//------------------------------// // chapter 1: Fading // Story: Chaos and Order (working title) // by Cord Clover //------------------------------// Central Europe 1590 Nordlingen, Germany It is night and it was chaos, the town is in the middle of the hunt for a girl who was accused of being a witch, huge mobs of peasants with torches and pitchforks walk the roads in search of her while the poor thing kept running away and hiding from their pursuers while trying to escape. If the girl had bothered to look up, she would have noticed that there was something or rather someone floating in the middle of the sky watching the riot and chaos she had caused when they discovered her acts of witchcraft, but mostly she was he would realize that he was observing and talking to himself. "She's not going to make it," he said simply, as if the girl's situation was a show and he was just about to witness the end. "Well... I guess this is the last attempt I'm making to teach magic in this place, I'm surprised they've reacted so negatively" The being said, sounding a little disappointed. "So what did you expect? This part of the world is very aversive when it comes to magic.” A female voice sounded out of nowhere behind the being. "I don't know, I thought this time it would be different, I just don't understand his fear and hatred of that" Said the being unfazed by the sudden appearance of the voice. "But, on the other hand, I suppose it was obvious what was going to happen" The being turned to look at her "Do you really think it's worth it to keep trying, Order?" He said jokingly. That girl wore a white robe that covered her entire body, only leaving her bare hands and feet exposed. "To be honest, Chaos... I'm not entirely sure anymore," Order said sadly along with a defeated expression. "Hey, why do you say that? Centuries ago you assured me that the balance of the world was unbalanced and that the only way to restore it was to make these…Humans, use more magic of chaos and order" Chaos said surprised, since this was the first time in a long time that he had seen Order insecure about something, but above all, he had never seen her sad. “…the magic…” Order whispered with his head lowered. Chaos tilted his head. “What did you say? I didn't listen to you well" Order raised his head with little tears in his eyes “It's magic, Chaos. It's starting to fade." Chaos was silent for a few seconds, trying to assimilate the possible repercussions that could mean that "vanishing? But what are you talking about, I think I would have sensed that something like this is happening” Order still looking at Chaos in tears explains “that's the thing Chaos, you can't feel it, nor I, I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't because I saw it with my own eyes; while I checked the neighboring galaxies to see how the universe and magic continued to expand, everything seemed correct: one or the other was showing signs of life, stars and suns were being born and I could even observe how a black hole absorbed a neutron star. I kept going through galaxies until I stopped in one very far away, in მɑɼɑxᴉɑ qԍ ɑuqʁowԍqɑ, I felt that magic was here too, it just didn't feel… right? I couldn't explain what I felt, call it a hunch, I was watching the end of a supernova, and while that was happening, the magic that had been there before was suddenly gone, I didn't feel an imbalance, a void, a transfiguration or anything It was similar, I traveled throughout that galaxy to see if this was happening only in that place and to my horror I could see how everywhere in მɑɼɑxᴉɑ qԍ ɑuqʁowԍqɑ it was beginning to repeat itself, something is happening to magic, something that I cannot explain why It's happening but what can I promise you that it's happening" Chaos was surprised and shocked with Order's explanation, he took a few minutes to think about what to say "B-but magic can't fade like that because yes, it's impossible, it can't be destroyed, just transformed, if that could happen we would have already hurt for eons" Order fell silent and bowed his head at Chaos' last sentence “…” Starting to worry, Chaos asked "... What's wrong, Order?" Orden grabbed one of his left sleeve tightly and spoke nervously, “I-I don't know how it happened, but I know for a fact that it was while I was in მɑɼɑxᴉɑ qԍ ɑuqʁowԍqɑ, t-maybe I got too close, or spent a lot of time there but I also started to fade away." Chaos didn't like how he was doing this. "What do you mean Order?" Chaos asked worried. Order took a deep breath to calm down "I think it will be easier to explain if I show you" Before Chaos could ask what he meant, Order rolled up his left sleeve, revealing that his forearm was gone. Chaos was in shock, he was speechless at what he was seeing and woke up from his stupor when he heard Order's voice "I didn't realize until I left that galaxy, somehow my hand is fine and still connected where it should, in fact, my whole arm was gone, I tried to regenerate it with my magic, but... I couldn't." Order explained regretfully, "I thought I'd never get it back, but somehow my body is regenerating itself, so far my elbow is half finished." to emphasize your point, Order raised his upper arm showing slight ridges at his elbow, with a slight smile of relief under his arm and he looked at Chaos directly in the eyes "You have to do something, this is not NORMAL at all, it goes against the balance that both you and I have worked so hard to do" Chaos, still a little dizzy from the saturation of information, nodded slowly with the idea of him “But what can we do? It's the first time I've seen something like this happen." "I think the problem has to do with them." Order pointed to Earth. "… The humans?" Chaos asked skeptically Order lowered his hand and nodded vigorously. “But they've barely been around for how long? Less than 3 million years, and they can't even use magic like humans can cause this big problem” Chaos commented in disbelief to Order. "Not humans specifically, but what I mean is their type," Order explained. "Its type?" Chaos did not understand what he meant "While I was in მɑɼɑxᴉɑ qԍ ɑuqʁowԍqɑ I saw things that I had in common with this galaxy, which other galaxies don't have" Order pointed to Earth again "And that's them, beings that don't use magic in any way" Chaos's eyes showed hints of comprehension. "Wait, are you saying that..." "The possible cause is that, by not using magic in any way, it begins to disappear when it is not needed, the life of any type of the galaxy must use magic in any way to avoid it, perhaps that is why I was regenerating, going through all the galaxies back somehow my body got supersaturated with magic and started to regenerate, but it stopped as soon as I got here" Order interrupted him and completed what he was going to say. Chaos was left thinking about what Order just said, his explanation made sense, and that was probably the cause and the possible solution, but “Did you just say that you're not regenerating anymore? Doesn't that mean that the magic in this galaxy is disappearing?" Order once again became sad when Chaos said that "Maybe so, or maybe it's just beginning, which means it's not too late to save the magic of this galaxy" “I suppose you have a plan, don't you? Chaos asked, knowing that Order wouldn't let something like this happen without trying to prevent it. "We have to make magic become more active, if humans don't do it, we will have to do it and if that is not enough then we will have to allow life from other galaxies or even universes to come to this one" Order's solution It seemed simple, but at the same time risky if not dangerous if not done right, but Chaos liked 2 out of 3 of those things, so I definitely accept "Well, we don't lose anything by trying... I hope so hahaha, whatever you want to do Order you have my full support" Chaos smiled at Order to try to make her feel better Order smiled back "Thank you Chaos, at times like this I am proud to call you my friend" "Hey watch out, I have a reputation to uphold." Chaos laughed at his comment. "Sure, whatever you say Chaos, come on, there's work to do" Order laughed next to him.