Chương 307: Chapter 303 - Anomaly

The other Scarlett's eyes lingered on Scarlett, her expression unreadable as she slowly rose from her seat. Around them, the scene of the office began to dissolve, its edges fading into a dim expanse of dusky, twilit sky, shrouded in heavy grey mist creeping from the horizon. Endless rifts of white void spread through the space, leaving Scarlett standing on a raised platform. She glanced around, taking in the abrupt shift in her surroundings.

This was, she was fairly certain, where she had encountered Thainnith's fragment — the space that had been invaded by a foreign force just before Scarlett was given the man's legacy.

"A proper introduction, you say?" came the low voice behind her. Scarlett turned to find the other version of herself standing there, now identical to her in every detail, down to the minutiae of expression and that same quiet, penetrating gaze. Scarlett studied her counterpart for a moment before motioning to the surrounding scene.

"It appears you have made yourself quite at home."

"Not in the least," the other Scarlett replied. She regarded her with a long, deliberate look.

"…You seem confident that I am the Anomalous One."

"Am I mistaken?" Scarlett asked. From the beginning, this other version of herself had been unlike the other constructs in the Memories. Though the 'younger' Scarlett feigned ignorance, Scarlett herself had been convinced she understood far more than she let on. Smaller indicators had hinted at it, but her abrupt disappearance in Freymeadow—just before Vail's arrival—couldn't have been a coincidence. If Scarlett had to guess, it had been an attempt to contain Vail.

Even Vail's initial remarks upon seeing her supported that conclusion. The woman continued to study her, then took a step closer. Scarlett instinctively drew back — a reaction that seemed to mildly amuse the other.

"Should I take offense?" the other Scarlett asked, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"You, Amy, are far more dangerous than I. If there is any reason for concern here, it ought to be mine." Scarlett's expression remained openly skeptical.

"Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe."

"I would prefer not to, if I am truthful, but I know you well enough to see it would be in vain." A brief, tense silence fell between them. Scarlett examined the woman, wrestling with the strangeness of the situation. She had heard so much about the Anomalous One—this being of supposedly unimaginable and terrifying power—but there was much she had yet to understand about it. To finally meet it like this, mirrored in herself, was… Well, she still wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She schooled her expression.

"What was your intention in deceiving me all this time?"

"Deceive you? I never particularly sought to do that."

"Presenting yourself to me—posing as the original Scarlett—is not deception?"

"I have never claimed to be anything other than what I am: Scarlett Hartford," the woman replied evenly.

"At most, I may have allowed you to believe I was wholly unfamiliar with the rifts, though that is not, strictly speaking, false."

"You are not Scarlett Hartford," Scarlett said flatly.

"You are the Anomalous One." The other Scarlett was unfazed.

"And why should I not be both?"

"Surely you are not suggesting that the Anomalous One and the original Scarlett are one and the same?"

"No, they share no connection whatsoever, but that is of little consequence. You are both 'Scarlett Hartford' and 'Amy Bernal', so is there a reason I cannot claim the same?" The woman leaned forward, her voice sharpening slightly.

"If anything, I embody Scarlett Hartford more completely than you do. I carry her history and her experiences unbroken. I adhere to her values and beliefs—flawed though they may be—without hesitation or shame.

'Amy', by contrast, is at most an imperfect echo. An…"

"…'Apostate'," Scarlett finished.

"Precisely," the other Scarlett said.

"I would never have condoned half the choices you have made under that name. The notion that you somehow hold greater claim to it than I is…distasteful." Scarlett frowned.

"I did not take this path to honour the original Scarlett. As you yourself observed, she was little more than a third-rate villainess, with a disposition that has brought me nothing but hardship."

"And yet, that very disposition has served you well, has it not? My ruthlessness, my indifference to sentiment — they have shielded you in moments of greatest need, when you found yourself adrift in unfamiliar surroundings and circumstances. They allowed you to act decisively, unburdened by the constraints of a morality you never fully cultivated in your former life." The other Scarlett held her gaze unwaveringly.

"Did you not abandon the impressionable ideal of striving to be merely 'good' in favour of living for yourself, pursuing what you deemed right, precisely because of that disposition? Would you not agree that such a mindset has proven invaluable to you in this world?" Scarlett met her eyes, searching the calm patience there. The woman seemed neither boastful nor judgemental. It was as though she was simply asking. Perhaps even genuinely. But Scarlett saw no point in entertaining the question.

