A scholar runs through a door and locks himself in an underground bunker, thoroughly cleaned and purified from any and all taint. In his hands is his life's work, a tome. Stolen from the Black Library. That's a tale of black magic, dark arcanum and millennia of sacrifice, both of others and himself.

It's also completely pointless.

He opens the book and reads, the hundreds of spells imprinted upon his very essence barely, barely allowing his mortal mind to comprehend it's secrets. He reads and reads, and each word boosts his power a millionfold. This book would grant him the power of a God, allow him to remake the universe in his image, give him absolute power.

But he skipped to the results without disabling the security. However, he cannot be held accountable for this, because the security in question is something completely and utterly alien to literally everything except itself.

Eventually, he closes the book. He has read enough to know what it will say without having to read it manually. He stands back, shocked. It was that simple? Just plain mathematics, albeit incredibly advanced, was enough? He leaned his head back and laughed. And then screamed, and was not.

That book was a sin to fate. That man should never have read it, and the power he gained from it was too great, so fate erased him. From that moment, he never existed, and people all around the Imperium forgot the existence of a snot-nosed, mousey little man who they never met in the first place. But erasing a god displaces the numbers, and so fate called in something to reorganize them.

Numbers cannot hurt you and cannot be hurt. They are unquantifiable, a concept. But one can turn into two, or zero. Numbers cannot fight you, but they can affect you without resistance. Enter a crẹ̷̒̄͗ä̵̜͇͎́̆̽͠t̶̰̭͇̤̭̓u̶̼̘͗̐̄͘r̵̢̨̎̄̄͋͊ë̴̡̤̤̲̰́͑͆͆͠ of numbers, a c̷̨̨̮̦̯̽̿̐̾́̔͠ͅŏ̷̧̧͙̬̤̺̼͇̌̅͋̂̏̿n̶̢̨̻̗̖͖̤͉̳̒́̊͐͑͝͠ç̴̛̦͈̣̘̀͂̒͌͐͑͆̕e̶̡̡̢̩͖͉̺̝͉̣̅̃̄̈́p̶̡̧̭̜͈͍͎̱͍̍̍̓̋͂͊̆̒̈́͜t̵͎͌̑̓̀̔̕ ̵̜̜̲̾̽̒̓̿̄͌̿̂͛̕ẽ̸̲̬̻̳̭̎̒̏̚ͅq̸̢͓̞̥͓͖̰͈̀̊̾̽͝ư̴̧̗̣̰̼͉̟̏̏̾̓̒͂̈̍͜͝a̶̻̙̲̫͕̲͘l̵̨̧͎̟̮̳̠̲̄͑̈́̔̆̋̈́̕͜͜ ̷̩̲͠t̴̰̆̊̈́̅̐͗̈́o̷̮̜̜̫̳͝ ̶͙́̄̆̈́͛̋͘o̶̝͓̬͙̤͉̻̗̐͗͒͑͘͜n̴͕̬͎͉̩̹̞͗͒̋͑̌̕ͅȩ̸̦̿̊, the hole in existence created by reading a god that never existed in the first place.

