid: “I may… have let them see me kill… Sorin.”@@novelbin@@

Scarlett: “CID!! You told me there were no witnesses!!!” she yelled.

Cid: “There were none! It was just those three, and I threatened them into silence.”

Scarlett: “Dead men tell no tales!”

Cid: “But, I needed some sort of excuse for Sorin to die, and those three taking the credit was a perfect opportunity.”

Scarlett shook her head slowly, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face as she absorbed what Cid was telling her. The weight of his words clashed with everything that was previously told to her about the situation, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Scarlett: “This is what I mean with what I said before. You're too soft.”

Cid: “Why do we have to kill people?”

Scarlett: “Did you ask that question when you killed Sorin?”

Cid: “Sorin was evil. It was necessary and the right thing to do.”

Scarlett clicked her tongue and shook her head. She then half-chuckled mockingly.

Scarlett: “Now we're bringing morality into this? That’s even more dumb.”

Cid: “I think it's more dumb going around killing innocent people,” he said, trying to rebuke Scarlett's statement. “It’s why you have such a bad reputation. When you blow up a building, like you did in Port Vaal, innocent people get hurt. There was a better way to go about these things than the way you do it.”

Scarlett: “It doesn't matter. There is no such thing as innocent people. Everyone is guilty of something, and most get away with it constantly. Even people that like to present themselves as ‘good’ are scumbags under the right conditions.”

Cid: “You can’t seriously believe that? Do you see no value in trying to do the right thing?”

Scarlett: “OK, smarty-pants. Let me posit you a hypothetical. Let’s say that Sorin had the cure for something that can’t be treated easily with modern medicine or magic, like cancer. By killing him, you denied the world that cure.”

Cid: “That wasn't the case.”

Scarlett: “It’s a thought experiment, entertain it. Under your moral framework, are you guilty of denying millions a cure for a terrible disease, and are you responsible for consigning millions of future people to death by that sickness?”

Cid: “No, because I didn’t know.”

Scarlett: “Now we’re skirting responsibility? Because you didn’t know? How convenient. This is what I mean, there are no innocent people. There is no right or wrong in the world. You can’t know what action is ultimately good or bad, so applying moral weight to them is pointless. And, it is people like you who bend their moral code after the fact to make themselves feel like a good person. No one ever sees themselves as the villain of their own story.”

A heavy silence settled over the room, the weight of spoken truths pressing down on them. Cid struggled internally, his jaw tightening as he resisted the urge to outright reject what Scarlett was saying. Her words made an uncomfortable amount of sense, and deep down, he knew she was likely right. Yet, accepting her logic came with a horrifying implication—one he wasn’t ready to face.

Admitting she was correct would mean accepting a path that demanded the unthinkable: the taking of innocent lives. It was a line he never wanted to cross, a darkness he had hoped to avoid. Sorin’s death had not weighed heavily on him; in that case, he could justify the act, and rationalize it as necessary. But the thought of extinguishing the lives of those who had done no wrong twisted his stomach with revulsion. The mere idea of it made his hands tremble. He stared at the table, unwilling to meet Scarlett's gaze, as he wrestled with the internal conflict brewing inside his mind.

Scarlett: “Cid, the difference between you and me is that I’m not trying to morally justify what I'm doing. I know I have no moral high ground to stand on, and I don’t care. I don’t need to be the hero in my own story. I just need to get to that place I need to be. The truth is, the world will not judge you for your actions, only other people and yourself will.”

Cid remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line as he avoided Scarlett's gaze. Though he still didn’t agree with her, he gave a slow, reluctant nod. It wasn’t a gesture of acceptance, but rather a quiet acknowledgment that he had heard her—nothing more.

Scarlett: “Now, back to the matter at hand. There were others that knew about you?

Cid: “Yeah, at least three. I think they are being influenced by something, but I haven’t figured out what. They have constantly appeared outside my calculation and I don’t understand why.”

Scarlett: “I assume that thing where you set off a chain reaction can’t be used on them?"

Cid: “Yeah, I can’t do anything like that with them at all."

Scarlett: “So, who are these students?”

Cid: “I’m not sure. They just kinda appeared out of nowhere and started to notice what I was doing, then started investigating me for some reason. Well, not for no reason. I took out one of Sorin's undead, that was their friend, and I guess they were mad at me about that, thinking that I killed their friend.”

Scarlett: “Oh, meddling kids. There’s always a group like that somewhere in every generation,” she said while reminiscing about some other troubling students she dealt with in the past. ”So, why did they come to you for help? And maybe a better question, why help them at all?”

Cid: “I don’t know why they came to me. I guess they thought I might know more about Sorin’s circumstances than I actually did. Two of the three seemed to have joined the enforcer. I guess the university is looking into everyone that was involved.”

Scarlett: “They were enforcers?! And you helped them! Cid! What part of keeping a low profile did you not understand from John's warning!” she yelled again.

Cid: “I KNOW! If I knew helping them would completely mess up the book predictions, I wouldn't have done it. But at the time, I thought it would have drawn more attention if I didn’t help them.”

Scarlett took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.

Scarlett: “And now there are people close to university leadership that know your identity.”

Cid: “I made sure to threaten them to keep my identity a secret. So, I think I’m OK for now.”

Scarlett: “Your book doesn't work on them, so there is no way you know for sure they’ll never reveal your identity.”

Cid: “I am a little worried about that. But… They seemed very genuine about keeping my secret.”

Scarlett: “Here's a good life lesson, besides John, expect everyone else to let you down. Now we need to eliminate them. No. That won’t work. You can’t set things up to look like an accident with them, and taking any obvious action would draw the university leadership to you. Dang it. Maybe the only option is to flee the university now.”

Cid: “If leaving the university was a good option, John would have suggested it, but he didn’t suggest it with his warning.”

Scarlett: “Shit. You're right. The best we can do is sit back and watch now. I guess we should at least create a contingency plan for when things go south.”

Cid: “It won’t get that bad.”

Scarlett: “Let’s hope. But just in case, let me teach you how to alter runes in a teleportation circle.”