Edel stood on a black sand beach, turbulent waves licking at the bottom of this long red robe. The sky above him was a chaotic mess of blacken clouds and a crimson horizon. A storm was coming, one that would change the world of Exangs forever. The storm was a manufactured cloud of pure magic created to target the evil of this world and to make it disappear forever. In the folds of his lengthy sleeves, he held a book no bigger than his hand. The magic within it could end this storm and put a stop to the pending disaster.

“The storm is starting, you know.” Edel turned to find the thin skeleton form of his lover, Izax. He stood above Edel, on a small barren hill, dressed in a pair of loose pants and a white button-up shirt. “You need to do the spell.”

With a sigh, Edel uncovered the book from his robes and looked down upon it. The ancient tome belonged to the Lancaster’s, a powerful noble family to which Edel and Exo were a part of. Its leather was cracked and faded, the name engraved on it was fading. Despite this, it was almost humming with a familiar energy. “You need to get inside; the waves are rising. You should prepare.”

“Why don’t you just do it already? Why don’t you end his deranged scheme before it starts?”

Edel looked away from Izax, biting his lip in hesitation.

Three years ago, Edel and his brother Exo had escaped pure hell. But it had come at a great cost. Both of them had been forced to witness the death of their family. That was why, in the year after, Exo had searched far and wide for this spell. He had told Edel it would target anyone with a craving for undesirable action. Anyone with a heart of darkness.

At first, Edel had thought this spell would be a good idea. Rid the world of evil. Then no one would have to suffer. But then Izax, who had suffered with Exo and Edel in the confines of the Organization, had found out. He tried to reason with Exo, saying it was impossible to do what he wanted to. The lines between good and evil were blurry at best, Izax had reminded Exo. For that, Izax was almost killed. Exo was hell-bent on this spell, and it scared Edel so much he and Izax ran away the next day along with the Lancaster book.

“The Organization nearly killed you. They wanted the secrets of the Book of Manifestations. And they almost got it,” Edel told Izax.

“But they didn’t. The Book is safe, and its secrets will be buried with you. Your brother’s spell will kill us all,” Izax said as he made his way down the hell. “There is no clear definition of purity or of innocence. We have all done things we regret; things marred in sin.”

Edel watched silently as Izax made his way to him. Some part of him knew what he said was the truth. No one was really innocent. This spell could end up doing more harm than good. After the storm settled, millions could suffer just to punish a few thousand.

In the distant, thunder rumbled.

“Edel.” Izax placed his hand on Edel’s pale cheek. “We ran away from your brother so we could do this spell. So we could end this. You need to end this. There are rumors Exo is-”

“I don’t know if I can. This spell… it might work. It might vanquish the men who did this!” Edel gestured to his face, where a nasty, jagged scar ran from the middle of his forehead to the middle of his left cheek. “It could vanquish the corruption that caused-”

Lightning struck somewhere miles away, yet the boom was enough to make them jump.

Shaking, Izax said, “Edel. If this spell is done, then millions who don’t deserve it will be slaughtered. You’ll be like the Organization.”

White hot anger coursed through Edel’s words. With a pale, trembling hand, he smacked Izax across the face so hard it brought tears. “How dare you insinuate that Exo or I are anything like them! They murdered my family!”

Miles away, a volcano began to spew ash.

“That just proves my point! You want the Organization dead! You are not all that innocent Edel. You will be a casualty of this spell.”

“SHUT UP!” Edel threw the book down and pointed a finger to the path which led back to their house. “As a noble of the great Lancaster family, I order you to go away!”

Thunder rumbled yet again. The sky, which had been slowly turning from its angry red to a dark grey, opened up. It began to pour.

Izax rushed forward and grabbed the book from its watery grave. “Never! Not until you do the spell-”

Edel grabbed the book, now soggy and unreadable. “Never.”

“Please, Edel. Please. I almost lost you to the Organization. It nearly killed me.” Izax’s eyes- pure gold- were filling with fear. “I love you. Do not let your anger destroy all that is still good.”

In shock of his words, Edel was about to drop the book again. He looked down at it and muttered a spell which would heal its damage.

The spell didn’t work. A rune on the Lancaster book lit up in green. Edel recognized it- The Rune of Unchangeable Damage. Once the book was damaged, that was it- it was no good. That was the evil of the rune.

“Edel…” Izax’s voice shook. He clutched Edel’s arm. “It’s too late isn’t it?”

Around them, the world was being to glow white.

“No, it’s not,” Edel whispered. Izax could barely it above the howling wind. He moved away from Izax and to the ocean. “Before she died, my mother taught me how to summon the Book of Manifestation. It can end this.”

“Do you have the power for that?” Izax yelled into the wind. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. The temperature had dropped several degrees.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Edel yelled back as a giant wave swept him out to sea.