Chapter 278 - Who are you, again?
Scarlett’s brow furrowed in concentration, her gaze fixed on the thick, square piece of parchment resting on her lap. Slowly, meticulously, she traced intricate patterns across its surface using her pyrokinesis, leaving behind faint, burnt lines as a complex array of intersecting sigils and runes gradually took shape under her careful guidance.
After far too long, she finally finished, allowing herself a moment to relax as she leaned back to inspect her work. With a flick of her wrist, she used her hydrokinesis to whisk away a bead of sweat from her forehead, the sultry, summer-like heat bearing down on her.
To the untrained eye, the array might have appeared as nothing more than an elaborate doodle. However, it had taken Scarlett hours and several failed attempts to achieve the precision she desired. Even with her pyrokinesis, which gave her far greater control than mundane writing implements ever could, this task wasn’t easy.
Satisfied, she raised her hand, palm up. A small pouch materialised in her grasp as if it had always been there. She tugged the drawstring, revealing a fine, shimmering powder inside. With measured movements, she pinched a small amount between her fingers and began the painstaking process of carefully distributing it along the lines she had just burned into the parchment.
Twenty minutes later, Scarlett completed this step as well. The pouch disappeared, replaced by a curious metal pen-like tool with a softly glowing red crystal at its tip. Arlene had recommended using something like this rather than directly imbuing the array with her mana, insisting it would simplify the process.
Channeling her mana into the pen, Scarlett gently pressed its tip to the array. The powder flared briefly before melting into the parchment, leaving behind a gently glowing crimson trail. She traced the design, imbuing it with arcane energies she only partially understood, until the entirety of the array pulsed with a subtle, ruby light.
Her task finally complete, Scarlett folded the parchment and tucked it into her [Pouch of Holding]. She rose from the bench she was seated on, brushing away any stray grains of powder that clung to her dress, and took a moment to survey the lush garden surrounding her, bordered by towering hedges on all sides.
The Loci’s home had truly flourished into a verdant paradise. Vibrant, exotic flowers and peculiar plants lined gravel paths, interspersed with ornate benches and elegant statuary that Scarlett had added recently. The air was thick with the heady scent of summer blooms, despite the winter chill just beyond the garden’s borders. There were even butterflies and bees flitting among the blossoms. She had no idea where those came from, but they certainly added to the charm of the place.
Her attention shifted to the centerpiece of the garden: the large, uncut emerald perched atop a pedestal surrounded by a circle of carefully tended flowers. The Loci pulsed with an inner light, with the Ashenwraith heart that powered much of its abilities swirling and shifting like living smoke trapped within the crystalline structure beneath the emerald.
With a gentle mental nudge, Scarlett reached out to the Loci through their bond. In the blink of an eye, she was standing before the emerald, her palm resting against its cool surface. The Loci’s nascent awareness stirred at her touch, radiating a faint sense of recognition that, while not quite an emotion, hinted at the potential for something more.
Scarlett lingered briefly before stepping back. Wrapping herself in a cocoon of warm air with her pyrokinesis, she reached out to the Loci again. In the next instant, she was transported to the mansion’s back entrance, her feet sinking into fresh snow as the winter cold tried to nip at her skin. Without pausing, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The Loci had grown considerably over the past month or so. Once capable of only minor feats of spatial manipulation—like teleporting a certain cat around—it could now transport Scarlett herself halfway across the estate with relative ease. It did leave the Loci temporarily drained, needing about an hour or so to recharge, but Scarlett still took quiet satisfaction in doing it now and then.