Scarlett looked down at the cat before her, locking eyes with its deep athyst irises. The pupils reflected the dim light like polished glass.
“Hello, Empress,” she said at last.
The cat cocked her head to the side, gaze steady as she studied Scarlett, her tail flicking lazily behind her.
Scarlett’s brow furrowed. Did she not recognise her? If this was just another mory or a construct…then perhaps this Empress was not the Empress that she knew. But if that were the case, it seed odd for the cat to appear here. The mories she had encountered so far were tied to items in so way, be it through the Emberling or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. But what connection could there be now?
Unlike before, she hadn’t seen the glow that accompanied the [Crown of Fla’s Benediction] or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. Was this a continuation of the last mory, then, or…?
Her gaze wandered, taking in the corridor around her. Its walls were cold stone, broken by tattered tapestries whose faded scenes were too indistinct to decipher. Dim lanterns hanging from a vaulted ceiling provided the only light, casting long shadows. There were no windows, but she was relatively certain she’d never set foot in this place before.
Why would this place appear now, after the Hartford mansion? Why at all? The questions piled up, pressing on her as she thought back to the young ‘Scarlett’ she had t. Was that truly the original, or rely a mory of her?
A shadow crossed Scarlett’s brow. That last scene, with the woman the younger Scarlett called ‘Mother’. Lara…
Scarlett had only ever seen her in portraits before. To et her in person had been…unnerving. She had no idea the original’s mother had been that unstable. In fact, she hadn’t even known the woman was alive when Evelyne was born.
Was that what the younger Scarlett had grown up with? She could hardly imagine the impact that would have on a child — especially one of noble birth. Not that the girl she spoke with seed particularly fragile…
A soft ow pulled Scarlett from her thoughts. Empress watched her for a beat longer, then turned and padded down the corridor. Scarlett’s eyes followed the cat for a few seconds, then she sighed. This wasn’t the ti to get lost in musings about the original’s past. There were important questions there, yes, but those would have to wait. For now, she had to deal with the situation in front of her. And if there was one thing she knew about Empress, it was that the cat expected her to follow.
She began walking, scanning the hallways as they moved, trying to glean any clues about their location. Minutes passed in silence, with only the quiet rustling of her feet and the soft tap of the cat’s paws to accompany them. The hallways seed to stretch on endlessly, each turn feeling identical to the last, blending together in a dizzying array of narrow passages and shadowed corners.
Scarlett couldn’t help wondering what kind of manor even had such a convoluted layout. Without a guide, she would have been hopelessly lost within minutes.
At least the walk gave her ti to compose herself. Once they reached their destination, her thoughts felt more ordered. Empress led her through a cramped opening that seed like it might have once been a servants’ corridor, and Scarlett finally stepped out into an open courtyard, enclosed on all sides by high walls.
The space resembled the inner courtyard of a grand mansion, though it was wild with overgrown vines and untad flora. Stone pathways crisscrossed the grounds, leading to a secluded bench beneath a weeping willow. The bench overlooked a tranquil pond dotted with lily pads, the scene bathed in warm sunlight under a clear blue sky.
That much made it clear this wasn’t the real world, at least.
Scarlett’s eyes landed on the figure seated on the bench. Even from behind, he was unmistakable — a man in a black top hat and dark cape, a cane resting by his side as he gazed out at the water.
Empress sauntered gracefully towards him, tail swaying, and Scarlett was compelled to follow, continuing to watch The Gentleman. She had wondered if she might encounter him today.
As they reached the courtyard’s center, Empress wasted no ti leaping onto a low-hanging willow branch, curling up in the shadows as she began grooming herself.
The Gentleman sat with an air of casual mystery, one hand resting on the ornate handle of his cane. His appearance was unremarkable in the way it always was — mundane features, dull brown eyes, and dark hair peeking out from under his hat. His attention remained on the pond even as Scarlett approached, seemingly lost in thought.
Scarlett studied him. What did his presence here an? Was this or was this not another mory? What was all of this even to begin with? She was ready to get so answers.
“It seems you have brought us a guest, dear,” The Gentleman’s smooth voice finally broke the silence as he glanced over at Scarlett. “There’s no need to stand idling after coming all this way. Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the empty space beside him.
