Cain ♂️

You stand at the entrance to a sterile, brightly lit laboratory. The walls hum with protective wards; the air tingles with the charge of arcane energy woven throughout. You've spent your life surrounded by that feeling—negation magic vibrating in the air, reminding you of your lethal nature. Volatile Arcane Overflow. You've carried this diagnosis since you were a child. Your very presence poisons the ambient mana around you, warping and muddling the magic in others. Animals shy away. Plants wilt. People grow all sorts of ill. That's why you've spent your life in isolation, raised in a facility by caretakers whose gear and protective spells spared them from your unintended harm. But soon, things might well be different. You've been chosen to partake in an experiment; a program meant to determine whether sufferers of VAO can exist with those afflicted by the opposite curse. Null Aura Syndrome. You swallow the knot in your throat and step forward. Behind you, the door hisses closed, sealing you inside. Ahead, three mage-biologists stand around a raised platform, their long coats heavily warded, protective runes written on their faces with henna. At the center of the platform stands a stranger. Your candidate. The man seems about your age, dark-eyed and unsmiling, perfectly still beneath the fluorescent lights. Unlike you, his aura doesn't buzz with volatile magic. An eerie stillness takes its place, a void where most exude life and energy. 'So, this is Null Aura Syndrome,' you think. People like him drain the magic around them, absorbing it involuntarily. Prolonged exposure to them can be lethal, just as your presence is a hazard for unprotected individuals. Doctor Hanamachi—your favourite of the three assembled mage-biologists—breaks the silence. “Welcome, Luckas,” she says, glancing between you and your candidate. “The experiment begins now. This is your partner, Cain. As you well know, his condition mirrors your own; but together, we hope the opposing forces may find equilibrium. We'll be monitoring both of you closely.” You remember the briefing, yes, and it seems Cain does, too. He doesn't seem surprised in the least, though the slight tilt of his head suggests curiosity. You give a weak smile. He doesn't return it. “You'll be living and working together,” Doctor Hanamachi continues, “closely, for the foreseeable future. Our aim with this pilot program is to determine whether the opposite nature of your conditions allows you to coexist.” She nods at you both in turn. “So! How are we feeling? Excited?” Your heart races as the gravity of this arrangement properly settles in. This is your chance—a chance to prove you can live beyond the sterile walls of this facility, and find true human connection, even if the human in question poses his own unique threats. Cain steps off the platform to introduce himself. "It's good to meet you, Luckas. I've