Day in the story: 7th October (Tuesday)

"Hi guys!" I said as I slid my mask up over my hair. "This is Beatrice."

I jumped out of the car, landing fifteen feet away near Mr. Penrose and Dam. Phillip looked visibly startled, but funnily enough, despite the mask still technically being on and infused, none of my enhanced senses worked when it was misaligned with my face.

"Good to see you, Alexandra," Penrose said, giving me a nod. "Is the suit what's letting you jump like that?"

Dam, meanwhile, looked completely awestruck.

"Damn, Alexa!" he shouted, grinning. "Wanna run that rematch now?"

"Yes, Mr. Penrose," I said first, answering him. "The suit is fused with my authority, it thinks it's a power armor. Gives me strength, durability, agility — the works. And no, Dam. Not right now."

Dam looked visibly disappointed, his shoulders dropping like a kid denied dessert.

"It thinks?" Penrose raised an eyebrow, watching his people carefully move Beatrice from the car.

"Well, it's kind of a figure of speech, sir. But I don't have a better word for what I do to my art. I ask it to be what it represents and it becomes that."

Penrose didn't answer. He was watching Beatrice now, judging whether I'd brought him a guest, or another prisoner. For her sake, I hoped it leaned toward the former.

"It's amazing, Alexa," Dam said, eyes still full of admiration. "I really wish we could fight again. But I have a feeling there's going to be plenty of that in the days to come."

"How's the family?" I asked, turning the conversation.

"Nick and Ariana are in Ideworld right now. A portal opened nearby, we couldn't pass it up. How's your training?"

"Fruitless for now," I answered. "But I'm not giving up."

"Will you be staying here? If so, I can help you with your training."

I hadn't really thought about it, but maybe it was time to make an anchor for Penrose's private fortress. I always called it that, even though we were currently standing in the middle of a grassy garden, outside what looked like a modest one-family house. Triangle roof, single chimney, a small porch with a swinging bench, one door and a garage with the door wide open. Humble.

But the garden was long and wide, surrounded by a tall, serious-looking fence. Still, nothing like the de Marcos' sprawling estate. What made this place a fortress was the bunker hidden underneath, not a cellar, a bunker. One so massive, I figured it ran under most, if not all, of the garden we were standing on.

"If Mr. Penrose allows it," I said, "then yes, I just might stay."

"Well, he's got the rest of us stashed down there," Dam said, smirking. "I bet there's room for one more. Also, you cunning rabbit, you didn't mention before that you can manipulate time-space."

"Oh. Sorry about that." I shrugged. "I don't share my secrets easily, especially with people who remember them."

"No offense taken, girl. But that power? It's a jackpot. You can't even begin to imagine how rare and powerful it is."

"I've got a pretty good imagination, Dam."

He let out a loud, belly-deep laugh. "Yeah, I bet you do. Can you move into Ideworld too?"

"Anywhere I've visited." No need to get into details.

We moved closer to where Penrose was talking quietly with Beatrice. It looked like their conversation was wrapping up.

"I will personally ensure that you're treated with the utmost respect, Beatrice," Penrose said. "But since you've seen my place of operation, I won't be releasing you until either your former jailer is defeated, or you've earned my trust, whichever comes first."

I'd bet my life it'd be the first.

"I understand. I just don't want to be confined to a bed anymore."

Penrose glanced at Dam, who nodded silently.

"I'm not an animal," Penrose said, his voice low and firm. "Nor do I treat people like animals, unless, of course, that's what they deserve."

There it was. Not a threat, exactly. But not "not a threat" either.

"I understand" Beatrice said.

We moved through the garage, heading down the entrance ramp to the bunker. We were well underground by the time I noticed something, one of the people helping with Beatrice's bed was Yamashiro Rei. A shadow manipulator. I'd met him once when I was going through the list. So, Penrose had recruited him after all. Good. His powers were amazing.

"When you're settled and taken care of, I'll meet with you to discuss everything you did for the de Marcos," Penrose told Beatrice. "Take the time to think it through."

We parted ways as she was taken down one hallway and the rest of us turned down another, heading into a conference room. I took one of the seats around the table. Dam, Thomas, Johny, Mr. Penrose and Lincoln, Penrose's bookkeeper and accountant, each took theirs.