She was not here to argue her morality with this entity. Instead, this was probably the best opportunity she had ever gotten to get some answers to questions of her own.

"Tell me," she said, keeping her tone measured.

"Why have you assumed this form?" A slight smirk touched the other Scarlett's lips.

"Avoiding the question, then?" She watched her for a moment, then gave a light shrug.

"Very well. I shall humour you. Contrary to what you may think, I am not your adversary here. My 'form', as you call it, is merely the result of circumstance — and your actions."

"Mine?" The woman nodded.

"I certainly would not have chosen this shape. Thainnith and his legacy simply proved to be more cunning than I suspect even he intended. Devious, even." Scarlett's brow furrowed.

"His legacy?" How, exactly, did that tie into this? Her eyes slowly widened as a possibility occurred to her. She had thought the legacy to be a mere repository of knowledge, but what if that wasn't what it was? Once more, she looked around, observing the space where the Anomalous One's influence had fractured and permeated the very fabric of its reality.

She hadn't drawn the connection at first, but now she realised that this place was likely akin to the Memories she'd just been in, with Thainnith's fragment a construct within it. That might be why the Anomalous One could access both it and the Memories, despite being sealed. Both were outside of the realms. But also, this meant that this space itself was a sort of repository — of knowledge and past events. And what if the legacy Thainnith had left her was merely the conduit to access that repository?

It could explain why Scarlett hadn't experienced the severe side-effects Mistress had hinted would come from possessing such vast knowledge. Effects that normally would overwhelm any ordinary mortal… The other Scarlett watched her closely.

"I admit, I have often found myself surprised at how perceptive you can be at times," she said, a subtle note of approval lacing her words.

"Indeed, when the 'Anomalous One' subsumed this space, it forged a direct connection tethered solely to you — a one-directional bond, unbreakable and irreversible." Scarlett nodded slowly. Essentially, through the legacy, she had a channel that now tapped directly into the fragment of the Anomalous One's power that had invaded Thainnith's Memory. Was that, then, what allowed her to interfere with its rifts in the Freymeadow Memory?

"However," the woman continued, "while that may have served as the catalyst, it was not the cause for me to appear as I do now. For you are not Scarlett Hartford. That connection lies elsewhere."

"…It lies within the system," Scarlett said. The woman showed a knowing smile.

"That it does."

"What precisely are you trying to say?"

"You already have some notion, no?"

"You are suggesting I somehow wielded the legacy's power—the Anomalous One's power —and its connection to the system to compel you into this shape. And, presumably, that I am solely responsible for creating the Memories in which you, Arlene, and the others appeared." The other Scarlett briefly tilted her head slightly.

"Not quite, but close. Rather, the system was merely the sole medium through which I could interact, given the circumstances. Nevertheless, you are, indeed, accountable for the creation of those Memories yourself."

"Even with borrowed power, I find it difficult to believe I would have caused that."

"Rarely do things function as we expect. If you prefer, you may consider it a fortunate—or unfortunate—happenstance stemming from your interaction with the pre-existing arrays inside the Hall of Echoes."

"It seems far more likely to me that you were responsible," Scarlett said.

"The Hall was already corrupted by your influence when I arrived there." The other Scarlett regarded her for a beat.

"Do you believe the Anomalous One would choose to create those Memories for you?"

"Yes," Scarlett replied.

"It had no reason to."

"Then what was your purpose in the Hall of Echoes?" The woman paused.

"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that." Scarlett's eyes narrowed.

"You cannot, or you will not?"

"I cannot," the woman said.

"In your terms, I may be the 'Anomalous One', but I am not its entirety. The entity you refer to by that name does not abide by the rules that bind beings like yourself — or me. I am as much Scarlett Hartford as I am the Anomalous One. If it is of help to you, think of me as a fragment, akin to Thainnith's, though our existences are not truly comparable." She went silent, her expression growing harder to read.

"I will say, I have never assumed a form in this manner before. It is a…unique experience, knowing a life that has been lived as wholly human. I find it both liberating and…confining." Scarlett studied her closely. Then should she consider this woman as the Anomalous One or not?

"…What distinguished you from the Anomalous One within the Hall of Echoes?" she asked.

