As Roseiral left the Eel Fishing Shop, dusk had already settled over the city. She walked home, every sense on high alert, half-expecting someone to jump out from the shadows. The streets around her felt different now—she knew that danger lingered everywhere, yet nothing seemed to stir. She made it home without incident, which left her with a quiet, unsettled feeling. This part of town was notorious for its perils, yet tonight, the silence was almost too complete.
In the morning, she left Godless with a maid she'd reluctantly hired with what little money she had. She hadn't asked many questions about the maid's experience or credentials, but she hoped the woman was compensated fairly for watching over her only companion.
As she made her way back to the shop, Roseiral found herself glancing around, wondering if she'd see the boy from before—the one who looked near death's door. He was nowhere to be found, though, and Roseiral felt an odd relief as she moved on, deciding not to venture too far from her path. As the Eel Fishing Shop came into view, doubts began to swirl in her mind. She wasn't sure she was ready for this world of Fragmenters, especially when she didn't even know the face of her true enemy. The thought of getting her memories erased had been enough motivation to stay, but the idea of fighting an unknown force felt overwhelming.
When she finally arrived, she noticed a figure waving to her from the entrance. It was Vero, his wide grin and frantic wave practically radiating energy.
"Rosie!" he called, already moving toward her with an eagerness that surprised her.
"Hey, Vero," she said, smiling back cautiously.
"Ready for an adventure? Today, we're off to my lab!" he announced, gesturing dramatically toward a side street.
"Your lab?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes! I'm a chemist, scientist, apothecarist, alchemist—or whatever the fuck title you'd like to give me!" he declared with a flourish. "Mainly, I work with all the weird and wonderful things you can't find anywhere else."
Roseiral found herself smiling at his enthusiasm, feeling a little more at ease. "You've got a lot of titles, don't you?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
Vero winked. "It's because I'm multi-talented. But you'll see soon enough. Today's going to be fun!"
As they walked, Roseiral noted Vero's quirky nature. He seemed a bit odd, but there was something warm and almost comforting in his unrestrained energy. Though her unease hadn't entirely faded, she found herself feeling a bit more ready to see what this next step had in store.
Roseiral followed Vero through the narrow streets, her footsteps echoing against the walls of the buildings that seemed to lean in close, as though whispering secrets to each other. She glanced at him as he skipped ahead, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. He had a certain wildness about him, like a storm contained within a bottle, ready to spill over at any moment. There was an infectious energy in the way he moved, and for a moment, Roseiral felt herself caught in the current of his enthusiasm.
They turned into a darker alley, the air thick with the scent of metal and chemicals. The walls here were covered in strange, half-erased symbols, and the ground was littered with discarded containers of odd shapes and sizes. Roseiral tried not to step on anything too suspicious, her mind already jumping to the most dangerous possibilities. It was a far cry from the clean, quiet shop she'd come to know.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Vero said grandly as he swung open a creaky wooden door. Inside, the space was dimly lit, filled with shelves upon shelves of bottles, vials, and various arcane-looking apparatuses. A heavy scent of incense mixed with the sharpness of chemicals, and the room hummed with an eerie energy that made the hairs on the back of Roseiral's neck stand up.
Vero seemed to be in his element here, rushing to and fro, pulling things off shelves, and babbling about each item like a child presenting their favorite toy. "This is where all the magic happens, Rosie," he said, gesturing widely. "I mix potions, extract essences, and generally make a mess of things until something useful comes out of it. I know, it sounds a bit chaotic, but hey, that's science!" He gave her a conspiratorial wink.
Roseiral took it all in, her eyes scanning the room. She noticed several large cages in the corner, their contents obscured by layers of cloth. The faint sound of something skittering inside sent a chill down her spine. It was clear that Vero's world was full of things she didn't understand, things that probably weren't safe. But he seemed harmless enough, at least on the surface.
"So, what are we doing here?" Roseiral asked, her curiosity now fully piqued.
Vero looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We're testing something. I need your help to see how certain compounds interact with... well, with you, actually." His smile was wide and unapologetic.
Roseiral's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, 'with me'?" she asked warily, taking a cautious step back.
