Conversations lead to questions. Questions I didn’t like to answer. All soft, very human, very inefficient. My assistant survived day 2, and he was sitting at his assigned seating, waiting for something that needed him.
[SYSTEM | Passive Scan Active]
Social Evasion (Rank IV) - Maintained
Micro-Extraction Bonus: +12% intel yield in informal environments
Emotional Exposure Risk: Low
On day two… my assistant had survived two days. He was, in fact, good at finding things. We were assigned to find a Thornsoul Testament scroll.
[CONTAINMENT ARRAY – INITIALIZING]
Primary Ward Layer: Corporate Null-Thaumic Mesh
Secondary Ward Layer: Iron-Salt Resonance Cage
Tertiary Ward Layer: Root-Suppression Lattice (Biomantic)
Status: Stable
Containment Integrity: 97.4%
Which was the best containment percentage anyone has ever managed with one of these.
[ARTIFACT FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITY – PROJECTED]
Primary Effect:
— Host death prevention through recursive soul reattachment
— Physical reconstruction via fae-vitae lattice memory
Secondary Effect:
— Personality stabilization
— Emotional damage buffering
— Trauma overwrite
Tertiary Effect (Restricted Access):
— Relationship imprint reinforcement
— Anchor-subject dependency amplification
August was able to track things, but he was not a professional. He didn’t follow what I expect a field agent in our career to do. He listened and then pricked his index finger with something that should have sent him to go get a tetanus shot.
We were in an abandoned fae section of town. Buried deep and covered in void insulation to not permit its magic from spilling out into the human world. August’s hands drifted toward the strap of his messenger bag, fingers brushing the fabric as if he were checking, confirming a pulse somewhere.
I rolled in at my usual time, ready for the next day. It had me wondering if the assistant would be back, call in, or be a no-show. He didn’t look like the type who could run on a little amount of sleep even with magical boosts.
[NEW QUEST RECEIVED]
Title: Residual Hunger
Classification: Field Investigation
Threat Level: Ghoul
Location: Human-adjacent, perimeter district
Difficulty: Unknown
Recommended Party Size: 2
Bonus Condition: Identify feeding pattern before local authorities intervene
I stared at the word "recommended," stared at it longer than I should have allowed myself.
Of course, two.
The door flew open, and I could hear his shoes scuffling across the rug of my office before tapping on my desk. He was sparkling new to this kind of work, to the point I don’t believe he did any corporate work before this. Not that this was a traditional corporate job to begin with. I would look into his work history if he lived long enough for that to matter.
“Silas?” August said carefully, “You told me to notify you if anything crosses ---.”
I regrettably did tell him that. It was a little too much for a newbie. It was also not a job that really fit what he was capable of. Not yet.
“Don’t bring your bag," I said. He stalled at the bag.
“Human witch.” He pointed at himself. “I don’t use magic like naturals or other magical creatures.”
He scooped it up, and I didn’t argue. His eyes brightened at the reflexive way people acted when they thought proximity to danger meant proximity to importance.
It did not.
[PARTY FORMATION: TEMPORARY ]
Leader: Silas
Support: August
Party Synergy: Uncalibrated
We moved through the building, passing by the hall of dead vending machines. They hadn’t worked since my last promotion and before my last mistake.
The elevator stalled exactly long enough to be uncomfortable. I watched the reflection of him in the dull metal panel instead of directly at him. He kept glancing at the doors, not at me but of the building. An invisible pressure in the air.
Since we worked adjacent to humans as staff but also in a human city, we had to deal with some human transportation. Elevators being one of them. Mostly because normal staff members often vomited heaps of blood from traveling many of the magical variety ways that existed in our world.
And, everyone, even those who survived on blood, got tired of that.
We stepped outside; August stopped.
“Oh,” he breathed. In that moment, I felt a small shift in the world. Background noise of the city folded into a shallow arc.
“What is it?” I asked.
