Blood cycling around her in the cold, dim atmosphere of the catacombs hallway, Scarlet kept a close eye on Germain as the man straightened his clothes, held up his watch, and studied the time. She was becoming antsy with how nonchalant the golden-eyed man was.

“You’re promising a lot… How do I know you can deliver?”

“Quite true, my dear,” he hummed, a half-smile turning his expression as he gestured to the wall, where a glittering haze appeared. “Right on time. Shall we?”

Scarlet steeled her courage, not wanting to look weak; he seemed to operate in a way that expected others to know exactly what he did, or maybe that people were smarter than they really were. “Weren’t you going to explain it to me?”

“Absolutely,” he chimed, moving to stand just outside of the shifting, multi-colored veil. “Most things are quite bothersome to express, so experiencing them is the best solution; one can read all about the ocean in a sea full of books only to never grasp its majesty by making the trip to see its majesty in its entirety. Does that satisfy?”

Scarlet hadn’t thought about it like that before, and it took a second to sink in; his joy came from the practical effect knowledge had on him rather than just from pure intellectual pursuit. “How much time do we have?” she asked, focus moving to his now closed watch.

Germain’s chest shook with laughter, allowing the golden chain attached to the device to slide through his fingers and weave the item back and forth. “What a funny question. Time isn’t so… linear, I suppose one could say. Listen, dear, it is a current that twists, cycles, and, yes, even vibrates in fragile pulses. There is no rush for those that know how to ride time’s wicked teeth.”

Basically, no, we’re not in a hurry… Great. I hate when people are always calm… It makes me anxious, which sucks when dealing with the kind of people Rachel typically handles. Panic a little!

“Huu-haaa,” she breathed, releasing the tension in her chest. She stepped forward, taking one last glance back at where her past self lurked in the sky of France, observing everything; Nemesis was still on his hunt, and Ying Yue’s hazy figure was in the graveyard crypt. “Why didn’t I see myself; I studied everyone down here before teleporting in.”

When she looked back, Germain had an ornate cane in hand, leaning against it, and his watch was attached to a clip on his suit pants. “The mind is a funny, powerful thing,” he commented, entering the swirling field without answering her, to Scarlet’s annoyance.

Blood returning to her body to guard her heart, she joined him; the spray of color swirled around her like liquid, splashing through her in ripples that dragged her through space, yet the entire process was complete by the time her foot struck tile.

She’d landed in a broad passageway, dimly lit and old-fashioned. It could have been an old palace by the lavish furnishings and art filling it; it was obvious whose residence they were in by the statues or pictures lining it.

Germain was standing in front of a painting of himself, and Scarlet thought she recognized the style; the man turned to smile at her, taking out a pipe he was now puffing on. “A gift from the Legend of Leonardo da Vinci; he has quite the talent. Fortune generally favors me, which is why I am so drawn to your leader. She is… quite the specimen of misfortune.”

“Weren’t you going to tell me about this plot the Nazis, China, and this Wizard are up to? I get you’re trying to set up this whole atmosphere of mystery, but I’ve kind of got things to do.”

The man pursed his lips with a short nod and started walking toward an open room, yet when Scarlet didn’t move, he paused by the double doors. “Hmm. Indeed, we aren’t exactly on Earth.”

Scarlet turned slowly, looking beyond the walls of the mansion to the spiraling vortex of color the grounds rested in; two women were clearing the residence, not having an issue passing through more glittering veils to reach other areas where tidying was needed.

“You… live in a time dilation?

“That’s one way to look at it,” he chuckled, continuing into the study to stop at tables lined with goods that he began browsing. “I occupy every inch of this place.”

Crossing her arms, she remained at the entrance, vision wandering the room filled with artifacts, bookshelves, and a sitting area, where a crackling fire burned. “You’re in different dimensions?”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm. No. No,” Germain mused, fiddling with some potions on a table, looking between labels. “Dimensions are fractures of a universe’s origins, splintered from the moment the first deviation occurred in the quantum field.

“There are yous in a great, yet finite number of branches within our multiverse, yet only one Scarlet with that creature within you, as there is only one Legend of Sir Comte De Saint-Germain. Due to our changes, we have become unique in ways that cannot be replicated, and it was all from The Oscillation event. Quite an apt name, would you not agree?”

“Sure…” Scarlet mumbled, trying to decipher what she should do in this situation.

It was Rachel’s misfortune ability that spun this scenario that was keeping her calm. She knew her big sister would love this kind of interaction; it wasn’t Scarlet’s thing, but she could lean into it and push outside of her comfort zone.