Vero waved it off. "Oh, don't worry. It's all perfectly safe. It's just that... let's say I need to understand how certain things affect the human body when there's a little extra power involved. You know, like, when you have this," he said, pointing to her with an exaggerated flourish. "A Fragmenter's body."
Her stomach tightened, a mixture of fear and curiosity coiling within her. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Nothing bad!" Vero assured her, his voice almost too cheery. "I'll just have you drink something, and then we'll see how it affects your... energy levels. Maybe I'll mix a little of this in," he said, gesturing to a vial of shimmering liquid that looked suspiciously like it could eat through the very glass it was contained in. "But no promises, of course."
Roseiral bit her lip, her mind racing. Part of her wanted to back out right then and there. She had no idea what she was getting into, and the idea of mixing unknown substances with the power of a Magnus Fragment wasn't something she felt particularly comfortable with. But she reminded herself—this was part of the process. She had to do this if she wanted to move forward.
"Fine," she said, though her voice wavered slightly. "But if I die from this, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life."
Vero laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that filled the room. "Deal! But I'm pretty sure you'll survive. You Fragmenters are tough."
With that, he hurried over to one of his workstations and began assembling a mixture of ingredients, the air thick with the acrid tang of chemicals. Roseiral watched cautiously, wondering just how far she was willing to trust him. A small part of her felt like she was standing at the edge of something she couldn't see yet—something much bigger than she could imagine.
"Okay, this should be ready in a minute," Vero said as he poured the contents of a small vial into a large, bubbling beaker. "This should make the process easier for you."
"What's in it?" Roseiral asked, a nervous edge to her voice.
"Nothing too crazy," Vero said with a grin, but the glint in his eyes made it clear he was only half-joking. "It's a mix of essences, herbs, and a little bit of... well, let's call it 'alchemical innovation.'"
As the beaker fizzed and popped, Roseiral felt a chill run down her spine. There was something unsettling about the way Vero was acting, almost too confident, too carefree in his approach. But she had already come this far.
"I guess this is how things are going to work from now on," Roseiral muttered to herself, her gaze lingering on the bubbling concoction in front of her.
"Here we go," Vero said, his voice suddenly serious as he handed her a glass. "Drink up. Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."
Roseiral hesitated for a moment, then took the glass from his outstretched hand. The liquid inside shimmered with a faint, iridescent glow, and despite her reservations, she brought it to her lips.
As she swallowed the strange potion, she felt a surge of warmth spread through her body, an odd energy that seemed to pulse beneath her skin. For a brief moment, she thought she might pass out, but then the feeling shifted, becoming more focused, more alive. Her senses sharpened, her muscles tingled, and for the first time since she'd come to this world, she felt a rush of power.
"How do you feel?" Vero asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Roseiral took a deep breath, her head spinning for a moment as the potion began to settle in. She wasn't sure what to expect, but the sensation was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was as though she could sense the faintest movements of air around her, the minute fluctuations in the world that others couldn't perceive.
"I feel... different," she said slowly, eyes widening. "I can... feel everything. It's overwhelming."
Vero nodded, his face full of approval. "Perfect. That's exactly what I was hoping for. The power's starting to awaken."
Roseiral wasn't sure what she'd just unleashed inside her, but one thing was clear—there was no going back now.
Roseiral stood there, still trying to process the strange effects of the potion she had just consumed. Her head was still buzzing with energy, her senses heightened in ways that felt both exhilarating and overwhelming. But nothing seemed to happen at first. She waited for a sign, a reaction, something that would let her know what this strange concoction had done to her.
And then, without warning—burp—a small, unexpected sound escaped her lips.
Vero froze for a moment, looking at her with wide eyes, before his face split into a grin that could only be described as utterly triumphant.
"Ha! I knew it!" he burst out laughing, his entire body shaking with mirth. "You are so funny, Roseiral! Handsome, smart, athletic—what else can I say? The best test subject I've ever had!"
Roseiral blinked, completely thrown off. "Wait, what?" she stammered, looking at him with confusion. "So, nothing happened? I just burped?"