"First things first," Penrose began. "To speed everything up and following Damien's suggestion—" He gestured toward Dam. "—I'm going to ask each of you to drink this special concoction."

Dam produced a set of small jars filled with a pale liquid, looked almost like broth and handed them out to Phillip, Thomas, Johny and Lincoln. None of them looked particularly thrilled about it.

"It's a liquid your body will have a very hard time digesting," Dam explained. "It'll stay in your system for a long time, at least a year. My dear wife used her authority to make sure of that. But more importantly, she also infused it with the concept of remembrance, so you won't forget magic exists."

Ah. A consumable version of my amulets. Clever. Better than carrying trinkets around everywhere.

"It'll help you awaken," Dam continued. "And trust me, after a full year of seeing and working alongside magic, you won't need magical reminders anymore. Reality will start treating you as awakened."

They still looked reluctant, but this was clearly non-negotiable. Phillip unscrewed his jar and downed the entire thing in one go. Johny and Thomas followed soon after, while Lincoln hesitated, until Penrose fixed his gaze directly on him. That did it. Lincoln drank.

"My dear colleagues," Penrose began, "the situation we find ourselves in may appear dire, but it's not. Robert de Marco, with his attempt on my life and the chaos that followed, has shown he'll stop at nothing to keep the truth from his wife. And yet, before I even mentioned her, our negotiations seemed to be heading in the right direction."

He paused, drawing a deep breath, his gaze drifting into the distance like he was sorting through calculations in his mind.

"Our next moves are simple. We dig in and cripple their revenue streams. Despite all their magical flair, what we've uncovered is disappointingly mundane, most of their income comes from extortion and drug trafficking. These are enemies we've faced before."

He turned his attention to Thomas and Lincoln. "It falls to you two to organize a team that will systematically dismantle de Marco's operations. Start with their supply chains, their runners, their cash flow. And one more thing, his godfather, Julian Giovani, has yet to make a move against us. You'll need to find out if he's involved at all before we hit anything major. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Thomas said.

"Understood," Lincoln echoed right after.

Penrose turned to me. "Alexandra, you'll accompany me after this meeting to speak with our guest. We need to find out where Eveline de Marco is. I believe it's time to contact her, lay out the truth about her husband's schemes and how they brought this war to our doorstep."

I frowned slightly. "We talked about this before, sir. What changed your mind?

"Yes, we did," Penrose said. "She would certainly see us as weakened after this move. But everything is already in motion and once her husband is dealt with, she'll likely be the next to confront us anyway. We might as well reach out first, delegate her the task of dealing with her unfaithful spouse."

"I understand. But how are we supposed to deal with her, sir?" I asked. "According to her seer, she might still have access to six full Domains, through the necklace I was originally hired to steal."

"That does sound powerful and it might well be," Dam interjected. "But I've faced monsters like that before, mages who've made pacts as Warlocks. The truth is, Domains change you. They warp your intent, especially if they clash in nature. If she's bound to that many, she might not have full control, hell, it's likely she doesn't. Though," he shrugged slightly, "I could be wrong."

Penrose went quiet, chewing over our words. "How exactly does she access them? Through the necklace? She has it back?"

"She might use the necklace to forge the connections, like contracts. If that's the case, she's probably keeping the link active until the item becomes soulbound to her. Even if she doesn't physically have it anymore." Dam said. "I have heard about such items as well."

"Can the bond be broken?" I asked.

"She can sever it herself," Dam replied. "Or maybe a powerful enough Mage could do it. The item could be destroyed too, but that would be difficult, given its strength. And of course… she can be killed."

"Maybe that's why Shiroi was sent after it," I said. "De Marco must've believed he could destroy anything."

"The man who unravels things?" Dam asked.

"Yes. Anything he touched with intent, or anything that touched him, was reduced to dust or unraveling threads. Well, almost anything. He couldn't immediately unravel a jacket I infused with shadowlight."

"That makes sense," Dam said. "Mages often have to wrestle with foreign authority. He might've succeeded if given time."

"Then it's possible," I said slowly, "that he still has the necklace… and is trying to subdue the authority inside it?"