Scarlett eyed him for a few more monts before moving to the bench. As she sat, Empress paused her grooming to look back down at Scarlett, letting out a thin, almost impatient-sounding ow.
“I understand, my dear,” The Gentleman said with a faint smile, addressing the cat. “But now is hardly the ti.”
Empress shot him a reproachful glare before letting out another ow and settling back into place. The man chuckled, his eyes returning to the pond. A sparrow fluttered down, landing lightly on one of the lily pads.
For a few seconds, silence lingered between them, with Scarlett pondering what could have been said in that brief exchange.
Then The Gentleman spoke again. “It’s rare for anyone to find their way here, but I am not opposed to the company. Welco, Baroness. I trust your journey here was not overly taxing?”
Scarlett fixed him with a sharp look. “So, you recognise who I am.”
That was a relief. Interacting with the real Gentleman stood to give her more answers than so look-alike of him.
The man turned to her with a subtle arch of his eyebrows, an air of puzzlent playing across his features. “Recognise you? No, no, I am afraid you’ve misunderstood. I have never seen you before in my life. I simply thought your deanour matched the title of ‘Baroness’ — a kindred spirit to my ‘Gentleman’ and my dear ‘Empress’ here. It has beco quite the popular naming convention these days.”
Scarlett stared at him.
A polite, almost playful smile touched his lips. “That was a jest. I trust you’ll indulge my whimsy this once. Opportunities for humour, however poor, are not often sothing I am afforded.”
Another ow from Empress drew his attention back to the cat. “Co now, dear. It was hardly in that poor taste. See? The Baroness doesn’t seem to have taken offense.”
Empress flicked her tail dismissively, turning her head away in a show of feline indifference.
…So this was the sa Gentleman Scarlett knew. That was a relief, at least.
Her gaze drifted to the courtyard in its overgrown beauty. A faint breeze, seemingly from nowhere, stirred the willow leaves where Empress perched. Scarlett followed the motion of a single leaf as it detached, drifting through the air before landing gently on the pond’s surface, sending delicate ripples across the water.
“What is this place?” she asked after a while.
Honestly, she found it hard to believe this could be just another fragnt of a mory. Even setting aside the presence of The Gentleman and Empress, sothing about it felt distinctly different, though she couldn’t quite place exactly what.
“Hmm…” The Gentleman leaned back slightly, sounding thoughtful. “I wonder how to best answer that particular query. This is not a place that lends itself to ordinary definitions.” He tapped his finger lightly on the head of his cane. “Perhaps it would be simplest to consider it a sort of transitory interstitial space. I suspect you have so experience with such concepts, so the idea should not be entirely foreign. The key distinction here is that this space is less a crossroads between realms and more a nexus of possibilities and potentialities.”
“…What does that an, exactly?”
He released a low chuckle. “An excellent question, one I find myself pondering on occasion as well. In practical terms, however, the answer is often very little at all. This place is only as significant as one chooses to make it — and it seems neither of us has made much of it thus far.”
With a casual gesture, he motioned a gloved hand towards the lounging cat in the nearby tree, redirecting the conversation. “Empress here happened to notice your presence — poised as it was on the brink of realms and realities. You have her to thank for bringing you here. Personally, I hadn’t anticipated our paths to cross at this particular juncture, but here we are. I do hope she didn’t pull you away from anything pressing.”
Scarlett glanced over at Empress. “…I see.”
She wasn’t entirely sure what that ant either, to be honest. The ‘brink of realms and realities’? Was that where those mories had brought her? So it was an actual place, at least? Or sothing more taphysical? Had she been in danger while there?
The man’s explanation for this place she now found herself in didn’t tell her much, either. None of this fit with what she rembered from the ga.
Returning her attention to him, she said, “Empress did interrupt sothing, but I will not hold it against her. However, I find it hard to believe that you do not know what it was.”
“I am not omniscient, Baroness.”
“That is not what I implied.”
He smiled, this ti more lightly. “If you are suggesting that I know precisely what transpired wherever you were, then you are mistaken.”
“But you do have so idea of what happened to .”
“An inkling, yes.”
