[Jerome, Year: 2754]

"The world has gone mad. These pranks have gone way too far." Jerome said to himself as he watched the address taking place on the TV.

"Good evening, my name is, well, it is unimportant, but you may know of me in your legends as Morgan le Fay..." The woman on screen said.

A news brief would be released three weeks later, outlining three key elements. Firstly, magic was real. Secondly, not all magics were created equal. And finally, some magic could be learned. This excited Jerome.

Jerome was average. He had graduated middle of his class from a middle-of-the-road college. He had no girlfriend, and most of his family was dead or dying. All of this together had resulted in one thing. Jerome had decided that he would learn magic. And with that magic, he would make the world pay for all the misdeeds he had suffered.

[High Court of Magi, Year: 2759]
 
"Jerome Halson, You are accused of the practice of Fael-Magic and of the murder of countless deaths of humans, Fae, and other magical creatures. How do you plead?" Merlin said, his voice booming across the massive Fae realm hall.
 
"I plead not guilty," Jerome said with a snide smile. "You are just angry that someone dared to learn magics more powerful than your own. Your time comes to an end, old man. You and that bitch wife of yours are going to get your comeuppance. Whether it's at my hands or the hands of another. You have been keeping the Fael trapped for too long. They will continue to gain allies while yours whither away. I was merely the first."
 
"You are a monster who had fallen to be little more than a tool for the Fael," Hecate said. "Your latest attempt was to kidnap my son and his betrothed, Lily. I can only assume that you intended to use them as you have countless others and sacrifice them to weaken the spell Merlin and Morgan Le Fay maintain to keep the Fael at bay."
 
"So?" Jerome said with a laugh that seemed carefree and almost whimsical. He shrugged his shoulder and attempted to push magic through the chains around his wrist. Almost instantly, a vampire and another strange being Jerome had never seen before slammed their unique magics into him. The vampire's magic suppresses his own and strengthens the enchantments on the chains, and the other being's eating the magics of both the vampire and Jerome. 
 
"If you had not been there, I would have killed the girl and kidnapped the brat," Jerome said to the vampire.
 
"Oh, I know, but you should know, I am never far from Lily. She is a... Well, suffice it to say she is a unique existence. However, even with all the beings who have marked the girl and want a crack at you, I still think we should turn you over to Lily's mother. She mentioned wanting to see what happens when you waterboard someone who technically can't die." The vampire said, smiling at Jerome with a blood-chilling smirk. 
 
The chuckle that went around the room let Jerome know that Lily's mother was well-known for some reason by the Fae. Merlin raised his staff and dropped it an inch or two, resulting in a sharp crack. "Regardless, this trial is merely a formality. We have enough evidence, magical, mundane, and otherwise, to banish you to the Fael-Wood at this moment. But we want to know how you fell. You should have never been able to learn the Fael magic that you did. So Jerome, tell us your story, even if it is just to prolong your time in this realm. How did a young, mundane man like yourself end up as Jerome, the Fael-Mage of the Dead?"
 
Jerome laughed heartily. "You want to know how I ended up like I am? Are you sure about that? Because it's all your fault, well, you and the rest of the world that failed to see me for who I truly am."
 
A door opened up, admitting the lady Morgan Le Fay, accompanied by her protege Lily, and Kestran, Prince of the Witches. She spoke after getting to the chair next to her husband, Merlin. "Oh, we would very much like to hear, and we will listen with rapt attention. And I am sorry that you feel how you say you do."
 
"Very well, I will tell my story, especially since I have such an esteemed audience," Jerome spoke with such a visceral tone of mockery that none would mistake his intent. "It all started when you told the world we could learn magic..."
 

[Jerome, Year: 2755]
 
It had been nearly a year since Jerome had begun his path to becoming a magic user. He refused to call himself any of the silly names that others used. Mage, Magi, Wizard, they all sounded so stupid. And Jerome was anything but stupid. Despite being what people were calling 'un-gifted,' he had already managed to learn and use three spells at the cantrip level. 
 
Upon finally mastering the cantrip 'dancing flame' which produced a flame slightly larger than a candle flame, and one that he could manipulate at will, Jerome had come to the determination that it was about time that he find a woman worthy of being with such a great and powerful man.
 
So he did what any young man does when he has a few new tricks and desires female companionship, he got a twenty-dollar haircut, put on a shirt he felt comfortable in, and went out to find a woman who would surely be smitten with him at the local club.
 
