Clarissa sat back and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She could feel the indent left from pressing her face into the microscope for hours on end. The incandescent light bulbs buzzed comfortably overhead even as her eyes ached. What was left of her coffee had gone cold, but she still forced it down. Caffeine was still caffeine, and the added self-torture of trying not to yawn should help. Her body disagreed and she yawned widely in defiance, stretching her arms.
Clarissa's mother's voice echoed in her mind, a gentle reminder from the past. "Cover your mouth," she would say. With a wry smile, Clarissa lowered her hand from her face, amused at the thought of observing manners even in solitude. She glanced at the clock, its harsh red LEDs glaring back: 3:00 AM. She sighed, her fingers absentmindedly combing through her hair. The lab was quiet, the kind of quiet unique to late Saturday nights—or rather, early Sunday mornings. Technically, she didn’t have to be here; no deadlines were looming over her. Yet, she felt a pull, an irresistible draw to her work. Science wasn’t just her career; it was her life. She needed it.
Her thoughts drifted to her research: human DNA. She mused over its complexities and the mysteries it held, the mysteries she had started to peel away with care. The human genome had been fully sequenced, but understanding its intricacies was like unraveling a cosmic puzzle. She had pondered the vast stretches of DNA once dismissed as "junk" - sequences that seem to contribute nothing to the physical makeup of adults. Less than 2% of our DNA was understood to be actively coding for the proteins that build and sustain our bodies. The rest was a vast, uncharted territory, often overlooked after being labeled as unimportant.
Clarissa saw the potential where others saw dead ends and theoretical treasure chests tipped over with nothing left to give up in reward. In her academic days, she had made groundbreaking discoveries: linking specific sequences ot the development of the human brain. Complex patterns that never seemed to reappear anywhere elese in the world.. It was a revelation that challenged the notion of 'junk', suggesting these neglected parts of our genetic code held secrets crucial to understanding what makes us uniquely human. This discovery had earned her recognition, funding, and a prestigious consulting position. It was validation, a confirmation that her path was meaningful. She smiled at the thought, albeit with a tinge of sadness. In a world where magic was real, her achievements in science were her way of proving her worth, of showing that she, too, was special—even without magical abilities.
Lost in thought, Clarissa leaned back towards her microscope, the soft hum of the lab equipment providing a comforting background. This was her sanctuary, a place where she could delve into the enigmas of the human genome, where every discovery was a step closer to unraveling the fabric of our very being.
But as the night dragged on, she couldn't help but feel a sense of isolation. She knew she had colleagues, but they were all scattered throughout the building during the day, working on their own projects. She couldn't help but wonder what everyone else was doing at this time of night. Maybe they were out partying or spending time with loved ones. Most were probably asleep. She knew her cousin John had gotten a new gig as head of security for the club opening down on 28th street. The man couldn't figure out what he wanted to do with his life and thought his only skill was hitting things. Hopefully he worked well with Eric Larson, the mans father was an influential member of Zodiac Industries, owning most of construction and infrastructure contracts along the eastern coast of Sylverdol. He would make a good contact for JOhn, if they should ever meet. She kept telling him that networking was a good skill to have. Clarissa didn't know where her sister was. In town for the moment, a soldiers life for the Nexus of Balance was nothing but secrets and conflicts. She thought John might have mentioned the club opening to his cousin.
Clarissa glanced at the clock and sighed. It was getting late, or early, depending on how one looked at it. She decided to call it a night, feeling exhausted but satisfied with the progress she had made. As she packed up her equipment, she couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness that had settled over her. But she knew that her work was important, and that was enough to keep her going.
Clarissa shut down the computer and microscope as she started cleaning her space. Her cousin John had invited her to the new club opening, but shed been too excited to get back to work. Besides, she loved her cousin dearly but whenever John was involved in something, there was more than likely to be a physical altercation before the night would end. That boy could not control his temper and trouble followed him like bad dandruff. He either seemed bored col ord, but when he got angry, he could lose himself to the anger, always going to extremes. Max might be a good influence if she did end up going. She could just as easily be on the other side of the city. That girl flew wherever the wind took her and could end up the whole night not even within the city, choosing to wander the wilds of the Guardian reservation to the west of Qorluna or arm wrestling some new friend in the projects.
Both of them also had magic of course, though it presented itself in different forms for each. They would be fine.
"What about the desert?" whispered a voice in her head. “John's not the one you’re worried about.”
No, He has issues but he'd never gone out of his way looking for trouble. He never went out of his way to throw the first punch. He would talk about it, but she knew he had never tried to hurt anyone as a kid. His anxiety used to hinder and make him curl up into a sobbing mess. That was why he tried to join the military. Even then it was only to protect others, and mainly to protect himself.
She finished closing up and shut off the lights before making her way out of the building. When she stepped outside, the chill air brushed her cheeks, and she breathed deeply with her head held back. Might not be nature, but it sure beats hours in a clean room. Skyscrapers towered all around her and the engines of what few cars rode the streets, echoed through the concrete jungle. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she made her way to her apartment. One of the benefits of being a tech celebrity was having the money to live close to your lab. The metropolitan cities might all have modern-day police officers and security cameras all over, but a woman could still be unsafe.
