It hurts, she admitted, squeezing what remained of her sacrifice. Blood slipped between fingers. Her remaining hand grasped harder, pressure dulling the boiling, and she stumbled forward into the hallway. Exchanging flesh and blood worked. Green flames burnt behind her, spreading from the smoldering hole outward, and gorged themselves on stockpiled spirit. The Mystery Babylon proved tantalizing, and her flames should soon erupt throughout the building. The resulting panic would provide further cover. Good. She released her stump, winced, then reached out with her right hand, determined to launch another curse.

Heat welled within her palm. Vision blurring, she whimpered, familiar bubbling beginning near her stump. Humming began. Faster, she reminded herself. Time favored her tonight but remained a limited resource. Faster! Closing both eyes, body tense, she completed the trade. Nothing happened.

Slowly, she opened her left eye, flinching once before opening the other. The hallway was gone. Standing there, surrounded by darkness, she noticed mist swirl with intention. Shapes formed. Blood pumped, her heart racing until she was struck with recognition. A restart? What happened? Moments later, night returned.

Wind breezed through the area, rustling leaves and petals. Perspiration lined her forehead. Inhaling once, she held her breath, savoring the aroma wafting through the garden. Green lights shone from within the pots, casting shadows. They glimmered against the water that streamed from the fountain. Nearby, Vell City hummed. Perched there, on the roof of an apartment complex, she was allowed an overlooking view of her city. She looked. Finally, she breathed out.

Left hand placed against her hip, she frowned and raised her right, acknowledging the Relic within her grasp. Her failsafe worked. Her failsafe also, apparently, operated on uncertain terms, rewinding itself without her input. Flicking her wrist, she popped open the Relic’s cover and peered inside. Its…still active? I still have a chance tonight? Head tilted, she huffed.

Her heirloom proved she deserved his favor. Her summons, however, went unanswered.

Relics held power. Names held power. Speak of the devil and he shall appear; Mages, in inverting that warning, transformed it, perceiving a hidden truth. Invoking names could invoke spirits. She knew his name, knew her heirloom stemmed from his power. Neither coaxed him forward. Her family remained abandoned, past contracts nullified, and were lowered, forced to compete for his favor. Other Mages did likewise, blindsided by his sudden appearance. Vell City hummed with power.

Plucking a nearby petal, she rubbed it against her palm before squeezing her hand, then tossed the clump into the fountain. Residue clung onto her skin. Turning, she strode towards the door.

Few hours remained within the current session. Even if inconsistent, her Relic provided an advantage others couldn’t replicate. Its utility for gathering information also went unmatched. Plus, it had allowed her to trash Julius’s main workshop. She could even try trashing Julius, should the opportunity present itself. Goals for later.

Inside the building, she hummed while gently rubbing her left eye. My Relic’s activation…clearly, something triggered an early restart…my eyes were closed, could someone have attacked me? Unlikely, but not impossible. Another, more worrying explanation existed: someone—or something—had hijacked her Relic’s power, forcing a restart and terminating her attempted raid. Another Mage, perhaps? Julius was the obvious answer—well, that would be easy to check, considering she still planned on trashing his workshop tonight.

Crossing her arms, she continued humming. Stressing out wouldn’t help her. Blunders here, within resets, would remain permanent secrets. That was another advantage her Relic offered. For other people, Mages and non-Mages alike, her scheming would remain hidden.

Right. No one else will ever know.