"One might say it is another aspect of it," the woman replied, "a part that avoided being fully restricted to this space." She gestured around them, where the rifts subtly shifted and flowed through the air. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Scarlett's attention moved across the space, her eyes following the faint, restless movements. Though it was faint, she felt like she could somewhat feel the connection between her and this place.

She wondered — if she called upon it, what would she be able to do?

"It is strange," the other Scarlett remarked after a while, her gaze fixed intently on her.

"This is the first time in which I have felt even a semblance of kinship with another. Despite your refusal to embrace it in its entirety, you still bear my name, and you, too, are a fellow 'Anomalous One'. They are the two qualities that one might say define my existence — and I find myself sharing both with you." Scarlett turned her focus back to the woman.

"…So even you would describe me as an Anomalous One?"

"Naturally. You already knew you were one."

"I only know because that is what Anguish told me. Yet, she also made it clear that the term was merely a description — of that which defies fate, an anomaly within the order of this world. Such an explanation is far from specific. Is there more to its meaning?"

"No, there is not," the other Scarlett said.

"It was, from the outset, simply a term devised by this world's inhabitants to label that which eluded their understanding."

"What, then, are you? What manner of being is the Anomalous One? Why does it exist in this world, and from whence did it come? And what do you know of this world's true nature…and the system that governs it?" Even if this figure before her—whether person or entity—was meant to be exceedingly dangerous, these were questions Scarlett desperately wanted to have answered. The other Scarlett held her eyes, as if considering her response with great care. Finally, she spoke.

"Shall we strike a bargain?"

"A bargain?" Scarlett echoed.

"A bargain," the other Scarlett repeated. Scarlett's expression tightened, her voice cautious.

"What manner of bargain?" The woman said nothing. Instead, she raised her hand.

[Name: Scarlett Hartford] [Skills: [Superior Mana Control] [Superior Pyromancy] [Major Pyrokinesis] [Greater Hydromancy] [Major Hydrokinesis] [̼̭̬̋̈́̒͜ ̧̘̜́ͣ͛͛ͅ ͚̜̓͜ͅ ̢̰͚̾̏ͅ ̮̿͆̒͠ ̢̾̏ͅ ̢̰̾̏ͅ]] [Traits: [Dignified August] [Supercilious] [Cavalier] [Callous] [Overbearing] [Conceited] [Third-rate Mana Veins]] [Mana: 8532/12448] [Points: 60] Scarlett's system interface materialised between them, blinking in the dim light, its surface slightly distorted, as though viewed through fractured glass.

"I hold the power to shape this in any manner you desire," the other Scarlett stated.

"You may wield it, alter it, or even remove it entirely, should you wish. You already know that I speak the truth." Scarlett regarded the system window. The transparent, flickering screens seemed almost as if they begged to be dismissed. Given that the Anomalous One had already interfered with it before—inserting its own skill—she didn't doubt her claim.

"And why would you offer this to me?" she asked.

"Because it is what you desire, is it not?" the other Scarlett answered smoothly.

"I have no need of this 'system' myself, if that is what you think. And to you, it is nothing more than a crutch — a cage binding you. Have you not chafed against its restraints time and time again?" Her tone grew more severe.

"I am saying that I will give you full control of it." Scarlett's eyes hardened, scanning the woman.

"And what is it that you would ask in return?"

"Your help in breaking the Seal of Thainnith."

"Then my answer is no."

"Do not be so quick to refuse. Not before you understand precisely what I am offering."

"Whatever it may be, I find it difficult to believe it would be to my benefit," Scarlett said coldly.

"For one, your previous interference with the system served only to manipulate me. I would be a fool to trust your intentions, and I have no desire to aid the Anomalous One in escaping the seals. I am well aware of what that would mean for this world."

"Do you?" The other Scarlett's voice was quiet, almost thoughtful.

"I wonder… If you believe it would destroy the world, then you may be mistaken."

"It might not destroy it, but it would bring about unparalleled devastation and chaos," Scarlett replied. Both Thainnith and her knowledge of the game had made that much clear. The other Scarlett's silence seemed to confirm her words. The woman observed her silently for several seconds.

"…And would that truly be such a regrettable outcome?" she eventually asked.

"Yes," Scarlett replied. The woman smiled faintly.

"That is your rational opinion, certainly. But let us not forget that you and I both know you possess the ability to act with indifference when the situation demands."