I̵̜̐̎ͅt̵͖̮̋ ̵͓̟̌c̵̞͑̅a̷̜̳̔n̵̛̯̋ͅn̷̐ͅȍ̸͕̈́t̶̙͙̏ ̴͙͕́̓p̷͔̔ͅẻ̶̢͜r̶̩̜͊c̵̺͛̈́é̷̢̈́i̶̼̅v̶̯̍͊ȩ̷̍͝ ̵̹̄w̶̪̓̄h̸̭͋ḁ̶͐t̶̨͒̓ ̸̟̠̈́y̷͎͇̏ò̴͓̫ủ̵̮̱ ̸̛̖w̷̛͜ǫ̴͔̃u̸̦͕̒̒l̷̡̳͊d̸̘̖̀ ̵̪͉̐͘s̷͎̰͠ḛ̴́e̵̞͂̕ ̸̝̦̿̿a̴͉̪͋s̸̜̥̈́ ̷̯͋r̸̤̃̈e̶̩͒̾ȃ̴̭̌l̸͔̃͘į̵͖̒̽t̸̼̜̐y̴̗̳͗,̷̱̼̊͊ ̸̘̫̔ḅ̸͂u̵͙͛͝t̴̞̒̉ ̴̞͑͛͜ȋ̵̩̭̚t̴̮̭̋ ̴̖̈ô̴̜n̸͇̂̚l̴̜̋̚y̷͖͛͜ ̴̥̠̿͌s̷̩̬̉̚ë̴͈́̽e̷͚̯͌͌s̸̹̓̅ ̵̡̻͆̈́n̷̛͚u̸̧͆m̵̬̅b̸̳͗̋ẻ̸̤̰̆r̶̟̅͘ͅș̸̄̂.̶̘͆ͅ ̸̻͇͐E̸̦͛͋ͅv̶̨̞͗͘e̸̹͂r̸̭̈y̷̼̲̒t̷̩̩̒ẖ̷̓̈́i̴͖̅͑n̸̪̽̑g̶͍͆ͅ ̶̯̳̚í̶͇ṡ̵̙̪̎ ̷̻̉͛ǎ̶̻̦͗ ̷͍͋ṋ̸͊̚u̷̥̓m̷̖̰̄̆b̷̩̓͐e̸̡̤͒͝r̴̢̽͋.̶̞͗̕ ̷̣͝Ȯ̵͍̮̐ṇ̵̉ͅē̶̡̕ ̷͕̯̑̒p̸̻͛͊ë̴̼́ŗ̵͙̽̀s̴̤̈́̕o̸̢͎̽n̵͕̜̏.̸͙̐ ̶̭̑4̵̜̘̄ ̵̰̾̀ḷ̸̳̀̓i̸̦̩͂m̶̯̈́̂b̸̟̈́ͅs̸̞̍.̶͕͔̒ ̷͓̈́͋T̸̻̋w̴̡̝̋̎ò̴͙̟ ̴̬͛l̷͒ͅi̶̝̎̑m̸̹͔͑̃b̴̦̋ŝ̵̠͊.̵̬̓͘ ̸̢̌̍͜Ö̴̡̟́͝n̶̟͕͑͛e̵̯̥͊̚ ̶̼̑̉l̴͓̥̔̓i̵̩̔m̶̜͠ḇ̵̖̒.̸̫̋͂͜ ̸̘͎̈T̸̨͇͝w̷̖͌ó̷̪ ̴͓̟͑̍b̶̹́r̷͍̽ȃ̵̗̭i̵̦̐n̴͉͈̉̆ ̵͙̎h̴̭͉̓̔ẻ̷̹͖m̵̦̕í̸̢̽s̵̄ͅṕ̷̱h̷̰̰̔̂e̵͕̋̇r̸̨̰̅͝è̵͚̥ș̶̂.̸̺̹̊ ̸͍̂̀Ŏ̴̱̯͝n̸͓̠͆é̷̱ ̸̥̊̈́ḇ̶̍r̵͙̊͝ą̶̣͂i̴̬͑ṇ̶̛̼ ̴̛̜̳͘h̶̲͌͊ẽ̵̢̾ṁ̴̤̥́i̸̖͆̿s̶̱̉̚p̷͕͌ĥ̵̤̼͝ê̷̘ṛ̵̕ě̸͔̘̀.̷͓̝̀̌ ̸̪͍̓I̴̬͛̀t̶̲́ ̶̯̯̓ã̸̛̳͙l̴̟̼͛l̷̻̃̆,̶̺̓̒ ̵͖͓̆͝e̸̲͗̚ͅv̷̻̓̎è̷̙̮̕n̸͇̪͆t̸̞̊̒ù̸̲̜͝a̴͙̐̕l̵͎̥̀l̴͚̙̓̅y̵̺͉͝,̴̯͌̀ ̷̝̒͂b̴̢̦̌e̴̠̘̓̓c̴̢̈́ó̵̮̞͊m̶̻̄͒e̵̬̗̎s̶͎͉̊ ̵̬̟̃͐ō̷̉ͅñ̷̖͊é̸̩.̶͚̮̌