“Then I would greatly appreciate it if you could enlighten ,” Scarlett said firmly. “Because I still do not understand. I was in the Hall of Echoes on the Rising Isle. Then, after sohow activating one of the steles in the Chamber of Rembrance, I found myself in what I can only assu were so form of reconstruction of mories tied to my ancestors. While I have never used one of those steles before, I am fairly certain that is not among their usual functions.”
The Gentleman considered her for a mont, then turned back to the pond. “Is that so?”
“It is.”
Despite her clear prompt, he did not offer any further explanation, simply maintaining his enigmatic smile as he watched the water’s still surface.
A small frown appeared on Scarlett’s brow. Empress let out another ow, almost insistently, as if urging the man to provide a proper answer, but The Gentleman remained silent. When he finally spoke, it wasn’t to answer her question.
“You seem to have undergone so intriguing changes since we last t, Baroness. It would appear Thainnith left behind sothing rather…remarkable for you.”
Scarlett suppressed a sigh. Did he always have to be so evasive? So deliberately obtuse?
No matter. This was another subject she wouldn’t mind having answers to.
“I must admit, even I was unaware that Thainnith had left a fragnt behind as he did,” The Gentleman continued. “It’s rare to encounter surprises of this nature, and I do find them refreshing. Still, in this case, I fear the man may have been a tad too hasty in his actions.”
“How so?” Scarlett asked.
Was he referring to the side effects of the legacy Thainnith had left her? She had tried being more cautious with its use ever since Mistress warned her of its potential dangers.
The Gentleman shook his head, the brim of his top hat dipping ever so slightly with the movent. “I myself am uncertain whether that is even the issue it ought to be, but it is not what I am referring to. Though Thainnith did it unknowingly, by leaving a fragnt of his essence behind, he introduced a risk. For it to remain undetected for so long, it must have been subtle indeed, yet even a fragnt opens the door for exploitation. While I’m sure he had his reasons, in his haste, he has provided an opportunity for an interloper to influence this world sooner than they should have.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
His tone darkened, a faint shadow crossing his expression. “That may have been a grave misstep.”
“An interloper? Who are you—” Scarlett broke off mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing at the man. “…You are referring to the Anomalous One.”
At the ntion of that title, Empress hissed, her fur bristling as she paused mid-groom. The Gentleman raised a calming hand towards her. “Now, now. Let’s not get carried away.”
Scarlett kept her gaze firmly on the man. “By influencing this world earlier than it should have, are you saying the Anomalous One has already broken its seal?”
When she had encountered Thainnith’s fragnt, the Anomalous One had breached the space they were in and forced her out. If what The Gentleman was implying was true, then had the entity absorbed Thainnith’s fragnt sohow and used it to break into the world fully? Was that also the source of the disruptions occurring in the Hall of Echoes?
It wasn’t too far off from her suspicions. The Orrery’s reaction in the Hall had been too intense, leaving few other explanations. And if the Anomalous One had consud Thainnith’s fragnt while she was still in the Veiled Library, it would also coincide with when the Orrery had warned her of a major divergence from fate.
Then had the Hallowed Cabal and the Tribe of Sin’s large-scale assault against the empire been executed earlier than expected because they had sohow learned of this and tried to coordinate? It seed too convenient to dismiss otherwise. That might also explain why the incursions on the empire’s lands had been limited to monster attacks over the past few weeks — their preparations might not be complete yet.
Could that be considered a silver lining? If so, it was a very faint one. If the Anomalous One was already free, there was little the empire could do to oppose it. Even Scarlett would be hard-pressed to devise any solutions at this stage.
Was it just over? Was this her fault? She must have been the one who led the Anomalous One to Thainnith’s fragnt, after all. But hadn’t the entity seed like it didn’t want her to reach the fragnt at the ti? Had it simply tricked her?
“The Anomalous One has not escaped,” The Gentleman said, his voice calm and asured. “Its seal can be broken only by a singular thod, and you need never concern yourself with that changing. However, it has now found another avenue to interact with the world beyond its bonds, and for many, that alone constitutes a great threat.”
Scarlett released the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. It was bad news, but not nearly as catastrophic as she had feared, then.
