Crimson Alchemy – Episode 5: Threads of Deception

The Scarlet Harlot wasn’t used to being cornered, but the Paragon Order had flipped the game. Every move she made now carried the weight of exposure. Ruby’s nightly hunts, once precise and calculated, had become dangerous gambles.

In her workshop, Ruby poured over the files stolen from Halstead Systems. The Harlot Project logs were meticulous: her movements, targets, even her daytime routines. They knew she was connected to Hawthorne University, though it seemed they hadn’t pinpointed her identity—yet.

Her phone buzzed. It was Tessa.

“Ruby, I need to see you,” Tessa said, her voice shaky.

“What’s wrong?” Ruby asked, tension building in her chest.

“Just… can you meet me at my studio? It’s important.”

Ruby arrived at Tessa’s small art studio downtown, her nerves on edge. Tessa greeted her at the door, her expression uncharacteristically grim.

“I’ve been thinking about the photos,” Tessa began, leading Ruby inside. “And the Scarlet Harlot.”

Ruby’s heart pounded.

“What about her?”

Tessa hesitated before pulling back a cloth covering one of her easels. The painting beneath made Ruby’s breath catch. It was a portrait of the Scarlet Harlot—but not as the mysterious figure she’d always been. This was raw, vulnerable, unmasked. The likeness to Ruby was subtle but undeniable.

“I’ve been watching you,” Tessa said softly. “The way you move, the way you deflect. I didn’t want to believe it, but…”

“Tessa, I—”

“Don’t deny it,” Tessa interrupted. “I’m not here to expose you. I want to help.”

Ruby stared at her, torn between relief and panic. “Help?”

“You can’t take on whoever’s after you alone,” Tessa said. “I’ve seen the way you work. You’re brilliant, but you’re one person. Let me be your eyes, your ears. Let me be… part of this.”

Ruby hesitated, every instinct screaming against it. But the truth was, Tessa had already stumbled too close. The Paragon Order wouldn’t spare her, whether she helped or not.

Later that night, Ruby briefed Tessa in her workshop. She laid out what she knew about Victor Halstead and the Paragon Order, carefully avoiding personal details. Tessa listened intently, her usual playful demeanor replaced by sharp focus.

“So, what’s the next move?” Tessa asked.

Ruby handed her a list of names from the stolen files. “We need leverage. These are members of the Paragon Order’s inner circle. If we can expose their operations, we weaken Halstead’s control.”

Tessa scanned the list, her brow furrowing. “This one—Caroline Whitaker. She’s on the Hawthorne Board of Trustees.”

Ruby nodded. “She’s tied to the Order’s finances. If we can follow the money, we can unravel the network.”

The following evening, Ruby, as the Scarlet Harlot, tailed Whitaker to a high-end lounge in downtown Ravenport. Dressed in her signature red armor, she blended into the shadows, her movements silent and deliberate.

Tessa, stationed at a nearby coffee shop, monitored Whitaker’s phone through a surveillance app Ruby had developed.

“She just got a text,” Tessa said through the comms. “Encrypted. Looks like she’s meeting someone.”

Inside the lounge, Whitaker slipped into a private booth with a man Ruby didn’t recognize. She inched closer, using a directional microphone to pick up their conversation.

“You’re sure the Order is containing the situation?” Whitaker asked.

“Halstead has it under control,” the man replied. “The Harlot’s days are numbered. She’ll either make a mistake, or The Warden will eliminate her.”

Ruby clenched her fists. They were confident, and that made them sloppy.

Whitaker handed the man a USB drive. “This has the updated offshore accounts. If the Harlot gets her hands on this…”

“She won’t,” the man assured her.

Ruby saw her opening. As Whitaker stood to leave, Ruby slipped through the crowd, planting a tracking device on her purse. She would follow Whitaker to the heart of the Paragon Order’s financial operations.

But as Ruby exited the lounge, her comm crackled.

“Ruby, someone’s following you,” Tessa said, her voice urgent.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder and spotted a figure in a dark coat. They moved with purpose, staying just far enough to avoid detection from anyone less vigilant.

“It’s him,” Ruby muttered. “The Warden.”

“Get out of there,” Tessa urged.

Ruby turned into a narrow alley, her mind racing. She couldn’t lead him back to the workshop—or to Tessa. Instead, she activated a small smoke pellet and darted up a fire escape, moving silently across the rooftops.

The Warden followed, his movements as fluid and practiced as hers. Ruby cursed under her breath. He was faster than she expected, more determined.

As they reached the edge of a rooftop, Ruby spun to face him.

“Who sent you?” she demanded.

“You already know,” The Warden replied, his voice cold. “And you won’t live to see them fall.”

They fought viciously, their strikes calculated and brutal. Ruby used every trick in her arsenal, but The Warden matched her blow for blow. Finally, she managed to disarm him with a well-placed kick, sending his weapon clattering to the ground.

“You can’t win,” he growled, retreating slightly.

Ruby smirked. “Watch me.”

Before he could react, she deployed a flash grenade, temporarily blinding him. By the time he recovered, she was gone.

Back at the workshop, Ruby slumped into a chair, her adrenaline fading.

“That was too close,” Tessa said, pacing. “Who is this guy?”

“The Paragon Order’s muscle,” Ruby said, wincing as she examined a fresh bruise. “He’s relentless. And he won’t stop until I’m dead.”

Tessa’s expression hardened. “Then we stop him first.”

Ruby glanced at her, surprised by the determination in her voice. For the first time, she realized Tessa wasn’t just an artist or a curious observer. She was an ally—and Ruby needed her now more than ever.

The Scarlet Harlot’s war against the Paragon Order had only just begun, and the stakes had never been higher.