The Reaper's Trust

A Rose's Thorns

The day passed; the sun crossed the sky, and then the moon arose to do the same. Violet studied long into the black night, eagerly reading the ancient texts that floated around her. She looked back and forth between them, affirming and connecting their information as it soaked into her memory.

She didn't eat or sleep; she couldn't. She had no time for such things when her eyes were fixed on the delicate pages of the tomes that seduced her. The way they so intimately caressed her mind was hypnotic and kept her hungry for more through the late hours.

The books whispered their knowledge to her without end. The magic they spoke of would be arduous to most, but Violet understood it perfectly. She practiced many esoteric spells to stunning success. She learned of incredible techniques – possession, telepathy, and even the coma spell that she found so laughable.

But that wasn't all. Many forbidden skills hid among the pages, revealing themselves to the corrupted mage. At this pleasurable moment, when magic flowed freely within her, she knew more than ever that she and the mystic arts were made for each other.

Only one thing troubled her. The notes on Resurrection were redundant and discouraging. Violet had hoped for extra research on the ability, but it seemed the king was honest. Every scribble she had stolen from the archives was a reiteration of his words: Resurrection could only be complete with Creation and black magic combined. There was no other way.

The idea frustrated Violet, but didn't stop her. She shook her head and set the notes aside as not to be distracted by them, then immediately levitated more books before her. One in particular was especially fancy, its cover and spine bound by golden lace and blue jewels.

It called to the Frostylian, but refused to open to her. It seemed impossible to separate the pages until she realized it was sealed with a magic lock.

Violet's face was split by a wicked, ambitious grin. The secrets held by this book surely were vast. She tapped its cover and glowing sigils appeared. They floated like gears to form a complex lock that was soon undone by the mage. She had studied these types before and had little trouble arranging the sigils correctly. They faded and the book opened with a satisfying sound.

Instantly, Violet's thoughts were caught in the grasp of the text. What she found inside wasn't written like an informative tome, but rather like a journal. Familiar handwriting described a dreamlike place; a place where water stretched forever and the sky was a beautiful nebula all around. It was called the Creation Pool, and was supposedly the heart of the universe.

Violet's eyes widened, and the dark energy trailing from them pulsed with vigor as villainous ideas and temptations filled her. She remembered the myth Willow spoke of.

It seemed to be no myth at all.

The journal entries continued on, mentioning that the water of the Creation Pool was laced with magic and had many uses. It was tied to life itself, its reflection able to reveal any place in the universe as well as warp anything anywhere.

Nothing was as incredible as what Violet discovered next, however. She read on, and could barely contain her malice as she studied the makeup of the Creation Pool's water.

The energy that swam within it was delicate, and would be easily vulnerable to dark magic. And like fate had been smiling down upon her, Violet fully understood the spell to enter the mystical place.

It was accessible only by a portal that the king had carefully prepared. Violet leafed through the book and found the details of the spell necessary. It was intricate and advanced, but she wasn't about to let that stop her. Corrupting the heart of the universe would be the final step, the checkmate needed to overthrow the Sages.