"First of all, you should know that the first time you came here, I detected something in you. At first, I thought it might be a joke, but now I think it's something far beyond that." Having helped her client calm down, Séraphine began chatting again about today's matter.
"What? How? I haven't seen you cast a spell on me or use any device," replied Elizabeth, who had taken out a handkerchief to wipe her nose and the mixture of tears and makeup that stained her eyes.
"You could say I have my methods, but I found a trace on you, like a mark. Maybe it's related to that lycanthrope woman," Séraphine said, pointing to the lower part of Elizabeth's torso, close to her pubic area.
"I thought at first that maybe you and your husband found some kind of alchemical device for sexual purposes, and he marked you. You know how rich people are.
But who knows? It could be that he marked you without your consent. Or, worst case scenario, you ran into the lycanthrope, and she unknowingly left that mark on you.
It's subtle, and I couldn't see it clearly because of your clothes. I can't tell you what it means, but if I were you, I'd let me check it out." Although she might have been exaggerating, Séraphine said these words for Elizabeth's benefit.
She remembered that, although lycanthropes cannot use magic directly, they possess certain abilities that require the use of aether. Depending on the capabilities developed by the woman in the video, it wouldn't be strange for her to leave a mark on her prey's wife.
If she could interpret the mark, she might find clues to help her improve her deductions because all her ideas about this case were mere hypotheses, some more terrible than others. As a detective, pessimism was sometimes the best option.
"Should I lift my dress?" Elizabeth asked, making Séraphine feel a little funny.
'You never know when your imagination will come true. Who would have thought it would be like this?' Séraphine thought, nodding to the lady.
"I suppose so, but it's all for the benefit of the case!" Séraphine justified, causing the lady to look at her quizzically before sighing.
"I already knew you noticed me. A woman like me is used to that kind of look, but at least you've been understanding. Well, I don't mind giving you a little benefit as long as you help my husband." Elizabeth's words made Séraphine stiffen for a few moments before she smiled.
"Who knows! Maybe your husband isn't in danger, and he likes those things. Maybe the three of you can form an odd relationship. It's very common in the capital," Séraphine joked, trying to alleviate her embarrassment, but her actions only caused a mischievous smile to appear on her client's face.
"By Mother Light, you are a virgin, aren't you? A virgin witch. This at least calms me down a bit." The lady burst out laughing. Although she had black makeup smearing her face, there was a hint of mirth in her reddened eyes.
Elizabeth was a socialite, so although she was in a situation that made her want to cry and scream loudly, she was soon getting used to her runaway emotions and keeping them under control.
Seeing the witch in front of her try to give her a useless explanation while waving her arms around simply made her feel better. Elizabeth was still hoping her husband was okay. Maybe she could have some fun?
Since it was all as Séraphine said, she was a rich woman, and rich people had hobbies. She did not doubt that if her husband had invited her to participate in his activities, she would have been interested.
But sometimes the world behaved in strange ways. Mrs. Schwan would soon be aware of this, but for now, she decided to lift her dress and show the virgin witch in front of her a bit of her body.
In no time, the client lifted her dress enough to show part of her abdomen, following the witch's instructions. Along the way, she exposed her long white legs, thick thighs, and black lace underwear.
After becoming slightly distracted by the lush pubic hair protruding from Mrs. Schwan's light panties, Séraphine focused on the mark covering much of the pubic area.
'Don't let your mind wander. Concentrate,' the witch reminded herself, allowing her perception to explore the unusual mark on her client's body.
Because of Elizabeth's nudity and proximity, Séraphine could feel the mark better. It was invisible to the naked eye and required a special spell or a camera equipped with a special lens to see it. However, the witch had an easier way to see it.
Séraphine's green eyes emitted a slight gleam, and reality lost its filter. The activation of the Vision unraveled everything in front of her. However, at that moment, her joy at seeing the beautiful woman's lovely body vanished when she saw the mark carved into her white skin.
