The Deceiver of Souls - Short Story Version

If anyone wanted a wish granted, they were directed here. It was a small shop in the Red-Light District, with a garden around the shop. The garden was full of mysterious, peculiar plants that no one had ever seen before, plants of all colors, shapes, and sizes. They all looked very well-kept, and most of the plants gleamed with life. However, one set aside had a dark aura, and within a half meter radius around this plant, there was dead vegetation. Even the soil looked ill and rotten.

Perhaps this one-of-a-kind garden is what truly attracted the shop’s customers nowadays.

Whatever the reason, the place was booming with business. It’d come so far from the little stall that it used to be. It even intrigued the outcasts that worked here today, and with these workers available, it’s open 24/7, with one half of the workers working from 5 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, and the other half of the workers working the rest of the time.

They were all odd balls, not exactly human although they appeared to be. There was the red-headed dragonborn, Kasai, who was most skilled in fire magic and weaponry, and the purple-haired dragon slayer of the shop, Yami, was also skilled in weaponry but excelled in dark magic instead of flames. Despite what one might think or what destiny should ensure, the two of them got along quite well, and they were always keeping each other on top of their game with their sudden sparring. Their intense gazes at each other, fiery eyes facing eyes as black as a black hole, was a sight to behold for any, and they sure lived up to their names of flames and darkness.

Regardless, the water mages with their blue hair and eyes - Mizu and Mizuo, whose names both have the kanji character of water - as well as the blonde leader and manager of the group, Jacob, don’t appreciate the sudden sparring, of course. Jacob demands they take it outside when they try to spar in the shop. It makes for an amusing show for anyone walking by and attracts even more attention to the small shop.

Two of the other workers were Tenshi, or angel, the Pure Mage, and Daichi, or Earth, the Mage of the Earth, who had a little sister who helped in the store. Her name was Kusaki, or plant, and she was the main tender of most of the garden outside, considering she was a Plant Mage. Unlike her brother with his typical brown hair and green eyes, one could identify Kusaki in a second with her green hair and bright, green eyes. However, the tender to the mysterious dark plant was of course Seirei, or soul or spirit, a purple-eyed dark mage who specialized in souls and the like. Her hair was long and silky black, giving her aura a mysterious air. Her glimmering, purple eyes held an even stranger aura, captivating to any who stared too long.

During the day, Tenshi, Kusaki, Daichi, Mizu, and Mizuo tended to the shop. All of them worked well together, so none of them could really be considered as a “leader” of the day shift. They also got the easier customers, the innocent ones who wanted a simple romantic reading or whatnot; they rarely ever had to deal with a difficult, or evil, customer. The day shift went smoothly, day after day.

The night was a different story, especially with Kasai, Yami, Seirei, and Jacob working. Those with ill intentions would come out at night, requesting for this or that for their evil plan. These four were much more equipped to handle these sorts of people, possessing more violent, oppressive, and dark magic. Of course, Jacob, being the boss of the shop and the very person who created the initial stall long ago, took on the leadership role of the night shift.

Occasionally though, some of them worked outside of their shift. Seirei only got a few hours of sleep, and she spent most of her free time making potions, dolls, and other magical items. Daichi spent a few hours of his afternoon appreciating nature and strengthening himself, as well as helping out in the shop. Kusaki spent her free time tending to the garden outside and doing whatever else she could do to assist.

Sometimes, Tenshi would have trouble sleeping, so he would go around on those nights, helping those who needed help. This often eased him from nightmares for at least a night or two. He’d stand out most in the night, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. It didn’t seem like he belonged in the night, with his radiance and angelic personality. Being the gentlest out of the workers at the shop, his coworkers worried about him walking out alone at night. He was also the only one who seemed troubled spiritually, which gave a far deeper reason for concern. However, Seirei had looked at Tenshi, but she couldn’t see anything abnormal in his soul. Being an expert on souls, Seirei’s diagnosis was sure to be accurate.

One day, Kusaki walked up to Tenshi, who was tending the counter with Mizu. “Tenshi-san,” she called, handing him a plant with a bright smile, “Would you try this for me?”

With curiosity, he took the plant and rubbed the stem between his thumb and forefinger. It had five big leaves outlined in red, filled in with a pale blue. It looked almost like a windmill. He sniffed it. It had a refreshing smell, made him feel a little at ease. (Perhaps a little too at ease. He kind of feels tired after sniffing it....) “What is it?” he questioned, his eyes a little dazed.

