Crimson Alchemy – Episode 2: Shadows in the Fog

The Scarlet Harlot had become a sensation.

On every street corner in Ravenport, people speculated about the crimson-haired vigilante. Was she real, or just an urban legend amplified by social media? Ruby smirked at the absurdity as she listened to her students chatter before class. They dissected the video of Calder’s collapse like a crime drama.

“You think she’s, like, some kind of spy?” one asked.

“Maybe she’s an avenger of the people,” another said, with mock grandeur.

Ruby pushed her glasses higher on her nose and cleared her throat. “Let’s focus on chemical equilibrium today,” she said firmly, but her voice wavered.

From the back of the room, Tessa-Rae Crofton caught her eye and smiled.

Later that afternoon, Tessa visited Ruby’s office unannounced, carrying a portfolio under her arm.

“I thought I’d show you the Scarlet Harlot series,” Tessa said, her tone casual but her eyes intense.

Ruby froze but gestured for her to come in. Tessa laid out sketches and paintings on the desk: shadowed alleyways, streaks of crimson slicing through the dark, a figure that felt simultaneously larger-than-life and deeply human.

“They’re stunning,” Ruby admitted, careful to sound detached.

“You think so?” Tessa leaned in, her grin infectious. “There’s something so raw and fascinating about her. Like she’s justice personified, but also…” She trailed off, searching Ruby’s face. “Vulnerable.”

Ruby forced a laugh, deflecting. “I think you might be reading too much into it.”

Tessa’s grin didn’t waver. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m onto something.”

That evening, Ruby worked late in her lab. News reports about Alexander Grayson flickered on a nearby screen. The CEO of Grayson Global Media had spent years crafting narratives that protected corrupt politicians and business moguls, often fabricating evidence to discredit whistleblowers. His most recent efforts had ensured Calder’s scandal stayed buried.

Grayson had become a new kind of tyrant: one who controlled reality itself.

Ruby analyzed his routines and public appearances, piecing together a plan. But something nagged at her. Grayson was different from Calder—savvier, more paranoid. This wouldn’t be a simple toxin deployment. She needed something new.

Her fingers flew across her workstation as she devised a smoke-emitting compound that would obscure vision, disorient targets, and deliver a concentrated neurotoxin through inhalation. She called it Specter Fog.

The following night, Grayson attended a gala celebrating his latest philanthropic efforts—a thinly veiled PR stunt. The Scarlet Harlot watched from a shadowed rooftop across the street. Her crimson hair gleamed under the moonlight, her new dispersal device tucked into her utility belt.

The plan was simple: create chaos with the fog, target Grayson in the confusion, and leave unnoticed.

She launched the canister into the ballroom through an open window. The reaction was immediate—thick, swirling smoke filled the room, sending guests into a frenzy. Ruby slipped inside, a shadow among panicked elites. She found Grayson near the stage, clutching his assistant’s arm.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, coughing.

“Your reckoning,” the Scarlet Harlot whispered, activating her device.

But before she could escape, a spotlight pierced through the fog, illuminating her. Ruby’s heart pounded. Grayson’s security had anticipated her, and they moved in fast.

Thinking quickly, she launched a decoy flare, shattering a chandelier and plunging the room into darkness. In the chaos, she slipped out, her identity intact—but barely.

The next morning, Ruby sat at her desk, reviewing lecture notes, but her mind raced. Grayson’s collapse had made headlines, but so had the Scarlet Harlot. Security footage from the gala showed only a fleeting glimpse of her silhouette, but it was enough to spark new debates.

Tessa-Rae entered the office, holding up her phone. “Have you seen this? The Scarlet Harlot almost got caught last night.”

Ruby glanced at the screen. Her shadowed figure flickered on the screen, enigmatic and exposed.

“She’s getting bolder,” Tessa said, narrowing her eyes at Ruby. “Don’t you think?”

Ruby forced a small smile. “Or reckless.”

Tessa tilted her head. “You say that like you know her.”

The comment hung in the air, and Ruby quickly changed the subject. But the tension lingered, like the specter of fog, impossible to dissipate.