The Habsburg Contingency - By John Porter

Written By: John Porter

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the evocative short story "The Habsburg Contingency," John Porter transports us to the atmospheric setting of the University of Leuven in the year 1492. This tale, part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, invites readers into a world where history and mystery intertwine. Set against the backdrop of an educational institution, the story explores themes of secrecy, power, and the supernatural. Porter's narrative is a compelling exploration of loyalty, curiosity, and the shadowy forces that influence the corridors of power.

About the Work

"The Habsburg Contingency" delves into the clandestine world of secret societies and supernatural phenomena. With a rich narrative style, John Porter paints a vivid picture of 15th-century academia and the hidden machinations of the Habsburg dynasty. The story's mood is tense and suspenseful, weaving elements of magic and intrigue into the academic life of its characters. Through detailed imagery and a gripping plot, Porter questions the boundaries between loyalty and self-preservation in a world where knowledge is power.

The Habsburg Contingency

Original Submission by John Porter

The Habsburg Contingency

Of all the things, good and bad, that have I witnessed in this world, there is one time that stands out in my mind. I will never forget my first week at the University of Leuven nor the distaste and mistrust I have felt for the Habsburg Family ever since that awful time. I had just turned 24, and we had started our first term in early October in the time of our lord 1492. We were fortunate enough not to have any rain the first few weeks of school. October can be a difficult time to start a school year in the Netherlands. We were all gathered in the main library on a slightly chilly Friday afternoon. It was our last scheduled study time before the end of our first week. There were only a handful of us, most of us in our early 20’s, just some in their 30’s already. We were studying the greatest things mankind had left to offer. All of us, planning and scheming our own personal rise to wealth and riches.

The school forbid us from doing our studying at night, so we were all crammed in the library finishing our first assignments. A musty smell of parchment and ink filled the room, rising up its stone walls and filled my body as I glanced out one of the grand pointed arch windows. As if carved from the very stones it had been built into, the window’s stone framing sprawled out from the edges of the walls creating intricate shapes, each gap fitted with its own piece of glass. The stone frame then traced down to the bottom of the window, leaving three large spaces to let in sunlight. It was hard to believe something so beautiful could be crafted by just simple men. Just passed the hedges I could see the central market, still filled with people even though the day was almost over.

We were collecting all our things, ink and scratch paper. We had to leave most of the books in the library. They were too valuable to take with us, some of them were tightly chained to the desks in the library. Our scheduled study session was about to end, and we were waiting for the last few minutes to pass so we could leave. That was when we met Ingatius Fulcher. He was an older gentleman, heavy set and kept a reproachful look on his face. We had seen him here or there around the campus as we went to our lectures.

“Oh, good! You’re all still here.” He said. “Fredemund, Demetrius, Luca… and everyone else seems to be here,” he called out our names while gesturing towards each one of us. No one looked like they wanted to speak, so I asked the obvious question.

“Did you need something, sir?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. No one has told you all about this yet. Yes. I am afraid you have one more class to attend this week and then you all will be free to go.”

“That’s not possible. There isn’t anything on the schedule.” I quickly replied.

“Oh, of course. And I can explain the reason for that when we all get there. Now, if you all could just follow me. There’s no need to worry. These are almost always going to be a very short lectures, unless, of course, if you would like a more in-depth lesson in the future.” Ignatius beckoned us all to follow him. We didn’t feel like we had much of a choice. It wasn’t like he was lying to us anyway.

We followed Ignatius to a small, windowless room near the center of the main building. Ignatius led us inside and lit some oil lanterns.

“Please do not touch any of the lanterns. While I have permission to use them, there is still zero tolerance for any student to be in control of one at any time.”

When our eyes finally adjusted, we could see a treasure trove of ancient books, an apothecary stand with all the vials and necessary tools sitting on top of a large desk, a massive collection of herbs and what looked like an actual nightshade plant being grown in a completely darkened room. On one of the shelves was a sealed vial that looked like it contained real blood inside. All of this somehow crammed into a very small room that could have formerly been a broom closet for all we knew. I wasn’t even sure how all of us could fit inside at the same time.

“Now, I know the Netherlands are relatively new holdings of the Holy Roman Empire, but it is important that you all join us in one of our most important endeavors.” Ignatius struck a serious note but there was a small twinkle of joy in his eye as he spoke. “You all should know that anything being discussed in these lectures cannot be shared with anyone in the outside world. Everything stays in this room. Now, with that being said…” Ignatius grabbed one of the ancient books off of the shelves and opened it. “To much of our astonishment, we have come to discover that there are at least three maybe even four supernatural mediums, which we can use to manipulate and alter our reality with.”

Luca quickly raised his hand and said, “Are you talking about magic?”

