BOOK ONE
Imagine a world of magic with shining violet seas, rich emerald grass, and an azure sky with three beautiful moons, each one bigger than the other, and a single sun that glows a deep red. A world with golden sand and sparkling dunes, rich lavender snow, and onyx soil that's warm to the touch, except for the places where only ice lies beneath your feet.
Imagine a world where chaos reigns and order destroys, where the 3 continents that make up the world are each in their own state of ruin, each one run by one of the first Powered Elites (sometimes called Magic Elite). These elite are the decedents of the very first Powered.
The Powered Families were simply always in control of everything since the dawn of time. Since the people's grandparents, great-grandparents, and even their great-great-grandparents could remember, it just always was. There were 12 in the Realm of Oridian. There were 9 in the Realm of Asharia. There were 3 in the Land of Rebellion. And there were 7 in the Desert Sands (also known as the Continent of Eziunai, a barren wasteland).
Each of the families planted their roots in their own controlled provinces, and each grew such a lineage to last thousands of years. For many centuries incest was popular among many Elite Families to keep the bloodlines pure, but down the line, it became more common to marry into regular families. However incest was still practiced for many years here and there, and only within the last 200 years was it considered distasteful. Magic only belongs to the relations of the Elite Families. 31 Elite families in the Entire World, and they control the planet.
Sometimes, there are latent mutant X genes in a normal human's DNA. This creates what is called an Imp. The latent magic is there, but their specific family line would have bred the magic out throughout the centuries long ago, most likely a regional thing as their family would be forced to marry normal mortals in a place where magical folk didn't wander during periods of segregation.
This 'theory' for the cause of the non-familial suddenly powered, more commonly referred to as Imps or Imposters, is the most accepted in the scientific community. However, there are skeptics out there who push propaganda saying that Imps don't have any latent DNA but are instead being given them by the government as special hand-picked favorites.
Other conspiracy theories include that Imps are regular folk being possessed by demons, that they are demons, and even others say that Imps are thieves who steal powers from real families. They are demonized, and they are hunted and experimented on whenever the existence of one becomes known to a government. There are no laws in Asharia or Oridian about the Rights of the Imps. The Desert Sands deny their existence, and the only place of refuge for Imps is in the smallest continent, the Land of Rebellion.
So imagine this world with its rich history, its dark past, and its mysterious Elite Families. This world dipped in hunger and strife despite having the very ability to grow food and create wealth from nothing. Think of this world, and think of two people from different mainlands thrust together in the most unlikely of meetings. Think of them and watch through your eyes as they battle demons both real and quite human. Close your eyes. Dream with me.
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PART ONE: WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE
Circe Dune didn't know how to be a normal person. She was cold and often aloof and didn't really like to interact with other people. She was bookish, as well as by the book. She liked order and rules, and she stuck to her lane. She was a brilliant mind like all Durne's tended out to be. A literal IQ genius and chemist that worked in her own lab at Durne Pharmaceuticals, the company that her family name controlled.
You see because she was a Durne, that came with a lot of baggage and history. She was one of the Elite and Powered of the realm, and she possessed the ability to make others see things in their minds. She could give them visions of hellish beings, or make them believe they're talking to their dead spouse.
She could also manipulate people's minds. With one sentence she could make you howl like a wolf, in the next she could command you to kill yourself, and you'd do it. It was a dangerous power, being able to literally control another person and shape your reality around it. The Durne family had a long history of giving birth to murderers and lunatics, and if you weren't already insane the darkly seductive powers would soon change that. It was something she never wanted to become, and she had drawn a strict Line in the ground.
This Line was a moral code. She would not use her powers for selfish gain, and never for evil reasons. She tried to use this particular power as little as possible, as she knew it was corrupted. Her last and final ability is minor telekinesis. She can move objects the size of a large table or smaller.
So this is who she was. A chemist by profession and highly strung by nature. She was snarky, quick-witted, and no-nonsense. In other words, she had a stick up her ass. But all of that was about to change.
JUNE
Circe Durne was currently in The City of Fortune, the Eighth and Elite City of Oridian. It was the middle of the summer in the destination location, and Circe had fully come prepared to do nothing but relax and de-stress. The City of Fortune was a popular vacation hot spot, for it was right by the docks that bordered the Azure Sea. People pulling into the harbor could enjoy their vacation right away, and people leaving can go anywhere they wish beyond - if you had the coin, that is.
