The Arcane

The bleak and unwelcoming nature of the bookstore was left on its side of the wall.

The hidden compartment was actually a two-story house. Gina remembered her master skimming over the magic behind it, only saying it was a lost art known only to the top hierarchy of the Sept. She was unaware of which Sept her master was associated with, but to her, it did not matter.

The ground floor was illuminated by a warm yellow luminescence from the mana lamps planted on the walls. Books were scattered haphazardly across the array of tables within the room. This floor was dedicated to the study of magic—or the Arcane, as her master taught it. She had never been to the floor above for the simplest of reasons: she was not ready. Apparently. "Slow and steady," her master always said.

Seated at the only barren desk, Gina was glued to the board. Her eyes followed her master's chalk as it scraped across the blackboard, drawing a complex web of intricate runes, each designed to invoke the Arcane in different ways. Mogh Ruith's book on rituals was by far the most spectacular among the texts piled on the other tables.

"The first section of the book details bound rituals and their execution. The next covers unbound rituals, which we will study from today until Samhain, before moving on to combat magic." Gina unearthed her notebook from the pile behind her.

"Unlike bound rituals, unbound ones are more chaotic and unique to the practitioner's intent. They are called 'unbound' because they do not adhere to specific requirements, and their outcomes may challenge the known confines of magic."

"How do they achieve this without a set list of requirements?" Gina asked, intrigued.

"Take a guess."

Gina racked her mind for an answer but found none.

"Gessa." Her master paused dramatically, watching as Gina's face twisted into a scowl the more she thought about it.

I thought only knights could bear gessa after ascension, Gina mused. As if reading her mind, her master continued.

"That is why Mogh Ruith is among the greats." He tapped the cover of the book lightly with his finger. "He discovered that by binding a ritual's spellwork to a gessa, one could tailor a ritual to achieve a specific outcome."

Hooked, Gina scribbled furiously in her notebook, her mind already queuing up questions for when her master finished.

"Then what is the use of bound rituals?" Gina interrupted, curiosity burning through her.

"Reliability and efficiency." Her master chuckled, smacking her lightly on the head with the book before walking back to the board.

Gina frowned slightly at the gesture.

"How are bound rituals performed?" he asked.

"By activating the necessary nodes within the ritual's spellweb," Gina promptly answered. "Then the spell executes the ritual as defined within the spellweb."

"Exactly. Unlike unbound rituals, the results of bound rituals are predictable, within the expectations of the practitioner. But with unbound rituals, since the spellwork is bound to a gessa, the results might align with your expectations, yet differ in unexpected ways."

Gina was lost.

"How did we summon the leprechaun last time?" her master asked, trying to drive his point home.

"We used gold coins as the nodes. Then, through the spellweb, we specified that a leprechaun be summoned from the Spirit World, not from a different Otherworld."

She recalled how the leprechaun's essence had faded shortly after the summoning was complete.

"If we had used an unbound ritual, we would have needed its true name and bound that name to a spellwork using a gessa. The challenge is that a true name might belong to more than one entity, making the process unreliable."

Gina nodded, flipping to a new page and jotting something down.

"So, for it to work, we would have to narrow it down to the minutest of details?"

"Not necessarily. With unbound rituals, the spellwork is flexible, filtering out unnecessary variables to produce a reasonable range of results. The spellwebs for unbound rituals are so complex that few even attempt them. Luckily for you, you're learning from the greatest." Her master grinned, inspiring a surge of admiration within Gina that made her heart swell.

"Follow me," he commanded.

Excitement built quickly as Gina followed him up the stairs toward the forbidden second floor. It was just as she had imagined—dark, sinister, reeking of magic that should not be practiced. And she liked it.

Her master snapped his fingers, lighting the room with a dim red glow that fit the eerie ambiance. Gina's eyes widened as she took everything in, ears perked at the faint hum of runes and magic circles drawing from the Arcane. The large pool, nearly three-quarters full of what appeared to be blood, was the centerpiece.

"What did I promise you when we first met?"

"That you would help me reclaim all that is rightfully mine." Her master was now face to face with her, his hand rubbing her head endearingly.

"Today, we take the first step toward that. Let's start by fixing your face."

"Yes, master." She bowed in gratitude.

"Based on today's lesson, the process is an unbound ritual. I won't go into all the details, but one of the gessa is that you must enter the pool in reverse, and naked."

Gina did not hesitate. She obeyed, stepping into the pool backward and submerging herself completely.

Fifteen minutes passed. Her body felt as if it had been whipped raw, pain searing through every fiber. But her reliable master was there, wand in hand, casting a numbing spell followed by a light healing spell. The changes to her face were not immediately visible, but she could feel them—subtle yet undeniable.

Once she had recovered and dressed, they returned to the first floor. Herbal tea steamed from their cups. Gina cherished these post-lesson conversations; she had learned more about their world from these chats than she ever had from her tutors. Her master's tales of his youth were entertaining, but their debates on magic and the Arcane were what made her look up to him. Over the past three years, he had felt more like a father than Aemir ever had.

"You now have the best foundation. It's time to learn battle magic. I thought you'd need it by Samhain, but I believe you're ready now."

Gina knew she was ready. Finally, she was on the path that would lead to revenge—not just against her father, but against the world.

The dinner table was set. Gina shared a meal with her parents for the first time since the altercation.

Nothing can ruin today, she thought.

It had been a while since she had eaten something meaningful, so she tore into her food.

"Etiquette. You are a lady," her mother chided.

"Her?" Aemir pointed his knife at Gina. "I don't think so."

Gina ignored the comment and slowed her pace considerably.

The meal went better than she had expected. Aemir waved off the servants as they cleared the table. He poured himself some wine, waiting for the room to empty, leaving only the three of them.

Aemir swirled his glass watching the wine swirl and twirl against the glass' walls. The baroness could not face her daughter eyes staring at nothing before pearling from there to stare another bundle of nothingness. Gina could sense her mother's nervousness.

The baroness was devasted. It was happening all again. She had failed all her children. First it was Ermet then Finn and now Gina. She gathered enough courage to face her daughter. She could feel a gaze, wondering what was happening.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, She muttered trying to hold everything in. The pain. Resentment.Helpnessess.

The tension was starting to press Gina as it built steadily. She began feel nervous, struggling to calm her nerves.

It will be okay. Maybe it's just a lecture, She tried to reinforce her belief while playing everything else down.

"Gina," he began, pausing dramatically. "You are getting married after Samhain. Everything has been arranged."

Gina shot up from her chair, fists clenched. The rumblings of power stirred within her, whispering for vengeance. Strike them. Smite them in divine retribution. But she knew it was too soon. She had to trust her master. She just had to wait until Samhain, and then everything would be settled.

She uncurled her fists and stormed out.

"Throw all the tantrums you want," Aemir called after her. "You are still getting married. I hope he doesn't treat you well."

"Don't say that," the Baroness scolded. "Gina!" She rushed after her daughter.

Gina slammed her door shut, locking it with magic. She slid down against it, knees pulled to her chest. Her mother's muffled voice called out beyond the door, but she no longer cared. Tears burned down her cheeks as she shuddered, the crushing weight of helplessness breaking her into heavy sobs.