Nonexistence

"Nonexistence?" Theo raised an eyebrow, curious.

"A black mist. Was that what you saw?" Alexander leaned forward, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Yes. It gave off a kind of…"

"Dead feeling? Because that's what it represents."

The two settled into chairs. Alexander searched for a book titled *Non-esse: Viam Baal* (Nonexistence: The Path of Baal). The cover showed only a drop of blood falling onto the title, while the golden letters were devoured by darkness.

"This book was written by one of the brightest minds on deviants. Nalleth Zala, a scientist and also the former king of what we now call the Empire of Chaos. Nalleth wrote during the world's revolt, a war in which everyone turned against his empire."

"Why?"

"Nalleth, despite being a brilliant scientist, was excessively curious. Deviants manipulate science within the universal laws of physis. But Nalleth went further. He began studying magic, the opposite of our science. Something now forbidden worldwide, as it represents extreme danger. When it was discovered, all kingdoms and empires, human and non-human, united to fight against Nalleth."

"So it wasn't against his empire, but against a single man?"

"A man who challenged six nations and prolonged a war for a hundred years, emerging victorious in the end…"

"How?" Theo was intrigued.

"It's exactly what you witnessed. In the book, Nalleth describes three ways to perform magic: through the caster's ability, through rituals and sacrifices, and there's a third way. Nalleth discovered that magic, like science, uses some essence. While science has more than five types of energy, magic has only one substance. He called it nonexistence, anti-energy, or anti-life. That which corrodes everything it touches…"

"So that's what caused the cataclysm?"

"The information has remained within the scientific field, but yes. We found anti-existence in the wreckage, so we assumed it was a terrorist attack rather than a mere calculation error. But we've never seen anyone who witnessed anti-existence in its purest form… Did you come into contact with it?"

"No. I only observed it corroding all of nature… But if it was a terrorist attack, why isn't anyone investigating and searching for the culprits?" Theo questioned.

"But they are," Alexander replied. "All the Titans are leaders of some order or legion, like William Windsor, who commands twenty legions, or Lincoln Di Ham, who leads the Order of Lotus, among others. They all have a specialized squad for this case. The problem is that the culprit acted and disappeared. We can't just invade the Empire of Chaos accusing them, because it could also have been some cult following Nalleth that caused all this."

Theo clicked his tongue.

"So, how exactly does nonexistence work? Is there any way to protect against it?" he asked, curious.

"To the last question: no. It functions like energy, but it's interdimensional, beyond our dimension. Everything it touches, it destroys. Energy, matter, mana, ether, life… everything can be wiped out by this anti-energy. It manifests limitedly in our world, creating only zones called 'anti-life regions.'"

"I've heard of them. They're globally protected areas. No one can get close…" Theo nodded.

"Exactly. Nonexistence doesn't spread; it stays where it was summoned. But, as you said, it has spores. They hunt energy sources, like the cores of deviants. When they hit a core, the 'anti-life infection' occurs. Gradually, it corrodes the core until the deviant dies…"

Theo sighed and relaxed his shoulders, looking away at the floor.

"Forgive me. I know this is a sensitive topic for you, but I spoke about it so cheerfully. I apologize," Alexander lamented.

"There's no need," Theo reprimanded. "You're not at fault. What's done is done. There's no way to bring lives back. The fact that you're working on this already makes me feel a little better. Changing the subject so as not to leave this first impression gloomy between us… Dr. Alexander, you research deviants, right? Have you ever heard of a green arrow-shaped mark?"

"Are you seeking elemental resonance?" Alexander concluded. "Why the interest?"

"To draw a conclusion… How does it work?"

"Well… elemental resonance is when the caster is in perfect harmony with their element. It doesn't depend on tactics, skills, or battle experience, but on harmony. When an elemental caster is in perfect sync, when they understand the element so well that they become one with it… It's as if there's a spirit to personify an element, and the caster is in existential sync with that being."

"Is that real?" Theo adjusted himself in his chair.

Alexander cracked his neck and fingers, showing interest as an expert and teacher.

"Yes. They're divided into categories: natural, artificial, and primordial. Natural resonance awakens naturally in a deviant after a specific crisis. Artificial resonance is created in a lab, illegally. Primordial… is as I mentioned. Spirit, sync, etc. All represented by a mark that appears spontaneously on the body. The one you mentioned is the 'Wind of Freedom,' representing the north."

Alexander showed four logos in his documents. One pointed upward, like an arrow indicating north, while the others pointed to the other cardinal directions (south, east, and west).

"These are the wind marks, divided into four. With one primordial mark, but they often adopt characteristics of their users. Why the interest?" Alexander questioned again.

"Just curiosity. I saw something about it and wanted to hear from an expert."

"I see. Theo, I'll return to my research. If you want to pass the time, go bother Isabel a bit. She needs a distraction."

"Alright."

Theo leaned his head back on the chair, looking at the ceiling. "This is going to be another headache…" he thought, raising his left hand and staring at it. "First it was the ether, now this. This body never stops surprising."

☽

Luanne walked through a marble temple, located on Mount Celeste, the highest peak in Fulmenbour. The temple, left by the ancients of Romerian, was erected to worship the celestial trinity: Alunne, the moon; Ciel, the sky; and Surya, the sun.

Entering a room through an arch of stones darker than marble, Luanne found only three people. Two teenagers with short, dark hair, wrapped in black dresses covering every inch of their pale skin. An elderly woman, dressed the same way, waited for Luanne by an altar.

"Priestess Luanne, it's been a long time since our last meeting."

"Indeed, Priestess Mahina," Luanne replied. "Girls," she nodded to the young ones. "I'm in a hurry. May I use the altar alone?"

"Of course. Girls, please leave."

Luanne approached an altar before a large glass window. The light of the moon's phases spilled in gold, contrasting with the transparent blue glass.

"Lady of the night, with your gentle light. In this moment of purity shining, I invite you to visit my heart. By the stars twinkling in the vast night sky, by the tides dancing in eternal and deep rhythm," she prayed, placing her hand on a gray ether stone. "With the moonstone in my hands, I call upon you. By the song of the night, may our souls intertwine. May our meeting transcend time and space…"

"Luanne," a woman's voice called her. "It's not yet night."

Opening her eyes, Luanne found herself in a dark plane. The floor was covered by a thin layer of water, the moon reflecting in the dark night, obscured by gray clouds.

"Lady of the night," Luanne bowed.

A feminine shadow, stretching from the sea to the sky, covered the surroundings. Allowing only the moon to shine through its own creation.

"Goddess of the moon, I need your counsel…"