some creatures of the void were not in the outsider’s control.
very few times had he given the power of magic to those who were not born anew, who had not found the sacred pathways to acquiring these abilities by themselves. they had proven themselves worthy in his eyes if they found any sort of marking on their skin, whether through strange symbols in a language dead long before the marked’s birth or through some other, mysterious way – one identified in a book of heretical signs by now, forcing the outsider to select different ways of transferring, again and again, perfecting the tradition.
but sometimes, the reach of black magic would be greater than intended. some witches had taken it upon themselves to lend other witches their powers, weaker connections but worse intent, which would spread to mortals in kind as tensions rose and the women lashed out in their often-righteous ways, the evils of the arcane twisting people like a virus. not all of it was caught by the outsider. not all actions had higher consequence.
when the outsider first set eyes ‘pon this poor man, his intrigue was swiftly replaced by concern, only for those two emotions to coexist as equals with every new soul that left dunwall’s presence as a result of alex’s actions. outsider understood the need; the urge to preserve one’s life at the cost of another’s. but empathy did not answer any questions. without hesitation, the man was pulled into the void once a dream state had been accomplished. the void shifted to accustom to its new visitor, stones replaced by buildings, trees suffering until there were no leaves left to see in the vastness of blue, the scent of blood on every door handle. a soft thud. the outsider’s feet hit the rock beneath, a garden path, previously so well-kept by its rich owner, before he collapsed suddenly amidst business negotiations; nobody bothered to pull the weeds from between the stones, nor cleanse the blood from the weepers off the path.
❝ hello, alex, ❞ despite his monotonous speech, a tilt of the head implied obvious curiosity. ❝ you have found yourself in an… interesting position. ❞