The only problem was, the women he found were not impressed with his tricks. Some laughed, while others thought the cantrips were cool but undeserving of love. Jerome was fuming. He spent several weeks repeating this. Every time he grew angrier and angrier. He took each rejection as a personal snub. He took each girl's polite refusal as a deeply personal attack. Until finally, one weekend, a girl said yes to coming home with him. 
 
Her name was Amanda. She was from out of town, and she found Jerome's particular brand of humor to be incredibly attractive, and the fact that he could do even minor cantrips showed that he could work hard. She agreed to go to his home, wanting to spend some one-on-one time with him and see if they could work out in the long run.
 
Jerome on the other hand expected one thing and one thing only. Complete submission. When they got back to his house and had a drink, he played along with her questions about his job and hobbies, thinking it was all some type of foreplay. Then he went in for a kiss, and Amanda pulled back.
 
Amanda looked awkward. "I am sorry Jerome, I don't do that on first dates. I just wanted to get to know you."
 
"But I... But... You... and... We..." Jerome was confused, he did remember her mentioning just talking before they left the bar. 
 
Amanda could not have known that she had made a critical mistake even though she was not upset he had tried to kiss her. "I like you Jerome, and I want to get to know you. Maybe tomorrow..." 
 
Jerome cut her off by slicing his knife through her throat. At the same time, he felt the magic inside him stir, so he pulled on that feeling, and something left Amanda's body and joined with Jerome. It felt better than anything he had ever felt. And as he basked in the feeling of power, and the warmth of Amanda's blood flowing over his hands, something strange began to happen.
 
Runes began to shape themselves on the floor in the pool of blood. Moments ticked by, and finally, a full rune circle was created. Purple light lit the air, and suddenly, A strange woman stood in Jerome's kitchen. Jerome was confused. "Who the fuck are you? How did you get in here?"
 
The woman looked at Jerome. "I am Tatiana, blood queen of the Fael. And I was summoned by your use of Fael magic and sacrifice of blood."
 
Tatiana looked over the situation. "I guess that you did not intend to summon me, and judging from your paltry magic power, I am confused as to how I was even summoned."
 
"Paltry!?" Jerome exclaimed angrily. "I just killed one slut, I guess I have time for another."
 
Jerome took the knife and stood to face an unfazed Tatiana. He swung the knife and buried it in her heart. Jerome started laughing until the laugh faded as he watched Tatiana pull the knife from her chest. The wound sealed itself, and she wiped the blood from the knife before putting it back into the knife block. 
 
Tatiana then grabbed Jerome by his throat with one hand and hoisted him into the air. "You would dare attack me? You are nothing more than an insignificant worm who summoned me through a fluke. You are not worth the air you breathe! You are..."
 
Tatiana paused, her head cocking to the side. "You have immense compatibility with Fael magic."
 
Tatiana looked at Jerome and noticed two things, the whole time he had been choking in her hand, he had not panicked and had instead been working his hands under her fingers and trying to break her fingers. And the second thing was that he was undeniably aroused. Apparently, the blood, the beautiful woman choking him, and the threat of death seemed perfect for him.
 
Tatiana smiled. "I will make you a deal young human, I will teach you Fael magic. Make you into a true Fael-Mage. I will even take care of your, other problem."
 
Tatiana grabbed the protuberance between his legs so there was no confusion as to what she was talking about. "And in return, you will kill any and all that you can, sacrifice their souls to the Fael-Wood. So what say you?"
 
Jerome said nothing, simply smiling, nodding and leaning into the hand that choked him...

[High Court of Magi, Year: 2759]
 
"Tatiana taught you?" Morgan Le Fae asked.
 
"Taught me, Fucked me in a pool of blood, and showed me the future you all headed towards," Jerome said with a smile. His arousal was apparent through his clothing.
 
Morgan turned to Merlin. "I believe it is time she no longer is allowed her special privileges." 
 
Merlin nodded, and Hecate interjected. "Lord Merlin, Lady Morgan, I know she is a problem, but she is still my sister. I... I don't..." 
 
Merlin smiled brightly at Hecate. "I know she is your sister, and we have an accord. I also know you seek a way to undo the act of falling that turned her from a Fae into a Fael. I will not end her life. But I will redouble the protections that separate the Fael-wood from the Fae realm and the middle-realm."
Hecate bowed her head. "Thank you, Merlin."
 
