Magic was an art.
But tonight, it felt more like surgery.
Zatanna stood in the glade, her palms trembling slightly, the lingering energy from her locator spell still sparking around her fingertips. The glyph that had appeared — the Celestialsapien sigil — was not just alien.
It was forbidden.
Old. Primal. Untranslated by any grimoire she owned.
She stared into the fading blue embers and whispered, "Who are you?"
The forest didn't answer.
But someone else did.
---
Behind her, a breeze stirred, though there was no wind.
Kairav stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets, hoodie soaked in dew, expression calm.
"You called?" he asked softly.
Zatanna spun, magic already forming in her palms. "You—!"
Kairav raised one hand, not in threat, but in peace.
"I come in chill," he said.
Zatanna blinked. The response caught her off-guard.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Kairav tilted his head. "You already know that's complicated."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're not from this dimension. That symbol — that's not even on the Atlantean charts."
He nodded. "Correct. But I'm not here to conquer or break things."
Zatanna hesitated. "You've already disrupted entropy."
"That was a mistake," Kairav admitted. "I was just trying to make sure a guy didn't stub his toe. The ripple… got out of hand."
---
The magician studied him.
There was something off about him. Not his appearance — he looked human. Young. Friendly. Maybe early twenties. But his aura felt endless.
Like talking to a storm pretending to be a puddle.
"I need answers," she said.
"You'll get them," he replied. "Just… not all at once."
Zatanna frowned. "Why not?"
Kairav smiled. "Because when I give people everything too quickly… they go mad. Or start cults. Or make documentaries on streaming platforms."
She blinked.
Was he joking?
Probably. Hopefully.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the Watchtower orbiting Earth, Batman was watching everything.
Zatanna had activated her distress beacon — a silent, magical pulse only the League's highest sensors could read.
Bruce zoomed in on her location.
Then froze.
A shape stood beside her. No ID. No heat signature. No energy pattern. Just… a blank spot in reality.
"Pulling satellite footage," Bruce said, tapping commands rapidly. "I want every frame."
But the footage glitched.
Skipped.
One moment, Zatanna was alone. The next — a man stood there.
The timestamps were intact, but reality was not.
"Clark," he muttered into his comm.
Superman's voice came back: "What's up?"
"Meet me in the Cave. We may have a problem."
---
Back in the forest, Zatanna slowly lowered her hands.
Kairav hadn't moved. Hadn't attacked. Hadn't even defended.
He was just there.
"So… what do you want?" she asked.
He looked at the stars.
"To be left alone. To help, sometimes. Quietly."
Zatanna narrowed her eyes. "You expect me to trust you?"
"No," he said simply. "I don't expect anything. But if it helps…"
He extended his hand. A gesture of trust.
Zatanna hesitated… then reached out.
The moment their hands touched, her eyes widened.
She saw galaxies being born.
She saw realities crumbling.
She saw herself — as a child, as an old woman, as a goddess, as dust.
And through it all… him. Watching. Always calm. Always constant.
She gasped, yanked her hand back.
"What are you?" she whispered.
Kairav gave a small, tired smile.
"Someone who learned long ago that power without kindness is just another form of cruelty."
Then, just as silently as he came, he vanished — no flash, no magic, no teleport shimmer.
Just gone.
Zatanna stood alone in the glade, her heart pounding.
Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.
And the stars above… seemed to glow a little brighter.