His eyes went unfocused. This was similar to last night, but I was not prepared. Last night I assumed, as a new person in this job he was passing out… and awkwardly ran to assist. The only thing that existed to him in this moment was whatever information he was gathering.
“Thread.” He whispered, “It’s definitely hunger, but not.. .”
[ANALYSIS—Anomalous Magic Pattern]
Residual hunger signature—stabilized
Movement bias—repeatable
External influence suspected
He went back to wherever he goes when he’s doing this.
“Show me.” I say, pausing to see if he comes back.
[SKILL DETECTED—Finder's Thread (Rank III)]
Target Type: Sustained Hunger Event
Trace Integrity: 81%
Secondary Signature: Directive lattice detected
“Someone is steering the hunger," he answered. He mumbled something, but even if I tried, there wasn’t any hope to understand. Some of it is no longer a language from Earth.
“Can we drive to it?” I ask him. He nods and starts heading to the work car. He can direct from the passenger seat and does so. My stomach drops as I see that we are heading into a familiar area.
Kresas Hollow, a mixed zoning area with low enforcement and high foot traffic. A very popular spot for late-night fun and trouble, both if you do it right.
[STATUS EFFECT: Environmental Recall]
Emotional Stability: -3%
Focus: -1%
System Note: Prior long-term personal attachment detected within zone
I dismissed it quickly before August—who was in a trance right then and couldn’t give a shit—noticed a behavior change in me.
August started tapping his fingers on the window, indicating to stop, so I did.
“There.” He pointed upward to a rooftop. Two stories, someone leaning over the edge of a building, hands moving in short, precise motions.
[TARGET ANCHOR IDENTIFIED]
Remote handler—unknown classification
Control method—hunger-bind lattice
Line-of-sight relay confirmed
Ghoul slid from behind the shuttered noodle shop; its handler was above. Impact came in from my side of the car. Just dropping in uninvited as they often do. The car rocked violently, suspension screaming as it continued to slam into the car. Seconds later, on top of the hood, it slid in with a wet scraping sound as it did so. Ghouls face flattened against the glass, teeth first. Its breath fogged the windshield in one long, starving exhale
[SYSTEM ALERT—HOSTILE COLLISION DETECTED]
Vehicle Integrity: 63%
Threat Class: Ghoul—Urban Scavenger Variant
Attack Vector: Above/Frontal latch
Well, no shit. The car lurched again, claws punching through the hood. Metal shrieked. For a moment I thought it was going to ignore us.
I grabbed August’s sleeve, jolting him, hopefully, out of the trance he put himself in to get us into this.
"Seatbelt," I snapped. He was already moving. The ghoul dragged itself back up to the windshield, spider-crawling over the glass, the weight breaking the glass more with each step.
As the glass rained on it, it started to shift targets.
[ELEMENTAL CHANNEL—KINETIC BURST]
A compressed shockwave detonated outwards. The ghoul flew off hard away from us, forcing the vehicle in the opposing direction. I tried to control the car movement, but with what it and I did, it wasn’t surprising when the engine stalled right over a curb. Car leaned lightly; the only thing I could hear was the glass pieces falling off of us as we sat. As I started to shove and indicate to August to move
Something hit the rear door. Harder. The ghoul had already recovered and was ready for us again. It continued to slam as we started making our way through August’s side of the car.
[VEHICLE STATUS]
Driver-side structural integrity: 21%
What would have been a small hop ended up being a jolt thudding into the ground as the ghoul thrust itself into the vehicle.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Civilian-class heart signature detected.
Target preference shifting.
Shit. I activated my staff once more, putting it between us and the ghoul. Runes burned to life.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“August,” I said quietly. I summoned my staff, shifting my grip. “Stay behind me. Do not move until I tell you to.”
“I can—"
“You are literally being paid to be my assistant. Fucking assist by listening.” No anger behind my words, just knowing I needed to get us out of this alive. I was already calculating how much blood a human witch could lose before his pulse stopped.
He nodded.
Good.