“I’ve been tending to it for a few months, and it finished maturing just this morning. It’s supposed to make nightmares go away. It’ll be best if you consume it today since its effectiveness will fade with time.”

“Oh, I see!” Tenshi smiled at her, “Thank you, Kusaki! So, I just eat it then?”

“Yep,” Kusaki nodded, “It should taste pretty nice, and it should be easy to eat and digest. That is, if there aren’t unnatural-” she added, but Tenshi was already chewing it with a perplexed look on his face. It tasted nice, but... something... felt... wrong.... Kusaki got a little worried, “What is it, Tenshi-san?”

“I don’t know...” he said after swallowing, “Something about it is-” Tenshi suddenly jerked forward, gripping his throat.

“Te-Tenshi-san?!” Kusaki’s eyes widened, panic and shock bubbling up in her system.

“Tenshi!” Mizu shrieked, panic immediately coursing through her veins. “Kusaki, what did you give him?!”

“It-It was just a Nightmare Blower!” Kusaki panicked, “I swear, it shouldn’t be dangerous! I grew it properly and everything! The only reason that it could possibly hurt anyone would be-” she was cut off by Tenshi’s choking violently increasing in sound. Kusaki yelped, holding her cheeks and running out to get her brother. Mizuo was out on a job today, which meant they were down a person.

“Is something going on?!” Kasai hurried in with Yami and Seirei, his head adorned in a bedhead. Thank God that Kasai was a light sleeper, and that Yami and Seirei were already up.

“What is wrong with Tenshi-kun?” Seirei asked with wide eyes, astonished at the scene unfolding before her. It almost looked like... Tenshi’s soul was being sucked out of his body...!

“Mizu, do you know what’s wrong?” Yami inquired, looking over his fellow coworker, pushing his panic down to effectively solve the situation.

Mizu shook her head in sorrow, and a shiver went up each of their spines. Mizu was the best at medicine in the whole group, even in comparison to her twin and Kusaki. Mizu could detect and heal problems directly, which was extremely useful for almost any illness. If Mizu had no idea what was wrong, the problem couldn’t be physical.

“Is it something spiritually wrong?” Yami and Seirei hurried closer to Tenshi as Mizu backed off to let them examine him.

Kusaki ran in, sobbing hysterically to her big brother behind her, “Nothing should be going wrong! Tenshi-kun is such a pure soul; why is this happening?! He isn’t corrupted!”

“Calm down, Kusaki!” Daichi worriedly rubbed her back, putting his sister’s panic ahead of his own, “Whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out! Don’t worry.”

Jacob came strolling in with a serious look on his face, “What is going on? What is all this commotion about?”

“Tenshi-kun’s dying!” Kusaki shrilled in despair, and they all flinched at that, except Jacob, whose eyes were covered by his hair.

“Kusaki!” Daichi scolded, “Don’t say that!” Kusaki sobbed onto her brother, apologizing over and over again for giving Tenshi the plant.

Mizu was the one to calmly but worriedly explain the situation to Jacob, “Kusaki gave him a plant, a Nightmare Blower, and he ate it.... She keeps saying that there is only one situation where it could hurt someone...?”

“It’s a very rare plant,” Daichi provided solemnly, his green eyes dark with despair, “On any normal occasion, nightmares are natural productions of the mind. If they happen often, it’s typically due to some sort of trauma. There are those situations, though... where nightmares are not... naturally produced.... In that situation..., Nightmare Blowers..., they hurt the person who eats them to heal a supernatural nightmare issue.... Sometimes...” Daichi spoke quietly, his eyes shadowed by his hair, “Sometimes, the person even... dies,” his voice broke at the end. The others stared at him in horror.

“Are you... Are you saying...” Mizu’s voice cracked, her blue eyes tearing up, “That Tenshi’s nightmares are supernaturally produced, and that he’s going to...” she gulped. She turned away, not able to say the final word. None of them could accept the fact that Tenshi’s life was being taken right before their very eyes. Sobbing, Mizu hurried off to her room with her long hair following behind her.

“Jacob! Isn’t there anything you can do?!” Kasai fretted. Jacob stared seriously at Tenshi, who was turning colors. His pupils were unfocused and flickering rapidly.

“Kusaki, why did you give him that...?” Jacob looked dangerously at the young teenager. His face was shadowed with darkness, insinuating that he was furious.