As Clarissa stepped onto the street, a beggar approached her, his movements hesitant and uncertain. He was a thin figure, his prominent ribs visible through the torn fabric of his over sized sweater. His beard was unkempt, with patches missing, creating a disheveled appearance. Clarissa was grateful that the wind was at her back, sparing her from the likely pungent odor of the man's misfortune, evident as a stain across his pants.
She came to a calm stop and deliberately reached into her purse, making sure her actions were visible to the man. With a gentle smile and a tilt of her head, she faced the beggar, her silhouette elongated by the streetlight behind her. The man seemed desperate, yet Clarissa's composed demeanor and the unknown contents of her purse gave him pause. What was she carrying? A weapon, perhaps? In Qorluna's unforgiving streets, where even a minor injury could spell disaster without medical aid or access to the fabled Guardian healers, risks were often weighed heavily.
A silent standoff ensued, their gazes locked as tension mounted. Moments ago, Clarissa had been weary, but now she was fully alert, her fingers wrapped around the smooth, grooved orb in her purse. She hadn't disrupted the intricate blood magic inscribed upon it. Though devoid of magical abilities herself, she was no one's victim – a conviction instilled by her mother, who insisted on preparedness and resilience, regardless of one's magical status. Her thumb brushed the blood bead the orbs center, ready to break the glass and activate the shikai if necessary.
The beggar, perhaps realizing that confrontation wasn't worth the gamble, turned and shuffled away. He glanced back once, looking at Clarissa who maintained her stance, a blend of challenge and congeniality in her eyes. She watched as he vanished around a corner. With a deep exhale, Clarissa allowed her tense muscles to relax, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away, replaced by a soothing wave of relief.
Clarissa couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she walked through the bustling city streets. Despite her self-defense training, she had never been in a fight in her life. She was an academic. The fighting could be left to the brutes like her sister and cousin who enjoyed that kind of pain. The string of incidents between the civilians and homeless moving into the city was becoming an issue though. The homeless problem was only getting worse, with overpopulation exacerbating the situation. Refugees from the infighting within Soventh and Baulen had the housing market in a crisis. Clarissa knew that prices of basic goods were rising, making it difficult for people to feed themselves. The closed off ice country of Sovaria across the Ocean had even opened its borders to the refugees that wanted shelter, albeit forcing them to become permanent citizens for 4 years, but still taking the multiple starving and homeless in who chose to go that way. Meanwhile, the Sylverdol government seemed more concerned with other matters than the welfare of its citizens.
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Clarissa made her way down the two blocks quickly and buzzed herself into the building quickly. The trip down the front hall and up the elevator seemed to take twice as long with her mind as tired as it was but finally she reached her loft and went inside. Crap, did I just ignore Jamil, Clarissa thought realizing belatedly that the bellhop had called out in greeting as she stumbled by. She would need to apologize for that before he ended his shift tomorrow, no, this morning.
Finally she had made it home. The automatic lights turned on as she walked in through the front hall and threw her coat and purse around a corner onto a nearby couch. Her living room sported paintings over every square inch of two wall with no apparent theme. Different abstract arts mixed in between pictures of famous scientist. A map of the the Kolarin Islands had an article pasted to it. The article itself detailing a past excursion to the uninhabited island to the south of Bolesh, the capital of the Kolarin islands. Clarissa pulled a half empty bottle of wine and poured herself a drink, letting the warm liquid soothe her nerves. She looked at the bottle wryly as she drank. It was definitely lower than the last time she had touched it. Max strikes again, she thought in annoyance and then brushed it off. Thats what family did, at least thats what hers did. She was pretty sure JOhn had taken a few swipes without her knowing too.
Thinking about her family always stirred a mix of emotions in Clarissa. Max had always been a source of joy and frustration, their differences creating a chasm as wide as it was deep and filled with the beauty that was magic. She reminisced about their childhood, filled with magical moments quite literally, as their mother would conjure glowing orbs of light that danced around them for hours. Magic had been a constant, wondrous presence in their lives until the day Max's own powers surfaced, manifesting dramatically in a household blackout and causing a minor fire. "Anything for my walking talking bug zapper," Clarissa thought with a fond smile.
She knew it wasn't Max's fault. Being born with magical powers was as much a lottery as anything. Her mother had prayed to the gods for each of them to manifest, but alas Clarissa was doomed to follow her father. Lives dull and gray while they watched from the sidelines. What irked Clarissa was how society viewed magic, as a mere novelty or, worse, a circus act, not as the potent force it truly was. Groups like the Nexus and Filious Vires perpetuated this ignorance, maintaining that the public couldn't handle the truth about magic, claiming it would lead to chaos and war. To Clarissa, these were mere excuses to maintain a status quo that benefited only a few. Even the Guardians refused to fight for open acknowledgment of the truth. Magic was real, it was a part of the world, and if everyone was aware and could work with the same information they would all be better for it.
Her passion for science was, in part, a response to this. If she couldn't be part of the magical world, she would uncover its secrets through her research. She aimed to bridge the gap between the magical and non-magical realms, bringing to light truths that could change society for the better.