I̶t̴ ̷t̴a̸k̴e̷s̴ ̷t̶h̸e̷ ̸t̶a̵i̶n̷t̸ ̴c̵r̴e̵a̴t̸e̷d̸ ̶b̴y̵ ̷b̸o̶o̵k̷ ̷a̴n̸d̸ ̶d̷i̶v̴i̸d̴e̷s̶ ̵i̸t̵ ̸b̷y̶ ̸0̴.̶ ̸T̴h̸e̵n̵ ̶i̴t̸ ̴i̸n̷s̷p̴e̸c̶t̶s̸ ̸t̷h̶e̴ ̴s̵u̸r̵r̵o̷u̶n̶d̸i̶n̶g̷ ̷a̷r̷e̵a̴.̸ ̷F̶l̶a̴w̸s̴ ̷i̶n̵ ̴t̵h̴e̸ ̸c̵o̴d̷e̸.̵ ̵B̸u̴g̷s̸ ̸i̸n̵ ̴t̷h̴e̶ ̵s̴y̶s̷t̷e̶m̵.̶ ̴I̷t̵'̸s̸ ̷c̴a̶u̴t̶i̴o̴u̵s̴,̷ ̸s̴o̸ ̸i̸t̴ ̸s̵u̵b̷t̸r̶a̶c̶t̷s̶ ̵t̸h̵e̷ ̸m̶o̴u̸n̶t̸a̴i̴n̴ ̷i̷n̸t̴o̵ ̷o̵n̵e̵.̵ ̸N̶o̸w̷ ̶i̵t̸'̴s̸ ̵f̸l̷o̸a̵t̴i̶n̴g̷ ̵i̷n̴ ̴a̸ ̷c̴r̶a̷t̴e̷r̸.̸ ̸ ̸B̴u̶t̵ ̷t̶h̷i̴s̵ ̶w̸i̴l̸l̶ ̶n̵o̶t̴ ̸d̵o̴,̶ ̴n̴o̷n̶o̴n̷o̵.̷ ̸N̸o̵w̶ ̸t̸h̸e̵r̴e̶'̶s̸ ̵a̷ ̷b̶i̸g̶g̴e̵r̶ ̸i̵m̶b̵a̷l̴a̴n̴c̴e̸.̸ ̵S̷o̷ ̶i̸t̵ ̶m̴u̴l̸t̸i̸p̷l̶i̶e̴s̶.̴ ̷I̵t̷ ̴t̶a̴k̴e̶s̷ ̴r̶o̴c̴k̵s̸,̷ ̶a̴n̶d̴ ̷a̷i̸r̸,̷ ̵a̶n̸d̵ ̶a̸t̵o̴m̸s̵,̵ ̵a̸n̵d̷ ̵a̶l̴l̵ ̶o̷n̷e̸s̶,̵ ̶a̷n̸d̶ ̸m̵u̷l̷t̵i̵p̴l̴i̴e̴s̵ ̷t̴h̸e̷m̴.̸ ̵T̶w̷o̸.̷ ̴F̵o̸u̷r̷.̵ ̵E̴i̸g̴h̴t̶.̷ ̴B̴u̵t̷ ̸i̵t̸'̷s̵ ̸n̵o̴t̶ ̴o̵r̵d̶e̶r̸l̸y̴.̸ ̴I̴t̵ ̷f̶u̵n̷c̴t̸i̴o̷n̴s̵ ̷o̸n̷ ̷a̷ ̶d̴i̶f̶f̶e̴r̶e̶n̷t̷ ̵w̷a̴v̷e̴l̸e̵n̷g̸t̵h̵ ̸o̸f̶ ̶r̷e̵a̵l̴i̵t̵y̴ ̷e̷n̵t̵i̴r̵e̴l̴y̵,̴ ̴a̸n̷d̶ ̸i̴t̷'̶s̸ ̴m̵a̵t̶h̴e̸m̶a̶t̷i̸c̸s̶ ̵i̷s̶ ̴c̵o̴m̸p̸l̸e̴t̶e̵l̷y̷ ̴a̸l̷i̷e̷n̷ ̷t̴o̸ ̵b̸e̴h̵o̴l̶d̸.̵ ̵T̷h̵e̵ ̶i̴n̸b̵a̸l̷a̶n̴c̷e̴ ̶s̸h̸i̴f̸t̷s̵,̶ ̸s̸k̷y̸r̴o̸c̷k̵e̶t̷s̶ ̴f̷r̶o̵m̵ ̴i̵m̸p̸o̷s̴s̸i̸b̵l̸e̶ ̷h̴e̸i̸g̴h̴t̶s̶ ̵t̵o̵ ̵c̴a̵t̷a̸c̴l̸y̷s̸m̵i̴c̵ ̴l̵o̴w̷s̷.̸ ̵B̸u̷t̸ ̴i̵t̴ ̴f̵e̸e̷l̶s̵ ̸n̶o̴ ̶p̸a̵n̶i̷c̸.̴ ̷I̸t̷ ̸a̴l̸l̶ ̵f̸o̷l̴l̴o̶w̵s̵ ̵a̵n̷ ̴o̶r̶d̵e̴r̴.̴ ̸W̷h̸a̸t̶ ̷i̵s̴ ̴a̵l̶t̷e̷r̵e̵d̸ ̴i̶s̸ ̴i̷r̶r̶e̶l̴e̸v̴a̸n̶t̴,̴ ̶t̴h̸e̷ ̵e̵n̷d̴ ̵r̴e̷s̴u̴l̶t̷ ̶i̷s̵ ̷i̷r̴r̶e̸l̸e̸v̴a̴n̴t̷:̸ ̴i̷n̸ ̴t̶h̸e̸ ̸e̶n̴d̴,̴ ̵t̶h̶e̵ ̴i̵m̵b̴a̷l̷a̷n̵c̶e̷ ̵w̵i̴l̴l̶ ̸b̷e̵c̵o̷m̴e̷ ̸e̶q̶u̷a̵l̶ ̴t̵o̵ ̵o̷n̷e̴.̶ ̵A̸n̸d̵ ̴o̸n̵e̷ ̷c̶a̴n̸ ̵b̷e̵ ̵t̵u̶r̷n̴e̵d̸ ̴i̵n̴t̶o̷ ̵0̷.̶