It had beaches of golden sand that sparkled in the morning light, resorts and casinos, and all of the alcohol and entertainment you could possibly want. Now, while the whole of Alara was pretty much stuck in the late-Victorian style era when it came to technology (due to the abundance of magical solutions), and the dress and architecture were pretty much the same, there were a lot of differences.
With the magical ability to shape the soil, minerals, and rock the Trinket family (one of the Twelve, and rulers of The City of Dust) were honored and well-respected architects who helped build many places around the country. In fact, they helped build Azura Pier where Circe was currently located, facing the ships on the dock which emitted no smoke, for with the use of magic there was no need to upgrade to metal engines. Instead their flags flew freely in the winds, displaying their individual banners.
It was a gorgeous day, with many small shops around the transparent boardwalk peddling their wares and awing their customers. There was music and laughter and the wafting scent of buttered food and sweet treats. There were carnival games and restaurants, and overall the air was rippling with good times and happy people as they wandered around, the shining purple sea visible below their sturdy feet.
Circe was wandering around absentmindedly, enjoying the view when suddenly a figure stepped right in front of her, thrusting a piece of jewelry at her face. "Brass Necklace, ma'am? Genuine Asharia metal made and imported right off the border! It would look beautiful on you, yes?"
"No thank you," Circe murmured, her face scrunching up in annoyance as she moved to get out of his way. Sighing, she rolled her brown eyes skyward. She forgot how persistent some of the sellers here could be. It was crowded, and there were a lot of people around her, but she managed to dip under someone's arm and escaped all the traffic. As she turned around from the crowd she bumped into a child who quickly walked away.
"Sorry - wait, hey, no! Stop right there!" She yelled, quickly realizing that her coin bag had been snatched. The boy stopped in his tracks, suddenly unable to move his feet as if they were glued to the ground.
"Hey, what the hell is this?!" The kid struggled, trying to move as Circe caught up with him.
Looking the thief over, Circe's anger only grew, as she could tell the child wasn't poorly off. In fact, he was wearing fancy clothes. She snatched the small leather pouch back and made a quick decision on what to do with him. She could always tell him to turn himself in to the police, but she knew he'd get a harsher sentence than such an act deserved.
"Go home to your mother and tell her what you've done, then find any other stolen items you've taken and return them to their owners," she Commanded, using her power. The boy's eyes widened in fear as he felt her power begin to compel him, and his feet began to move. "And don't forget to apologize!" She yelled after him, watching as his small figure rushed away.
Circe smirked, pleased with herself. She wasn't breaking any of her rules by doing this, and hopefully, the child would get a good reprimand from his mother, and learn a lesson from all of this.
Suddenly the pad of Circe's thumb began to tingle where a small rune was tattooed there. Breaking out in a grin, Circe held up her thumb and index finger in an L shape, fixing her hair quickly before accepting the call. She looked presentable enough with her long hazel brown hair trailing down her back in a single braid, not a hair out of place. She was wearing her usual casual wear which included several items long-ago stolen from her brother's closet. This included black boots, a dark green tunic, and a dark leather jacket that made her feel like an adventurous pirate. The rest of her outfit included form-fitting leather pants (decidedly not from her brother's closet), and several pieces of jewelry adorned on her fingers and wrist.
"I'm supposed to be on vacation," Circe reminded her friend, as she appeared in a sparkling mist in between her two fingers. The image blurred several times before finally coming into clear focus.
"Not a social call, unfortunately," her friend and co-worker, Lilith, replied. "Your stupid cousin wants an answer on when the A5 testing pills will be ready for market. He's rather insistent you answer him now, and yes, before you ask, he knows you're on vacation. I don't know what to tell him, he also wants those documents you said you'd send him last week, apparently, they got lost and he never received them."
Groaning, Circe resigned herself to a night at the resort hotel, not sipping Blue Drinks by the pool but instead working yet again on another project, because of course she couldn't get a moment's rest. Of course she had to do this now. She said goodbye to Lilith and then ended the call. It was getting late, and the sun was going down. Taking one last good glance at the sunset around the pier, Circe headed back the way she came, not noticing the eyes that followed her, or the feet that followed.
Several hours passed since she got back to her suite, and her eyes were straining from staring at the holographs around her, enchanted magic that helped her visually map out what data she had and what she needed to send. When she was finally done answering all of her cousin's questions after calling him she began to work on another project she was in the middle of, because why not? Her vacation was already ruined. So it wasn't until it was very late and very dark that she finally drifted off to sleep.
