Page 1 of Darkness and Deceit
One
AUGUSTUS
The Balance is constant—alwayspresent, always pulsing beneath the skin of the world. It does not sleep. It shifts in echoing rhythms, steady in some eras, volatile in others.
Lately, though, it trembles. As though the realm itself is holding still, waiting to exhale.
As a Keeper, I am attuned to its shifts. I am trained to recognize the signs before tremors become quakes, before magic overflows its bounds. We are taught to listen with more than ears—to feel the hum beneath the surface, the subtle vibration that warns when the Balance begins to fray. Our duty is not to command, but to guide. To steady the current before it becomes a flood.
But what I have felt recently is not some subtle shift in flow. It is not the natural sway of magic responding to conflict or change.
This is something deeper.
Something ancient, now stirring from its slumber.
And we must uncover the source.
We have always known the Balance to be temperamental, but manageable. That is why we—the Keepers—exist: to guard itsthresholds, to ensure magic flows but never floods. To hold the scales before they tip too far into light or dark.
But lately... we have been steadying more than ever.
Whispers ripple through the realm. Places long dormant now seethe with strange energy. Tethers fray. Shadows gather.
The hum of the Balance grows louder in my mind as I sit cross-legged within the temple, eyes closed, surrounded by a sea of flickering candles. It threads through my bones like a low vibration, and my spine straightens on instinct. Despite a few grounding breaths, the feeling lingers.
This is not merely another disturbance in the current.
It is personal.
It brushes against my skin like a chill wind, wraps itself around me, curious and coaxing. It urges surrender, not submission. Connection. Rarely do I hear its call this clearly.
So I wait.
I sit in hope, listening, yearning for some shred of direction.
It draws nearer, teasing the edges of my awareness. Its whispers grow louder, more insistent, until?—
“Augustus.”
My name echoes through the air, dragging me back from the trance. My body stiffens at the sound. I exhale softly, tension lingering in my chest. It is rare for a Keeper to be disturbed within the sacred temple, and that alone tells me that whatever news awaits me must be bad.
Slowly, I open my eyes.
My gaze falls upon my grandmother. She stands at the entrance, framed by the flickering light of a thousand candles. The towering temple walls rise behind her, casting long shadows and putting into perspective how small we truly are. She wears the deep royal blue tunic of the Keepers, its rich fabric cascading to her knees. Her silver hair is drawn back neatly, revealing her sharp eyes, now fixed upon me.
Shadows dance across her dark skin as she waits, still and silent.
Something is wrong.Very wrong.
I rise in a single, fluid motion. Without hesitation, I walk the stone path to her side.
Outside, the sun greets us with a blaze of heat. The air is thick, stifling. The desert surrounding the Court stretches in every direction, merciless and bare. The white-stone walls of the Court shimmer in the sunlight, stark against the endless dunes. Even the polished ground beneath my feet radiates heat, searing through my shoes with each hurried step.
“Grave news has reached us,” my grandmother murmurs, her voice too calm to trust. “We believe we have found the location of two Duals. One is confirmed. The other... speculated.”
My body goes rigid.
A discovery of this nature is nothing short of catastrophic.