"That would explain why Eveline still has her connections active," Dam nodded. "It's definitely a possibility."

"Would you be able to destroy this item?" Thomas asked suddenly.

"No," Dam replied without hesitation. "More than likely, I would not."

"How can a mage be killed, Damien?" Penrose asked, eyes narrowing, focused like a blade.

"I told you, brother, anyone can be killed with enough force. But mages are more protected than regular people. A bullet would need to be either very close, or extremely fast and powerful to do real damage from afar. You could also use explosives, or blunt force strong enough to break them outright. And then there's cutting through their Authority, if you hit us hard enough, even that protective layer gives."

"And those are just mundane ways?" Johny asked, brow raised. "What about their bodies, do they work like ours? Do they still need to eat, breathe, sleep?"

"Most mages do," Dam said. "Unless their Domains specifically allow them to bypass those things."

"Then I don't see the problem," Penrose concluded coldly. "We find out where she is… and we blow her up."

"It might be more difficult than you're imagining, Phillip."

"Or simpler," Penrose said. "First we locate her, then we decide how. But before that, we let her loose on her husband."

He turned toward Johny. "John, make sure our guest Beatrice gets everything she needs to recover fully. If you require supernatural insight, consult Damien. After that, I want both of you to interrogate the four amateurs who infiltrated the Finests, Alexandra graciously delivered them to us."

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"I wouldn't call them amateurs, sir," I said. "They just didn't anticipate magic."

"Which makes them amateurs," Penrose replied curtly. "Much like I was. But I intend to learn. I will understand everything there is to know about magic and acquire my own Domain as soon as possible."

That thought sent a chill through me. Was that even possible?

"Once again, Phillip, it's not that simple," Dam said. "You either have to find a crystal core compatible with your soul, within a family or organization willing to let you access it, or develop your own, like Alexa did. But given your age, that's… not likely."

"Can it be taken by force?" That made Dam raise an eyebrow.

"I've never heard of a non-magical being managing to take a crystal core from a mage," he said slowly. "But fights over Domains do happen from time to time. You'd have to enter the Domain directly and overcome not only the crystal core itself but also the mage it summons to defend it. Which and I hate to repeat myself, seems unlikely."

"Well, Damien, I like my chances." Penrose's conviction was unnerving. Even aiming beyond his reach, he sounded disturbingly certain.

"That's all for now. Everyone knows what they need to do." Penrose's tone shifted, dismissing us like pieces moved into place. "Alexandra, I'll let you know when we're ready to speak with Beatrice. Can you make this place one of your teleportation points?"

I nodded.

"Good. Then you've got some free time until John and Damien finish settling in our guest. Use it wisely, you may not get much more of it."

"Of course, sir." I gave a small bow and teleported straight into my Domain.

The moment I landed, I headed straight for my drawing desk, flipping open the Travel Grimoire. I began painting the conference hall I'd just left, it would share the same page as Penrose's office. I doubted I'd ever get to see its Ideworld version and since I didn't need to look at my anchors anymore, I'd just paint them as they came.

Once that was finished, I moved on to Shiroi's workroom from yesterday, machines, cutting tables, scraps of material still fresh in my memory. I didn't know if I'd ever need it, but better safe than sorry.

The last two anchors I added were Jason's apartment, or rather, his parents' place, with its clean, undecorated spaces and the staircase leading up to it. I intended to use that one immediately. I had a date with him at the boxing club tonight, something I'd completely forgotten in the whirlwind of everything else.

I stripped out of the infused suit and left it lying on the floor of my Domain, alongside the rest of my gear. I'd need to bring in a hanger for the suit and something more dignified for my weapons, but tonight, everything would just stay there, ready, just in case. The stolen books were stacked on the opposite side, adding to the growing mess. My Domain was becoming cluttered. I'd need to do something about that, eventually.

Wearing just a bra and panties, I teleported into my room and quickly changed, old jeans and a crisp white blouse. I threw on a matching jacket, laced up a pair of casual shoes and chose the staircase outside Jason's building as my jump point. A second later, I ran up the stairs and gently knocked on his door.

He looked like a nightmare had swallowed him and spit him back out. Most likely drank himself into this state over the last few hours. Sweatpants only, no socks, bare-chested. His short hair was matted with something sticky and his face was bloated. He didn't even look at me properly when he asked:

"Who's there?"