“So… we didn’t create a new timeline by going back in time?”

Germain held up a green bottle with scribbled handwriting on the label she couldn’t read since it was in French; he sipped at it with a thoughtful expression. “Mmh. Slightly off… Two grams less sugar,” he whispered, making a note beside it before moving on.

“There are no ‘new’ timelines; it’s such a silly concept if I’m being honest. We are always on the same timeline, and if there were a split, it would be a completely different dimensional line, but, as I said, time isn’t so linear. It wibbles and wobbles. It shifts and relapses. Why don’t you take a seat? Miriam will be in shortly with tea, and I’ve devised a new recipe I think I’ll call Scarlet’s Touch.”

Indulging him, Scarlet sat across from him; the man was directing the entire conversation, and she knew Rachel would push to get things back on the track she wanted.

“I don’t care how time works or if this is another dimension; all I want is to prevent them from achieving their goals.”

Germain smiled as a young, black-haired woman brought in a cart with a few desserts, two steaming teapots, and three small cups; she wordlessly placed them on the table in front of them.

“Thank you, Miriam. Always the thoughtful twin. Also, I am thankful for you indulging me, Scarlet; I must say, hehe, I am in quite a mess right now.”

“You don’t look it,” Scarlet growled, staring at the tea the woman poured from one pot into her cup; she could smell rich, non-human blood within the mix. “How did you know I have to have blood in my meals?”

“You told me,” Germain chuckled, twisting his cane a few times between his fingers while studying it. “This is not our first time speaking, and I am not the same Germain you met in those catacombs. Much has happened since our time together, with your barbs pointed at my throat.”

“Great… I think I hate dealing with time travelers,” Scarlet sighed. “I don’t know if you’re lying or telling the truth, but whatever. What do you want from me, Germain?”

She was a little surprised when the maid—or whoever Miriam was—sat in the armchair beside the man, pouring her own drink from the same pot as Scarlet. A shiver ran up her spine, and she suddenly realized the woman didn’t smell like Germain—human—and the blood inside her hardly moved.

“Who… is she?” Scarlet defensively asked, dreading the answer.

A silent giggle came from Miriam, and she pointed at her throat before shaking her head, indicating she was mute, yet her blue eyes flashed red, and a small pool of blood slipped through the skin in her palm before quivering and collapsing.

The dots clicked in alarming ways in Scarlet’s mind as her focus shot to Germain. “You cloned me?! What—how—at what time period?!”

Miriam shifted uncomfortably, shaking her head in protest, yet the man held up his hand with a short chuckle.

“It’s okay, Miriam; it’s the natural reaction… Yes, I know I have a way of causing misinterpretations,” he sighed as she shot a haughty stare his way.

“I don’t do it on purpose, dear. Ahem. No, Scarlet, Miriam is not your clone, per se, but has been gifted a tiny fragment of your power in some future way I have not yet been able to fathom. She’s rather secretive about the details, and for good reason… Yes, she loves holding that over my head,” he mumbled at the woman’s side-long smirk.

Scarlet was still trying to process the revelation; apparently, at some point in the future, she’d give this woman—who seemed to be in her late twenties—a tiny bit of her power; it wasn’t much, probably just weak blood control.

Miriam gestured for her to try the blood tea, showing an eager smile to see what she thought, and Scarlet wondered if it really was Germain that came up with this recipe.

Hesitantly, she brought it up to sip; the thick texture, taste, and smell hit her like the best cup of hot chocolate she’d sampled in her life. “It’s… really good. Do we know each other in the future?”

A swift, cheery nod made Scarlet’s stress ease a tad. “Huh. Well, hehe, I hope it’s less confusing in the future then, because I’m kind of lost right now.”

Miriam’s eyes widened, and she got up, holding up a finger that said to wait a minute; she hurried out of the room, leaving Germain and her alone.

“Where’d she go?”

Germain shrugged. “Who can say? Miriam does what she wants, which is in the contract I signed at some point in her employment. Haha. In a way, she’s my boss at times; it certainly spices things up. Anyway, back to business.”

Scarlet’s fears had subsided as the ominous mystery melted away with Miriam’s presence; time travel was weird, and she didn’t want to think about it too much since she’d experience it at some point anyway. Yet, one question popped into her head that made her curious.

“Miriam… didn’t exist before Rachel changed things. Am I right?”

“Indeed, you are,” Germain said, rubbing his chin and looking to the doorway, where the woman had exited. “I was introduced to her, and her quite troublesome twin, not too long ago from my point of view. Hmm. Perhaps this is something I should explain.”