It was a deep purple symbol with a faint, seductive glow. The figure formed by its smooth, intricate lines was that of an inverted cup. Each stroke appeared unique, resembling a root separating into different branches.
The cup's base started at Elizabeth's navel and descended almost to her pubic area. The root-like traces had small thorns and shapes resembling flowers.
At the mere sight of this symbol, Séraphine's back broke out in a cold sweat as she pulled back. The joyful and sexually charged atmosphere that had built up after Madame Schwan calmed down disappeared.
Although there was no corrupting aura or seductive voices, the mere sight of that symbol greatly upset Séraphine. It had no mystical power, yet she could not unsee it.
The symbol itself had no power, yet it seemed to convey a strange sensation. It hit Séraphine's mind hard, trying to trigger something inside her.
Her hands clenched tightly as repressed memories tried to surface, but something—perhaps her soul—repressed them. Only a vague sense of familiarity and a feeling of dread remained in the witch's heart.
'Why does it feel so familiar? My head hurts!' Séraphine deactivated her vision and covered her head due to a terrible pain. This migraine was different from the symptoms she experienced from magic abuse; it was strange and familiar at the same time.
Her breathing became agitated, and the world seemed to shrink into a claustrophobic space where she was alone. Her body trembled, and she was covered in sweat, but she couldn't do anything but suffer in silence until a pair of hands rested on her shoulders.
Although she could feel almost nothing of the outside world in this state, she vaguely felt someone guiding her to lie down on a bed. She heard some humming, perhaps conversations, or perhaps her imagination. Eventually, her body relaxed until she fell asleep.
Her nap was not very long. During that time, she didn't dream, but the symbol of the inverted cup formed by purple roots appeared in her mind and would reappear in her life in the future.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
Moments ago, just as Séraphine glanced at the strange mark on Elizabeth's body, Elizabeth noticed how the witch reacted. She felt fear and covered her body again.
"Séraphine? Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked. But the witch simply put her hands to her head and ignored her, raising the woman's level of concern.
Seeing the sweat on Séraphine's body and noticing how dissociated she seemed from reality, Elizabeth had an idea, but she found it somewhat implausible.
'Is she having a panic attack? Is it because of the mark on me? Damn it! What did you get me into, Gerald?' Mrs. Schwan wondered internally before turning her attention to Séraphine again.
Knowing she couldn't leave her like that, Elizabeth left the office and headed for the reception area, where she met Tania. Seeing Elizabeth, Tania wanted to say something teasing, but noticing her nervous expression, she kept silent.
"Something is wrong with Miss Séraphine! It looks like... A panic attack? I can't tell. Please help her," Elizabeth said. Her tone was far from the attitude she had at the beginning, when the two women first met.
"What? How is something like that possible?" Tania asked, incredulous. But seeing how Elizabeth was constantly looking at the hallway leading to the office, Tania took it more seriously.
"Just help her! Isn't she your boss? She doesn't look good," Elizabeth said. This caused Tania to finally stand up and run to where Séraphine was.
Tania wanted to smack her forehead when she saw Séraphine's condition. She had hesitated and allowed her friend to remain in that state without supervision or care for longer than necessary.
What if Séraphine got hurt? Tania knew she would feel guilty for a long time, perhaps for the rest of her life. Her relationship with Séraphine was more than just being someone in the witch's life who provided VIP services due to Ronnie's influence.
Unlike her other companions, Tania had formed a friendship with Séraphine while the witch lived at Blume. It pained her to see her friend in such a state.
With the help of Elizabeth, who had also returned to the office, Tania led Séraphine toward the room the witch had arranged on the premises. They left her lying quietly on the simple cot in the room. Tania took Séraphine's hand and began to chat with her in a low voice.
"Come on, Séraphine. You're much stronger than this. You'll be fine. Just rest, okay? Everything will be fine after a good nap." Perhaps because of her words or the tone she used, Tania watched as Séraphine finally relaxed completely and fell asleep.