“For lack of a better word… yes. But this isn’t some sort of witchcraft or devil worship. This is real. Life from death, transmutation, transcendence – changing of one thing into something more powerful or pure: all of this has been found to be quite possible, and every noble house in Europe is frantically working to find the best and most efficient way to use this to improve our everyday lives.”

“What do you mean by supernatural mediums?” I asked without even thinking.

Ignatius paused for a moment and then he started, “Our world, our universe, as we are learning, is filled with essences or mediums that contain pure energy. We can use these energies to manipulate things both living and dead, change it and redirect it to our own uses – similarly to how Jesus turned water into wine. Actually, on that note, divinity just happens to be one of those mediums. Things that have been touched or change by God contain specific powers within them, but God, it seems, has a sense of humor about him. Something terrible seems to happen whenever man attempts to use a divine source for his own purposes. Horrible tragedies have happened in Italy, even recently.”

“So, you’re saying even the Pope knows about this?”

“Yes, the Vatican is turning into one of the biggest contributors on our research of these… well… spells.

Cassian, who had been quiet this whole time spoke up, “So, what does this have to do with us?”

“That’s a very good question.” Ignatius replied. “I am actually here at this school, working as a liaison for the Habsburg Family. We are looking for the best and brightest, and specifically people who show a high aptitude in these learnings, so that we can find the answers to these mysteries, preferably before any other countries do – especially France.” The room was silent. Ignatius took this as a sign of compliance and continued. “All of us are going to meet here every Friday, and I am going to teach a little bit more about what we know. If any of you find that you are drawn to this line of work or if you appear to excel in these learnings, we can get into a deeper lesson in private later. Ignatius looked over each one of us one by one. He seemed to be trying to get a measure of each of us. “I do believe that is enough for this week. I expect to see you all here at this time next week. There will be harsh disciplinary action for anyone that misses a lecture, and, of course, the most severe punishment for anyone who talks about these classes. It is completely forbidden to tell any common or lay men about these teachings. You all may go now.”

We made our way out of the hallway. Luca was walking next to me. We had become close over the passed few days.

“Can you believe this?” I said to him, still in shock.

“I don’t like the sounds of this,” Luca said in a low growl. “There’s something I have to do.” Lucas stormed off. I can still remember it so clearly.

The next week went by mostly uneventful. It rained on and off for most of the time. The unpaved roads in Leuven had turned to mud, making the daily trek to the university a little unbearable. I think it was by Thursday that I had noticed. Luca had stopped showing up for any of the lectures. I just figured he was sick or something. I went about the rest of my week thinking nothing of it. It was only by the time of our second lecture with Ignatius that I knew something was wrong.

Ignatius was furious. He told us all that we had to follow him onto the roof. There was something that we had to see. When we got to the roof he led us over to the side facing the market. An execution was being held. Ignatius told us all to look closer at who was being hanged. Some of the young men gasped. I had to hold in a scream. Luca was standing on the gallows. A piece of bloodied cloth had been tied around his mouth.

“He was trying to alert the locals about certain witchcraft going on at the school. Little did he know the governor already knows and approves of this course…” Ignatius’ stare was cold and empty. He no longer seemed like the joyful old man from last week. “We cut out his tongue, of course, so he couldn’t say anything else. We couldn’t let a scandal get out about the Habsburgs.”

Ignatius made us watch as Luca fell, watched the rope tighten and snap Luca’s neck, and we watched Luca go limp. We didn’t have a choice. We really didn’t understand why this was happening or why it mattered so much that we had to be a part of it. Ignatius told us there wouldn’t be a lecture this week. We would all be able to finally start next Friday and he left. Some of the others had left too, but I stayed. He was my friend.

That night it started raining again. A light autumn rain, something we usually get this time of year. I decided to have a quiet candlelight vigil for Luca. I put on my best, largest cloak and traveled to the market. No one was there. No one was going to care about a young man praying for the condemned. I just needed a moment to say what I needed to say and give a prayer for Luca. I stood there in the rain, in silence, for quite some time, just thinking, remembering, cherishing. I didn’t want anyone to know I had a vigil for Luca. I gave one last look at the gallows and put the candle out, not even the wax could be left behind. That was the first time that I had heard anything about the Habsburgs Family and I hoped it would be the last.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event that showcases the diverse talents of writers from around the world. Celebrating creativity and originality, the competition provides a platform for emerging and established authors to share their unique voices. Participants submit works that span a variety of genres, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience. This international competition fosters a global community of writers dedicated to the art of storytelling.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to John Porter for his captivating short story, "The Habsburg Contingency." As part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, his work invites readers to ponder the complexities of history and the unseen forces that shape human destiny. We appreciate his contribution to this literary celebration and look forward to experiencing more of his evocative storytelling in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.