The man crossed his legs and leaned against the side of his chair, staring at the orange flames. “Think of time as an infinitely dense set of unified strings, all vibrating at their own frequency while weaving and twisting around each other in impossibly complex ways.

“It doesn’t matter where they are in the timeline since they are the timeline, so what if you looped back around to tie a knot somewhere earlier in your string’s past? It’s still the same string—nothing new is created—you simply looped back for a moment.

“Why didn’t your past self see this future you, yet you could see your past self? It is because your mental-temporal consciousness blocked you out; I am everywhere around this room, but I cannot perceive it because our Intelligence must make sense of our Existence, and thereby block out things that would compromise our state of function…

“In essence, it is a natural defensive mechanism we automatically employ to live an orderly life. Can it be overcome or suspended? It can. Does it help in navigating the time stream? Not as much as you might think.

“Rachel, though… Hehe. Rachel is one that can navigate those vibrations of time, twisting and turning threads in ways to oscillate in a way that suits her desires, so far as I can interpret. She is a very dangerous creature, and many are awakening to that fact.”

He swapped to the opposite side, a twinkle igniting in his glimmering eyes. “You could say I gained a fascination with Rachel when we first met in the States, and I had to see her again to confirm what I’d found. Her powers aren’t limitless, yet far, far from powerless, and she seems to be growing in its use, which creates blind spots for truly dangerous individuals.”

Pride rose in Scarlet’s chest upon hearing the praise for her big sister, and she grasped this whole time thing a little better with the explanation. “Danger’s nothing new to us. We’ve overcome a lot of bad situations, and Rachel’s always a step ahead.”

An enigmatic shift came to Germain’s lips, drawing Scarlet to his narrowed golden irises. “There’s blood in the water… A lot of unexpected events have happened since you arrived in France. Have they not?”

Scarlet’s hands tightened against her belly; he wasn’t wrong, and the implication was drawing dots across her mind.

The devils drew our attention, but it was handled really fast, due to Yseress. Then there was Anthony’s encounter with someone—probably The Wizard—attempting to use the mirror dimension, and that caused the aliens and Cult of Reason to be exposed, further complicating things…

Wu’s introduction has totally gotten under Rachel’s skin, and Anthony being pulled away just after becoming the co-captain of the Mythic seems weird. We’re keeping France’s authorities’ attention, too…

“Not… everything was a setup, right? It couldn’t be,” Scarlet mumbled aloud, and Germain’s finger drew her eyes, tapping against his cane. “Someone’s been trying to trap Rachel’s misfortune ability?”

Germain chuckled. “It’s not easily overcome, my dear, and it is a strong defense that requires an incredible amount of manipulation and foresight that, frankly, is quite artful. No ordinary person has the capability to attack Rachel on this level, and that is why I was drawn into this web and maneuvered myself in a way to be hired by The Wizard to see what might happen.”

“That’s insane,” Scarlet grunted, scratching her temple. “You wanted to be in the thick of the storm so that you could understand it first hand?”

“One needs more than knowledge to obtain power,” he returned. “One needs understanding, which comes from experience. If one loses something as insignificant as sanity in such an acquisition, who am I to complain?” he whispered, centering on her.

“I’ve learned much in our interactions, and I had to know what it was like on both sides of Rachel’s ability… Fortune through the misfortune of others… It gives me chills. In positioning myself in the light of supporting The Wizard, I discovered my answers.”

Scarlet saw the thirst itching within his face, striving to break free. “So… The Wizard has been trying to fight Rachel’s misfortune sense by putting Rachel closer to what she wants in the long run?”

“Precisely!” Germain chortled, rising to his feet to move to the window to peer out at the grounds, where Miriam’s twin was tending to the hedges. “She can only sense that which brings misfortune to herself, or what she subconsciously perceives as misfortune to her own goals. The Wizard has been testing many avenues through all these events.

“Melissa will find her sister, yet what trouble will be drawn with it in crossing the Cult of Reason and the disenfranchised French political reformers turned terrorists? Anthony may uncover a threat to France and force Mythic into a powerful position in the country, yet at what price in drawing Empress Wu’s notice?

“The powerful Lion King, nearly invulnerable and enamored by the Lunar Hare, becomes restless in a place of peace; he needs danger, so provide a means for him to satisfy that hunger…

“A streaming fairy who has gained an incredible following to distract her can be distracted by manipulating the masses using bot farms that generate trends online or legal battles with her manager to bring to her attention.

“The dangers of a frozen flower that could destroy the planet keeps a unicorn pinned down and wondering if she should go into a place that might trigger the Azure Frost.

