Chapter 75: Long Time No See
The city swallowed her whole.
Scarlet walked the crowded streets of Arclight, a ghost in plain sight. A subtle manipulation of her aura, a slight shift in posture, and she was just another face, lost in the flow. Humans were so easily deceived.
’This place hasn’t changed,’ she thought, her eyes scanning the familiar architecture – the mix of gleaming towers and crumbling districts. A chaotic, fragile energy pulsed beneath the surface noise. ’Still smells the same. Desperation and cheap fuel.’
Her primary objective was clear: find the boy. Fin Carver. Observe. Report. Eliminate if necessary, capture if possible. Varn’s orders were absolute.
But first...
She changed direction, weaving through alleys, her steps silent. The scent guided her – sugar, cream, a hint of vanilla. A memory stirred, something almost pleasant from a previous, less complicated visit.
She arrived at a small, unassuming shop tucked between a pawn broker and a noodle bar. "Mama Elara’s Pudding Emporium." The painted sign was faded, chipped. Perfect.
Inside, the air was warm, sweet. An elderly woman with kind eyes smiled from behind the counter. Scarlet felt a flicker of something alien – nostalgia?
"Just one," she murmured, pointing to a simple custard pudding in a small glass jar.
She paid, took the jar, and found a shadowed corner booth. She savored the first spoonful. Smooth. Rich. Perfectly sweet. A small, genuine smile touched her lips, a fleeting expression utterly at odds with the predator beneath.
’Still the best,’ she acknowledged internally. This simple pleasure, a relic from a time before unwavering service to Varn, felt strangely grounding.