Soleia clutched the hood she had, tilting it over her head even further to make sure her face was completely hidden. She retraced her steps, her boots treading through the snow as she weaved in and out of the crowd and headed for the familiar dark alleyway she had just been an hour prior.
The pouch of coins she had jingled under her coat, and perhaps it was because of her anxiety, she swore she could hear the sound of them knocking against one another much louder than usual, drawing the attention of some of the villagers who frequented this haunted area of town.
Dark stares were thrown her way, some curious and others a little more menacing. Soleia gritted her teeth and trudged forward, keeping a tighter hold on her coins. She didn't want to be robbed― especially since she would have no way of explaining her presence in this part of town to the guards.
Thankfully, the crystal store was open for business. The bell above the door jingled when she entered.
Much like the first time she was here, there was a wave of energy that crashed against her the moment the door shut behind her. Soleia pursed her lips― the feeling was much stronger this time compared to before.
Her eyes scanned the shelves, admiring the glittering stones that lined the display cabinets. Some were larger than she had ever seen before, bright enough for the reflection of the store's lighting to hurt her eyes― but not as much as the number that was shown on the price tag.
Soleia randomly picked a shelf and made a beeline towards it. There were many things she needed. A garnet to fix the one that was shattered in the earlier altercation with Orion and Elowyn, an amethyst for research, and―
"Can I be of assistance, dearie?" a voice croaked from behind her, and Soleia stiffened.
She rigidly turned around on the spot, careful to keep her face hidden from view. Though, she wasn't sure how useful her hood was, considering how the old lady was much shorter than her and could easily look up from underneath.
Soleia cleared her throat to lower her voice before she said, "Just browsing."
The old woman nodded understandingly. Soleia breathed out, relieved when the woman didn't attempt to pry and peek at her face. It didn't seem like she recognized her from her previous visit.
"Alright then, dearie," the old woman said. "If you need any help, I will be behind the counter."
She was about to turn to leave when Soleia abruptly called out for her.
"Actually," Soleia said, and the old woman halted in her footsteps. "There is something."
The old woman raised an eyebrow, her eyes glittering with interest.
"Let's hear it, dearie," she said, scuttling back. "What is it that burdens your mind?"
"Is there a stone that could dispel magic, no matter how powerful?"
The old woman laughed. "Is this a test, dearie? Anyone who knows the basic properties of gems would know that a bit of selenite could do the trick." She gestured to Soleia. "You're even wearing a lovely pair of selenite earrings. But I must say, they look awfully expensive."
Soleia's eyes widened as she reached up to touch her earrings. Then, she hastily tugged the hood down further.
"I know that," Soleia said with furrowed eyebrows, adjusting the way her face was covered. She didn't think even her ears could be spotted so effortlessly. "But those are for one-time use. What about stronger uses of magic? Maybe by other practitioners or…" she paused, "people affected by frequent dosage?"
This made the old lady frown. She was silent for an extended period of time, and the more quiet she was, the more Soleia felt her palms turn sweaty with worry.
"Is there…" Soleia said with a bit of hesitance. "Is there no way?"
"Not that I know of, I'm afraid," the old woman admitted with a sigh. She glanced back and forth before she gestured to the door tucked away behind the cashier at the back of the shop. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere else?"
Soleia chanced a glance at the back of the store. The door was hidden behind a set of curtains, barely visible had the old woman not pointed it out.
She turned to the lady and nodded once. Immediately, the two women headed for the door. The old woman nodded at the other clerk who was working in the crystal store before they slipped past the door.
Inside was a dark room, but it was by no means dingy. If anything, the wave of energy that hit Soleia instantly was the opposite of what she felt when she entered the front door of the store. She instantly felt as though she was plunged into ice water― but it wasn't the chilling, bone-shattering shiver that one might normally feel.
Rather, she felt invigorated.
Soleia breathed in deeply, exhaling through her mouth as she glanced around the store. Through the stained glass lamps that were scattered around the room, she could faintly see that shelves lined this room as well. But unlike the main store outside, there was only one sort of crystal in here.
Selenite.
"You seem a little unwell. Have a seat, my dear," the old lady said, gesturing to the plush velvet armchair in front of a small round table. "Help yourself to some tea."
Soleia's eyes fell to the teapot set on the table, frowning. As if the old woman could see her reaction even in the dark, she laughed.
"It's fine if you don't," she said. "I just thought you needed something to drink. You seemed unwell out there in the store. It's just some lavender tea. Good for the nerves."
Soleia did as told, adjusting her skirt as she sat down. After a moment's worth of silent debate with herself, she reached for the teapot and poured herself a small cup.
She sipped carefully. It was a warm cup of tea, not hot by any means, but the fragrance of the lavender flowers still wafted through her nostrils when she brought the cup close to her face.
As she drank, Soleia watched the old lady reach for a pair of gloves that were set next to the shelves. After wearing it, the woman reached for one of the selenite towers, carefully bringing it to the table.
Energy buzzed within Soleia as she twisted back and forth in her seat, eyeing the structure carefully. Her heart felt close to exploding from her chest the closer the woman got. When she finally set the tower of stone in front of her, Soleia felt her entire body relax.
"There have been rumors," the old woman said. "That there are people who have been cursed, rather than blessed by King Rowan Verimandi's gift to the world."
She pointed to the selenite block.
"Instead of harnessing the power of crystals and using them for magic, these people can use selenite to dispel magic― even stronger forms from magic practitioners, not just one-time uses. But these people are either dead or in hiding. Ever since magic has been made available to the noble circles, these nullifiers have been swiftly hunted down and eradicated."
Soleia's eyes shifted to meet the old woman's gaze.
"Why are you telling me this?" Soleia cautiously asked. This didn't seem like information that could be said in public― otherwise, they wouldn't be here in the backroom.
"Because," the old woman said, "I might be wrong, but aren't you one of these people yourself, Princess?"