[ID: A series of five illustrations, separated in two pages, associating the five stages of grief with the five seasons of The Magnus Archives, through Jon. The style is sketchy and the palette monochrome: bright red, dark red, black and white.
The first page is divided in two illustrations. The first, “Season 1: Denial” shows Jon taking a cigarette break at the institute. We see his profile from up close, and further away, his reflection in a window. He is looking down, and cannot see the many spiders crawling over his reflected self, nor the web they weave or the eyes that stalk him. The second, “Season 2: Anger” shows Jon raising the ax over the table, his eyes closed with the effort, swinging with all his might.
The second page depicts Jon and Jude’s fiery hand shake at the top, and reads “Season 3: Bargaining”. Then, at the bottom left corner, Jon’s scarred hand is holding Martin’s glasses. In the glass he can see his reflection, filled with eyes, and lonely fog spreads down from the object. “Season 4: Depression”. Lastly, we see both of Jon’s hands: One of them is holding a knife in which his reflection can be seen, smiling. The other one is softly tugging on Martin’s hand, bringing it to the knife. Martin’s fingers are slightly curled in reluctance, but stay soft. Signed: Meaningless Mikhaïl. End ID.]
Hear me out.
When you were eight you unwillingly opened a door and were saved only by the sacrifice of someone you have no way of remembering or knowing anymore - this will happen again, on a larger scale. How do you grieve?
