being in the lone presence of the high priest is an extraordinary honor and right now, you are in the thick of it. the ever so watchful eyes of ho sangchul rarely glance over to you, he does not even need a proper look to read you like an open book. busy hands with sharp fingernails skim through your file, placing an ominous scribble here and there before he finally raises his voice.
“thank you for meeting me, brother. do tell me something about yourself.”
taeki was tight lipped for a moment. the tension in the air was palpable, the priest scrutinizing him for one single bad move. it was like a game of chess, one taeki was rigged to lose. “well,” he begun, careful. “i’ve been studying hard at the academy ever since i was allowed in. despite my dark baptism, it was a little difficult for me to get in and i intend to make my time here worth it. i have excelled in basically all of my classes, made a couple close friends, and i’d hope i’ve shown incredible growth.” despite the positivity to all the news taeki disclosed, trepidation and disappointment was clear in his voice. there were other things he wanted to say, about how while i respect the academy and the authority, sir, there are many people done wrong through mere blood. or how spirituality, and your relationship to the dark lord shouldn’t be so rule based so long as your relationship is a strong one — words taeki wouldn’t dare utter to the priest under such suffocating watch. “obviously, i’ve participated in a few rituals, after…the missteps of my family, i’ve needed to repair my relationship with the dark lord as best i can. my dark baptism, clearly, though i have also attended the feast of autumn pretty regularly, if not with my family than by those i’ve bonded with at the academy. i’ve attended lupercalia a couple times as well, but admittedly not as many since after the age of eighteen i’ve been…quite busy.”
“i see. now, your file contains the bare necessities about your family. i would like to hear more.”
taeki swallowed. he knew this was coming, he knew it. still, when the priest mentioned his family, he couldn’t help but feel the thud thud thud of his heart against his chest. he kept his poise, though, a skill learned through years of acting, years of careful steps, years of being unable to show any of his true emotions. “it’s…complicated, as i am sure you are aware.” taeki said, looking the priest in the eyes with as much confidence as he could muster. “they are my family, they have raised me and cared for me as best they can. however, you are just as knowledgeable as i am about how gravely they have misstepped in the past.” a pause. “i’ve mostly left them behind. it’s no use keeping ties that aren’t useful to me now, least of all when they prevent my devotion to our lord.” taeki says nothing about how he still sometimes communicates with them in coded letters, carried by his familiar to them. he was still young, only knowing what he was told when it all happened. now, he is young, but the learned sort of young. the visionary sort of young. the trailblazer, tradition-breaking sort of young. but there was only so much tradition one could break when any misstep could result in your life being flipped around. “they were angry, you know. when i applied for the academy. they saw it as a betrayal to them.” his eyes finally fell, telling the truth. even now, despite his never-ending efforts, his relationship with them was strained at best. “did everything in their power to stop me from attending, but look at me now!” a weak laugh fell from taeki’s lips.
“how very interesting. here it says you specialize in necromancy, séances and mediumship. what evoked your interest?”
it was always a dancey sort of topic, the fact that taeki maintained his family line’s long lived tradition despite it being the direct cause of his parent’s excommunication. “it’s something i’ve seen since i was young.” taeki said, trying to be non committal. “it’s also hard to not do something you’re actually pretty good with. and, i like the feeling. it’s nice to feel helpful and useful sometimes.” the last bit was kind of quiet. it was risky — his family was shunned for their interactions with mortals, the fact that they held seances and similar rituals for mortalfolk. “well, that and the fact that being able to summon a spirit with little to no help other than magickal support is pretty cool. though i’d love to learn everything i can about other magicks, i felt…during my years at the academy, it’s good to focus. and i’d love to take this whole communication ritual thing as far as i can, see how far i can take my bloodline and my power.”
“i am sure you will excel at it with the help of the academy. one last question, perhaps more in my own humble interest. say, the devil himself would honor you with a task only you could fulfill. how far would you go to satisfy his excellency?”
“i’d do anything in my power.” for once, taeki’s answer was instant. nothing methodical, nothing deliberate. at least, at first. realizing that the priest probably wanted something more specific, he tilted his head. he’s sure many have said the same things, murder, arson, so on and so forth. “it would be difficult for me, but i think i could betray even my dearest loved ones.” he pictured his fellow witches and warlocks in archangels absinthe, lips tightening at just the thought of gravely injuring any of them. he’s fought hard not only to clear his own name, but also build his legacy, though, and mortal ties, he knew, were in the end quite fragile. “see, when you spend your life being the black sheep, you learn how to appreciate those who care not for your history, who care not for your blood, who care only for you and your own story. those people become your new family, the closest thing to your soul. and the fact that i’d give all of that up for his majesty…well, i’d appreciate it, at least.” taeki leaves the i don’t think i’d kill them, though unsaid
