Scarlett Caraval's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Scarlett traced her finger along the blueprint spread across the wooden table. The performance hall would rise here, in this empty stretch of sand-swept ground. Crimson velvet would line every wall. Stages would shift and transform, keeping audiences breathless. She smiled, imagining wealthy patrons trapped in their private boxes, unable to look away from her performances. Some would lean too close. Some would forget to breathe. Those hearts always tasted sweetest. But first, she needed to show them what was coming. Scarlett rolled up the blueprint and stepped outside. Her workers had already assembled the outdoor stage in the square. Deep red drapes hung from its frame, catching the light. Glittering fixtures lined the edges. This temporary platform would give the city a taste of her vision. Gothic dancers would move across it tonight, slow and magnetic. People would stop. They would stare. They would want more. She walked around the stage, checking each detail. The crimson curtains matched perfectly. Her fingers brushed the velvet, testing its weight. Behind the stage sat her dark carriage, its metalwork catching shadows. The vehicle would carry her performers from place to place until the real hall was complete. Velvet drapes lined its interior, a promise of what was to come. Tonight's performance would mark the beginning. The outdoor stage was just the start, a seed planted in the city's mind. Soon, Scarlette's Infamous Romantic Gothic Performance Hall would rise from the empty ground. The real work could begin then. Scarlett stepped onto the stage and looked out at the empty square. By nightfall, it would be full. And some of those watching would become hers forever.