A
As we walk back into town, something catches my attention. The things that had disappeared earlier are reappearing. Lumera's house stands before us, exactly as it was.
"Scarlette, look!" I point, and we head toward it.
The same vacant, practiced smiles greet us, their warmth as shallow as ever. We return them politely before stepping inside Lumera's old home.
Nothing has changed. Not a single thing is out of place. Even the soup is still simmering on the stove.
Scarlette pulls open a few drawers, inspecting the contents before shutting them with a frown.
"This isn't an illusion spell, Veravos," she says, matter-of-fact.
I frown. "Then what's going on? Since you bound Luxeron's magic, does that mean his powers don't work anymore?"
"It appears so," Scarlette replies, pointing at the yellow dust on the floor and the windows left ajar.
Ah. The crime scene.
Even now, I can't make sense of it—how she died, which Dark Fairy attacked her.
I raise my hand, letting the dark energy of the house seep into my skin. A wave of exhaustion hits me, lingering from my encounter with the Light Fairy King. That pompous, corrupt, arrogant prick.
"If the Light Fairy King's power is gone, wouldn't that mean everything he erased comes back?" I muse aloud. "Even the ugly parts?"
Scarlette moves to the window. "Look."
I follow her gaze—and there it is. Rubbish bins.
Not just that. New homes, too. Structures that hadn't been there earlier now stand alongside Lumera's.
"So these are the things he made disappear because they were inconvenient?" I murmur, scanning the town with new eyes.
Scarlette looks just as stunned by the sheer volume of what had been erased.
"You did this, you know." I chuckle cheekily.
The words slip out before I can stop them. I turn to her, lips curling into a smirk, and clap once—slow and deliberate. "Well done."
Scarlette shoots me a look, but I catch the faintest flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.
Then a new thought hits me. "Why did King Luxeron want the Baltimorean Emerald or the Scroll if he could just delete things from existence?"
Scarlette's expression darkens with understanding. "His power could only create illusions. The things he erased? They were never truly gone—just hidden. But a reality-altering spell…" She taps the scroll in my hands. "That changes everything. No illusions. No restrictions. Pure, unfiltered change. That's what he was really after."
A chill crawls down my spine. "So his magic only works inside his kingdom. But if he had the scroll and the emerald—"
"It would affect the entire world's reality," Scarlette finishes.
I exhale sharply. That kind of power… It's beyond dangerous. And now, we have the pieces to make it happen.
"But the Light Fairies don't know their King Luxeron's magic is just illusions, do they?" I add.
Scarlette's smirk returns. "Exactly. And that's where we start the rumour."
A rumour.
Why didn't I think of that?
She's devious—but right.
"I'll leave the lying to you," she teases, her smirk widening. "You've accused me of being a bad liar enough times."
She is a terrible liar. Honestly. I'm glad she remembers.
Then her stomach growls loudly.
She turns away, mumbling under her breath, cheeks flushed. I don't comment. Not yet. It's the first time she looks… shy.
I bite back a laugh. "I'll go buy something to cook for us."
"What about Lumera's soup?" she asks.
"I think we can just leave it there, in case we get food poisoning." I shrug.
Scarlette chuckles, then raises an eyebrow. "So, what about the rumour?"
"What's stopping us from buying groceries and spreading rumours at the same time?" I shrug. "Isn't the marketplace the best place for both?"
She doesn't argue. Instead, she grabs my hand and tugs me toward the door.
Then, as if realizing what she's done, she quickly lets go, shoving my hand away like I'm carrying some kind of disease.
Hey, she held my hand first. I was just an innocent bystander here.
Why is she acting shy now? Why can't she look at me?
Then she interrupts my thoughts.
"Veravos! Hello? The market!" Scarlette snaps her fingers in front of my face.
I blink. Right. The plan. We actually have to carry it out.
As we stroll toward the marketplace, we pass the ever-present, irritating smiles of the Light Fairies.
"Yes, yes, good day to you," I say, forcing cheer into my voice.
Once we're past them, I mutter under my breath, "Idiots."
Scarlette bursts out laughing.
"You call them idiots, but you're heading to the market without any money?" she teases, smirking.
Oh, she has no faith in me.
I pull out a tiny pouch, letting the light stones inside glimmer for just a second before snatching it away as she reaches for it.
"Some might call me resourceful," I say, flashing a cheeky grin.
Scarlette doesn't even flinch. With the same smug energy, she pulls out a small bag of her own, coins jingling.
"Oh, Veravos…" She raises an eyebrow, voice dripping with amusement. "You don't think you're the only one with money, do you?"
My heart stutters.
She needs to stop doing that. Those impish cheeky grins. The way her whole face lights up. It's… well, it's doing things to me.
I clear my throat. "Lumera's house?"
She nods, looking just a touch sheepish.
"Same!" I nearly squeal before catching myself.
She thought of the exact same thing.
Are we really spending this much together? Am I rubbing off on her, or is she rubbing off on me?
…Never mind.