Daichi protectively clutched his sister closer into his embrace, “C’mon, man, she didn’t know.... How was she supposed to know the nightmares were unnatural...?”

“He has them often, yet he’s never been in such a serious trauma. The nightmares have nothing to do with what has officially happened in his life; they’re vague and abstract,” Jacob insisted in the same low voice, his teeth bared slightly.

“She’s just a kid!” Daichi refuted desperately, “She doesn’t know stuff like that!”

Jacob wasn’t about to let her get off of what she just did on the account of ignorance, “Then she should look into it or ask one of us before giving something so dangerous.”

“She didn’t think it was so dangerous! Tenshi’s a good person; who would think he could possibly be corrupted?!” Daichi continued to defend his sister. Something wasn’t right. Kusaki already felt guilty enough having endangered Tenshi’s life, and instead of trying to help Tenshi, Jacob is scolding Kusaki...? That makes no sense!

“Jacob, please help!” Seirei insisted, fully feeling the panic induced by Tenshi’s time limit as she stared at Tenshi’s bared soul, “We can take care of precautions or whatever later! But Tenshi-kun is...!”

“He’ll be fine,” Jacob shot her down darkly, “Hand him over. I’ll take care of him in my room.” Seirei clutched Tenshi in her arms, wary. Jacob wasn’t acting normal.... None of them had ever seen this side of Jacob.... Was it really okay...? “Well?” he pried impatiently.

“...” Seirei hesitantly handed the limp boy over to Jacob. Tenshi had stopped choking during their argument, but his heart was still beating. There was no telling when it would stop though, especially considering she couldn’t hear Tenshi breathing.... She was worried. This wasn’t the time to be fighting. Tenshi’s clock was ticking.

Jacob was their last hope. No one else knew what to do.

Jacob had always been the smartest and strongest in the group.

Jacob could fix this. They were sure of it.

It’s just... he wasn’t acting normal right now....

Jacob walked into his room, demanding everyone get back to work. As he passed Mizu’s door, he heard her sobbing, probably into her phone considering it sounded like she was talking to her brother. He ignored it, glancing at the boy in his arms.

“That was close...” he muttered, examining the unconscious. Tenshi’s breathing was starting to kick up again, but he was long unconscious, and that wasn’t about to change soon.

Jacob’d have plenty of time to reclaim the boy, to make sure Tenshi was corrupted once more.

None of them knew it, but Jacob was actually the Magician of Deception, and he was planning to take the whole world under his control. He’d already gotten all of the Guarding Magicians under his control: the Water Twins, the Soul Magician, the Dark Magician, the Earth Magician, the Fire Magician, and most importantly, Tenshi, the Magician of Purity, and that meant that nothing could or would stop him from destroying the entire Earth.

Of course, he didn’t have any of them under his full control. That wouldn’t be any fun, if they all were just drones. He lets them keep their personalities.

Everything else, however, is all his, and soon enough, that control would expand to the whole Earth. Nothing will do anything without his will, and everyone shall bow down before him.

Perhaps he ought to hypnotize Kusaki as well.... Yes, that will be his next step in world domination. How troublesome she’s been today. It just proves how you can’t have an enemy living in your house; you need to control them all. She’s lucky it was the Pure Mage she almost killed, or he’d really be dead.

The reason the Nightmare Blower kills those with supernaturally-caused nightmares isn’t because that’s a side effect, nor does the Nightmare Blower have a lack of effect on supernaturally-caused nightmares. It’s because supernaturally-caused nightmares are ingrained in the soul, and most people can’t take the tearing that it takes to cleanse the soul of those nightmares.

Tenshi, however, is the only case where that is not so, at least on Earth.

As the Pure Mage, his soul is naturally white, and nothing could damage that naturally. It took a lot of work to conjure enough magic to control Tenshi. The side effect of that control, or even the tiniest tint of black, however, were nightmares. The darker Tenshi’s soul was, the worse his nightmares. Tenshi’s soul wasn’t meant to be pitch black, or black at all, after all; it wasn’t supposed to be tarnished. His soul is so pure, in fact, that it can cleanse corrupted souls, which is exactly why Jacob took control of him first. He couldn’t risk Tenshi cleansing those he’d already corrupted, after all. With Tenshi under Jacob’s control, Tenshi wouldn’t lay a hand on his coworkers.