She took another sip of her drink and looked over the clear paneled balcony ledge, watching as the city buzzed with activity below. Clarissa knew that she was part of a small group of people who even knew magic was real. But it wasn't enough. People created books, movies, songs about wishing there was more out there. More to life. more to this world than what they could see. Those like her who knew magic existed needed to do more, to bring magic out of the shadows and into the light. Maybe then, it would help stop the numerous wars that always erupted leaving families and children without shelter or food in Baulen or Soventh. Maybe then it would stop the sickness that ran rampart in parts of countries like Telakor.
Clarissa sighed as she looked around her at the lavish balcony she relaxed on. Dim heating lamps lit with a soft orange glow that had powered on at her proximity. Coaches arranged professionally around a small lit fire. At least she had this she thought sadly.
As she sipped her drink, she wondered what her next move would be. She had free reign at the private company she worked for, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more she could be doing. Maybe it was time to start using her skills for a greater purpose, to make a real difference in the world. It was a daunting thought, but one that she couldn't ignore. For now, though, she was content to relax and enjoy the solitude of her sanctuary. ugh. She could do with a trip soon. Maybe to the casinos in Cailen?
Clarissa poured herself another glass and downed it in one gulp, feeling the warmth spreading through her body. She was getting sleepy. She repeated the process, pouring another and taking it with her as she dropped heavily to lay out on one of the thick cushioned couches. The view was breathtaking, with the lights of the city twinkling below her like a blanket of gems.
A shuffling sounded and then she heard footsteps from inside. Clarissa looked up sleepily and noticed her sister attempting to sneak past her on her way to the bathroom. Company already? Max had probably chosen to stay with her sister rather than attempt the subway back to their parents home. Good choice sis, thought Clarissa, but how about some warning?
"Oy!" Clarissa yelled at Max
Max froze like a deer in headlights and then looked at Clarissa. Noticing that she had been caught in the act she sheepishly waved and went outside. Max dropped with a contented sigh into the chair next to her.
"What are you doing here brat," Clarissa mumbled, snuggling into her chair and letting the overhead heat cook her comfortably.
"What was that?" said Max as she kicked off her shoes.
"Brat in my house, " Clarissa struggled to hold back a wide yawn,
"I'm tired." Max had brought a bottle of vodka with her, taking a large swig before letting out a loud forced belch.
Clarissa scowled at her but changed it to a grin as she refused the bottle her sister offered her and showed her own propped up against the side of where she lay.
"You live alone. Thats family sized. Dont expect me to think you were gonna finish that alone." Max grinned and pointed at the large bottle.
Clarissa groaned, “Stop magic mind reading”
“Ew. Im good without seeing boys all day. I thank Loreth I cant read your mind.”
They sat in silence for a minute, looking out over the city. The neon lights of the city colored their lower view, creating a haze of light that settled over the buildings and created sharp shadows all over. The amethyst sky was cloudless this night, the three golden bands of creation known the world over only as the ScarLights, dimly glowing above them, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. When the bands brightened, they would bring daylight and turn the sky a beautiful azure blue. To this day, no human had ever made it into space, and the bands remained a mystery for someone else to solve. The twin moons Astra and Eryxis floated around each other, dancing acroos the bands and visible only when the Scarlights dimmed.
Clarissa took another sip of her wine. She couldn't help but be a little envious of her sister's carefree attitude towards life. Max always seemed to know how to have a good time, even in the midst of chaos, even when everything that could went wrong. She just didn’t lose her cool or get flustered..
"You just came to steal my drinks. Didn't you?" Clarissa muttered, half-jokingly.
"No. The house is too far and I'm too drunk," Max replied.
"So how was the club?"
Max sighed, “Johnny got in a fight”
“Really?” Said Clarissa sarcastically. She really hated it but it never failed to happen.
Max told her sister about the night in detail. How John had started a fight with a man holding a gun and almost got himself killed. Clarissa listened intently. Max had confirmed that the man was a magic user and that John had gone after him first, ignoring the others.
Clarissa couldn't shake the feeling of unease about John's reckless behavior. It wasn't the first time he had put himself in danger, it was like he wanted to get hurt. She wished she could help with whatever drove him to do this.
"You should be more careful," Clarissa said, addressing John's reckless behavior. "You never know what those magic users are capable of. One minute they seem harmless, and the next minute they're setting everything on fire or worse."
Max shrugged. "John knows enough to take care of himself. If he ever slowed down long enough to practice it would do him some good, but what can you do. Hes stubborn. Dont worry, hell be fine."
"I hope so. The body can only take so much before something breaks."
“Heh, oh ya. That reminds me. He also got shot.” Giggled her sister.”
“What the hell Maxi! Is he ok? What happened?”
“Hes fine. Got it dressed and went back to work like nothing, trying to be all macho. I think he was trying to impress this girl there. Oh! And Emily was there, she really went to this thing!”
But Clarissa had already drifted off to sleep, at ease after hearing her cousin was ok and the alcohol sneaking in to lull her down unexpectedly.