“What the fuck?” August's voice was a breathy whisper.
[SYMBOL MAGIC CAST – KINETIC SNARE]
Movement Speed: -62%
Reflex Bonus: Suppressed
Duration: 7.5 seconds
The ghoul screamed, energizing itself, causing the snare I had just built to buckle just a little. Its body was blurring between frames as my mind couldn’t fully process the movement in front of me. But it was as contained as I was going to be able to for the moment. It smashing itself thoughtlessly into the car didn’t wear it down like one would hope.
August dropped the bag in front of us.
The inside of the bag was not shaped like a bag. I didn’t have time to do a full investigation of the interior. But he grabbed a silver harp, with spider-thin strings, every rune flaring brightly with flames. He pulled the arrow free like he had practiced this a thousand times.
[ITEM EQUIPPED]
Silver Harp of Hestia
Weapon Type: Arcane Ranged Instrument
Damage Type: Fire / Light
Scaling: Will + Focus
User Compatibility: Human Witch
Based on the goddess this item was blessed to—this man has never fought anything in his life.
We are going to die.
He lifted the harp, aiming past the ghoul. I wanted to argue as I watched him aim it at nothing—nothing that I could see, at least. But at an empty space between the rooftop and the street. Where the handler was last seen. He plucked.
[SKILL ACTIVATED—Severe Harmonic (Finder Variant)]
Bind Integrity Check… Success
The handler on the rooftop staggered.
In response, the stuck ghoul screeched loudly as if mourning the person. It turned in a confused circle, hunger flaring wild now without a leash. I could easily scratch this, but this was the newbie’s first active fight, and if he wanted to do this work...
"August," I said.
He flinched at his name as if I were cursing him.
“Fire.”
He exhaled, aiming the harp toward the ghoul.
[SKILL—Piercing Note]
Accuracy: Success
Critical Alignment: Pending
A burning arrow-like structure tore through the ghoul’s shoulder.
[ENEMY HP ?23%]
Burn Applied
Regeneration Interrupted
It wasn’t enough.
It ripped itself forward, tearing through my snare with raw desperation.
Without prompting, he lifted it again.
The harp thrummed, he exhaled, and plucked. No gentle sound one would expect from the instrument, just tension snapping. A burning arrow of condensed resonance screamed into existence above the strings and launched forward.
[SKILL ACTIVATED – Piercing Note]
Accuracy Check… Success
Critical Alignment… Pending
It directed its energy at the barrier I placed on it. In its rage it successfully pulled itself from the snare.
Lunging toward us -- no -- at August. I moved too late to snare or distract its movements. The ghoul clipped him and collapsed on top of him. Its claws tearing at fabric and skin in frantic speed.
I shouted and starting dumping power. There was no structure, finesse or thought into it just force. The impact knocked it off of August long enough for me to continue wildly hitting it.
The ghoul howled as molten light tore through muscle and folded back onto itself. A candle melting but not as fast as I would like for a newbie’s first mission.
[ENEMY HP: -23%]
[Burn – Applied]
[Regeneration – Interrupted]
Another blow cracked across its shoulder and drove the creature sideways into the ground.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
August was breathing but it was fast, and oh so wrong.
[ALLY STATUS — AUGUST BLOOM]
HP: 41%
Bleed: Moderate
Shock: Mild
I dropped beside him, beginning to build a containment, compression ward and any other healing magic I could pull from memory. I had the basics, as I rarely needed to administer healing to those I worked with. They either survived or were sent back to the office for resurrection.
I could risk him dying for a resurrection, but he was human, and those didn't…always go right. Quickly threw that idea out.
As I was moving, trying to get him in a comfortable position. I could feel a ward blanketing him in a warm glow. Whoever did that knew he had the potential for death. Thank you.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry ---” he gasped with what little energy he was holding on to.
Then a shadow peeled toward us, forming into what I can only imagine was another companion to this thing.
The ghoul lurched, landing on top of the collapsed man. I hit it with raw force draining what energy I could afford into the attack.
