Job: Spell my Name

Lydia had weird dreams after her first job. It was as if she relived the day over and over, taking different paths, and when she woke up, she couldn't tell what really happened. She felt like they had all happened. When she got to the lobby, she explained the feeling to Shad, who simply nodded.

"A benefit of the brand you bear." He pointed unnecessarily to the mark on her breast, slightly covered by fishnet. "You gain a small measure of his perception. It is complicated, but you will see many possibilities until your debt is paid and the mark removed."

"Future possibilities?" Lydia asked, wondering if she could tell the future.

"No, past paths through time. The hotel room itself may manifest from these paths. It is a reflection of you, after all." He finished as if that was the end of the explanation. "Are you ready for your next job?"

"Depending on what happened or not in my last job, I wasn't ready then. But I don't see myself becoming more ready anytime soon. Let's have it." Lydia shook the memories from her head.

"A sorcerer needs assistance with a spell. Show up and do as instructed. It is as simple as that." Shad explained in his calm voice.

"Don't they have apprentices? I don't know a thing about magic spells." Lydia figured her TTRPG experiences didn't count.

"Wizards do. Sorcerers are a bit more chaotic and are usually fine on their own. However, sometimes, such as now, they need help with new spells. Mostly to assist if something goes wrong." He slid the paper over to Lydia.

"So I just stand back with the fire extinguisher in one hand and my phone in the other?" Lydia checked her phone and saw an enormous number of pictures and videos of herself being violated that she was sure didn't happen to her.

"Essentially, yes." Shad pushed another paper towards her. "Call this number if something goes wrong that you can't resolve."

Lydia took the papers quickly, but when she looked back at her phone, she saw that the pictures and videos were gone. "Right."

Confused and a touch worried, Lydia put the number in her phone and left the hotel. Her destination was only a few blocks away, and this time, she didn't have a heavy bag to haul, so she walked it quickly enough. The only delay was to check out a guy who had been checking her out and flirt briefly so the woman he was with would notice. She could hear the ensuing argument until she entered the building. Finding the unit number, she knocked on the door. There wasn't a response, so she knocked again. Still nothing.