A sudden crack echoed through the courtyard, and Scarlett’s gaze snapped to Empress as the branch beneath her splintered. With impeccable grace, the cat leaped away just in ti, landing smoothly on a patch of nearby grass as the branch hit the ground with a dull thud. She let out an indignant yet dignified hiss, then settled herself, lifting a paw to her mouth and licking it nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
“…I trust you don’t expect to replace that for you,” The Gentleman remarked, glancing at the fallen branch.
Empress flicked her tail and turned away from him, pointedly ignoring him.
The Gentleman sighed and shook his head. “My dear, I understand these are hardly ideal circumstances, but neither of us can undo what has already transpired, nor can we alter what will.”
Scarlett turned her eyes back to him. “You intend to stand by and do nothing, even now?”
She knew he often assud the role of a neutral observer, adhering to his own cryptic code — a code that sotis even placed his interests at odds with hers. But surely he couldn’t be on the Anomalous One’s side?
“It is not a matter of ignoring it,” he replied. “Rather, it is simply not my place to intervene.”
“Even if the fate of this world might depend on it?”
“Fate, malleable though it may be to the actions of certain actors, is not so fragile as to be undone by sothing like this. And yet, should this indeed herald the end of the realms, then, regrettable as it may be, I have little choice but to accept it.”
This elicited another sharp hiss from Empress, who gave him a disapproving glare. The Gentleman t it with a solemn smile. “I understand you may not like it, my dear. But you were well aware of what it ant to beco my companion on the day you decided to join in my delusion.”
The cat went quiet, fixing him with a long stare before resuming her self-grooming.
Scarlett watched both of them, a furrow of uncertainty on her face. What were they talking about? Exactly what kind of principles did The Gentleman adhere to that so constrained his actions? And what did he an by delusion?
As if reading her thoughts, the man spoke. “I do not expect you to understand my decisions, Baroness. It is a rare luxury to be judged solely by one’s reasoning and not one’s actions.”
A contemplative silence settled over the courtyard, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant chirp of a bird. Scarlett’s gaze eventually returned to the pastoral surroundings. “…I understand that I am here due to Empress’ intervention, but may I ask — what exactly are you doing in this place?”
“Oh, nothing as grand as you might imagine,” The Gentleman replied, his tone tightening. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but we simply find it relaxing to co here from ti to ti. Don’t you think it has a certain charm?”
“It does,” Scarlett agreed with a nod. After a pause, she added, “How do I leave?”
The man laughed softly. “Do you wish to return to the Rising Isle?”
“Is that possible?”
“If you were to leave of your own accord, you would simply return to where Empress retrieved you.”
“Back to being ‘poised on the brink of realms and realities’, then,” Scarlett remarked dryly.
“Quite so.”
A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she considered this.
“…Normally,” The Gentleman said after a mont, more serious now, “this is one such matter in which I would refrain from ddling. However, given the presence of a rather intrusive interloper tangled in the fray, I could lend you my assistance in escaping those mories. After all, that is not how they are ant to function.”
Scarlett looked at him. “They are not?”
“No,” he replied.
“Then how are they supposed to function?”
“mories, for the Zuver, were typically simple recreations of the past — ant only to preserve knowledge, nothing more. They were once a common thod of passing on their wills and teachings. Yet the figures within a mory were never intended to possess awareness.” He paused, settling his gaze on Scarlett as if appraising her before continuing. “However, on occasion, sothing more…potent can distort the nature of these mories. It is rare, and perhaps even far from humane, but it is possible if a particularly influential being gets involved. In such cases, the boundaries of a mory can be stretched, blurred, and the inhabitants within might start believing they are truly alive. They may speak, act, and even respond to the present, and at that point, it is no longer a re reflection of the past.”
Scarlett held his gaze. That sounded a lot like what Freyadow was. If so, it explained a lot.
“Then are you claiming that the Anomalous One is responsible for the…mories I experienced?” she asked. “Beyond simply tampering with the steles?”
Then…what? Why would the Anomalous One conjure up those kinds of mories and trap her in them? Was it an attempt at getting rid of her?
“It is a possibility,” The Gentleman said. “But I would question whether that was its primary intent. As long as the seal endures, the Anomalous One will always find its actions constrained. The precise nature of those constraints, however, is difficult to predict, even for .” He regarded her for a mont, his eyes—ordinary but piercing—seeming to see through her. “Any influence it seeks to exert upon the world through this newfound avenue would also be subject to limitations imposed by the dium it uses to channel its power.”