It shrieked and collapsed. Not as strong as the first one. It shouldn’t have even tried to fight.
“August,” I said. He tried to sit up, falling back into my lap and going still. He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to.
The selfish me thought about if he just died here, I could go back to working independently. But with the binding that was committed when he was hired on, there could be repercussions. That was the only reason why I started life-saving measures to begin with.
I looked over the secondary ghoul.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
Urban Ghoul – Neutralized
Threat Cleared
“I’m okay.” He said finally. It was a bad lie. But based on what I could see, he was more than likely going to survive.
“We have to get medical.” I told him. Before I could pull out my cellphone, the street moved sideways. Something dropped from above. A shadow peeling off the sky, landing behind August. Barely here, August, no warning from anywhere.
[HOSTILE SIGNATURE – LATE DETECTION]
Ghoul (Subordinate/Scavenger Type)
An even thinner, smaller one than the last secondary ghoul. What the fuck is going on. This one was definitely more starved than the last two. The person or whatever controlling these things must be doing it with food restrictions.
This was what I thought we were going to be walking in when I agreed to work this. Something that August could easily handle without fear of death.
I swung my staff toward it, this one flattened into a forgettable puddle.
[ALLY STATUS – AUGUST BLOOM]
HP: 19%
Bleed: Severe
Bite Contamination: Detected
Ghoul Rot – Early Exposure
“Silas?” he whispered. His voice was faint, no longer nervous. It barely existed.
What I could do with healing only bought me minutes. Not a cure. Just a thin, cheap band-aid.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing; that’s annoying as hell," I replied. “Don’t move.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
I stuffed my hand in my pocket to pull my phone out to call medical. He was human. I could call an ambulance, but the wounds would definitely cause them to ask me questions. Questions I couldn’t answer. But to my surprise my phone was crushed, glass pieces embedded in my hand, dropping it to shake off the pieces.
“Phone?”
Just walk away. The universe is obviously trying to tell you to get rid of him. I shook the thought away; the system overrode my nature to take the easy route.
August pointed to his bag. I rushed toward it and grabbed a simple smartphone. I tapped on the screen—emergency “RIDE OR DIE." My thumb went to hit the dial when it started loudly chirping some cheery pop song.
“August, your binding is gone. That thing was supposed to hold up for a YEAR. You shattered that fucker. I’m assuming since you answered, you’re not dead. You’re not dead, right?”
“Hello, Ride or Die. Listen, this is Silas Thorne. I need medical.”
“I am his medical.” Ride or Die answered, “Get him here.”
“Are you close?" I asked. Genuinely the passion in her voice.
“Yes. I’m sending you my address.”
There was a pause. I could hear things clattering in the background. I started moving him upward, drawing on my magic. It lessened his weight as we made it back toward the burger joint.
There I signaled Jeb, who happened to be standing out for his famous 20-minute smoke breaks. He tossed me his keys. Even after all these years... he already knew what I was going to ask.
“Fuck. Okay. I texted. Use whatever you use to get here with that information. Put me on speakerphone. I am going to do my tethering chant. It’s not going to heal him, but it’ll give you time to get him here. Do you understand?”
“Completely.” I said, clicking the phone on speaker as I propped August into the passenger seat. I rushed over to the drivers. His body slouched toward me, and I awkwardly, but gently, shoved him toward the door. As we drove, the phone connected to the Bluetooth, and her voice, rhythmic, grounded, commanding, yet comforting, vibrated through the vehicle as I followed the directions.
The apartment was an older building. Someone definitely cherished the old characteristics, but right now I was cussing at the lack of ADA features as I dragged him up the stairs.
“You cannot take what I won’t let go.” Her voice hummed the last line again as I made my way to the elevator.
I realized I was now following the strong healing magic of the chant.
“What the fuck happened?” She asked as she opened the door.
"Ghoul," I answered.