"As for you. Jerome, I understand now that you were a sociopath long before you were a murderer. I do not believe in forgiveness, especially for one who has committed the crimes that you have. So I will give you a choice: you may face a mortal court or abide by whatever decision I come to. The choice is yours, Fael-Mage." Merlin spoke with authority, letting Jerome know he would not get away with anything, no matter his choice.
 
"Do your worst, old man," Jerome said to Merlin, confident that Merlin could do nothing that would actually punish him.
 
"Very well. Jerome, Fael-Mage of the Dead, you are to be branded of the Fael and banished to the Fael-Wood, where you reside until the end of time." Merlin said and then looked at the vampire. "Lord Victor, I once called upon you to brand the original Fael. May I call upon you once more to perform that task."
 
"Of course." the vampire said and held his hand out to the side, summoning forth a brand in the shape of a 13-pointed star. The metal seemed to glow white hot, and the air shimmered around it, distorting reality. "Now, I recommend you bite down on the back of your teeth. This will hurt." 
 
Jerome screamed as Victor pressed the brand into the center of his back. He looked up through tears and heard Merlin speak. "You have fallen to the Fael. Now, you will fall to the Fael-Wood. May magic guide you back to the light, though the light never forgives." 
 
Merlin waved his hand, and the world seemed to collapse around Jerome.

[The Fael-Wood, Year: 2759]
 
When Jerome came to, he was in a forest, and around him, he could feel the Fael magic flow with the force of the tides, unstoppable and willful. Tatiana sat on a rock near him, naked and as beautiful as the last time he had seen her. 
 
Jerome stood up and moved to pull her into an embrace. Rather than feeling her lascivious form against his body, he felt her power slam into him and press him onto the ground until he was on his knees. "Tatiana, what are you doing?!" 
 
"You failed me, Jerome! You think I fucked you like some streetwise whore for you to get caught?!" Tatiana exclaimed, the anger in her voice almost a physical blow.
 
"I... I did what you asked!"
 
"You think that killing all you did is what I wanted?" Tatiana laughed. "I demanded two things of you: kill all you can and sacrifice their souls to the Fael-Wood." 
 
"I did!" Jerome pleaded.
 
"No, you did not. You absorbed their souls for yourself after killing them in the name of the Fael-Wood." She snarled, "You could have done so much for the Fael-Wood, for Me! But you only cared about your own growth. I had hoped you would change once you gained some modicum of power, but no. So now I must do this.
 
Jerome watched as she began to twirl her hand, and the air grew cool. "What are you going to do?"
 
"I will end the pitiful story of Jerome, Laughingstock of the Fael-Wood." She said and suddenly summoned a spear of ice and drove it through his skull, instantly killing him.
 
Tatiana absorbed his soul, feeling almost no strength gain despite how many souls Jerome had absorbed. "Well, every plan can't play out how I want. Back to finding another to serve me." 

[High Court of Magi, Year: 2759]

"Well, that is complete." Merlin said, standing to look at Lily and Kestran, "I am sorry that you both had to go through something like this. And on All hallows eve of all nights."

"It is not a problem Sir Merlin." Lily said with a smile for the grandfatherly old man.

"As Lily says, Uncle Merlin, we are both fine and you are still on schedule to perform the rituals you have to. So there is nothing to worry about." Kestran said with a smile. 

"I will be escorting these two to the human realm, Lily's mother is meeting us in central park, and Hecate is judging a fae court costume contest." Victor said, smiling at the cringed grin on Hecates face, "Would you care to join us?"

Merlin looked at Morgan then shook his head. "No thank you Victor. I do hope you all have a good time. Lily, Kestran, be well and don't forget to practice your magic, I will see you both next year."

The group waved goodbye and left Merlin and Morgan alone. Merlin spoke, "Well I guess it is time."

"You know my love, you should not take things so personally, one bad man among many thousands of good ones should be a testament to your efforts." Morgan Le Fae said, "It is no longer up to only you and me. We have friend's now." 

Merlin nodded and Morgan kissed his cheek. "Reguardless, let us go and do what we must. Happy All Hallows, Merlin."

"Happy All Hallows to you Morgan." Merlin said smiling at his wife, and moving to follow her out of the court chambers.