RAMSEY BIANCHI

I couldn't stop turning around Hayek's words, there was a deep pain in my chest filled with guilt and fear. She and I were meant to be age-old enemies, they fight against light and darkness, we were meant to destroy one another. I didn't want that, but I also wouldn't let her claim innocent lives all for the sake of vendetta. So now all I could do was figure out a way to become her equal, she was already powerful and had knowledge of the ancient texts. I have knowledge of magical history and know the things I can do, but I couldn't perform incantations or spells, I didn't know how to use my powers to defeat evil.

This is why I found my way walking down the streets of Midtown, a GPS location of Hecate's Vault Souvenir Shop was displayed on my phone screen. I've done a fair amount of research trying to search for magical books that actually help me with something. Gwen Stacey walked next to me, hands stuffed inside her beige coat, her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail leaving her bangs on display. She knew everything, including today's morning encounter. I was so used to doing things on my own, but today I realized something; this isn't about me.

I could use all the help there is to offer.

We came to a gradual stop outside Hecate Vault Souvenir Shop, the place looked cheap and very Voodoo-ish.

"This is it." I locked my phone and put it away, Gwen gave the establishment a hard look.

"What did the comment section say again?"

I knew the place looked like it couldn't be trusted, the maintenance was poor, and I was surprised the owner hadn't considered closing it. "That the place is crap. The owner is a witch. Do not visit this place unless you want to leave with your pockets empty."

Gwen nodded, braiding her arms over her chest, and giving me a judgmental look. "Right... but you still want to go."

"Well, If the place did not have such bad reviews then it would mean that we are in the wrong place.  But since it does, then this is where we should be." Ramsey told her.

I gave her an encouraging look and opened the door, I heard her sigh. "I- Know what? I won't even argue with that logic, honestly."

We entered the dimly lit shop, the place was crowded with numerous artifacts, all ancient and some even looked like they could be cursed. Gwen remained close to me, but her bright blue eyes betrayed her fear for curiosity, they scanned the place with interest. I walked toward the cashier but didn't see anybody, I looked around for the second time trying to spot someone before calling out.

"Hello?" Gwen spotted the book section and made her way toward it. "Somebody home? Hello?"

"One second!" A masculine voice came from the room behind the cashier followed by the loud clattering of objects, I grimaced at the loud sounds. "Just one second and I'll be right there with you. Don't go anywhere!"

Gwen and I shared a funny look but said nothing, besides we weren't going anywhere until we knew if they sold ancient books about magic practice. A part of me was really hoping they did, I didn't know how much time I had before Hayek decided to lay waste.

"Hello, welcome to Hecate's Vault, with what can I curse you with?" Gwen and I snapped our heads toward the male clerk, he was around our age, about Peter's height, though he was slimmer than Peter.

"Is that like your catchphrase, or are you actually going to curse us?" Gwen asked, she stared at the boy with shoulder-length hair.

I turned to him, awaiting his response, he chuckled and shook his head. "My boss thinks it's a fun thing to say, it spooks the customers. Perhaps that's why she never gets them, I tell her. I'm Elias, by the way."

"Gwen." She smiled politely. "And she should probably stop doing that, she got cool stuff in here, tourists would love that," I smirked at their exchange, but sadly, I didn't come here to watch my best friend flirt with a complete stranger.

"Let's not forget why we're here." I subtly reminded my best friend, she glanced at me as I gave her a cute nose scrunch.

Elias gave Gwen one last look before turning toward me, he cleared his throat. "How can I help you?"

I leaned against the counter, trying to think of how to phrase my words properly. "Do you... happen to sell ancient books?"

"Uh, like classic literature novels?" Elias guessed, I shook my head.

"No, I mean... ancient books," I emphasize the word ancient. "Like books about magic. Ancient scriptures."

Elias stared at her for a second. "Oh, you mean the Bible! Right?"

Gwen snorted out a laugh but quickly covered her mouth, I stared at Elias as I'd he had grown three heads. "No..."

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding." Elias chuckled, walking out from behind the counter and toward the library section, which was where Gwen is. "Of course it's not the Bible, I just like to make conversation. Nobody visits the store so I'm left with the Voodoo dolls, and they don't speak much. They're a bit shy."

Gwen and I shared a look once again, the boy turned to face us with the same bright, friendly smile. "We have a variety of collections about the sacred arts, the history of magic: how it came to be, then there are advanced editions which talk about incantations, spells, and how to perform magic rituals."

"Can I see them?"

Elias nodded. "Sure, which one?"

"All of them."

