Chapter 155 - Progress
At the center of a garden, nestled in the back of the Freybrook mansion, Scarlett sat beneath the lone garden alcove, her gaze fixed on the space before her. In the span of the few weeks since she had introduced the Loci to this place, it had undergone more changes than anticipated.
The hedges that formed a small maze around the garden had begun shedding their leaves in the late autumn weather, casting muted shades over the surroundings. The once-vibrant patches of flowers scattered throughout the area had also faded, their delicate stems swaying gently in the breeze. It was a sight one would expect to see as the land prepared for the impending winter.
But a curious phenomenon unfolded at the heart of the garden. Against all odds, the flowers and hedges near the center remained in full bloom, their resplendent hues creating a striking contrast to their wilting brethren. It was as if there was a pocket of eternal spring in a sea of fading vitality, leaking its essence into its surroundings.
Standing proudly at the core of this was a simple stone pedestal, adorned with a delicate ring of strange turquoise-green flowers that had taken root around its base. Resting atop the pedestal was a multi-faceted emerald, emitting a pale green light that seemed to infuse the surrounding vegetation with a subtle, nourishing energy.
The air near it was mellow, deviating from the chilly wind outside the area of effect, and Scarlett sat wearing nothing more than a sleeveless dress as she took in the sight.
She hadn’t known of this particular feature when she initially placed the Loci in this garden. It was only after Garside told her that the gardener had been confused over how resilient some of the flowers seemed to be a couple of weeks back that she began to suspect it.
At first, the effect had been less pronounced, only appearing to affect the flora closest to the Loci. However, soon those strange flowers at its base had appeared, and then the climate itself around the artifact had started transforming.
To be honest, she was impressed by how quickly it had progressed since then. Before she had departed for Windgrove, the range of the effect had been more than a few meters smaller. Now it probably reached twenty or so meters away from the Loci.
While the exact reason for this transformation was a mystery to her, she didn’t mind it. That was most magic to her, anyway. She took it as a sign that the Loci had become more familiar with the estate, integrating itself into the space to a point where it could do more than simply observe. Her connection to the artifact hadn’t changed too much, but being in this close proximity to it made it feel subtly more present, for lack of a better word.
To her, that was promising. As was what she was currently doing.
Extending her awareness toward the link at the back of her mind, she felt the dutiful presence of the [Obedience’s Solitude Loci] brushing against her senses as the gemstone on the pedestal emitted a faint glow.
In her palm, she held a fallen pink rose petal. With her focus placed entirely on it, she raised her other hand. Guided by instinct that she didn’t quite understand, she followed the intuitive pull of the Loci, narrowing her eyes. Then, with a gentle motion, she transferred the petal from one palm to the other. The movement felt odd, like she had skipped a step in the process. As if her hand hadn’t quite traversed enough distance to reach its destination.