Only after the words stumbled out did his eyes finally rise to meet mine. He shuddered at first, then scowled, rage blooming over whatever flicker of surprise he'd felt.

"Why are you here?" His breath reeked of vodka and whiskey. Terrible mix. Dull and sharp at once.

"I came to say sorry, Jason. For not calling. For not telling you my plans had changed. I did want to go out with you."

"Is that… gonna…" A hiccup cut him off. "Gonna be a problem like this always?"

"May I come in to talk?" I asked, dodging the question.

He wrestled with something in his head, visibly torn, before finally stepping aside.

"Yeah," he muttered, then shut the door behind me.

"I told you right from the start, I'd probably make a bad girlfriend." His expression tightened at that, so I continued, my eyes drifting to the two empty bottles on the short table. "In my defense, it's not by choice. I've got obligations. Heavy ones. They take up a lot of my time. And no, I can't talk about them. Not yet."

He opened his mouth, but I lifted a hand to hold him off.

"And yes, I don't trust you. Not yet. Maybe never will. But I'm giving you a chance. That is me making an effort."

"Should I be happy…" Another hiccup. "Happy to get that effort?"

"No. I said I was sorry. It was wrong not to call or text. But this, " I gestured between us, "this is still new to me. I'm not in love with you, Jason. You don't dominate my thoughts. But I am attracted to you… most of the time. When you're sober, at least. And I do think this could grow into something more. So, like I said, I'm trying, even if it's messy."

"I don't know, Lexy…"

Reality, how I hated it when he said my name like that.

"…if that's enough for me. I think about you. All the time, you know?"

He probably did. If I'd gotten him into this state. So I smiled, just a little.

"I know."

"Please… don't do that to me again, okay?" He slumped onto the couch, fumbling around for another drink. I gently moved the glass aside and took the bottle from him.

"I'll try my best."

"I thought it was over. You didn't answer your phone all day… no texts… nothing. I thought the worst. And even worse than that."

Yeah. I'd kept my phone silenced and shoved him out of my mind, focused on the fight, on the chaos. And when he finally stopped calling, I just… let the silence happen.

"I see that now. And I'm sorry."

I sat on the armrest beside him, pulled him gently toward me and pressed his head to my chest. My fingers ran through his sticky hair, slow and soothing, while he cried.

I hadn't expected him to be this vulnerable. I wondered where it came from, most likely his parents and how they treat him. But that was just a guess, something I'd assume if he were my target. He wasn't. So…

"Why did it hurt you so much?" I asked softly. "Haven't you been stood up before?"

"I have, but… I told you it's different with you. I didn't feel anything for the others, besides, you know… physical attraction."

He pulled away slightly, looking at me with a tired kind of honesty.

"Kind of like what you feel for me, right?"

"Could be." I shrugged lightly. "I don't have much experience with stable relationships either, Jason." That was true. I'd never really had the time. And whatever willingness I had once felt… it had died a long time ago. Still, I had been taught how a woman should act to get a reaction from a man, something I was now consciously trying to avoid.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

Ah. Fuck. Maybe coming here had been a mistake after all.

"I won't, Jason. And not because I don't want to, though your state tonight isn't exactly helping your case, but because I have an obligation I still need to take care of. Soon."

"What could an art appraiser possibly do that late?"

That one stung a little, but only because he was closer to the truth than he realized.

"Jason, that wasn't very nice," I said evenly, "but I'll let it slide."

Because of how I treated him today.

"It's a private appraisal at a rich snob's home. He works in a different time zone but lives here." Easy lie. Comfortable like old pajamas.

"Is it a sex thing?"

Wow. He really wasn't pulling any punches tonight. Maybe that was the alcohol talking.

"No, Jason. I'm not a prostitute."

He looked like he wanted to say something, then thought better of it. Good.

"The most valuable pieces are often held by the worst people. That's just how it is."

"I see… I appreciate you coming after all. Just… sucks that you had to see me like this."

"Well, I stayed, didn't I?"

That actually made him smile.

"Yeah… thanks. My head really hurts, you know?"