However, Jacob isn’t exactly sure if his control over Tenshi is just a coating or if it was ingrained in his soul like the rest of the Magicians, but either way, Tenshi can survive the nightmares being ripped away from his soul. It certainly is hard on the boy, that much is true; he’ll probably be out for a week or so. Nevertheless though, he’ll live. That Nightmare Blower just rid Tenshi of the cause of his nightmares, Jacob’s control, which Jacob can fix easily.

Jacob set Tenshi down on his bed and smirked, his red eyes alight with devious desires.

Personally, Tenshi was certainly his favorite of the mages. He was so interesting, and despite his innocent nature, he was the strongest. It took a lot of work to become stronger than him, but Jacob accomplished it. They’re counterparts, destined rivals, so it was easier for Jacob than it would be for anyone else.

Luckily, controlling him should be easier this time around, but he should hurry. The longer the boy lacks his control, the harder it’ll get to make him his again.

Jacob fondly slid his fingers down the side of Tenshi’s face, his eyes tender for once.

It didn’t matter how many times the day Magicians insisted they had no leader, that they worked equally. Tenshi was the day leader, and it was meant to be that way.

Jacob brushed the back of his fingers along Tenshi’s cheek. His complexion was getting better. It wasn’t as pale white as Jacob’s anymore. Jacob’d have to fix that.

“We’re like brothers, don’t you think, Tenshi...?” Jacob leaned down and put his hand against Tenshi’s chest, his face only centimeters away from Tenshi’s and his blonde hair mixing with Tenshi’s. One could hardly tell which strands were whose. Jacob pressed his lips up against Tenshi’s, breathing his dark control straight into the unsuspecting boy. Once the transfer was complete, Jacob leaned back a little, his eyes dark, “And that’ll always be,” he growled lowly.

Indeed, it was far easier to take control of the other magicians. Jacob didn’t even need physical contact with them.

Now to take care of that troublesome plant girl.... He’ll request her assistance, in private, in order to take control of her. If Daichi resists, well, Jacob might have to take hold of his soul for a little while, ripping his personality away.

My name is Faith Zuber, and I am a 21-year-old Christian otaku (fan of anime, manga, etc.) that loves to learn, write, read, and draw. I have been writing since before I can remember (having my mother write for me when I was not yet able to write myself), but I've gotten a lot better in the past few years through writing on Wattpad under an alias, where I currently have 475 followers.

My favorite subjects are languages and biology, especially humans. Thus, I've always had an interest in similarities and differences across humanity, and I will soon be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Japanese with a Studio Art minor and Creative Writing Certificate at UMSL (University of Missouri-St. Louis). I support DGO (Diverse Genders and Orientations) and thus have various types of relationships in my works.

I am energetic at my core, with a few mental disorders such as autism and ADHD. I prefer optimism, so in stories, I need some humor in between hard times and a positive ending. Thus, I normally implement those into my own stories. However, my writing can take a range, from very serious to quite childish. As an otaku, I also take more of a manga-type storytelling - thus using conventions such as hair covering/shadowing eyes.

My project is called The Deceiver of Souls. The piece I chose for this was a short story that I absolutely love, where a group of magicians run a store. Their products and services include magical items and spells. However, one of these individuals is actually a villain who has taken partial control over the others. Who is it, and what is that individual seeking to accomplish?

The genre is fantasy - probably dark fantasy, and the short story is almost 3000 words.

I'm terrible about age ranges, but the target audience is probably young adults, maybe 17-30. With my plan for the sequel, it'd probably be better to have DGO-supportive readers, but since I've made it so that the two novels don't actually need the reader to read the other novel, being DGO-supportive is not necessary to read the original Deceiver of Souls.

I've been told that there are too many characters to keep track of for how short this story is. That's why I decided to start making it into a novel, where I slowly introduce each character so that the reader can take their time to become accustomed to them. I think adding some pictures on certain pages, like in manga's novels, would also help with that.

Another important thing to know is that the novel has a different ending from the short story; Tenshi actually decides to spread out the magicians and separate the memories and soul of the deceiver, so that the magicians can defeat the deceiver in the future through descendants.

My project is a good fit because I've seen that you publish some fantasy stories and even graphic novels, as well as stories related to different cultures, genders, and orientations. I also saw that one of your literary agents posted that dark fantasy is a "hot" genre right now.

I'm not sure what you mean by platform? Is this asking for social media? The closest thing I have to an active social media account is actually Wattpad, which is a writing website.