Seth let himself sink into the sofa, feeling the day's tension finally begin to drain from his shoulders.
The house was quiet and peaceful, with Phoebe's mother and sister already gone for the day to tend their shop.
He wondered, not for the first time, why Phoebe didn't help them, but he kept the question to himself.
Perhaps it was too personal to ask that for now...
His mind, however, couldn't fully relax.
It circled back to the events in the forest.
"An investigation will definitely happen in that area..."
He said, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Are we sure the whole thing can't be traced back to us?"
He wasn't too worried about himself.
His [Null Presence] ability seemed to work perfectly, like a magic eraser that wiped away any proof he was ever there.
But Phoebe was a different story...
After spending this short time with her, Seth had started to form a clear picture of who she was.
She had an odd habit of murmuring to herself, thinking out loud for anyone to hear.
She was also surprisingly clumsy when it came to making excuses or lying; her face often gave her away.
Her good qualities were her sharp eyes for details and her ability to explain complex things about this world clearly.
Sometimes, she even seemed very professional, like when she guided him through consuming the sins.
He guessed she learned that from her mentor, Danica...
But overall, her good points were often overshadowed by her clumsiness and a strange lack of common sense in her actions.
She was smart in some ways, but terribly impractical in others.
"I am not too sure..."
Phoebe replied, her brow furrowed in thought.
"I know I didn't leave anything behind at the scene. The place is a good thirty minutes away from here, and I took all the smaller, less-traveled paths. I also kept my cloak on the whole time, so my face and figure were hidden..."
Seth paused, a specific detail nagging at him.
"Wait. Isn't that the same cloak you were wearing outside yesterday? The one you wore to the market and back?"
Phoebe's eyes widened slightly.
She let out a soft "Oh," as if the thought had never occurred to her.
She was silent for a moment, then simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh well. I'm sure no one will remember a thing like that."
Seth's mouth twitched.
He stared at her, a mix of disbelief and resignation washing over him.
'This girl... she's not just brilliantly nonchalant... she is also dangerously neglectful.'
If it weren't for the fact that she was his only connection to this world and had ties to other witches who could potentially help him, he would be in a full-blown panic right now.
Instead, he just took a deep breath, accepting that his survival in this strange new life was now tied to a woman who was both a knowledgeable guide and a walking liability.
Seth finished the last bite of his sandwich, the simple, familiar taste of peanut butter a strange comfort after the night they'd had.
He needed to steer the conversation back to the most important matter.
"So..."
He began, brushing crumbs from his hands.
"How do you want to proceed with the investigation into my... resurrection? Where do we even start?"
Phoebe, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa, finished her own sandwich and took a sip of water.
She looked thoughtful, her earlier clumsiness replaced by a more focused demeanor.
"Hm. A good starting point is always the nature of a witch's power."
She explained.
"A witch's origin and the circumstances of their awakening are almost always reflected in the type of Sin they carry. It's like a... spiritual fingerprint."
She looked at him, her expression sincere.
"If it makes you feel safer, and to make it fair, I can tell you about my Sin and abilities first. Then you can decide what you want to share."
Seth studied her.
She seemed genuine, the type of person who preferred to build trust rather than manipulate it.
He found that he appreciated that.
Even in his old life, that was a rare quality...
"Alright."
He agreed, nodding.
"That would make me feel a lot safer. Thank you."
Phoebe gave a small, pleased smile and began.
"My Sin is the Sin of Revenge. As the name says, it's a power that encompasses the concept of payback."
Her voice took on a slightly formal tone, as if quoting a lesson.
"My mentor, Danica, told me: 'It is the eternal cycle of hurt returned for hurt. Revenge is the fire that consumes both victim and perpetrator, a promise of justice twisted into endless hatred.'"
She paused, as though letting the words sink in Seth's mind before continuing in her normal voice.
"Every witch has an Authority. It's a kind of passive ability that comes from the nature of their Sin. For the First Circle of my Sin, I can deal twice as much damage to anyone who attacks me first. It's a purely defensive power. That same Authority also lets me sense if someone holds a deep grudge against me, or even if a person near me holds a powerful grudge against someone else."
She looked directly at him, her gaze steady.
"It's also the main reason why I believe you don't intend to harm me out of revenge for... for what we did to the past you. I can't sense any of that kind of hatred from you. There's nothing but confusion and caution."
Seth felt a small measure of relief at her words.
It was good to have a supernatural confirmation of his own intentions...
"My main active skill is called [Curse Proficiency]."
Phoebe continued.
"It means I'm naturally adept at three specific types of curses."
She held up a finger.
"One is the [Curse of Incident], which you saw. In exchange for my own fresh blood, I can cause a random, unfortunate event to happen to my target."
She held up a second finger.
"The second is the [Curse of Madness]. By sacrificing my own sanity and clear thinking for a day or two, I can curse someone to suffer from terrible hallucinations and mental instability."
A third finger went up.
"And the last is the [Curse of Disease]. By sacrificing my own vitality—making myself physically, mentally, and spiritually weaker for a time—I can curse a target to contract a random illness."
She lowered her hand.
"The main advantage of curses is range. Although I can curse someone as long as they are in front of me directly, I can also curse them from miles away, as long as I possess a personal item from them, like a lock of hair, a drop of blood, or a personal belonging... although body parts are definitely more effective."
"The disadvantage is obvious... I always have to sacrifice a part of myself. A piece of my body, my mind, or my health. And because of that, I'm not very good in a direct fight. I'm a long-range fighter, not a close-combat one."