"She got like that after she saw something in me. Well, she checked me out and found something that only she could. Then she got like that," Elizabeth explained, unprompted, causing the brunette to sink into reflection.
"Will you tell me exactly how they came to that?" Maybe I can help. My real boss has a lot of contacts and channels. Maybe she can help if I ask her. She appreciates Séraphine a lot," Tania said. Elizabeth stared at her for a few seconds.
"Well, it all started with my husband, Gerald Schwan." With that introduction, Elizabeth explained the whole situation to Tania, who narrowed her eyes.
The stone embedded in the woman's forehead emitted a small, imperceptible glow as she heard the different hypotheses about what had happened to Elizabeth's husband. But Tania knew what she had to do: find the place where the lycanthropic woman operated.
For others, that might take days, but Tania picked up the phone, called Bar O'Connor, and had an address in less than 15 minutes.
Shortly after, Séraphine woke up, and anger stirred within her. She was angry about what had happened to her. But when she received a note from Tania with the address of the lycanthropic woman, a bloodthirsty smile spread across Séraphine's face. Elizabeth, who was still present, was frightened.
"Tania, Elizabeth, it looks like my first hunt in Blume will begin. It took six months to arrive," said Séraphine. She then thought about the weapon she had refused to use for so long.
"It's about time I use my rapier," Séraphine mused as she got out of bed and put on her witch's hat.
Séraphine Rohan was going to hunt, and perhaps get some answers.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
When Séraphine returned to her armory, she went straight to where her delicate rapier was kept. Although her green eyes showed some doubt, she remembered what she had just experienced, which made her decide something.
It had been a long time since she had felt so helpless and vulnerable. She wanted to know exactly what that symbol was and what its relation to her was.
When a witch 'wanted knowledge,' very few people were brave enough to stop her. Séraphine gently touched the sharp edge of the narrow blade, feeling the cold metal against her skin.
As a witch, she could not enhance her body to superhuman levels like warriors could. What obligated a mage to simply resort to spells? As a modern witch, she always had options besides magic, such as guns or her rapier.
Having learned to fight with this weapon, Séraphine lifted the sheath belonging to her rapier, deposited it inside, and deftly hung it around her waist.
She also took a bunch of silver bullets and replaced the magazine of her revolver with them. She wasn't going to kill the lycanthropes, who were also citizens of Shattercrown, but she was prepared to incapacitate them.
"I might as well call those guys annoying. There are laws for a reason," Séraphine muttered, grimacing in disdain when she remembered a certain government agency in her country.
The Tower was the name that Shattercrown gave to the government department responsible for all things supernatural. Its agents were more like a group of bureaucrats who administered entities with power beyond the normal in the country.
Their duties included registration, census, licensing, scientific and mystical research, and, most importantly, managing legal matters related to the supernatural. They allowed all beings capable of great power to live their lives as long as they respected the laws.
They facilitated certain things, such as Warriors entering the military, alchemists joining research groups, and mages acting in various areas according to their interests.
They didn't have law enforcement agents; that was the police's job. However, they liked to stick their noses into any problematic matter, though they were generally very unconcerned.
For example, Séraphine didn't have to deal with them directly the night before when she solved the case involving the supernatural entity, but she knew the police would give the Tower a report detailing everything that happened because that was the Tower's job.
However, although they were much laxer and better than similar groups in other countries, no one liked dealing with government bureaucrats. Séraphine, however, was greedy for money and understood the three basic truths of the world:
We all die. Everyone pays taxes. Bureaucracy is always inefficient and tedious.
When Séraphine called the Tower, they quickly detected her call and transferred it to a certain person.
"Séraphine, I hope you're not going to cause trouble this time," a hoarse, distorted voice said, causing Séraphine to roll her eyes.
"Only once have I ever gotten into trouble! You know damn well it wasn't my fault!" Séraphine complained, prompting a sigh from the speakerphone.