“A leviathan’s mother is given the means and free time to spend with her daughter, or the deaths of former co-workers weigh on her mind.

“A magical drug spiked in a mermaid’s drink in a bar might force her to take a break she was in need of, causing tensions where there typically isn’t any.

“The list goes on… and Rachel may gain a great amount of respect and pull from the French officials that could extend to the UK and give you access to the World Tree by closing a powerful Crystal Gate that appeared, which would also empower Yseress …

“Who else could handle something so powerful? It would be a test by the French government to see if the rumors revolving around Mythic are true, as Solomon’s suggestion to Charlemange. Yet, will that distraction pull her from another threat?

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.” Germain turned to give her a sly smile. “No. It was here that The Wizard tripped up in his haste to achieve his goal. He’d planned so many details meticulously, but your appearance in the catacombs was not supposed to happen.”

Scarlet’s thighs tightened against each other with each revelation he made. “How do you know all of that? Wait, you’re from the future… You already know what will happen?”

“I only know what I experienced,” he mumbled, turning back to stare at the twin in the gardens, seemingly oblivious to his observation, and Germain held a hand against his right side. “It can’t be fixed…”

Vision tinting crimson, Scarlet peered into the man’s body. “You’re missing a kidney? You had it when I met you in the catacombs.”

“I did, didn’t I?” he hummed. “Life is interesting…”

A light bulb went off in her head. “Maria could fix it if you help us stop The Wizard.”

“That’s kind of you to offer,” he sighed, not that she was offering it for free. “I think I will keep that scar in time, though; Rachel’s ability certainly is troublesome, and I love it.”

He turned away from the window, a cryptic grin returning. “RIP to the girl you knew. If you allow me the chance to enter the great ocean to offer me the chance to glimpse the sleeping beast to confirm my suspicions, I will promise to free your mother of the charges placed against her and stop The Wizard… at least, for this one night.”

Recalling what Rachel said about them dealing with Revilla’s prison break tomorrow night together, Scarlet’s brow set. If she could free her mother, she’d do it; she didn’t want to regret anything after losing Molly to The Beast and seeing how it affected Rachel. Even if it took time for her mother to accept that her entire life had been a lie.

Scarlet’s fingers tightened into a fist; she’d thought her entire life was a lie when, in truth, her mother had been manipulated and made a scapegoat since she was a teenager by the empowered outerversal Hades Lord.

I’ll save you, Mom. I bet you’ll want to do something to make up for all the hurt you caused people. I won’t abandon you.

“You promise you can get my mom free—how?”

A wry smile moved the man’s mouth. “Everyone loves a good witch hunt, and we have Nazis as bait for the masses. There are bigger fish to fry and put as the face of Cuba’s fall… such as Wolfgang and his associates. Heinrich will take the fall, and Solomon will be a great help to us in that department. We may not always see eye-to-eye, but the wise man knows when to compromise.”

Scarlet could see that working—everyone hated Nazis—and Wolfgang certainly was making waves due to the blonde saint’s influence and hatred of the German. “Okay, but you know—since you’re from the future—I won’t give you anything until you deliver first.”

“Naturally. I keep my word, Scarlet, on my missing kidney. Do we have a deal?”

Getting up, Scarlet scowled at him. “I don’t like that phrasing; I don’t know what that missing kidney means—maybe it happened because you didn’t keep your promise.”

“True! Haha. Very true. Nonetheless, I need something, and you need something. Trust must be given if we are to move forward. I keep chasing the storm, and you’re in the middle of it. Don’t you want to stick it to Twilight?”

“Maybe… I don’t know, Future Germain. You tell me,” she grunted.

“I won’t spoil the secrets!”

“Because it would create an alternate timeline or loop or something?”

“No. Hehe. Like I said before, it doesn’t work like that for us—if I don’t tell you, I never did or would—if I did, I always would and did; all is one eternal round, or so Fate would have you believe. That’s just how it goes. Curious, no?”

“No… If you keep your word, then we do have a deal. What do I need to do?”

Germain moved to the table and used a golden sash to wrap a wicked-looking, black-steel spearhead with a pure white gem on the pummel.

“Ying Yue Jiang has set up a charm to trick the Lion King into the park you’ve already seen or thought you’ve seen; the Chinese assassin, she will kill the Lion King with a treasure of China.”

“How do I stop it—with that?”

“Whoever holds it will not die from any cause, nor will they take damage, but they will be cursed with the worst luck; I wouldn’t allow anyone but you or Rachel to be near him while holding it.”