"That does not mean I desire ruin for all that surrounds me. I would be foolish to wish for such an end." The other Scarlett continued watching her, a strange fascination glinting in her eyes.

"And what, then, would you prefer?"

"A world unscathed by devastation," Scarlett said.

"Then let us strive towards that," the woman replied almost flippantly.

"That is impossible if the seals are released." The other Scarlett shook her head.

"You are mistaken. Yes, releasing the seals would usher in destruction, but that destruction could be channeled. Certain realms would indeed be sacrificed, but we could begin with the Blazes. The demons offer no value to the world you envision." Scarlett frowned. The woman spoke as if fully aware that Scarlett couldn't entirely deny her logic. From what Scarlett could tell, she was fully aware of it. The game had contained a route along those lines.

"Even so," Scarlett said, "such a result is far from ideal." It was not the worst-case scenario, yet that did not make it tolerable.

"Then we make it ideal," the other Scarlett declared.

"Whatever world you envision, it can be molded. You cannot yet fathom the possibilities that lie ahead if we work together." Perhaps there was some truth in her words, but it didn't matter.

"My answer remains unchanged," Scarlett said.

"I have no reason to risk such an outcome. It is far safer to ensure that the Anomalous One is never fully released."

"And where, precisely, do you expect that to lead?" Scarlett's expression held firm.

"To a future with significantly less destruction."

"Are you certain of that? Is that what the Fate you know has shown you?" The other Scarlett gave her a challenging look. Scarlett returned it. They eyed each other, neither speaking for a while.

"You asked what this world truly is," the other Scarlett eventually said.

"You have also questioned its purpose yourself. Countless times. What if I were to tell you that it was created solely as a stage for conflict? That, though it may not have been explicitly designed for this purpose, it exists only as a prison for the Anomalous One — and ultimately, as the setting for its release or end." Her expression darkened, shadows seeming to flicker across her features.

"Soon, the seals will fail, one way or another. What follows it is yet to be determined. But tell me, why are you so confident that there exists a future beyond that point? You know of this world as a 'video game', do you not? While I may not fully grasp the concept, I do understand this: these 'games' do not persist beyond their prescribed end." Scarlett simply looked at her.

"…So, is it true that this world was based on that game?" She was not even surprised that the woman knew these things about her old world. That much had been clear since their first encounter. But this was a question she'd always wanted the answer to. To her disappointment, the other Scarlett shook her head.

"I cannot say for certain. However, I have watched as this world and its unremarkable inhabitants endure under the repressive grip of its Fate. Their futures set long before their birth, every step leading inexorably to the events of today." A fire appeared in her eyes.

"Even I could not entirely escape Fate's reach. Does it not anger you that this is how things have been arranged? That you were drawn into this existence, compelled to play a role, solely to satisfy such a scheme?"

"I still do not know what to feel about it," Scarlett said.

"But can you truly be certain that it was all intended to culminate in what is happening now? That nothing lies beyond?"

"You have glimpsed the same Fate that I have," the woman replied.

"Even the 'gods' of this world see that its Fate draws to an end, yet, beholden to it as they are, they dare not intervene or stray from the path laid before them." Her voice seemed to reverberate with the shifting rifts around them.

"I am offering you the chance to fully decide the path yourself. To defy the powers that have forced us into this position of conflict. The gods of this world view me as the final evil, yet even my existence is but another thread woven into Fate's design. This system, this structure, has always been the source of this world's suffering, and to follow its path blindly is to submit to that suffering."

Silence stretched between them as the woman's words faded, and Scarlett found herself, despite everything, actually considering them. The reference to 'Fate drawing to an end' almost certainly referenced the looming conclusion of the game's narrative — a conclusion that would arrive incredibly soon from the perspective of beings like the Anomalous One. But if even the gods could not perceive a Fate beyond that point, what did that actually imply for this world?

Could it truly cease to exist, or would it merely continue, untethered from the oversight of Fate? … She supposed it depended on the intentions of whatever had fashioned this world's Fate in the first place.

"Tell me…" Scarlett began, thoughtful, "what role do you expect me to fulfill in all of this? Why has the Anomalous One focused its interest upon me, even to the extent of proposing a bargain?" She already knew part of the answer, but she needed a clearer understanding. Through the legacy and this domain surrounding them, perhaps she could wield some powers that could make a difference, yet, as the other woman had noted, these powers were merely borrowed.