"Séraphine, you pointed your gun at a lycanthrope boy who you thought was going to attack you. But he just wanted to pull a loose thread off your shirt. You know how that sounds, don't you?" the voice said accusingly.
"I was stressed out! Then, someone tried to blow things out of proportion by saying that I was discriminating against lycanthropes, but I wasn't. Why would I discriminate against them? Except for having a bit more hair, they're no different from humans," Séraphine replied, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading.
"Yes, yes, the time of lycanthrope discrimination is long gone. But you know, some people never change. Anyway, even though it was a misunderstanding, you got upset and caused a lot of commotion."
I advised you to call us when something like that happens. What do you plan to do that needs us to call?" the voice asked, sounding somewhat anxious.
"I feel like I'm about to walk down the rabbit hole. I have a case that seemed simple at first, about infidelity. But everything has been going downhill very fast. Now, I've come across a symbol that gives me a headache.
It feels familiar, and it's a weird symbol. Something like a cult." Séraphine's words made the conversation sink into silence.
Since the witch awoke, she had been connecting the loose dots of the puzzle that was the current case. Many pieces were missing, but the way it all degenerated made her think of something she didn't want to encounter: the possibility of a cult.
It was just a guess, but symbols associated with a man who developed very specific fetishes seemingly out of nowhere, without showing any signs of having them—even though he had a wife who knew nothing about it, even though she was willing to follow him in many things of that nature—indicated certain things.
"What? Séraphine, it's just your guess," said the voice on the phone. But Séraphine wouldn't let him continue.
"I need answers, too, Jack! Maybe it's not that serious; maybe it's just that my client's husband likes to be a bitch. But I need to find out.
There might be a fuss, especially since I'll have to deal with a lycanthrope woman."
When Séraphine said those words in exasperation, she brought a couple of fingers to the bridge of her nose. She swore she heard the man she was talking to curse under his breath.
"Séraphine, it's a good thing you warned me. We can mitigate that as long as you aren't committing an act of discrimination. But you know, even if they turn out to be the most abominable cult ever, you can't kill them.
Not only that, but I also feel it's more appropriate to send a police officer with you. They have the right to enforce the law. If things get serious, they can make tough decisions," Jack mentioned, making Séraphine's green eyes fill with glitter.
"But let's say you broke into something that's not illegal. I don't know the details of your case, but you'll have to undergo a psychological evaluation. Do you understand?" the man asked, making Séraphine lower her head. She didn't want to answer.
"Séraphine, did you hear me? I asked if you understood," Jack said again, finally prompting Séraphine to answer.
"Yes, I understood. But I don't need a psychologist. Even if I don't find anything serious, I'm not crazy," Séraphine said through gritted teeth. She didn't want to go to a psychologist.
"Wanting answers about an unknown symbol and suggesting it's associated with cults is worrying. If things aren't as you think, maybe you need to chat with someone who wants to understand you.
I hope this is the case because, Séraphine, you know it well. No one wants a cult around." Jack's words hit a sensitive spot for Séraphine. She clenched her free hand so hard that she almost drew blood with her fingernails.
"Yes, let me give you the address and what I know about the case. At least I'll ease the officer's burden a bit." In a curt manner, Séraphine diverted the topic of conversation, and Jack tacitly agreed.
At the time, Séraphine didn't know it, but she had gone down the rabbit hole. Her life was connected to someone else's for a long time, even until the end.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
Blume was a vibrant and lively city, but its outskirts seemed to lack this modern vitality. They were home to large tracts of forest and farmland, as well as beautiful scenery.
Some wealthy individuals decided to build cottages or cabins in the suburbs, away from the modernity that was increasingly infiltrating the city.
Tania brought Séraphine to this place because the lycanthropic woman lived in the suburbs. The tranquil atmosphere of this place calmed some of her agitation, as it had a certain natural charm.
