Chapter 46: Paranoia

Paranoia.

Most people say too much of it is unhealthy, crippling even. But what they fail to grasp is why some individuals develop it in the first place. It isn’t just a baseless fear or a symptom of overthinking. No. It’s a mechanism, a finely tuned survival instinct forged in a world that rarely plays fair. It’s not just fear of what might happen. It’s a projection of what will happen, of how things can turn to shit with the flick of a wrist or the whisper of a curse.

For those diagnosed with clinical paranoia, the mind is a chaotic feedback loop. Their amygdala responsible for processing threats is in a constant state of red alert. Patterns are overanalyzed, threats perceived even where none exist. But for magicians, it’s not just mental, it’s necessary. Because the threats are real.

For the magically inclined, paranoia isn’t a disorder, it’s a survival trait. A magician doesn’t just fear the irrational; they prepare for it. A spell could fall from the sky, a curse could be embedded in a letter, a demon could manifest from the void of a cracked mirror, or worse some ancient, forgotten god could get bored and decide you’d make a great little plaything. What happens next? Your insides become your outsides, your thoughts aren't your own, and suddenly you’re dancing to a tune you didn’t even hear begin.

Magic amplifies everything from perception, awareness, vulnerability to problems as well. You’re trained to expect the impossible, because the impossible happens daily. There’s no such thing as a safe zone. Attacks can come from shadows, reflections, doorways, wards, or even your own blood. The deeper your knowledge of magic, the more you understand just how many ways there are to die and how absurdly unpredictable those ways can be.

One of the most unfortunate victims of this truth was Marina.

“Fuck,” she muttered under her breath, standing by the roadside, eyes locked on a familiar building. In her hand, she clutched a shard of blue glass.

She’d been on high alert ever since she encountered him.

Kai.

Of course, not that she could ever really forget the man who put a literal insanity hex on her. A spell that took root in her psyche, writhing like a parasite. Removing it wasn’t as simple as a counterspell. No, she’d had to transfer it. Through an agonizing ritual that cost her dearly. And even then, not without a price. The damage it left behind was significant.

She’d used decoys. She’d locked herself in isolation. She layered protections over protections. And still he found her.

Twice.

He didn’t even use brute force, but by

bypassing her wards completely, slipping through with such elegance that it shook her understanding of finesse in magical theory.

And then, there was the touch. The briefest connection when he cast that spell on her. His magic was dense, primal and suffocating nothing like a human’s. That wasn’t just an anomaly. That was wrong. That terrified her. Especially now, knowing he could track her somehow.

And now, here she was back in this place. ‘This fucking place.’

She moved, entered the apartment, moving through the hallway until she stood before a specific one door.

She raised her hand, performed a small gesture, and the lock clicked open with a soft mechanical sigh. She smirked, ready to step inside only to crash face-first into something solid.

Thud.

She staggered back. “What the fuck?”

Frowning, she reached forward again, fingers brushing against... something. A shimmerless, invisible wall.

“What the hell?”

She looked around, scanning the space with sharpened senses. “A ward?” she muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Several attempts later gesture after gesture there was still no shimmer, no formulaic structure to decipher. Nothing. Just an unmoving, unrelenting invisible boundary.

Powerful. Exceptionally so.

“That wouldn’t work, you know.”

Marina turned sharply.

Julia stood inside the room, leaning casually against a table, arms folded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “But do keep trying,” she said sweetly. “I could use a good stability test.”

Marina tilted her head. “What kind of warding is this?”

“Warding?” Julia raised an eyebrow. “No. That’s just a simple boundary spell. A Doorway boundary spell.”

“Boundary spell?”

“Yeah. Handy little trick. Great for keeping out the occasional rat... or uninvited guests.” The edge in her voice was unmistakable.

Julia scoffed. “What do you want, bitch?”

Marina’s smile widened. “Look at that. She has claws now.”

“You’re a bitch?”

“What because I killed Hannah?”

“You murdered her,” Julia snapped.

Marina sighed dramatically. “Okay, maybe I got a little carried away. But I don’t respond well to people trying to steal my shit.”

Julia shook her head in disgust. “Why are you even here, Marina?”

“Well,” Marina said, gesturing lazily, “I’m here to raise the proverbial white flag.”

“You’re joking.”

“Oh, believe me, I wish you I was. I’d rather be doing anything else. But here we are.”

She flashed a crooked smile. “It was either that or threaten to kill you and everything you hold dear if you keep getting in my way.”

Julia didn’t flinch. Marina’s eyes glinted as she added, “Then again, with your boyfriend, you don’t have much to worry about.”

“Kai?”

“Mmmn.” Her jaw clenched. “He’s cost me more than anyone in a long while. The last time someone pissed me off like this, I was dealing with a swamp deity. Nasty business.”

“I don’t care,” Julia said flatly.

“Oh, but you should,” Marina countered. “Because if he keeps coming after me, I might resort to measures... less savory.”

Julia’s hand rose and each finger lighting up with flame. “Bring it, bitch.”

The heat flickered with intent. “Claws,” Julia said. “And hot.”

Marina raised an eyebrow, watching the flames dance. “Impressive. I assume he taught you that.”

Julia extinguished them with a flick. “And a lot more. So watch your tone.”

Marina chuckled. “And the boundary too, huh?”

Julia caught the note of interest in her voice and narrowed her eyes. “Oh, no. Don’t even think about it.”

“What shouldn’t I think about, Julia?”

“You know He’ll never teach you,” Julia said firmly.

“Oh, but I can be very persuasive,” Marina said, voice silky. She stepped closer, leaning just a breath away from the barrier, locking eyes. “Do you have any idea what most people would do to learn magic? It’s like a drug, Julia. The more you learn, the more you need it. It eats away at you. You crave the unknown spells, the forbidden ones the spells that make your bones ache just from casting them.”

Julia frowned as Marina continued.

“People will sell their literal shades for knowledge. They’ll fuck for it. Which, by the way, I have no problem doing.” She smirked. “And I’m sure you would’ve too... if you didn’t have Kai.”

Julia blinked, didn’t respond.

Marina chuckled. Then her hand flicked up, and a small silver-edged card appeared between her fingers. She bent, placed it delicately on the ground.

“I just want to talk. A truce. So tell him to give me a call.”

She straightened up, added, “Besides... it might benefit both parties.”

She traced her fingers against the barrier once more, then turned and walked away.

Julia stared after her, then looked down at the card with a heavy sigh.

She bent, picked it up.

“Bitch,” she muttered.