Scarlett scowled. Was he suggesting that she was that dium? Is that why the mories seed to conform and change around her, almost as if knowing her needs? If the entity had absorbed Thainnith’s fragnt because of her and whatever connection it had ford to her, that might make sense. Maybe that had been the purpose from the start when it injected that glitched skill into her system.
But if that were true, why hadn’t she noticed any changes whatsoever since inheriting Thainnith’s legacy? Shouldn’t she have felt sothing if she was truly a conduit for that kind of power? If the influence was so subtle that she couldn’t even detect it, what could she do to stop it? The thought left her uneasy.
She remained silent for a ti, and The Gentleman seed content to let her think, turning back to the pond.
“If I had remained in those mories,” Scarlett asked at last, her voice lower now, “what would have beco of ?”
“Ah, another question with a rather mired answer,” the man replied. He did not answer for a few seconds. “It is conceivable that you would have t your end, eventually. Mortals who wander beyond the familiar confines of the realms seldom endure for long. Yet, in your particular case…” He shrugged lightly, the fabric of his dark cape rippling with the motion. “Perhaps the outco would be different. Who can truly say? It might be through those very mories that you could untangle this predicant. If they are, indeed, products of the Anomalous One’s restricted influence, they could also lead you to the heart of its current power. So would call that a splendid opportunity to strike at its most vulnerable point.”
Scarlett’s brow knitted together as her gaze dropped to the ground.
What if…she did return to those mories? Not only were they tied to Arlene and Delmont—crucial threads that could help her achieve the goal she’d set out for on the Rising Isle—but she also couldn’t shake the image of the younger Scarlett from her mind. This was a tangible link to the original’s past, a past she knew very little about. She doubted she’d ever be given another opportunity like this.
And if The Gentleman’s words were true—that the Anomalous One remained restricted—and if that restriction was tied to Scarlett herself, these mories, or sothing closely related, then maybe, as he suggested, those mories were the best place to interfere before the entity could fully exploit its newfound influence. For the sake of this world and her future plans, it might be the best course of action, risky as it sounded.
But how could she be sure that returning to the Hall of Echoes wasn’t a better alternative?
The impulsive side of her urged her to dive back into the mories, while the cautious side said to return to the Hall. In the end, she wasn’t certain which voice to heed, but she knew where her intuition pointed. If the Anomalous One had found another loophole to interact with this world, and it wasn’t located within the Hall of Echoes as she might have suspected herself, then what could she truly achieve by going back there? She couldn’t be certain the mories offered a better avenue, but…
“The choice is yours,” The Gentleman said, observing her. “Though perhaps you should also consider the fate of your companions on the Rising Isle. Left to contend with the effects of the Anomalous One’s influence without you, I wonder how they will fare.”
Scarlett paused, her attention returning to him.
A curt, insistent ow interrupted the mont. Empress leapt onto the bench beside the man, claws digging into his lap as she scratched at him. He glanced down at the apparently irritable cat, a slight frown creasing his brow. “…Whatever has the Baroness done to earn such favour, dear? I seem to recall it took you much longer to warm up to when we first t.”
Empress owed pointedly, halting her scratching to look up at him with clear, discerning eyes.
“That is hardly fair,” he sighed. “You wound . It is not as if I take joy in prodding her.”
The cat responded by climbing onto his legs, turning her back to him and tail swinging into his chest twice before nimbly returning to the ground. The Gentleman looked back at Scarlett with a faintly apologetic smile. “Please, forgive our little disagreent.”
Scarlett said nothing, still thinking. Then, finally, she spoke. “I will not be requiring your aid in returning to the Rising Isle.”
“Oh?” The man’s eyebrow arched as a flicker of curiosity entered his eyes. “Do you intend to abandon your comrades, then?”
She shook her head. “No. I simply have faith in them. Even without my guidance, they are far from helpless. I suggest that you do not underestimate them.”
“I don’t believe I did,” he replied smoothly. “But perhaps you’re right. Perhaps this will be an opportunity for them to discover what they are capable of without their ever-reliable leader around.” The man considered her for a few monts. “I thought there was a very real possibility you would choose to abandon those mories when given the chance.”
