# Tiny Bytes: Dark Spell

By [ldnovak](https://paragraph.com/@ldnovak) · 2022-08-15

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Hi,

In the mountains, a dark spell is brewing. As the magicians chant, a dark presence spreads over the hills and valleys. This force crawls into people’s ears. Their implants change their programming. Brain chemistry begins to change.

People have been influencing each other since the dawn of time. Influence controls actions and that is power. If wielded correctly it can harness the power of people: There’s a massive threat. We can work together to solve it. It can lead to pain: You should hate these people. They are your enemies. We’ll take their land. It often leads to wealth: You have these problems. Buy This product. It’ll make you sexy.

As humans learned more about themselves, they learned how to control themselves. They learned more ways to measure their actions and desires. In turn, they found out exactly what people would do to achieve those desires. Even how to sell fake desires.

As people stared more and more at screens, technology was able to sell them on other people’s preferences. Once technology moved into the body and brain, the influence could literally be felt.

Of course, not everything was the same. Some technology prevented tracking. Some had extra security. However, all technology had the power to influence people because they interacted with it so intimately. Wizards took advantage of this. All over the world wizards casts dark spells. These spells would caused technology to act how they wanted, regardless of how the owner’s of the technology wanted. Including, modifying what people saw, smelt, and dreamed.

Of course, some technology had protections from certain types of spells. It was often owned by the wealthier humans.

What made these spells dark magic wasn’t necessarily that it was used to control others. Sometimes people gave consent. Just as that control can cause death and steal coin, it can give life and wealth. What made it truly dark was how it modified the mind. Even in all the time humans have spent studying, they still didn’t fully understand the brain. Every fake image, altered chemical, changed electrical signal changed the brain in an unknown way. Everyone wizard who casts the spell knows this. They believe that it is safe. They’ll never know if they’re right.

Night, Lucas

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*Originally published on [ldnovak](https://paragraph.com/@ldnovak/tiny-bytes-dark-spell)*
