Bartholomew could not read the vile book, for he had sworn an oath. But Wagner could, because he had never taken one.
The two friends had searched the world together, driven by the same goal but for different reasons. They had traveled from one place to another, questioned scholars, examined ancient ruins, and chased half-forgotten legends.
In the end, they found nothing. Every lead ran dry, every method failed, and the world offered them no path forward. It offered them no path to the Greater Universe.
And then… there was nothing left but desperation.
With no other options left, they turned their attention to the one thing that still held the promise of answers.
The book of the devil.
Bartholomew had suggested it because his longing to advance into the higher arcane arts had only grown stronger with time, and now he was willing to risk damnation for knowledge that could possibly help him break through the limits of this world.