It was so charming that magical creatures were a common sight. Séraphine was walking along a small dirt path surrounded by trees and bushes when she saw some small gnomes scampering in front of her.
She stopped to watch them and noticed that the little creatures wore peaked hats almost the same height as they were. Each gnome wore a hat of a different color, as if to express part of their personalities.
Gnomes are intelligent beings. They had already detected Séraphine, and, since she was human, they were wary of her approach. However, noticing that she stood her ground, the gnomes relaxed.
"Hey, human, do you want to go to that place too? Not a good idea!" said a gnome with a prominent white beard.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" asked Séraphine cautiously. She knew these creatures were gentle and helpful.
"We've tried to stop many giants like you! But they ignore us, blinded by... by... by... We can't tell. It's no good to follow this path. You should leave," said the gnome, whose tiny body started trembling.
Another of his companions approached and took his place, eyeing Séraphine cautiously. He first noticed her witch's hat, the most characteristic feature of a witch at the moment.
The gnome seemed to intuit a few things from her green eyes, so he quickly averted his gaze and focused on Séraphine's rapier. He felt a particular interest in this weapon.
"A magical weapon! Are you coming to fight? I sense the desire for a fight in you, but you're alone. You won't be able to fight what's there," said the gnome, somewhat distressed, though his gaze didn't stray from the rapier's sheath.
"I'm not alone, little one," Séraphine commented before looking back. She could feel the latent aether of someone approaching from a fork in the dirt path.
Following her lead, the group of gnomes looked into the distance with the witch. Being magical creatures, they perhaps had better aether perception than Séraphine. What they could sense made their eyes brighten.
A relatively powerful presence was approaching. Soon, out of the trees, a figure emerged. It was a long-legged, blue-eyed, blonde woman in a black police uniform, an officer's badge hanging from her chest.
At her waist hung a revolver, and on her shoulder rested a large warhammer that seemed weightless to her, though her footsteps sounded heavy.
With defined muscles and a regal bearing, her beauty differed from Séraphine's charming appearance. The woman glanced at the gnomes, smiled, and waved to them with her free hand.
Then, she turned her gaze to Séraphine. Both women were similar in height, but they had very distinct styles. The blonde looked at Séraphine's face for a moment before focusing on her green eyes. For a moment, both women stared at each other.
Neither understood why they couldn't take their eyes off each other. The previous silence, which had radiated unfamiliarity, was now tinged with a much more peculiar color.
"Élodie Duval, police officer and warrior," the woman said, breaking the silence. Her voice was strong and lively, and it made Séraphine smile unconsciously.
"Séraphine Rohan, private detective, supernatural consultant, witch." Séraphine offered her hand as she spoke.
Élodie took her hand in a tight grip, trying to test Séraphine. Even though the witch did not have superhuman strength, she overcame the policewoman's grip.
Although the two had never met before, each knew a little about the other by various means. When they were finally face-to-face, they mentally sized each other up.
A strange atmosphere was generated between them as they shook hands, but it quickly disappeared when one of the gnomes came close enough that the policewoman's and witch's alert senses were activated.
"A warrior! Much better than the witch, no offense!" the gnome said. This made Séraphine feel uncomfortable, so she let go of Élodie's hand and ducked.
"Never be rude in front of a witch," Séraphine commented before making a face that startled the gnome. Realizing it was just a joke, he puffed out his cheeks as the other gnomes made fun of him.
"Yeah, sorry. Whatever. We can't do much for you guys, you know? We can only give you this." The gnome removed his prominent blue hat and reached inside it, causing Séraphine to look at him with interest.
"Where do you think the witches stole the magical knowledge for their hats from?" the gnome asked, noticing Séraphine's curiosity, and pulling out two glass thimbles with some reluctance.
"We dare not mention what goes on in that place, but we have prepared some things. You must drink their contents, and you may have a real chance," said the gnome, causing both Séraphine and Élodie to raise an eyebrow.