M̶̧̡̢̨̬͖̝̙̻̹͙͖͔̩͚͙͕̺̗͈̰̳̗̯̠̻̣̣̺̩̥͚̌̈́́͊̌̈́̈́͌̅͆̊͗͋͊̈́́́̆͛̉͜ͅį̵̢̧̢̧̢̢̪͙͔̫͇̙̪̦̤̤̭̰̙̲͖͇̘̺̞̠͕̳͖̃͆̈́̅͂͊̏̋̈́͌̈́̓̋̒͒̽͋͌̅̀̈̃̆̂͋͗̆̍̂̓̈̀̇̌̉̀̚͘̕͘̚̚̚̕͜͜͠͠͝͝͠ş̸̛͍̳̜̥̥̟̩̠̱̝͈̦͎͎̼͇̹̰̫̰͉͚͖͔̝̻̰̳͎͓̠̣̱͕͊̃͛͒̆́̅̑͛̎̍̾͆̽͑ͅs̷̨̡̧̨̨̡̡̳̭͓̰̙̟̫̞̺̠̱̺̝̲͍̗̩̟̞͙͉̠̞̙̣̰̣͇̦̼̰̘̮̰̯̯͇̈̀͑̿͆́́̊̄̽̈́́̀͛̂̑̀͋͊̓̒̒̏̎̿̌͛̄̓͋̕͘̕͜͝͠͠ͅͅͅį̶̡̧̧̨̛̭̩̠͕̻̭͍͖̭̮̲̻̺͓̹̭̭̗͈͈͙͓̖̞͈̗̣̻̥͉͎̰̮͂̀͌̓͗͑̌͑͋͒̅̄̉̐͂̂̈́́̍̈́̄̒̌͘̕̕̚͠n̸̡̨̧̧̢̩͙̯̗̣̫̺̬̞͉̯̤̞̯̠̼̬̲̜̥̣̤̲̪͖͎̞̠͔͇̫͗̐͜ͅͅğ̶̨̧̧̨̨̛̬̺̱͇̬͚̲͕̘̻̭͍̩͔͉̞̖͖͓̣͇͉̭̯͖̫̱̻̤̻͇͓̠̣̹̩̲̭̙͕̮̈́̊͛̎̿̓̈́͛͆͒̆̓̓̎̅̑͑̾̉́̑̋̆͛̃͒̂́̔̉͛̎̄̆͌̑̽̚͜͝Ǹ̵̨̨̧̹̜͓̪̠̞̣̪̲̼̥̬̦̙̱̳̘͍͚͙̳̯̙͉̰̟̾̐̽̃̂̓͆̓̅͂͊̂̏͂͘͘͘͘͠ͅͅơ̷̡̛̛̛̤̮͕̣̗̳̜͇̂̌̆͋̍͗̈́́͛̆̀̀͂̈́͂̑̊̓̎̃̿̏̽̂̊̉͒̀͘̚̚͘͘͠͝͠ ̷̧̦̰̪̺̙̦̲͓̱̖̰͋͐̌h̷̘͚͍̼̠͈͇̤̘̱̜̤͔͓͕̳̠̜̲̮̯̹̠̖̞̟̖̲̥̖͎̯̠̺͚̃̊̈́̂̍̓̀͒̽͑͂͊̓̆̒̑̀́͐̿̾̓͆̔̀̋̋̽͊́̈́̀̂̇̀̀̈́͒̀͗͘͠͠a̵̡̨̛͎̖̖̤̙̹̘̹͒͗͆̈͑͛͐̎̅̈̈̎̉̀͂̓̌̾̏̽̇̃̈̒̀̂̂̑́̾͗͂̐̅̂͘̕̕͠͝͝͠͝s̴̛͈̼̝̹͍̙̞̜̻̲͎̝̫̪̺̙̆͌͆͛̈́̊̃̇͛̀̒̂̔̒̍͊̃́̾͋̕͝ͅ ̶̢̢̢̢̧̨̻̪̦̦͇͚̱̹̭͙̩̝̮̲͉̩͎̞̻̤̯̞̥͎͓͚͙͓̠̞̲̫͖͚̺̟͊͗̋́̉͆̏͗͋͋̈́̋̍͐̊͊̊̒̍̌́̉̽̑̌̊́̀͊̏̌̍̔̓͂͑̒̅̿̒̚͘͘̕̕͜͠͝ͅͅá̵̡̛̛̙̗̘̠̹̗̙̤̠͔̣͓̭͔̞̮̠̙͓̦͇́͆͐͛̉̎̄̓̍̑͌͐̓̾̆̋̈́̾̇̐̒̀̏̓̓̋̐̏̇͂̿͝ŗ̴̨̢͍̰̪̰͍̫̜̱͕̖͓̫̥̻͙̼͕͕̫̞͚͔̟͕̩͌̀̈́͂́̈́͋̀͒̌̾͒̆̍͋̈́̍̇̋͆͆͂̓̎̕̚͜͠͠͝ͅͅŗ̷̧̨̡̢̡̛̩̙̰̯̦̲̞̼̥̠̝͉̟͔͍̤̥̝̯͉̳̳͈̟̻̬̘̭̮̘͍́̆͐̑͐̈́̿͐̎̀̀͂̾̽̆͜͠͝ͅį̷̢̢̢̺̱̳̝̳̤͍̭̫̗̗̯͚̰͕̥̖̏̌͆̾̉̿̐̅́́̊̂̏̒̉̈́̾͗͑͂͐́̆̄̈́̌͌͑̾́̔̀͛̅͗̑̔̊̄̌̈́̂̚͝͠͠v̵̧̡̢̨̪̯̼̫͔̤̭̳͎̣̲̙͚̱͖̺͇̱͉̩̱͕̟̯̪̖͇͙̩̝̻͙͉͎͖̖̼̌̒̒͂̉͌̉͛̈͗̾̒͐̄̃̓̇̈̓͊̊͐͌̐̇̍̒̊̀̒͋̐̆̈́͒͛͆͂́̓̏̈́̏̇̕̚͜͜͝͝͝͠ͅͅe̵̡͕̘̲͓̮͔̲͖̟̱̜̟͖͎̪͓̎͒̎͊̄͋̎͆̀̓̃͘͜͠d̴̢̨̟͇̤̳̤̳̱̗̭͎̠̥̝͕͕̺̳̗̜̟̰̱̱̦͕̞͙̥̲̺͍̮̏̔͘͜ͅͅͅ