“Ugh. Cursed items…”

“Give it to Solomon as a gift after you’re done, if you like,” he shrugged. “I’m sure he will have a use for it.”

“And my mom?”

“It will be done,” he assured, handing the wrapped item to her. “Nemesis will be sure to put up a fight, and you’ll be busy rescuing people, I’m sure, but do you see this mark?”

Scarlet frowned upon seeing the weird, multi-question mark symbol. “Uh… I think I saw it a few times in the catacombs, painted around. It’s not complete, though.”

“Hehe. No, and for good reason. If you want to stop the total collapse of the prison pocket dimension holding Revilla and your mother. You’ll need to take this black box I have here and open it up when The Wizard finishes his prayer. It is a replica of Pandora’s Box—nothing like the real thing, but it will seal any evil nearby for a limited time, so you’ll want to throw it into space when you get a chance—as in, within a minute of absorbing the eldritch energy.”

She accepted the tiny ring box with a frown. “Uh-huh… got it. Do we have to keep calling him The Wizard? Heh. It’s so cringe; who calls themselves that? Eh… Well, I guess Twilight calls herself the Reaper of Blood, so… Ugh.”

Germain grimaced. “I doubt it will mean much to you, but I do know his identity… The Myth of Old Whateley. Be careful, Scarlet; he can hurt you.”

“Got it… You’ll get your peek after, but… I’d really advise against it—seriously.”

“As they say, curiosity killed the cat,” he said with a weak chuckle. “I wish you luck. Miriam will see you out.”

“Where did she go… Huh?!”

Turning around, she saw a girl, no older than eight, waving at her with a cute smile. “Miriam?”

She nodded, motioning for her to follow. “It’s this way, Scarlet! A wormhole will open up soon. Are you ready?”

“Woah! You can talk?” Scarlet smiled, taking the items and shooting one last dubious look at the man, offering an enigmatic expression. “Does that mean… you lose it eventually… You’re not a vampire?”

“Hmm? I become a vampire?!” she asked, eyes brimming with curiosity. “Cool! Am I the good kind?” she continued, bouncing down the hall.

“Umm. Yeah, I guess… Have you met me yet?”

“Hehe. I said your name, silly!” she snickered. “You’re so much happier, though; I like to see you smile.”

I hate time travel…

“Yeah. I hope the future me isn’t so sad.”

“Me, too! Oh, and I had this to give you, too.”

Her hand dipped into her maid outfit to produce a bloody letter. “You told me not to open it until after tomorrow night. Promise?!”

Hesitantly taking it, Scarlet swallowed; the handwriting was hers, addressing it to herself. “Yeah… Yeah, I promise.”

This is getting so creepy! My future self is sending me letters? Why can’t I open it? Did I rewrite it after…

“It’s… my blood,” she whispered as it lifted off the pages to enter her skin.

“Your blood powers are so cool,” child Miriam chimed, watching the red on the letter leave. “Oh! There it is—see, I told you I’m getting good at learning how to tell where they are—my sister makes fun of me, though; she says I’ll never get it down, but I totally was right this time!”

“Hehe. You were. Thanks, Miriam… You’re a nice girl.”

“Thanks! I want to be helpful, to be there for others like you guys were there for me… Thank you, Scarlet—a lot,” she sniffed, suddenly overflowing with emotion. “Thanks for saving us from the bad man.”

“Of course!” Scarlet rubbed her head, unable to stop herself from setting the items to the side and hugging her as the colorful lights appeared in front of them. “I look forward to meeting you in my time. I’m sure you’re just as cute.”

“Umm… Umm… Maybe, not so much?” she hesitantly mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. “You saved us from our mom and helped—oh, I’m not supposed to say—I’m so sorry!”

“No! Don’t cry. It’s okay. I’ll see you soon, maybe?”

“Okay… Can you bring a treat for Telissa? She needs sweets to calm down.”

“I sure will.”

“Thanks! Oh, and you didn’t eat all the food future me made… I know I’ll be sad—I saw it in the room.”

“Eh-hehe. I promise I’ll eat what you make next time.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Pinky promise?” she doubled down, holding it up with a determination that made Scarlet giggle.

“Pinky promise.”

“You can’t break those—you told me that!”

“I suppose I will. See you, Miriam.”

“See you!”

Gathering the box and wrapped spearhead, she left the strange, paradoxical space, blinking as she found herself in the middle of the blizzard.

“Great… You couldn’t have dropped me off somewhere else?” she grumbled, irises tinting red; Nemesis was nearing the field and The Wizard was preparing his ritual with the Nazi.

Game on!