[SYSTEM LOG – INCIDENT FLAGGED]
Target: August Bloom
Threat Type: Necrotic Contamination (Class: Rot Magic)
Stability: CRITICAL
She cleared the room with two small, lazy gestures. The couch slid back without complaint. The chairs folded inward as if the apartment itself received a priority command. A low table unfolded, joints clicking softly as it reshaped into something closer to a narrow medical slab.
A warm glow surfaced through the walls, thin luminous veins rising through the paint like living circuitry. Not a spell but some type of ward line.
[LOCAL FIELD DETECTED – PRIVATE HEALING GRID] Owner Signature: Ava
Permission Layer: TRUSTED
Ava flicked two fingers at me.
“Gently.”
I lowered him onto the table like he was glass. The stasis lattice complained the moment he crossed this threshold. Her ward pressed against mine. Not in a challenge, more like a conversation, as both were there to protect August.
[BUFF INTERFERENCE – LATTICE STABILITY: 71% → 63%]
“Don’t dismantle it yet,” I said.
“I won’t.”
Ava knelt beside him and placed two fingers against his throat. Not checking for a pulse as I would have expected. She was listening, her eyes unfocused
She must have taught him how to find it. The way she moved was what I was already seeing with him.
[FAE SENSORY PASS – BIOLOGICAL / ARCANE LAYER]
“That ghoul was starving,” she said quietly, “Probably scavenging spill zones near high demon traffic areas.”
Her eyes lifted to mine.
“You let him walk through a hunting corridor.”
“He needed to get his feet soaked in the job.”
“Just part of your job.”
No more words. Air shifted, something old and heavy with something that, honestly, predated the demons entirely.
[GLAMOUR: DISABLED]
FAE PRESENCE: ELEVATED – ANCESTRAL STRAIN DETECTED
The air turned thick with layered resonance. Springwater and pollen, something sharp and bright beneath it all. Fae healing is not light. It was old, ancient, the correct path, fixing whatever it touched.
She slid her hand down his chest and along the infected arm. The rot instantly reacted to her. It reared, pressing, trying to dig deeper into August. Ava’s fingers tightened against the man as she fought it. With my lattice, she began threading her magic into mine, strengthening against what was attacking August.
[COOPERATIVE CAST – DUAL STRUCTURE SYNCHRONIZED]
STASIS LATTICE: REINFORCED
Golden-green light flared under his skin, following the branching vein of decay like sunlight poured into cracked glass.
“Do not be afraid.” She whispered—not to me, not to August, but to the rot—as she began to pull the wrongness from him. August began to twitch, his breathing hitched, and I leaned in closer than intended.
[HOSTILE STATUS – NECROTIC ENTITY: ACTIVE RESPONSE]
“Hold him.”
I didn’t question her and did so. My hand closed around his uninfected forearm. His body shuddered. A low, broken sound tore through his throat. The rot surfaced in a thin, tar-dark thread beneath Ava’s palm. It writhed and tried to split so it could burrow back into August.
“Stubborn little blight.” She muttered to me. Her power surged as the corruption tore free with a silent snap and dissolved in her grip like ash-soaked sunlight.
We both stood there watching his chest. Waiting for any signs that would need more from us.
“He’ll live.” She answered.
I straightened slowly, carefully, like if I moved any other kind of way, his living status would change. She paused long enough to go to the kitchen.
She came back with a pitcher of ice water and three cups. She sat cross-legged on a chair she pulled up to August’s face. I picked the opposite side of August, lining me in her line of sight. Conversations. With other people.
“If he had died. You would have cleaned up his death and disappeared him just like he was some kind of contract, right?” She asked. Her eyes never wavered.
I nodded and tried to feign like I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“I’ve known August for all but a day. What an imagination he has. I am a senior risk—"
“Oh, shut up. I don’t know what August got tickling up his ass to work with this place. But if he dies on your watch, I will turn the good of my people against yours. Do you understand?
I nodded. I was not going to have another clan of fae against me in this lifetime. Well, not again.