Chapter 205 - The Zone

Edward agreed to let Scarlet win their bet from the arcade and because he felt bad for what happened, he made a concession and extended the three-day limit to a week so that Scarlet could slowly think it over.

Edward didn't know what kind of thought Scarlet was having to make her look so troubled. He noticed it immediately that night after they returned from the comedy club. He came to understand slowly why she was so focussed on the performance to the point of being fed absent-mindedly. Alex explained that it was a Scarlet thing. Once she enters a 'zone' of intense focus, Scarlet can shut the world around her completely out.

The first time Edward heard about 'zone', he was intrigued. Alex described her sister as a machine who would continue to work on the project until she succeeded or broke down trying to finish the task. It started when Scarlet was engrossed with writing her book. That was new information to Edward. He didn't know Scarlet was a writer because he only knew about her celebrity persona. 

"Scarlet might have stopped writing for a while but ever since she developed the 'zone', there was no stopping her from forgetting basic necessities like eating, sleeping and drinking. Sometimes she didn't bother with a shower and the only time she left her spot was to go to the lavatory."

Edward found it odd that Scarlet was able to maintain such discipline. It was almost as if she trained with him at the spy academy. Even common soldiers didn't have her kind of determination. Mental conditioning was a practice that either made or broke the toughest of soldiers. Spies who were broken had to be sent away but those who succeeded would never walk the same path that ordinary people walk. He didn't know how Scarlet came to induce the 'zone' but he was almost certain that the 'zone' Scarlet created was similar to something they called being in the 'flow'.

To achieve going into the 'flow', a spy must be able to enter a meditative state full of concentration to maintain a stable emotional state but a hyper sense of perception to receive an overload of information at light speed and process them as fast as they saw it. In that state, everything was enhanced and one could even say that a human's best potential existed within the flow. Scarlet's 'zone' sounded very similar and if she was able to unlock it without any guidance, Edward was starting to wonder just how far Scarlet's potential went. Elfie did say that Scarlet, Alex and Jasper attended the Special Class with him. With the other two, Edward would only consider them incredibly intelligent but for Scarlet, he didn't know exactly what Scarlet was capable of.

To be capable of creating the flow without guidance and being able to actively use it, Scarlet must be one of a kind. Last night, she wasn't unhappy about the performance. After listening to Alex, Edward figured out what Scarlet was doing. She was learning.

He didn't understand why she would be studying Bob the Drag Dragon so intently but she must have a reason for it. Sometimes he would also see the odd look on her face especially when she was watching people and being unusually silent. Alicia and the rest wouldn't notice it because they were too caught up in their conversations but Edward was trained to be perceptive.

The one thing he couldn't understand about Scarlet's 'zone' is how she was able to completely forget eating, sleeping and basic survival needs. For spies, being in 'flow' heightened their self-preservation instincts and pushed them forward to achieve their goals, ignoring the body's limits. Scarlet took it to a whole new level that was almost scary. How could anyone override the power of instincts? That was unheard of even among spies. For that to happen, Scarlet must have staked a lot. This kind of behaviour would only be heard in Russian spies who were brainwashed into doing anything for their mother country including throwing their lives away. Scarlet was most certainly not brainwashed. Why would she need such a huge sacrifice and concentration ability? It was as if she was putting her life on the line to accomplish something recklessly.

Wait, he knew why it happened now. Scarlet's obsession with Anastasia was probably what caused her to push herself to a breaking point. Suddenly, the picture became very clear. His main objective now would be to hinder Scarlet's plans to look for more clues about Anastasia and start digging up the trail that followed CEO Zhu. Scarlet was in contact with that man because she most probably had dealings with him. That list of names collaborating with EZ Express was given by an insider and CEO Zhu was the only person Scarlet was in contact with.

Whatever wish that Scarlet wanted, he would do his best to fulfil it. However, now that he understood what Scarlet was aiming for, Edward had a gal of his own. He was going to dissuade her to continue with her ambition. Alex said that Scarlet enjoyed writing almost to the point of obsession. If Scarlet tells her about it, he would encourage her to go for it instead of all the other things she was doing on stage or behind the scenes for Golden Frost.

Scarlet and Edward settled into an easy daily routine. They would wake up together, go to the university together, meet up in between lectures then wait for each other in the library or atrium to come home together. Scarlet who had been very cosy with Edward during their date was somehow beginning to distance herself from him after the second day. She seemed troubled but not even Edward could find out why she became so pensive. It wasn't the exam period and it wasn't Scarlet's period. Edward didn't know what was causing his girlfriend so much distress but he knew he didn't like it.

Edward: How long does Scarlet's zone last for?

Unable to tolerate the listless behaviour, Edward texted Alex. The model was rather busy with her art project but she took some time to check on her sister and replied to her sister's boyfriend. Jasper had already given up on trying to keep everything in order. In less than a week after living with Alex, Jasper begged for a housekeeper. Orita pitied Jasper and agreed. The housekeeper was currently cleaning up the place so the model had time to chat with Edward. After all, there wasn't much she could do until the floor was dry. The housekeeper was a scary lady who wouldn't hesitate to chew Alex out if she got off from the couch before the floor was dry.

Alex: It depends on what she's doing. Sometimes it lasts only for a few minutes but it could happen for weeks. The first few times Scarlet went into the zone for too long, she collapsed and had to be hospitalised. We adapted and learnt that she would eat and drink if given food. However, Scarlet wouldn't rest so Claire tried to put in sleeping pills with the food. Scarlet doesn't suspect it and that was how we got her functioning all these years.

Edward needed more information if he was going to find out the triggers and how to get Scarlet out of the zone.

Edward: What are the usual causes for her to enter the zone for an extended period of time if she isn't writing or learning something? 

Alex hummed and thought about it. The model placed her feet up the couch and hung her head upside down while she texted her reply.

Alex: It rarely happens but when it does, it means Scarlet's stuck on something. A good example would be the writer's block. Or when she's thinking about how to make the best arrangement for the new album production. Oops! Don't tell her I said that!

Edward didn't know if Alex was capable of keeping secrets. She just divulged her sister's huge secret as if it was nothing. Even Scarlet hasn't told him anything. Yet, he had to pretend not to know. He was waiting for her to tell him about it and hearing it from someone else annoyed him.

Edward: Don't spoil me, I want to hear it from Scarlet personally. Just tell me more about the zone. How can I get her to snap out of it?"

Alex: There isn't a real way to get her out of it. We've tried. Scarlet only gets out of it the moment she figures something out. We could only help Scarlet to remain alive by feeding her and putting sleeping drugs in her food.

Edward didn't like the answer he got but he thanked Alex anyway. Scarlet's zone must have something to do with her coping mechanism. One didn't simply have PTSD and not create ways to cope without professional help. Some developed social anxiety, others were depressed. Some developed all kinds of phobias and others had personality disorders. Compared with those victims, Scarlet's method of coping was a little more dramatic. It was very Scarlet-like to transform her fears into strength to make herself stronger.

"What is it that you're afraid of, Scarlet?" he asked nobody in particular and wondered what she would do next. In a week, he should be seeing some results. The wish was only valid for one week and Scarlet must be worried over it. It wasn't in her nature to place bets either unless she was confident about winning. He might not know her for long but he noticed that his girlfriend had troubles being forthright about what she wanted. She liked to go in a roundabout way of asking for favours as if she had to work to earn them. The betting was a very good example and Edward couldn't wait to teach her how to act more spoiled after he granted her wish.