There was no consequence to Jocelyn's cut. Nothing happened in fact.

Asmodella leaned forward, her thumb and index finger rubbing the base of her chin “Now that’s different.”

Jocelyn made another cut, and then another, following the glowing outlines of the tree. She continued snipping away at the branches until all the outlines were gone.

When she was finished, she leaned back in her chair and examined the tree.

It was a different looking bonsai now. It looked absolutely radiant.

“How did you know how to do that?” Asmodella asked.

“She told me how.” Jocelyn gestured towards the tree.

“He, actually,” the Divine corrected her. “I’m impressed. As long as I’ve been doing this little test, I’ve never seen anyone do what you did. You went beyond the realm of what was required and delivered beyond my expectations.”

“So I keep my life?”

“You keep your physical form.”

“I’ll take whatever time I have left with it,” Jocelyn said, staring at her black veins. “I don’t suppose you could tell me how much longer that is.”

Asmodella frowned. “Not long, I’m afraid.”

“I figured. If you do happen to visit your brother, Ruin, maybe you can put in a good word for me and have him fix me.”

“I’d sooner stick needles through my eyes,” Asmodella said. “He’s not someone you have a casual chat with over a cup of java.”

“Damn.”

There was a brief moment of uneasy silence between the two.

“Screw it, I can do something else for you though,” she muttered, waving her hand. “I know I’m breaking the rules, but I can live with a little slap on the wrist.”

Jocelyn watched as the bonsai’s roots unraveled from the table. Slowly, the tree began to elevate into the air. Asmodella snapped her fingers and a square base appeared around the bottom of the tree.

“A gift,” Asmodella said as the bonsai floated towards Jocelyn. “Consider it a reward for going beyond what was required.”

The bonsai landed in Jocelyn’s receiving hands. She stared at it with wonderment.

“I’m not sure if you want to give this to me,” Jocelyn said, her eyes still fixated on the bonsai. “I don’t know the first thing about taking care of plants.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Asmodella said. “This tree will take care of itself. However, it’s important to note that your life thread is still tied to this tree. When this tree dies, you will die also. The same goes the other way.”

“This isn’t much of a gift then, is it? You’re giving me something that’s another way to kill me. What if I accidentally drop it or sit on it?”

“Don’t drop or sit on it then,” Asmodella said. “But let me finish. This species of bonsai tree has quite a long lifespan. It has also developed a little bit of resiliency to the ruin that’s coursing through your veins. The bond you share with it will allow the bonsai to take on some of the burden of the poison running through your bloodstream. Not a lot, but still enough to prolong your life by a little more than a year.”

A full year of extra life; it was a precious gift. Perhaps, within the year, she could find herself a cure—that was if the Asrai let her.

“I heard the heart of the Acrophya can heal me,” Jocelyn said.

“Sorry to break the news to you honey, but it won’t. As I said, the only way to get rid of it is by seeking out my brother. It’s his blood that’s killing you.”

The revelation surprised Jocelyn. Not once did it cross her mind that the Erobium extract was in actuality the blood of a god. She wondered what Ruin thought of having his blood used to fuel warships.

If finding him was the key to living, then Jocelyn had to try.

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“Where do I start?”

Asmodella shrugged. “I have no clue where he’s hiding these days. I haven’t seen him for centuries. The only thing I know is that he enjoys the sounds of bells.”

“Bells?”

“Like those large, gothic ones you find in old churches. He’s always been drawn to them for some reason.”

“So I should find some old churches and start ringing their bells?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Look, in all honesty, he’s not someone you want to meet. You’ve heard of the devil, right?”

Jocelyn nodded. “Who hasn’t?”

“Well, my brother is worse. He’d make the devil look like a chimp in comparison.”

“I’m still going to try and find him,” Jocelyn said. “I have nothing to lose.”

Asmodella smiled. “I like you, Jocelyn Dark.”

“Dark’s not my last name, as you pointed out.”

“It’ll do for now.” Asmodella took a moment to glance at the setting sun. “Well, look at the time. It’s dusk. We’ve been at this for a while now, haven’t we? You did well today. In passing the test, I have given you access to magic.”

“What does that mean?”

“Come with me,” Asmodella said, waving her had. The floor opened up in front of them, revealing a winding staircase that descended deep into the ground. Asmodella made her way down.

“Coming, love?” she asked.

Jocelyn was hesitant at first, but soon realized there was nowhere else for her to go.

She followed the Divine down the long staircase and into the unknown depths of the floating castle. Jocelyn was expecting a dungeon down below.