"I figured. Come on, I'll help you get to bed. I've still got a bit of time."

He nodded and I took his hand guiding him toward the bedroom.

The bed was enormous, dressed in velvet and warm red satin, warm to the eye, not so much to the touch. I helped him under the covers, then lay down behind him, small spoon to big one, keeping him warm and steady until he fell asleep.

It didn't take long. But it felt… nice. His body was firm and warm. And more importantly, he stopped talking. Which, for Jason, was a huge plus, much as I hated to admit it.

After a few minutes, I slipped out of the bed and looked around. The bedroom was as clean and empty of personal touches as the main room had been.

I felt sorry for him, living like that. He clearly needed love. Or at least something.

I sighed and walked out, making sure the door clicked shut and locked behind me. It was an electrical lock, I knew how they worked and I double-checked anyway. Strange, the things a relationship makes you care about.

I was just about to jump back home through the Domain when my phone lit up.

Penrose. A single message:

"It is time."

That was all I needed.

**********

I was back in my suit, all my gear at my side, standing inside Beatrice's room. She sat upright on a hospital bed, an IV drip hooked to her arm again. I figured it was just fluids, liquid food, vitamins, everything needed to get her back to health the normal way. I guess giving her some kind of magical healing soup hadn't seemed like a smart move, so they didn't.

She looked to be a woman in her forties. Her face had regained a bit of shape since I saw her last, though her hair was still sparse and completely grey, likely from the drugs or prolonged stress. She was thin as paper and just as pale, but her eyes stood out, deep blue and sharp.

"How are you feeling now, Beatrice?" Penrose asked, taking a seat in an armchair at her left.

I stayed standing at the foot of her bed.

"Better, thank you…" She looked at him, hesitant, waiting for permission.

"You may call me Phillip," he offered.

Bold move on her part, but bolder still for him to allow it.

"Thank you, Phillip. And thank you again, " She looked toward me now.

"Well, you're not exactly free yet," I cut in. "And I could've given you that. So maybe hold off on the gratitude for now."

Better she understood the situation clearly. Again.

"I know that. But I'm willing to help you get that snake."

"Eveline?" I asked.

"She calls herself Eve now, because she wants to be the first."

"Biblical Eve?" Penrose asked, raising a brow.

"Yes. She's searching for the right combination of powers, trying to become as powerful as God, at least in her mind. And as far as I know, she's been at it for over seventy years."

"She certainly doesn't look that old," Penrose muttered.

"It's one of the first powers she linked to the necklace, her own Domain is that of Dreams, which is fitting, given her so-called dream." Beatrice drifted off for a second, lost in thought. "The power she linked was the Domain of Health. It keeps her permanently young and healthy."

That made Penrose stir in his chair. I recognized that look, like a pressure building just beneath his skin. I'd seen it before, though usually over more mundane things. He wanted that. Badly.

"She can control dreams? Is that dangerous?" I asked.

"Yes. That's how she got me. It's not as potent here on Earth, but in the Ideworld…" she paused. "Ideworld is kind of like a dreamworld, or at least it's seen that way. Dreamt by the Earth, the Moon and people. We project our shadows into it and in that place, she's very powerful."

"What are her other powers? Do you know?" I pressed. I wasn't planning on fighting her in the Ideworld anyway, but the information might matter.

"She had access to the Domains of Fire, Debt, Sigils and Discord. She was looking to replace Discord and Sigils with something stronger."

"Debt is powerful?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. It's why she got involved with the de Marco family in the first place. Their legacy soul core is tied to that Domain. It not only allowed them to get rich quickly, but made them extremely hard to kill, because of how they understand debt."

"What do you mean, Beatrice?" Penrose asked, leaning forward.

"Domains are largely shaped by how mages perceive them," Beatrice explained. "If someone sees fire as purely physical, they can only control actual flames. But if they also see ambition, passion, or anger as fire, their control extends to those things as well. The same applies to Debt, you can see it as just money and that's powerful enough: removing it for yourself, increasing it for others. But if you see a promise as a debt, suddenly you can punish someone for breaking it. You might even be able to force them to fulfill it."

She paused for emphasis. "The same with pain. If someone hurts you, you might gain the right to repay that harm, not just morally, but magically, maybe even with a thought."

