Diana's eyes narrowed as the chill radiating from Rosa thickened the air. Frost clung to the edges of her lashes and skin, curling faintly around the table where the two unconscious men lay. The cold wasn't just physical; it seeped into their bodies and pressed onto their bones.
Without hesitation, Diana stepped closer.
As she wrapped her arms around Rosa's shoulders, she pressed her own warmth against her. Focusing her spiritual energy, she let it flow outward in gentle, steady pulses, weaving heat into the icy aura clinging to Rosa's body.
A faint shiver ran across Rosa's back, but the frost gradually receded.
Diana's gaze flicked downward, and she froze.
One of Rosa's hands had turned a light shade of blue, the cold already creeping towards the man's head. Her heart skipped, and she quickly increased the flow of her energy, letting it wrap like a comforting flame.
After a moment, Rosa's eyes snapped open.
Her icy blue eyes softened into their usual emerald color as she met Diana's gaze. "Thank you," she said quietly, a warmth in her voice.
Diana jumped back instinctively, startled by the sudden movement. With a nervous smile, her face flushed red. "Uh… y-yeah. No problem," she stammered. "How did it go?"
Rosa shook her hands, removing the last layer of ice. Then, she signaled to the man on the right."Initially, I got lost in old memories, but I was able to find his subconscious. His name is Harvey; apparently, he's the former co-owner of a startup wine store. After a disagreement, he killed his business partner roughly four years ago and was then hired by Xiangcao's secret manager, a man with a scar across his lip."
"Harvey confirmed he regularly stays at the store, and he's involved in the disappearances."
Diana listened quietly, then said, "That corresponds with our hypothesis, it's likely that man is also connected to The Serpent's Maw. Did you get any information about the key?"
"No luck there, Harvey's just a grunt. He didn't even know his boss's name; I doubt the other one knows either. Checking his mind would be a waste of time."For the sake of keeping Diana focused on task, Rosa was careful with her words, allowing every sentence to curb thoughts related to the key.
"Are we still waiting for nightfall?"Diana asked blankly
'It would be a waste of a good opportunity if we don't act now!'
"As the Huaren say jiàn jī xíng shì ["Act according to circumstances"]. We'll use another transformation spell to take the forms of these two and head to the pharmacy."
"I'll store the bodies, you prepare the ingredients for the spell."
"Allow me to do it...You know I'm not good at spell casting," Diana said with a light blush
The memory of the last time she cast a spell was still fresh in her mind. The ghostly green flames she had conjured were wild and uncontrollable, unlike any she had ever produced with her technique, Hellish Embrace.
The corner of Rosa's mouth twitched ever so slightly as she replied, "Fine, I'll handle the spell, but once this is all over, we're taking some time off to improve your spell casting."
"Save some of their blood, I'll need it for the chant." Walking towards the counter, Rosa grabbed a small bowl and a wooden grinding stick.
"What are we going to do with the souls and the vines?"Diana asked as she approached the two men. She then noticed the subtle movement of Harvey's chest and a wisp of cold air escaping his mouth. With Rosa's technique activated, she had assumed he had surely been killed!
'Did she hold back?' Glancing at Rosa for a moment, Diana pondered.
"The cold and the illusion will keep them frozen for the next twenty-four hours. Once you've drawn the blood, bring them to the spare bedroom closet."
"Alright," Diana answered casually as she began removing Harvey's clothing. She didn't stop moving for even a moment until both men were completely undressed. The process was a bit jarring since both men wore tight-fitted clothing; for a moment, she had considered burning the pants off in annoyance.
After removing all their clothes, she then took a knife and a small, oval-shaped wooden bowl from the counter. Then, placing the bowl on the tablet, she applied pressure to Harvey's right wrist. Sensing the pulse of a large vein, she then used the knife to make a small slit.
As his blood began to pour, she quickly placed the bowl under his hand to catch every drop. With a wave of her hand over the slit, she used a healing skill to seal the wound.
She then repeated the same process on the other man with another bowl.
****
Rosa entered the bedroom. As she shuffled through her hidden inventory space, she began to think about the spell she was about to cast.
Honestly speaking, she did not wish to go through the pain of using Akten de'Mirsha [Act of The Mirror Shadow]. After all, in a place where spiritual energy would clash, it's likely for any trace of the spell to be detected by thralls of The Faceless.
The failed doppelgangers are incapable of shape-shifting into other creatures and so resent all who can.
Sadly, it was the only means she could think of to avoid alerting the enemy's detection. "Let's hope we can get things finished before we attract unwanted attention."Rosa retrieved three items: an iridescent siren's scale, a flask of fairy's tears, and a pair of human-like doppelganger's eyes.
Now with ingredients in hand, she walked to the bedside table and laid out the items. Raising her gaze, she then reached for the window latch before pulling it shut.
Click!
With a soft click, she then drew the curtain halfway to mute the morning light. It instantly added a much more mysterious feel to the atmosphere.
She picked up the scale first. Coating her fingers in a layer of spiritual energy, she began to grind it against the wooden bowl. The siren's residual will resisted the force with a faint, musical chime before crumbling into a fine, green powder.
As she then unscrewed the flask, her mind drifted. 'We really owe Xiuying for these tears.'Her friend's contracted spirit, Pitou, must have been exceptionally persuasive; fairies were notoriously uncooperative, their sorrow a currency they rarely spent.
'To think, the most expensive ingredient was the easiest to acquire.'
Creak!
With impeccable timing, the door creaked open as Diana stepped in. She placed the two oval bowls of blood on the table and produced three candles, setting them in a precise triangle around the other ingredients.
"I figured it would be much safer to use these," She said.
"Surely you don't think I need candles for such an amateur spell."
Diana's heart skipped a beat hearing Rosa's sudden icy tone. She awkwardly laughed and said. "N-no, I just..noticed you were still experiencing some effects of activating Meren Tundrae [Temperance Of Tundra ]."
As Rosa watched her light the candles, she sighed. "You really worry too much."
Now with the powder ready, she poured the fairy's tears into the bowl. The mixture hissed softly, releasing a scent of iron. Upon seeing this, she then stirred it with the grinding stick until it formed a thin, viscous paste.
Diana watched, silently, as Rosa then picked up the doppelganger's eyes. They were soft and cool, like overripe grapes. She dropped one into each bowl of blood. The eyes sank slowly for a moment, and the blood around them seemed to darken, absorbing their essence.
Finally, Rosa grabbed the bowl of paste.
With complete concentration, she poured half into each blood-filled bowl. The moment the mixture touched the surface, the contents within suddenly swirled of their own accord.
Witnessing this, Rosa knew her preparations were completed. Taking a deep breath, she solemnly began to chant.
"I summon Thelon the Faceless, By peace of the double and form.'
"I come from shadow, I am of reflection."
"Grant me, O nameless visage, The gift of change"
"The breath of another!"