Tale of a Hedonistic wizard

In a dimly lit underground hideout, Mia and Jack huddled around a makeshift table scattered with maps, documents, and a flickering candle.

Mia's brow furrowed in deep concentration, while Jack's fingers nervously tapped against the table.

Mia was a young woman dressed in worn-out pants and a ragged jacket who appeared to be in her early twenties.

Engaged in conversation, the young woman turned to a man in his thirties who seemed to be looking at the maps before him. Their clothing was dirty and covered in dust from their harsh surroundings.

The man, Jack, had a rugged appearance with a scruffy beard. Despite their worn-out attire, there was a determined glint in their eyes.

"I heard there was an incident in the city a few days ago," she mentioned.

"There was nothing in the newspaper. Like it didn't happen at all."

The man, his expression wrinkled, replied, "They've covered up the incident, ensuring it doesn't leak out to the public."

"But there's a word on the street, something came onto this world, something far more dangerous than those people at the bureau."

Growing more anxious, she continued, "The bureau has been unusually quiet these past few days. Do you think they're planning something?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. If they are, we need to be prepared. Perhaps we should consider leaving this city and relocating deeper into the woods."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she vehemently protested, "What? No! We can't leave. I have to confront those beasts who took away my family and left me like this—a criminal on the run. They killed my family because I refused to cooperate with them."

The room was filled with tension as her words hung in the air. He could see the determination in her eyes, and he knew that convincing her to leave would be a difficult task. However, he also understood the risks of staying and the importance of their safety.

It was clear that they needed to have a serious discussion about their next move and find a compromise that would satisfy both their desires for justice and their need for self-preservation.

Then Mia pointed at a marked location on one of the maps. "According to our boys in the city, the Bureau has been constructing a facility to hold novoyants like us."

"Faaking scumbags! They even gave us a name for us." Mia's voice trembled with anger as she continued, "Are they planning to lock us up like animals, as if we're some kind of threat to society?"

The realization of the Bureau's intentions fueled their determination to fight for their rights and freedom.

"They plan to lock us away, away from the eyes of the world, where they can continue their experiments without interference."

Jack frowned as he studied the map. "We need to find out the exact location of this facility and what they're doing inside. If we can expose their activities to the world, it could be our best chance to bring them down."

Jack then said, "I've heard from the boys that they had seen soldiers coming and going out of those abandoned warehouses. It might be worth investigating."

Mia nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Then it's settled. We shall go and look through those warehouses, we might be able to find something. But we must be careful. The Bureau is dangerous, and we can't afford to get caught."

As they continued to discuss their plan, the room buzzed with anticipation. They knew the risks they were taking, but they also understood that they couldn't sit idly by while the Bureau continued to oppress and harm Novoyants.

Over the next few days, both of them entered the city and searched through it, concealing their presence. They ventured deep into the alleys of the warehouses, where the strange occurrences occurred.

*

A few days had passed since Francesca began surveilling Jaegar. She meticulously observed his daily routine, which appeared entirely ordinary.

However, Francesca couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to Jaegar than met the eye. She decided to dig deeper, hoping to uncover any hidden secrets or unusual activities that might explain her growing suspicion.

He lived with his aunt ever since he was little, his parents were recorded as deceased; he died in a car accident, no relatives from either side. They were the only ones left of their family.

From whatever angle she tried, everything was normal about him, nothing was out of place. No matter how closely she observed Jaegar's behaviour or questioned those who knew him, there were no signs of any hidden secrets or unusual activities.

There were no anomalies or strange occurrences during this period, except for the one incident involving the monster.

Today, she decided it was time to meet him face-to-face.

She was in her car, seeing through the glass where Jaegar was sitting. She got out of the car and walked straight to him.

Jaegar was sitting in a cozy cafe in the heart of the city, sipping his coffee in silence. Unfazed by her sudden presence, he calmly awaited her words.

Francesca, sitting directly across from him, fixed her intense gaze upon him. She inquired, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Jaegar, not displaying the least bit of surprise, responded, "Like what?"

She continued, "I came here directly and sat here as if I knew where you were."

With a nonchalant shrug, Jaegar replied, remarking, "Well, isn't it common sense that when you follow someone, you would know where he went?"

Raising an eyebrow, she questioned, "Did you know we followed you?"

He replied, "You weren't subtle." He took another sip of his coffee, maintaining his composure.

Francesca let out a sigh and finally said, "Jaegar, I want to tell you something."

Francesca sat across from Jaegar in the dimly lit cafe, her gaze steady and her expression serious. She took a deep breath before starting the conversation.

"Jaegar," she began, "I've been watching you for a while, and I know you were there in the warehouse alley a few days ago."

Jaegar, taken aback by her directness, raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

She squinted her eyes. "If I remember correctly, I got just a glimpse of you that day, and seeing you now, I can tell, and moreover, there was another person who saw that day."

"So, what of it?" he asked. Jaegar knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Right after she came to his home that day, there were people around him, watching him from afar, following him wherever he went. He did want to check who they were, but they maintained their distance from him and never interfered with him, only watching him.

He was getting annoyed, and when he thought of taking care of them, that's when she appeared.

Francesca nodded. "Yes, I work for an organization that deals with extraordinary individuals like you. People with unique abilities, like the one you displayed when you killed that monster," she said.

Jaega showed no reaction, and his eyes locked on her.

Francesca leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "We've been monitoring you because we believe you could be an asset to our cause. Jaegar, you have powers that most people can't even fathom. You could help us protect innocent lives and maintain the balance between our world and the supernatural."

Jaegar asked her, seeing her expression, "And what do you want from me?"

Francesca's expression softened, and she placed her hand on the table, palms up. "We want you to join us, Jaegar. We can provide training, guidance, and protection. You won't be alone on this journey.

We also know that you haven't joined any college abroad; you were just staying hidden, right?"

With a flicker of surprise in his eyes, Jaegar said, "How do you know about that?"

"We looked into you, there were no records of you leaving the city.

Jaegar, we can help you.

We'll ensure that you can harness your abilities to their full potential while keeping the world safe."

Jaegar's eyes stayed on her, and then he looked out to the streets.

"What's in it for you?" he asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Francesca met his gaze unwaveringly. "We want to prevent misuse of these powers. There are others out there who would exploit them for their own gain. We aim to maintain order and protect those who can't protect themselves."

Silence hung between them as Jaegar contemplated his options.

Francesca leaned back, giving him space to think. "Jaegar, take your time to decide. But know that we are here to help you and to guide you. If you choose to join us, we'll be by your side every step of the way."

Jaegar was astonished to see her persuasiveness. If he were really one of them, then he would have joined her so-called group. And the more he observed her, the more he noticed that she was smiling more than she ever had. Before their encounter in the alley, she never showed this side of herself to him, and now it makes him suspect her more.

And he had no intention of joining them.