Chapter 56
Chapter 56: Blood-Colored Chamber
Everything visible was uniformly tinted with a thick layer of blood red.
An independent alternate space.
Isolated from the outside world, Funis witnessed the entire car accident. The crowd passed by or directly through her, like watching a film unrelated to her.
Private police companies employed by factory owners and Temperance Court enforcers patrolling the streets both rushed to the scene against the crowd flow. The two groups with overlapping responsibilities argued with each other while cooperating to disperse the chaotic crowd. They brought simple stretchers to carry the seriously injured from the streets, then cordoned off the area around the crime scene.
Charlotte discussed the incident’s circumstances with colleagues from the branch who had arrived, but she was obviously distracted.
Because Funis had disappeared.
She couldn’t find Funis, who was in another space, but Funis could see the girl’s anxious state from here.
“The supernatural characteristics of Envy Path Fifth Sequence ‘Hanged Man’ combined with Pride Path Third Sequence ‘Blood Monarch’—the power to distort manifestations is further amplified, even affecting space.”
Funis wasn’t panicked. She elegantly lifted her heavy skirt and walked lightly through the crowd and barriers into the fashion store with its glass windows smashed by the carriage.
Remarkable composure, plus extensive knowledge of various paths and sequence supernatural characteristics.
Part of Sera Fred’s soul still hadn’t been completely washed away. Funis had inherited these traits—they were the decisive weapon allowing her to skillfully analyze advantages and disadvantages in battles between supernaturals.
“Truly learned, Enforcer Miss. When we return to the Golden Rose, I’ll have to arrange a permanent position for you. The sisters might need your talents.”
Each witch in the Society had her own permanent position, responsible for some work the Society’s leader considered important. Funis had been absent for a year, and until now had no permanent position of her own.
That graceful, proud figure gradually took shape from flowing blood, appearing beside the girl.
Wine-red eyes with flowing luster, ink-black hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall.
As if attending someone’s funeral, her horns were covered by a ribbon tied like a bouquet. Her black gothic dress was solemn and cold, thick-soled Mary Jane heels clicked on the blood-red floor tiles, creating shallow ripples.
Clearly, the person who created this space was the Blood Witch.
When she advanced from sixth to fifth sequence in the past, she was transferred to the Envy Path by the unpredictable wheel of fate, thus gaining all the supernatural characteristics of the “Hanged Man” class.
The great demon Leviathan symbolized the ocean’s whirlpools and distortions—this was the most well-known among His many authorities.
“So, my little cake, can you reach a conclusion now?” Cessia took the girl’s small hand beside her, her tone gentle and doting. “About this supernatural murder in broad daylight.”
To meet again in such a way—Funis didn’t know whether to feel fortunate or embarrassed.
Fortunately, Cessia’s intervention was very timely. One step later and Funis would have had to expose her skills and strength in front of Charlotte.
And the tragic car accident also temporarily diverted Cessia’s attention from Charlotte, with the conversation’s focus not yet shifting to “Funis and Charlotte shopping together.”
Embarrassingly, such timely intervention was no coincidence. The gaze Funis had sensed earlier wasn’t her imagination—this old woman had definitely been hiding somewhere observing for a long time.
This wasn’t surprising.
But the question was when it started. She hadn’t heard all those unfair accusations and private complaints, had she?
Funis looked up slightly at Cessia. The ink-haired girl’s cold, noble features were now gentle and sweet, like an elegant static portrait showing all the beauty of young womanhood. It was impossible to imagine her age had actually far exceeded five hundred years.
But the sweeter this old woman smiled, the more panicked Funis felt.
Like the calm before a storm.
She was breaking out in cold sweat.
“Good day, Miss Witch.” The other small, pink hand lifted her skirt as Funis turned and curtsied to Cessia.
Returning to standing position, she bowed her head and said softly, “Just rough speculation—I think I need to observe the scene more carefully.”
Cessia’s smile carried a hint of satisfaction. She gently squeezed and reluctantly released Funis’s hand. “Too bad Graycliff Fortress’s sky can’t see the sun. Today’s weather is actually quite nice—sunny and warm on the skin.” She seemed to regret that the pleasant morning greeting was disturbed by the overcast clouds. “Go look then, but don’t keep me waiting too long, and don’t keep that girl waiting too long either.”
The moment she let go, Funis shuddered all over.
Cessia was undoubtedly referring to Charlotte. Time flowed in this alternate space just as it did in the outside space. Charlotte was now frantic with worry, running around trying to find the suddenly vanished Funis in the crowd.
“Miss Charlotte, why don’t we help you look for that girl?” Two inexperienced young enforcers seemed to still be trainees. Encountering this situation for the first time, they appeared very flustered. “We can’t help much anyway… and Mr. Arnold went back to find Branch Director Michelle…”
Funis hadn’t heard the name Arnold before. Perhaps he was from the same batch of newcomers as Charlotte—she rarely paid attention to other people’s children.
“No problem. You two standing here would just cause trouble.” A somewhat familiar tall figure pushed the two newcomers aside, and a big man smoking a cigar walked out from between them. “Little Charlotte, you have experience. We’ll handle securing the scene—let them do the search.”
Funis was somewhat surprised, because she knew this man.
Roy Norris.
Funis remembered this kid hadn’t been so burly before—he was thin and weak, looking like he’d fall over in a strong wind, and stuttered when talking to people.
Due to some incident, this guy who was technically her junior had suddenly started madly worshipping her when she was still Sera, willingly becoming her little brother and calling her boss, fawning and showing loyalty. But later, due to personnel changes, Roy was transferred away from Vatica, and they’d had no contact since.
She hadn’t expected that after not seeing him for years, Roy had built up a muscular physique and gained confidence in his speech, clearly projecting a tough guy image.
Except the “Sera flavor” was a bit too strong—it was hard not to suspect deliberate imitation.
“But…” Charlotte clenched her fists tightly, looking very conflicted.
“Celie” getting lost in the chaos was entirely her fault. Charlotte was quite worried, but the case was right in front of them. The newcomers lacked ability and couldn’t handle it. As an enforcer and senior, she shouldn’t shirk responsibility.
What would Sera do? What would father do in this situation?
“I understand. Roy and I will stay.” Charlotte finally made up her mind. She turned toward the two trainee enforcers. “But you two must understand—she’s a witness Branch Director Michelle specifically requested to see. Your task might be even more important than the case before us. No negligence allowed! Understood?”
Decisive and authoritative, even carrying a trace of commanding presence.
But Funis still felt dissatisfied.
In her view, this was something that required no thought—the right people doing the right jobs. If facing high-risk supernatural criminals, rapidly changing battle situations wouldn’t allow even such brief hesitation—lives would be at stake.
Her earlobe was suddenly blown on gently from behind.
The stimulation instantly shot through her entire body like electricity. Funis nearly went weak in the knees and collapsed.
A pair of slender arms quietly extended from behind, brushing aside Funis’s delicate pale pink hair and caressing her fragile, sensitive earlobe. Breath carrying rose fragrance spread warmly around her white swan neck and shoulders.
Taking advantage of the girl’s unsteady footing and swaying, the young woman drew close and pulled her into her embrace, then mischievously leaned close to her ear.
Then, in a soft whisper:
“Didn’t you say you wanted to observe the scene carefully? That doesn’t seem to be the direction of the crime scene.”