“Is that what you wanted to do?”
“No, but I believed it would be what you wanted.”
“Then it appears you do not understand as well as you thought,” Scarlett said. “On the contrary, I now have more reasons to return to the mories, especially with a better understanding of what they represent.”
She was convinced that, even beyond the connections to Arlene and the younger Scarlett, there was sothing crucial she needed to uncover there. While she had been inside the mories, she’d only had a weak suspicion, overshadowed by the confusion of the experience. But now, given the ti to reflect, that suspicion had solidified.
A small part of her worried that this conviction might stem from the very skill the Anomalous One had saddled her with, but she didn’t think that was the case. Before, she’d been able to discern its influence, and she trusted—or at least hoped—that would still remain true.
“Very well.” The Gentleman rose from the bench, his cane clicking against the ground. “If that is your decision, then I will step aside. If fortune smiles upon you, things may yet turn in your favour.”
“Are you leaving?” Scarlett asked, watching him.
“I am. I had intended to depart before your arrival, but Empress was insistent on first extricating you from your predicant.”
The cat let out another ow, quieter this ti, looking up at Scarlett with eyes that seed to hold a wordless warning.
“Do not attempt to sway her choice, dear,” The Gentleman said with a hint of chiding. “I happen to believe this is the wiser path for her as well.”
Empress glanced at him, then turned away.
Scarlett regarded the cat briefly and then refocused on The Gentleman. “Before you go, I have one final question. Is there a possibility I might encounter a version of you in those mories?”
He t her gaze, his expression inscrutable. “Why do you ask that?”
“I believe you know why.”
The Arlene she knew hadn’t found herself trapped in a looping Freyadow by re chance.
The man was silent for a long mont, then gave a small smile. “No, you will not find there. The mories are shaped by the lived experiences of the owners of the artifacts that conjure them, as well as the existences of those around them. One of those is significantly easier to touch than the other. Even when bolstered by the echoes of the past, you will not find in any of them.”
“Then can you at least tell why Arlene?” Scarlett pressed. “Why her? Was there a reason it had to be a mber of my house? You have made it clear that you rarely interfere with the workings of fate.”
“Why do you assu my involvent disrupted fate?”
“Are you saying her dismal existence there was rely her destiny?”
“There are few left as acquainted with fate as you, Baroness.” The Gentleman gave her a aningful look. “You tell whether her end in that village was fated or not.”
Scarlett’s lips ford into a thin line. “…That is repellent.”
“Indeed.” The Gentleman dipped his head in a asured nod. “As for her connection to you… Would you believe if I said it was re happenstance?”
“No.”
“Then there you have it. Truthfully, I found it rather serendipitous when you sought my help in entering Freyadow, but I chose to not question it further. I am not, after all, the one who decreed fate.”
He shifted his grip on his cane, tapping it lightly against the ground before tipping his hat. “Now, I must take my leave. I suspect that by our next eting, much will have changed. Should you find yourself alive and still in command of your ntal faculties, I trust that you will not have forgotten the favour you once pledged. Perhaps then, it will be ti for to collect.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel, his cape sweeping behind him as he strode towards the courtyard’s edge. Scarlett watched him go, then her eyes shifted to the small figure of Empress, who lingered a mont longer, gaze locked on Scarlett.
“…Thank you, Empress, for attempting to help ,” Scarlett said, her voice softer now. “To be entirely frank, I do not understand what I have done to earn such kindness from you.”
The cat released a single ow, and while Scarlett didn’t understand what it ant, she got the sense that Empress thought she had just said sothing incredibly stupid. The cat almost seed to shake her head to herself, then considered Scarlett for a beat longer, giving a low, resonant purr. Then, with quiet grace, she moved to follow The Gentleman, leaving Scarlett alone.
Her focus drifted back to the pond before her, watching the lily pads floating serenely on its surface. She took a slow breath, the scent of the willow tree and fresh water grounding her. It seed like there was much to consider, and even more to do. But, now that she was here—wherever here was—perhaps she could afford to take a mont to herself before she got started again.
User Comments
0 comments from readers