She woke to the feeling of being suffocated. Circe's eyes snapped open as she reflexively reached out, grappling with the hands that were currently around her throat. She flailed as she tried desperately to breathe, to speak, to do anything. She had no idea what was happening, but at the same time, she could hardly think beyond anything besides I need air. Her world went black.
The next time she woke up it felt like the world was rocking, and she felt sick. She quickly passed out once more...
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"
Circe startled awake. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dark room, but she could faintly make out her surroundings. It was a small room, with bare concrete walls and barely anything inside of it. There was only the chair she was tied to, the chair he was sitting on, and a small table by the far wall with what looked to be open books on top of it. Tearing her gaze away from the room, she instead focused them on the man in front of her, making sure her dark eyes portrayed every ounce of fury she felt. She was currently gagged, and there was a fresh rune tattooed on her neck that was temporarily repressing her powers.
"So, you're a Durne." The man murmured, looking her over. He was of average build and had dark hair, green eyes, and brown skin - as was common among the people of Asharia, also known as the Border Lands. Circe narrowed her eyes at him at this statement, wondering what that had to do with anything. Before she could wonder too hard, however, she was suddenly shocked by a harsh backhand to her face. "That's for your Head of House!" He yelled.
Ah, now she saw where this was going. Great, just great. Orion Durne, Head of House Durne was well known for making enemies. Circe just didn't know he had any east of the border. Wait a second, was she even in Oridian?! Faintly she started to recall the feeling of rocking and being on what sounded like a boat. Her eyes widened and she nearly began to panic before adjusting her breathing. She had to be calm, she had to be cool, and she had to be smart if she wanted to get out of this. She had no idea what her captor wanted, after all, and she couldn't exactly ask. She glared some more.
"Fuck you," the man growled. "Fuck you, and fuck your uncle," he snapped. He shook his head before standing up from his chair, then turned his back to her and walked to the end of the room, before turning back to her once more. "I bet you have no idea why you're even here," he murmured after a few minutes of silence. "Well, let me enlighten you."
"Durne Pharmaceuticals," he began. "The largest and most powerful pharmaceutical company in all of Oridian - the company for which you work as a chemist, and your Great-Uncle is the CEO. The same company that also peddles illegal power drugs and experimental procedures."
Circe looked back at him blandly, as if it to say, yes, I know the one. Get on with it.
She was well aware of the dark underbelly of her family's company. Or at least the rumors. She didn't like to think the medicine she was working on was being manipulated or misused for anything nefarious, so she decided shortly after she began to work that she'd ignore everything to do with the black market pills, and be blindly ignorant if she recognized any traces of her work in street drugs. If any of the street drugs were connected to her work, she'd know. However, so far she was pretty certain her inventions were only being used as intended - to help people. As for experiments and drugs made by others, well, there was evidence, and she knew the Durne's were capable of it.
The man scoffed at her look of disinterest, barely contained fury plastered on his face. He looked like he wanted to hit her again, but instead went over to the wall by the table and punched it, before grabbing a gun out of one of the desks. Circe's eyes widened, once more paying rapt attention as he strode back over to her and sat down, pointing the gun at her more calmly.
"Let me tell you a story about an idea that would change the way our brains work forever, and about the fool of the man who lost it all. It begins with a young twenty-year-old me living here in the slums of The Brass City, with no money and a sick mother. You see, my mother's brain was dying, and none of the doctors could fix it. I had no way to see one of the healers of the Aurora family, they were too far in Oridian and I was too poor - so I decided to work on a cure myself."
"I had the idea, and it was foolproof. I already had created a prototype with promising prospects and results, but unfortunately, my name is a bit of a joke in the scientific community of Asharia, and so I couldn't exactly get any funding for more pills..." He trailed off, looking more and more uncertain as his anger slipped away to be replaced by a thoughtful expression as if he was remembering unpleasant things. Circe was starting to wonder if this man was as well-put-together as she first thought.
"But one day I met a man who believed in me. He was a foreigner from overseas in Oridian. He was also a representative of Durne Pharmaceuticals. He said he'd provide me with a lab and the funding I needed... so I took it. I was also able to hand pick ten scientists to work with, and Durne provided. I worked here, on this side of the border on my work, and conferred and consulted with the Durne Lab on everything related to the drug. After three years it was finally perfected, and Remembrance was ready to put to market." He stopped here, almost sounding wistful. His expression then turned dark and angry as he hissed out his next words, "But before we could go public, your family cut all ties with me and my lab, and stole my work!" The last line was punctuated with a shout as he jabbed the butt of the gun onto her forehead, before regaining his temper and leaning back in his chair.