'The age-old feud between darkness and light was known by every culture and every religion, many had depicted such forces as godly beings. Giving them names such as God and Satan. Giving them realms, such as Heaven and Hell. The light resembles kindness, selflessness, love, happiness, joy, and redemption. The darkness was its equivalent, but it stood for opposite things, it was ruled by hate, anger, loss, heartbreak, vengeance, damnation, and judgment. Both forces gave life a definite balance, too much light can spoil life and too much darkness can destroy it.

But humans were always so primitive-minded, they sought to dominate these forces. What they fail to realize is that nature cannot be tamed, it cannot be wielded by beings that had only one purpose in their lives: birth, to procreate, and death.

Humans couldn't grasp that concept, they couldn't come to terms with their truth, and so, they sought to possess the forces of nature.

Lightness and darkness, these forces became sentient and alive, two humans were sacrificed as the vessels. One was the embodiment of evil and the other the embodiment of good, these two forces were brought to life for one purpose only: division. Humans wanted to live in a fragmented world, each one meant to take a side, worship only one force.

Good or evil.

The only problem? The scales were tilting.'

I leaf through the yellowish, thick page of an old book titled: The Damnation of Genesis. The book was written by Solomon, this one talked more in-depth about the explanation of the forces of light and darkness. How they took form and the age-old feud began, it is as if they were created just to destroy one another, and that burden now fell onto me.

I didn't want to destroy Hayek, I wanted to save her, I wanted to free her. I let out a long sigh and leaned back on my chair, I looked around the old shop. Elias was tidying a few shelves and rearranging some objects, so they would look more organized. Gwen had left an hour ago, her Oscorp shift was about to begin, but before she crossed that door I noticed the exchange of phone numbers between Elias and her.

Oh, I was so gonna tease her later.

"How's the reading going?"

I glanced at the book before meeting his warm eyes. "It's... it's going. Just not much about how they controlled their powers."

"Well, in my experience, it all boils down to the will." He sets down a weird necklace with a pendant the shape of an eye, on the middle shelf. "One isn't taught to be great, it all starts with your heart desires and the willpower to set apart what's right from what's wrong."

"Sorcerers are taught magic." I defended, subtly defending what I needed right now. "They don't have the luxury of turning bad."

Elias nodded, he threw the dirty cloth on the counter and made his way towards me. "You are right but not quite. Magic is taught, yes, but how one wields it is entirely up to you. You can't teach someone how to be good or bad, you can teach them principles and about morality, but it's up to them whether they want to accept it and make it their own." He pulls a chair and sits adjacent to me. "You can teach someone to do good, but you can't teach them how to resist temptation. You can only hope for the best."

"Well, 'hoping for the best' isn't going to stop a powerful, evil witch from laying waste to the earth." But before I realized what I'd said, I decided to add something else. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Elias looked at me with no judgment, something in his eyes even told me he knew what I was talking about. "Hope is the last thing you lose." He motioned at the book. "But in order to wield magic, you must first understand it."

The look he gave me was suspiciously meaningful, his eyes told me he knew what I was talking about. My muscles tense, I was suddenly afraid, and the urge to run and deal with this on my own was potent. But I stayed. Would it be so bad if somebody else knew what I was dealing with and could potentially serve me as an ally?

"I never said..." He raised his hand, cutting me off.

"It's okay, Ramsey." He smiled at me, the gesture was friendly and full of trust, I felt like I could trust him. "Between you and me, I'm not really a store clerk. I'm actually a vampire's- well, half-vampire, apprentice. And I'm here to help."

I swallowed and looked at him with wide eyes, I couldn't believe my ears, but then again, I have powers and a witch is trying to kill every living thing on this planet. I think a vampire's apprentice sounds less crazy.

"My response normally would have been to call you insane," I grimaced, but Elias looked unfazed by my choice of words, "but crazier things have happened to me in these six months."

Elias chuckled. "Story of my life. So, do you wanna form an alliance with me? I can teach you how to wield magic and help you defeat Hayek for good."

"You've done your research."

He shrugged. "It comes with the job." He stuck out his hand for me to shake if I agreed to form the alliance. "And about the alliance?"

I took a moment to think even though there was nothing to meditate on, he is the source of all my answers, he is my solution. I needed this alliance. I had to be ready.

"What the hell? I'm in." We shook hands to seal our alliance. "Let's show her not to mess with the land of the living."

"Amen, sister."

🅷🅾🅻🅰

Originally, I had planned
to hold off Elias's real
intentions from Ramsey
until the fight, but then
decided against it. The girl
can clearly use some help
and Elias happens to know
what she’s dealing with.

So, I already wrote the ending
of this beautiful book, all I'm
missing is the epilogue (which
honestly works as a bonus
chapter.)

What'd you think of Elias and
Ramsey's alliance? Was it too
quick? What about their first
encounter? (He seems like an
honestly cool guy.)

Stay safe mis amores 🤍❄☃️