Inside of a big mansion in Woodside California, Carol Summers was lying on the floor of the very spacious and luxurious master bedroom with patterns and symbols drawn with blood but not a piece of cloth on her body, inside of a meticulously drawn array with complex patterns inside, and burning blood red candles on the outside, and with a six pieces of blood red crystals hanging from the ceiling tied on thin ropes. Directly under the six red crystals were six bowls made of metal and holding clear but dense liquid, and as Carol Summers silently chanted an arcane spell, the liquid gently vibrated in unison.

A maid stood before the array, holding a crystal ball filled with some kind of bright green energy mist. When the array started lighting up, and condensed streams of liquified iridescent energy flowed from the soles of the six metal bowls along the lines inside of the array and towards the lying Carol Summers, the maid started chanting some kind of spell as well. The crystal ball in her hands started shining, and the light green energy mist seeped through the wall of the crystal ball, and floated towards the array.

The streams of condensed and liquified iridescent energy slowly but steadily reached the position of Carol Summers, then a circle pattern right under her body lit up. The drawings and symbols of blood on her body started bubbling, and her skins began being eroded by the blood, like acid on sheets of metal, or hot metal linings placed on sheets of butter.

Carol Summers moaned in anguish and pain, but as much pain as she was in, she did not move a single muscle as the patterns of blood cut into her skin and flesh. The iridescent energy streams flowed and climbed onto her body like some kind of anti-gravity liquid, and they started filling the gaps left by the blood drawings and symbols.

The streams of energy continued to flow into Carol Summer’s body, and eventually all six metal bowls were emptied, and the streams of energy were absorbed by Caroline Summers. Carol Summers let out a loud cry, and dark red blood infected with some kind of dark and disturbing energy gushed and shot out of her mouth like water from a broken pipe. The six dangling pieces of crystal lit up in bright blue and generated a suction force field in the air, and not even one drop of the dark red blood fell on the ground, instead they were all absorbed and sealed inside each of the six crystals.

The patch of green energy mist reached Carol Summers just in time, and the wounds left by the blood markings started healing, with the iridescent energy still inside of them.

Carol Summers gasped as her healing completed, while the maid just collected the six dangling red crystal pieces and put them inside of the now empty crystal ball. The pieces of crystal inside of the crystal ball started releasing dark red smoke right after the maid let them rest. Then the maid opened up a metal chest by her feet, and locked the crystal ball inside.

“Thank you.” Carol Summers stood up from the array as it gradually faded and disintegrated: “You may be excused.”

“Ms. Winters.” the maid called out to Carol Summers by her real name: “The elixir’s effects are fading faster than before. It won’t be that long before it becomes completely useless.”

“I know, the curse is catching up to me.” Carol Summers said: “But she’s not ready, not yet.”

“Bang bang bang!” the door to the room shook as it was knocked by someone on the outside, seemingly without any consideration for the privacy or well being of the people on the inside. Carol Summers summoned a robe from her closet and put it on her body, then the maid walked over and opened the door. A young woman wearing a suit of black leather armor and a tall man in a black suit were standing outside.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Summers.” the man in a suit apologized to Carol Summers: “I tried to stop her, but...”

“It’s okay. I am just about to call a meeting anyway.” Carol Summers nodded: “Emilia, what brought you here? How’s your first time on a field mission?”

“We called for backup, but they never came.” Emilia Corin huffed and said: “And I have some questions for you.”

The maid became agitated by Emilia Corin’s attitude: “Don’t you dare speak to Ms. Summers that way!”

“It’s fine.” Carol Summers waved her hand and walked out of the bedroom: “Emilia, you said the backup didn’t arrive? Did anyone tell you what happened?”

“No. And it won’t matter anyway.” Emilia Corin wanted to grab Carol Summers by the arm, but something told her not to so she backed off: “They’ve escaped, with the help of a mage who wielded strong lightning magic, and a female fighter, or assassin.”

“Is that so?” Carol Summers walked to a bar just outside of the bedroom and poured herself a glass of drink, then she turned to the man in a black suit : “Did Master Durbin’s team report back and explain?”

“They did.” the man answered: “They informed us of a very powerful individual - he stopped the whole team midway. And he - ”

“He what?” Emilia Corin scoffed and asked: “He talked them out of the pursuit?”

“No.” just this moment, an old man wearing a grey cloak came to the bar with a young, pale and emotionless woman by her side, limping all the way: “That person cost me a mortality scapegoat. And I intend not to let this go. So if I were you, I would watch what I was about to say, unless you want to be my life bag.”

Emilia Corin looked at the old man and the young woman, there was a tube connecting them - on one end it was connected to the back of the young woman’s head, and on the other end it was connected to the old man’s chest. And even with her limited training in magic, she was able to tell that the young woman’s life force was slowly fading away, very likely due to it being drained away through the tube and feeding the old man.

“Who could have done that to you, Master Durbin?” Emilia Corin frowned and asked.

“That’s my question as well, for your teacher here.” Timothy Durbin narrowed his eyes: “What have you gotten us into, Winters?”