They belonged to the Anomalous One, which was already lending its strength to others beyond her.

"I believe the answer should be rather evident," the other Scarlett replied, "though the reason behind it may remain elusive. You were 'chosen' by this world, and that designation confers certain unique advantages. Like myself, you are not bound by Fate, yet your defiance arises from bestowed rights rather than any inherent quality. Already, you have altered the course of events more drastically in mere months than the Anomalous One has since its sealing.

You are both a pawn and a player, summoned near the world's conclusion to direct a portion of its final act. This alone makes you one of the most valuable pieces in play, irrespective of your actual strength."

"…Do you know by whom I was chosen?" For the first time, a flicker of plain frustration crossed the woman's face.

"I do not. This world's Fate has always remained faceless."

"Yet you seem to understand its workings — along with the workings of my system. Not to mention my original world." The other Scarlett's expression smoothed, even if her voice retained an edge." Your system is far less intricate than you might imagine. It is little more than another conduit inscribed upon your soul, enabling both Fate and whatever brought you here to direct your actions. Even the mages of this world may be able to detect it under the right conditions.

To interfere with it is a straightforward matter. However, reaching its source…" She paused.

"… That would require my full power." A crease formed on Scarlett's brow. In truth, the more time she spent in this world—the more she saw of the similarities it shared with the game—the more she thought about what it all implied. At first, she had considered the possibility that the game's story might have been based on this world.

But as she learned more of Fate's mechanisms, she grew increasingly convinced that the opposite was more likely — that this world had been deliberately crafted to mirror the game's narrative. It was one thing to entertain this idea and another to actually comprehend its implications. To imagine what such control might entail. That 'Fate' might have micromanaged every detail, right down to Modern Imperial resembling English.

She had long since confirmed that Imperial evolved 'naturally' in this world over countless generations, and still it had somehow exactly matched the language she was familiar with… Frankly, the degree of oversight required to produce such exactness was staggering. In her encounter with Thainnith, he had suggested that, while oppressive, Fate allowed for individual freedom in most cases. People here did not appear as puppets bound by predetermined destinies.

Scarlett had observed herself that they seemed to make their own choices and act freely. And yet, the notion that Fate could impose such powerful 'corrections', and that these might go largely unseen, was disturbing to her. She could understand, to some extent, why the Anomalous One fought against Fate's influence. Why, even, groups like the Hallowed Cabal and Tribe of Sin might wish to rebel as well.

Outwardly, they might appear malevolent—and in many ways, their actions justified that label—but she could not fully condemn their underlying goals. If aligning herself with the Anomalous One offered a way to resolve her conflicts — to eliminate future threats, prevent chaos in the Empire, and perhaps gain the strength to face whatever this world threw at her… The prospect was undeniably alluring. And it could be true that the Anomalous One's release would not result in total ruin.

It would undoubtedly have profound consequences, possibly inciting a disaster akin to The Severance that ended the Zuver civilisation, but if it could be managed and directed as the other Scarlett suggested? Even if it meant a rewriting of the world maps and power structures, it might genuinely lead to a more stable and favourable future for the people of this world. With this approach, it might even be possible to end the conflict in the Empire almost immediately.

The other Scarlett watched her patiently, saying nothing. At last, Scarlett focused on her, meeting her gaze intently.

"Your offer is appealing in certain respects," she began slowly.

"However…I must decline. Your proposal relies on the assumption that this world cannot persist or improve beyond the boundaries of Fate, and I cannot accept that premise simply as it is. Much of what you have told me could easily be mere deception." Though she knew from her own experience that Scarlett was a surprisingly honest person, she also knew the woman would not shy away from lying if it suited her. A faint frown formed on the other Scarlett's brow.

"Then what if I offered you a way to return to your own world?" Scarlett paused.

"…Are you capable of that?"

"Yes." A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, the weight of the offer settling over her. In her first few months here, not a single day had passed without her thinking about the possibility of returning home and how she might accomplish it. She thought of her friends, her younger sister waiting back home. But…

"No," she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips, though a bittersweet note lingered in her tone.

"My answer remains the same." It had been some time since 'returning home' had stopped being her singular focus, the obvious goal above all else. She still desired it, in a way, but not as she once had. If she were to return, it would be on other terms. Her own. The other Scarlett regarded her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. At last, she spoke.

"…So be it. Then I do hope you are ready to bear the consequences of that choice."