The calm surface of the Lake gently swayed, causing ethereal ripples to appear on the banks at the edges and giving life to the tranquil vista.
The Lake appeared no different from others who share the same name, yet the ephemeral scene made it appear mystical. Indeed, it was a special Lake.
Visible fog covered this mystical Lake, from which wondrous mysteries gather and remain silent, only murmuring to whoever hears them secrets they cannot decipher.
Suddenly, the calm surface ruffled as movements began occurring on its tranquil surface.
Entering from the edge of the bank, a figure disturbed the Lake. That person strode across it — which oddly wasn't that deep — and gradually reached the center where a broken Spinning Wheel was present.
"I'm back here again..." That person muttered, a tinge of curiosity and anxiety present in their voice.
Looking at the broken Spinning Wheel, that person examined it thoroughly for a few moments, as scrutinizing its origins and purpose — yet the silence of secrecy of the ebbing waters was all that was present, denying any truths.
Their eyes then landed on the murky blue surface of the Lake, where a fog was drifting along its surface and spreading out everywhere, ever-present; unchanging yet malleable.
The reflection of that person then appeared on the surface, showing their appearance.
A platinum-blonde hair tied to a side bun with strands falling off the sides and a pair of pale grayish-green eyes that seemed as tranquil as the Lake itself— still and composed— appeared on the surface of the water. She had a light complexion and light freckled around her nose, complimenting her looks well.
She sported a navy-blue, high-collared military-style coat with intricate blue trim, silver buttons, and embroidered rose motifs. Underneath it is a white shirt and a similarly colored navy blue waistcoat inside, paired with black pants. Complimenting all of it is a white cravat with a lace trim, secured by a deep blue gemstone brooch, adding to her refined appearance, as well as a round top hat with a blue ribbon attached at the back.
It was a noble blend of elegantly refined reticence.
Yes, if her overall appearance were to be summarized into one word, it would undoubtedly be elegant.
She looked at her reflection for a brief moment before turning away and focusing on the broken Spinning Wheel once more.
"When I spun the wheel last time, Sonetto appeared as if she was summoned..." She said, delving into her usual habit of monologues. "Can I do that again?"
Placing her hand on the broken Spinning Wheel, she caressed its wooden textures for a bit — yes, she was sure that it was a solid object — yet the strings attached to it appeared to be two-dimensional, which intrigues her.
However, finding out the secrets of the Spinning Wheel was not her current agenda. Rather, it was something far more important than this as of right now.
Her eyes softened as her hand still held on to the Spinning Wheel. "It's worth a shot... Sooner or later, I would need to escape from Manus Vindictae's grasp, and to do that, I need a helper."
"Sonetto is currently separated from me and Schneider is still recovering... Only Druvis and I are here with Forget Me Not in the forest. Soon, many refugees would come for treatment."
Her voice then trails off, remembering her purpose for going back to this tranquil lake inside her suitcase.
"Sonetto mentioned that she wanted to find me when I spun the wheel and she appeared... That must be a prerequisite to be summoned... But, without that requirement, who or what would then appear?"
Although she asked that question, no one answered her. Well, it was a rhetorical question, after all, so it's expected that it would be left unanswered — even then, her question remained lingering on her mind.
Will she summon a dangerous individual or a helpful one?
She doesn't know and is uncertain of the outcome. Even so...
"...I'll attempt it."
Man or arcanist, good or evil — she'll deal with the consequences when it arrives. This was not an unfounded confidence, but rather, an intuition from her experience as the Timekeeper — someone who must make judgements and lead others through the Storm.
Holding on the wheel, she paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, then spinning it. "Let's see where this goes..."
With the swing of her arm, the Spinning Wheel churned, drawing in the string attached to it before emitting a faint glow. That glow then gradually turned to a radiantly warm golden light, lighting up the entire lake and causing ripples to spread out on the surface of the water.
"It's just like that time with Sonetto..." Witnessing this scene, she couldn't help but mutter her thoughts, engrossed in what was happening as her eyes remained steadfast and composed.
The wheel continued to spin for a few more seconds before finally, a figure began to form from the golden light it was emitting.
A vague outline formed from the light, and soon, a person started to form from the light, materializing bit by bit from it.
"It's a person..." Seeing this development, a tinge of relief crept up at the back of her mind. She was glad that it was not some kind of monster or beast born from arcanum, at least.
But that's just the appearance. Now, she needs to know whether or not that person has the personality of a human... or a monster.
