Tale of a Hedonistic wizard

The Witch Spire, a towering structure of impossible geometry that existed partially outside of normal space and time, was home to some of the most potent and secretive witches in the empire.

Now, as she stood atop one of the Spire's many balconies, overlooking a landscape that shifted and changed with each passing moment, Angelina felt a profound sense of helplessness. The rules that bound members of the Spire were ancient and unyielding.

"Jaegar, my dear child," Angelina whispered as she stared out at the ever-changing horizon.

***

The cold silence of the midnight hour settled over the Ministry's detention wing, broken only by the occasional crackle of wards and the distant echo of patrolling guards.

In his dimly lit cell, Jaegar sat on the edge of his cot, his mind a whirlwind of memories. He had realized that he had been too lenient and ignorant of his enemies. They had gone and prepared a grand welcome for him, which directly landed him in jail.

The events of his abduction played out in his mind's eye with startling clarity. He could still feel bracelets, which made him immobile both magically and physically, and the painful memory of his aunt being held captive by them. His face turned softer thinking about his aunt, and he wondered where and how she was.

But above all, he remembered Lorcan's face – that mixture of triumph and cruel curiosity as Jaegar had been dragged away.

Lorcan. The name tasted like ash in Jaegar's mouth. Thinking that he was family left a sour taste in his mouth. He had been too negligent about Lorcan and should have acted earlier and dealt with him already. He cursed at himself for being so focused on ladies that he had no time to think about his one and only family, his aunt.

And now, it seemed, Lorcan's machinations had followed Jaegar even here, to this cell in the heart of magical law enforcement.

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"Fuck me," Jaegar muttered to himself, his hands clenching into fists. He strongly believed that Lorcan may have had a hand in this matter, and maybe he was one who orchestrated this whole drama. Whatever he did, he sure had done his work. And there were those men dressed in turquoise and that old man. If he remembered correctly, the old man's name was Li.

In a year, a lot has changed while he was away. Ewen, Veronica, and thinking about them made him remember his friends, Pierre and Jennifer. What were they doing right now?

The sound of approaching footsteps jolted Jaegar from his brooding. These weren't the measured steps of the regular patrol – they were purposeful, direct. Jaegar tensed, his magical senses on high alert despite the dampening effects of his cell.

The door to his cell swung open with a soft creak, revealing a figure silhouetted against the dim corridor light. As the man stepped into the cell, Jaegar remained perfectly still, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Jaegar," the man said, his voice low and urgent. "I am Niko, and if you want, I can help you get out of here."

Jaegar's frown deepened, his mind racing to process this unexpected turn of events. He studied the man who just bypassed the security of the ministry, and he just easily opened the door on his own. "Why would you do that?" he asked, his voice rough from disuse. Jaegar could tell that his accent was different.

Niko's abrupt arrival and his racy introduction didn't convince Jaegar as he studied him.

Niko's reply was measured and calculated. "We can help you. We know that you were kidnapped."

"We don't have much time to talk."

The implications of that statement hit Jaegar like a physical blow. Someone knew the truth – or at least part of it. But who were these mysterious allies? And what did they really want? But he could tell that man wasn't from around here.

"Who are you people?" Jaegar demanded, his earlier weariness replaced by a keen, almost desperate curiosity.

Niko's response was maddeningly vague. "I can tell you if you agree to come with me."

"You can't just ask me to come with you when you don't tell who you are."

Niko sighed and said, "Look, Jaegar, the ministry won't help you, and they have already decided to brand you as the criminal. And tomorrow, they will indict you and send you to Prison of Stormhold." Discover more content at empire

Jaegar raised his eyebrow, intrigued by Niko's cryptic warning. "What do you want from me?" he asked.

"For now, we just want to help you get outta of here."

"Sure. You could, but there must be something you want from me, don't you?"

Hearing that, Niko smiled and said, "We can deal with that part later. Don't you want to get out of here? We can help you."

Jaegar's mind whirled with possibilities. Freedom was tempting – oh, so tempting. The chance to clear his name, to expose Lorcan's treachery, to finish what he had started all those years ago...

But at what cost? And could he trust these unknown benefactors? Did they really want to help him?

After a moment of tense silence, Jaegar shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "I can't go with you. Not like this, not without knowing more."

Niko seemed to have expected this response. He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "If you change your mind," he said as he turned to leave, "if you decide you want our help, you need to only ask. We'll be ready to take you."

As the cell door closed behind Niko, plunging Jaegar back into solitude, he just stared at the cell door and sighed. He came, talked, and left on his own. Who the fuck was that? Was the only question Jaegar had.