It wasn’t.

Instead, she found herself standing inside a large trophy room. Rows upon rows of glass display cases filled this lovely chamber. Inside these cases were various artifacts, some ancient relics, others advanced weaponry built with technology yet to be discovered.

Asmodella had acquired quite a collection of pretty things.

“What are all these?” Jocelyn asked as they slowly walked through one of the isles. One of the cases displayed an odd looking black helmet, suspended in the air.

“These are things the universe once had access to a long, long time ago. Every one of these items harbors unimaginable power that, in the wrong hands, could spell doom for the entire universe. Sounds intense, right?”

Jocelyn nodded, staring at a massive book the size of her entire body. The pages looked old and wilted. The writing was foreign.

“That’s why I keep all these here,” Asmodella said, “To keep silly creatures like yourself from hurting one another.”

“You went out and got all these yourself?”

Asmodella laughed. “No, don’t be foolish. I don’t have the time. I employ a few mortal beings to help me with that.”

“Treasure hunters,” Jocelyn said.

“Yes,” Asmodella replied. “In fact, I’m meeting with one of them this afternoon. He stole a chalice from a despot baron from a distant star.” She leaned in closer. “Whoever drinks from the chalice is granted the unique ability of invisibility for a single day. Can you imagine what one of the warring armies could do with that power?”

What Jocelyn imagined was frightening.

“Luckily, the baron was using it to spy on teenage duchesses while they bathed.”

“Gross.”

“I agree, but the outcome could have been much worse.”

At the end of the hallway was a set of large white double doors. The patterns carved on them were stunning, a seamless tapestry of intricate details that told a story involving knights and dragons.

“In we go,” Asmodella said as she pushed open one of the doors.

Jocelyn was surprised to see a little human boy sitting cross-legged on the floor, in the center of the room. He was completely hairless and dressed in long robes. His eyes were closed, as if deep in meditation.

“Hello.” His voice echoed throughout the room. His mouth had not moved.

“Hello yourself,” Asmodella said. “I’ve brought someone with me.”

“I can tell.” His lips were still sealed and eyes still closed. “She is the latest?”

“Yes.”

“Dark or Light?”

“Her blood is poisoned by Ruin,” Asmodella said.

“Dark, then.”

“Yes.”

Questions involving ‘who, what, where, when, and why’ crossed Jocelyn’s mind as she stood there, dumbfounded.

She decided to ask a question of her own. “Who is this boy?”

“He is the vessel whom you’ll be drawing magic from,” Asmodella said.

“I don’t understand.”

“My vessels serve as the portal in which mortals can access magic.”

Jocelyn scratched her head. “So let me get this straight, this boy is like a magic faucet?”

Asmodella nodded. “That’s an interesting way to describe it, but yes.”

“And this boy will also allow me to perform magic?”

“Something along those lines,” Asmodella said. “You see; the resources of magic aren’t infinite. It requires fuel to run the source of all magicka, which I like to call the Magic Engine. The primary purpose of my vessels, like Simon here, is to convert energy into the needed fuel to run this entire system efficiently and effectively.”

“Okay,” Jocelyn said, doing her best to follow along.

“The secondary purpose of the vessel is to provide you access to the magic housed in the Magic Engine. Think of him as a bridge or a link. Finally, Simon will also be monitoring you. If you’ve been abusing your magical gifts, I’ll know about it.”

“Is he the only vessel?”

Asmodella shook her head. “No. He is one of billions. There are different levels of magic, all enabling different abilities. The permutations and combinations are endless. He is just one small node in an infinite web.”

“So how do I access all the other levels and nodes?” Jocelyn asked. “How do I create multiple combinations of magical powers?”

“You don’t get to decide,” Asmodella said. “My little watchers do.” She rested her hand gently on the boy’s shoulder.

“So it’s like a test? I need to deem myself worthy before I advance?”

“Yes.”

“Fair enough.”

“Perhaps she’d like to meet my brothers and sisters?” Simon suggested.

Asmodella shook her head. “You know the rules. Not until she’s ready.”

“What if I feel like I’m ready?” Jocelyn stated.

“Then I’ll say you’re being impatient,” Asmodella said. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Now if we have everything you need, I bid you farewell.”

“No wait—” but before Jocelyn could say another word, the world around her began to go dark.

“Perhaps she was a mistake,” Jocelyn heard Simon say.

“No,” Asmodella said, just before Jocelyn blacked out. “If you only knew who her father was…”