Eating You - Dwelling in the Shadow

The world in Eating You. Preface

Eating You is a story intended for a mature audience. The characters have complex backgrounds that are gradually revealed throughout the story, influencing their actions and thoughts. Many themes addressed may be distressing to sensitive readers, including mentions of trauma, depression, manipulation, gaslighting, anxiety, grief, violence and others.

There are also explicit sexual passages

Content Warning (CW) will be provided at the beginning of each chapter, but I'm not infallible and may overlook some. In such cases, a quick message will suffice for me to rectify the issue (it it's significant).

The version you are reading here is raw and unedited. It likely contains errors, and certain parts may be revised. Please, remember that English is not my main language.

Thank you for your understanding.

Content Warning

Here's the content warning list throughout the book (this list will be regularly updated):

• Mentions of trauma
• Mentions of suicidal ideation
• Mentions of depression
• Confrontation with an emotional aggressor
• Emotional abuse
• Gaslighting
• Anxiety
• Explicit content

Glossary

Vrăjitoru(s)

– Sorcerer in Romanian, a title given to all magic practitioners.

Non-carrier

– A term used for individuals with no magical abilities whatsoever.

Totenleser

– Literally “reader of the dead” in German. These are Lotaria’s soul-readers, capable of interrogating and torturing the dead. The most powerful can also read the thoughts and emotions of the living.

Kavach

– Shield in Hindi. A person, generally a non-carrier, whose mind is impenetrable and resistant to any form of mental magic.

Dragulescu Council

– A council of mages seated in Constantinople, tasked with maintaining balance among all courts.

Bryczka

– A term of Polish origin, referring to vehicles powered by crystals, whose appearance still evokes the horse-drawn carriages of old.

Psyché

– Portable mirrors made from various materials (the cheapest are glass, while the most expensive are polished metal or pyrite). They function as communication devices, much like our smartphones.

Waardiyaha

– Watchers in Somali. An order originally created to regulate Vrăjitorus working against the Dragulescu Council’s laws. They exist worldwide, but each division is specialized and trained for its cultural zone (or region). For example, a Waardiyaha stationed in Alkebulan cannot operate in Gallia or Haudenosaunee.

Innocens

– Innocent in Latin, derived from the name of the last Pope before Constantinople was seized by the Vrăjitorus. An order akin to inquisitors, they hunt and kill all Vrăjitorus detected in Lotaria, except for the Totenleser.

Ulfhedin / Ulfhednar (pl.)

– A perfect union between a wolf spirit and a human (typically a shaman). Other terms exist for different animal spirits: Berserkr, Kitsune, etc. But the generic term is Ulfhedin.

Yenaldooshi

– One who goes on all fours in Navajo. Shamans who usurp spirits and use their powers for selfish purposes.

Bisclavaret

– A spirit that overtakes the shaman entirely. Often corrupted by this unnatural bond, their appearance becomes twisted and unsettling. Associated with wendigo legends.

Marc’h-tan

– A two-wheeled vehicle.

Caern

– The equivalent of a funeral home, a place where the dead are prepared for the afterlife, and where families are supported through the process. This service is completely free and handled by the various departments that make up each zone.

Igurai

– Forest ranger in Basque.

Iscariotes

– An order of assassins working for Lotaria, often in collaboration with the Totenlesers.