She continued to watch the scene unfold.
From the brilliant rays of golden light, the full form of a man started to appear. It started off as a vague outline before gradually turning to a body — and soon, clothes. It was all happening at an extremely fast rate — almost instantaneously, even.
As the scene continued to unfold, however, she was unable to witness the bizarre scene happening around her. The fog around the Lake suddenly started churning and spreading, as if they were thickening. There was so much fog that it had covered the surrounding lake by now, obscuring the view from the outside.
Yet she remained oblivious to such development.
After less than a few more moments, the materialization was done and the golden rays of light emitted by the Spinning Wheel dissipated, leaving the Lake tranquil and quiet as it was before — as if nothing had happened.
The only difference now was that a man was present, lying faceup at the water's surface.
"Is it done?" Seeing how everything looked calmer now, she looked at the person that had just appeared and inspected his face. "He is... I don't recognize him..."
Indeed, she had not met such a person before.
"That must mean that the wheel summons people at random..." She speculated from the limited clues she had. She then stood three meters away from the unconscious man lying on the surface of the water. "So then... Who is this?"
"From the way he dresses... He should be someone from the 20th century... Is he from England?"
It was a reasonable assumption. After all, what the man was wearing was the typical outfit a man attending a business or formal gatherings would wear.
The man, lying unconsciously, had raven-dark hair with gray strands present. Although he looked young, his gray strands gave him an air of maturity and mystique, as if he had already witnessed the vicissitudes of life.
He had a pale complexion and sported a monocle on his right eye, which complemented his sophisticated attire that consisted of a dark double-breasted coat with a waistcoat and a white shirt underneath, paired by black pants.
Indeed, the young man looked like your typical businessman from London who'd often attend formal gatherings. If his formal attire didn't give that sense off in the first impression, then surely his scholarly face would have.
Yes — scholarly was the word to describe him.
As she continued to inspect the man's appearance, his eyelids suddenly started twitching, a sign of him about to wake up.
Then, groggily, he opened them — gradually revealing his misty dark eyes — and looking a bit dazed as if waking up from a nap.
Then, noticing the girl looking back at him not far from him, a confused expression crept up his face.
"Ve... You are...?"
He groaned first; causing her to unable to hear his first words.
She continued to look at him, cautious that he might be a dangerous individual. But seeing how he was initiating a conversation, she deemed that he needed some clarifications.
After all, she had just summoned him here out of his own will.
"Hello, I'm Vertin. I am an arcanist who works for the St. Pavlov Foundation. I know you're probably confused right now, but I promise that I can explain everything."
She emphasized on the word "arcanist" to scrutinize his reaction. After all, discrimination and racism towards arcanists in the past were rampant, and by gouging out his reaction, she'd be able to tell whether he's human or arcanist.
"St. Pavlov Foundation..." Hearing her answer, the man murmured to himself, as if recollecting a thought. He slowly got up from his position and turned to her, his clothes drenched in water. "That's the place that gathers arcanists, isn't it? Then... Does that mean you're where to take me in too?"
Hearing this, Vertin murmured to herself. "So you're an arcanist... An unregistered one too, it seems..."
She then added, responding to his question. "Well, for now, no. I apologize for dragging you into this all of a sudden, but I need your help with something. Will you lend me a hand?"
The man stayed silent for a few moments, a look of hesitance and wistfulness present on his face. A few moments later, he responded with a gentle nod. "Although all of this is sudden... Alright, I'll help you."
"That quickly?" Vertin asked, a bit surprised at how easily the man complied. "Aren't you angry that I summoned you out of your will?"
The man chuckled lowly. "Haha, indeed, I should be angry, shouldn't I? But... Let's just say that doing this... Is far more meaningful than what I was doing prior to your summoning. As such, I'm more than happy to help. Really."
His enigmatic words caught her curiosity, but seeing as how she was running out of time, she decided to prioritize her objective first.
Looking at him, she nodded. "Very well. Oh, and, forgive me for asking late... But what's your name?"
The man paused briefly before smiling lightly. He pressed his right hand on his left chest and bowed slightly.
"You may just call me Isaac."
As he spoke, the fog around the Lake suddenly grew thicker and started converging around the two of them, surrounded his figure, as if heeding to his command.
Surrounded by a thick layer of grayish-white fog, the man known as Isaac appeared much more like an arcanist than he did earlier. Mystical, wondrous, and... Bizarre.
"Like a mist in the wind; destined to vanish."