Circe's mind was whirring. Remembrance. It was a relatively new drug that Durne Pharmaceuticals had created and put to market. It had to do with the memory sensors in the brain and retrieving thoughts and feelings that may have been forgotten. It was extremely popular not only for actually medicinal use but also by people who just wanted help with their memorization skills or remembering things long past. They had raked in quite a bit of money the first week it launched. She had no idea if what this man was saying was true, but if it was that meant the rights to Remembrance belonged partly to him, and he was cut out of a large financial gain.
Well, what did she have to do with this besides being a Durne? Why was she the one to be kidnapped on vacation? Why was she the one that had to be dragged to an entirely different country? She was Orion's Great-Niece for crying out loud! It wasn't like there weren't more closely-related relatives to the man. Why wasn't one of her cousins or uncles sitting in this chair instead? That's a horrible thought, Circe.
The man had stopped talking at this point, and he'd been sitting in front of her in silence for the past few minutes, gun still pointed at her as he seemed lost in thought. Despite his burst of anger here and there, along with the gun, he didn't really strike her as an opposing figure. No, she thought, he wasn't very scary at all. In fact, Circe realized the man looked rather disheveled as if he was hung-over and had a lack of sleep. She tried to sniff the air discreetly. Oh yeah, this guy enjoyed drinking from the bottle.
"I don't know what I'm doing," the man finally sighed, clearly talking to himself as he stood back up and turned away from her, walking back over to the table on the other end of the room. She could hear him mumbling and talking to himself. She picked up snippets of his words and realized he was trying to figure out what to do with her as if he didn't have a plan in mind when she was first kidnapped! For the first time, Circe wondered if she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wondered however how the man knew she was a Durne, and then she remembered. The child.
He must have seen her use her power on the kid who had tried to steal her purse, and that's how he knew who she was. She wondered if this was even premeditated because Circe had gone off to The City of Fortune on rather a whim. Did she actually get kidnapped due to a drunk guy's stupid decisions? How the hell did she allow this to happen? Suddenly the door opened, and another man stepped inside. He had a slave collar around his neck and handed something to The Man before leaving again.
Turning her attention away from what was going on across the room, Circe decided to try to find her bearings, and work on a means of escape. Her adrenaline had worn off by now and she was feeling beyond weary and tired. She just wanted to free her lips and then get out of here so she could go back home. Maybe yell at her Great-Uncle whenever she saw him at the next family dinner.
Across the room The Man had begun to speak in a low voice, apparently communicating with someone from what little she could hear. His back was turned to her, but she assumed he was using a Holograph Rune to talk to someone else. "Yes, Harushu, Harushu Nai. You know me, I'm your cousin!" He snapped, before lowering his voice to a point she couldn't hear.
While she was curious as to what was being said, Circe returned to work on her restraints. After over ten minutes of discreet wiggling and trying to use her other non-voice-operated powers, she gave up. There was no use, she was trapped here. She wanted to scream.
She had no idea where she was, aside from the fact that she was so far away from home that she was on another land mass. She was tired, she was scared, and she was without her powers. She was all alone.
After about twenty minutes the man, who she now knew was called Harushu, left the room. Soon after the slave from before entered, presumably to keep an eye on her. Hours and hours passed in silence, and she wondered if Harushu would ever return, and if he did, what he'd do with her. Or to her. It didn't seem like the man was very organized, and Circe had deduced a lot at this point from simply listening to the hitch of his breathing. He was a man with nothing that wanted everything. Someone with the anger required for revenge, but not the ability to go through with it. Circe was really beating herself up now for allowing herself to be captured so easily.
Eventually, even Circe's self-preservation and fear couldn't keep her from dosing off, and it wasn't until several hours later that she woke up to a large bang. Gasping awake behind her gag, Circe's eyes quickly attempted to adjust to the room. There were no windows, so it was still dark despite however much time had passed, and the lamp was dim, so it was hard to make out the cause at first, until a light she'd never seen switched on, bathing the entire room.
The noise was caused by the door slamming open, and the door handle was unnecessarily now embedded in the wall. Unnecessarily because Harushu was just behind the group of four men, dejectedly holding up a key ring as he looked at his wall which now had two holes in it. Circe's eyes quickly went back to the new arrivals, taking in their black tactical suits and weapons. Suddenly the one in the front opened his mouth and spoke. "Circe Durne. What a pleasure to meet you. You can call me The Handler, and I have a job proposition for you."
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