"The Tower only advised me that we would be attending to a case involving lycanthropes, not anything as serious as this," complained Élodie. However, she didn't reject the gnome's gesture and took one of the thimbles.
"I'll explain things on the way. Their words give me more hints about what we might expect. It seems it's not a good thing," replied Séraphine to Élodie. She took the thimble and drank its contents in one gulp.
It was a small portion of what could be described as a potion. She readily agreed to drink it because gnomes are not sinister. Soon, she was thankful she had done so.
She felt something sweet land on her tongue, which then dissolved into a comfortable coldness that went straight to her head. Instead of giving her a migraine, however, it calmed many of the symptoms of magic abuse she had been dealing with all day.
It didn't eliminate the symptoms, but it made them easier to ignore. She also felt her mood calm down. This brought back Séraphine's haughty demeanor, like the diva she always was.
Élodie noticed this change. When she first saw Séraphine, she had an intuition that the witch was exhausted and somewhat disheveled. Now, however, Séraphine looked like a magnet for stares, exuding a great deal of confidence.
"Thank you, friend," Séraphine said, feeling comfortable after so many hours of silent agony.
If Séraphine could express a simple comparison for everyone to understand how she felt, her words would make the shy blush and would be inappropriate for the young. So, we can say that she was quite uncomfortable.
"Don't worry. Your recovery is only incidental and won't affect you anymore. It's true function... just don't forget to leave us a few sweets when you can, okay?" The gnome asked expectantly, and Séraphine nodded with a big smile on her face.
"Whatever you say. I'll bring the candy early tomorrow morning," Séraphine pledged, making the gnomes jump with excitement.
Élodie watched this scene in silence. Whether she wanted to or not, she always ended up noticing Séraphine more than she should. Noticing this extra attention, the witch turned to look at her, winked, and continued sharing with the gnomes, who gave her all the clues they could without revealing too much.
The cop looked at the thimble in her hand, drank its contents, and felt no particular change except that her slight sleepiness from waking up disappeared. Then she looked back at Séraphine, having a few thoughts in mind.
'She's much more beautiful than in the pictures,' reflected Élodie, who could recognize the beauty of any woman.
"Well, we should go, shouldn't we?" she said, interrupting the dialogue between Séraphine and the gnomes, who looked a little sad.
"May Mother Light protect them!" said a gnome in a feminine voice. The others began to give her well-wishes as the two women walked down the dirt road.
"We could have waited longer. I was having fun," Séraphine complained when she was sure the gnomes couldn't hear her. Maybe that sneaky fairy poking her head out of the bushes could have, though. Who knows?
"We have a case. Aren't you supposed to explain the nuances of all this to me? I don't want to fight for no reason." Élodie didn't beat around the bush. She got to the heart of the matter, causing Séraphine to shake her head.
Séraphine was much more comfortable and suffered less from the affliction of every wizard or witch: abusing the aether. This gave her more confidence and brought out her playful side.
"Come on, officer. It was just some gnomes helping us, and incidentally, giving us more clues," Séraphine said lightly. Despite this, her left hand rested on the handle of her rapier, showing how nervous she was deep down.
"Here's the thing," she said, noticing the disapproving look on the blonde's face. She went on to describe the whole case to her from the beginning.
As they talked, they gradually caught sight of a large farmhouse with cars parked in front. Although it was late afternoon, the whole area seemed unusually dark and cold.
The little light that reached them caused their shadows to be cast on the ground. But as they approached the house, strange things began to happen around them. The women's shadows elongated unnaturally and twisted into two hideous faces.
When this happened, both the witch and the warrior stopped and looked at their respective shadows in unison, holding their weapons tightly. They both had stern expressions due to the danger they had sensed.
The aether in Séraphine's body boiled from deep within her soul, waiting for her to guide it with gestures. On Élodie's side, the same bluish light surged from her arm and covered her warhammer.
This pair of Witch and Warrior would now have their first fight together.