Vero slapped his knee, almost in tears from laughing. "Dummy! That's just the side effect! The burp is your body adjusting, don't you get it?" He wiped a tear from his eye and gave her an exaggerated wink. "You really thought I was serious, huh?"
Roseiral stood there, dumbfounded. "So you were just playing a prank on me?"
"Yep," Vero said with a wide, mischievous grin. He leaned in close, lowering his voice conspiratorially, and then added, "But remember what I said? If there's a side effect, then there's something happening. There's always more than meets the eye."
Roseiral stared at him, unsure whether to be irritated or amused. "So, what's really going on then?"
Vero beamed, his grin widening even further. "Your mind and body are now protected from mental attacks. The potion I gave you wasn't just for fun—it's a defense mechanism. You're shielded from things that could mess with your head, or even hurt your body, up to the 3rd stage of power. You'll feel it, trust me."
Roseiral blinked, processing the information. "Wait, so if someone with the 4th stage or higher attacks me, this won't work?"
Vero shook his head slowly. "Nope. Anything above the 4th stage, and you're dealing with a powerhouse that can't be deflected with mere potions. At that level, you might need something like a mind-resisting PCC item." He chuckled darkly. "But that's a problem for much later, eh?"
Roseiral stood there, a bit stunned at the weight of his words. The idea that her body was now immune to certain mental attacks gave her a strange sense of security. But the idea of facing someone with power beyond the 3rd stage? That was something she didn't even want to think about.
As if reading her mind, Vero's expression suddenly shifted. "But that's not all." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange item—something that resembled a blunt, wrapped in what looked like dried leaves. Roseiral's eyes narrowed.
"Wait, what is that?" she asked, wariness creeping into her voice.
"Ahh, this?" Vero said, holding it up like it was some prized artifact. "This, my friend, is a little something I've been working on for personal use. But, uh, we can save that for another time." He grinned at her, looking mischievous as ever.
Roseiral gave him a flat stare. "I'm not really in the mood for whatever you're about to do."
Vero laughed and quickly put the item back in his pocket. "Alright, alright, don't get all uptight on me. What I actually want you to do is think back to our first meeting. You remember?"
Roseiral frowned, confused. "What do you mean? We just met outside the Eel Fishing Shop…"
Vero's grin dropped, and his tone became unnervingly serious. "Exactly. That's when I manipulated your thoughts. I made you believe you were a Fragmenter. You thought that was the truth, didn't you?"
Roseiral's blood ran cold as she realized the implications of his words. "You… manipulated my thoughts?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
Vero nodded as he grabbed the item again and started smoking it, his face now expressionless. "You'd be surprised at how many people can manipulate you without you even knowing it. You might think you're in control, but there's always someone with the right tools to bend your mind to their will. That's why I was tasked with giving you a protective barrier—so you wouldn't get caught off guard by someone trying to control you." He looked at her with an almost fond expression, as though he were proud of his work. "I strengthened your senses, your mind, and your body to the point where even the number one fighter in the world couldn't take you on in combat."
Roseiral, a bit shocked that Vero easily switched expressions, shook her head, trying to make sense of everything he had just said. "So… I'm not really a Fragmenter?"
Vero raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin on his face. "Rosie, Rosie, didn't you listen to that old man? Becoming a Fragmenter isn't so easy. If you had tried to become one right now, you'd die. Die." He let out a small laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "But the barrier I put on you will help with that. When the time comes, you'll know how to fight. Your body will just know. You'll react instinctively. Just let it flow," he said, pointing to his head, doing a silly little expression, as if to emphasize the absurdity of it all.
Roseiral couldn't help but feel a little light-headed. "I don't know if I should be relieved or freaked out right now."
Vero let out a dramatic sigh, his playful expression returning. "Why not both? It's only the start of your journey, Rosie. And I've got your back, alright?" He leaned back, crossing his arms in satisfaction. "But trust me, you're going to be great. This world won't know what hit it."
Roseiral gave him a nervous smile. "I hope you're right."
Vero laughed again, his voice full of energy. "Oh, I know I'm right. But for now, let's get back to work, yeah? We've got more to do!"