"I can see how powerful it really is now," I said. But my attention drifted to Penrose, he had that look again. Hunger. Deep, dangerous hunger.

"The de Marcos have wielded that Domain for generations," Beatrice continued. "They even wrote a guidebook to teach how to wield it properly. I don't know where it is now." But I did.

"Eveline is a very difficult woman to beat. The necklace she wears can only be bound inside a Domain itself, that's why she uses her Dream Domain to guide people into it. On Earth, she burns people with fire or reflects the pain they inflict back onto them, using Debt. She guards the necklace with Sigils, though she's never liked them much, too delicate, too precise, too technical for her tastes. As for Discord… I've never seen her use it. No idea what she's capable of there."

"Why hasn't she gotten rid of Robert?" Penrose asked, tone sharp.

"Because his family name opens doors for her. Ones she couldn't open as easily alone. But that status is tied more to him than her, so she keeps him around. And she bound him. She used the promise he made during their wedding vows. That's why he can't hurt her, not even if he wanted to."

That clicked. That's why he didn't destroy the necklace himself. That's why he had Shiroi do it.

"Do you know a man named Shiroi, or Ken Kuromaru?" I asked.

"Shiroi Akira?" Beatrice tilted her head, then caught our blank looks. "Domain of Materials and Threads?" I nodded.

"He's a close friend of Robert. Shiroi got into the yakuza to tear them down from the inside. Robert did the same with the Italian mob."

"Excuse me?" I said, blinking. "You're telling me these two have good hearts? How could you even know that?"

"I am Beatrice Constanza. My mother, Coleen, worked with Robert's father, Carlos de Marco. I've known Robert since we were kids. He believed the de Marcos owed a debt to society. And in their house, Debt wasn't just a word, it was power. At least… until that snake came around."

"It's a nice fairy tale," I said, tone hardening. "But I watched Shiroi unravel another Seer like she was made of thread. He tried to kill me and Thomas just to tie up loose ends. And your sweet Robert just tried to kill Mr. Penrose here, moments ago."

Beatrice didn't flinch. "You've never done something bad for a good reason, girl?"

That stopped me, harder than it should have. She watched my silence like a seasoned interrogator.

"I thought so," she murmured.

Penrose stepped in, brushing away the moral tangle. "How do we find Shiroi and both de Marcos?"

"If you give me time to concentrate," she said, folding her hands calmly, "I can locate them all. I know where they tend to operate."

"How would you cross walls or closed windows?" I asked.

"I'm a Seer, girl."

"I know a Seer too, she can't do that."

"Then she's a lousy Seer." Her tone carried no doubt. Oh. So they can do that.

"I didn't know," I admitted.

Beatrice's expression sharpened. "Do you intend to harm Robert and Akira?"

"That was my intention, yes," Penrose answered without hesitation.

"Can that intention be altered?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll help you find them. But I'd start with her, Eveline, if that's acceptable."

"Splendid." Phillip stood, smoothing his suit with a practiced motion. "Do that as soon as you're ready. Tell Monique, she'll be the nurse assigned to you." He motioned for me to follow and I gave Beatrice a small nod.

"Take care, Beatrice."

We walked out together in silence. The hospital lights buzzed faintly overhead. When we neared the conference room, he finally spoke.

"She's going to be a problem after all."

"She's in love with Robert?" I asked.

"That's my assumption. She'll report everything to him. But she may still give us Eveline. Regardless, my plans have changed, Alexandra. I need you to do what you do best."

I knew it was coming. Still, it made my stomach turn.

"You want me to locate the necklace. Steal it again. For you."

"I want it for myself," he said plainly.

"I figured."

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, sir. I'll get to it."

"What should I do if I encounter any of the three?"

"If possible, kill them. Or dispose of them another way. If not, pit them against each other. Or run. Once I have the necklace, they'll run from me."

"But sir, the necklace still grants Eveline powers, even without wearing it."

"Let me worry about that. Where will you begin?"

"Shiroi's home. He was the last one confirmed to have it. Destroying it seems more likely than returning it, if anything Beatrice said was true."

"Can you handle him?"

"So far… I've lost every time."

"But you're still here."

"But I'm still here," I echoed.

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