Slowly, Celestia turned the doorknob and opened the door, her heart pounding with uncertainty. For a fleeting moment, she thought the corridor was empty. But then, a voice cut through the silence, causing her to look up. It was the woman from the atrium, the one who had sneered at her earlier.

  Zara scoffed at Celestia, her expression a mask of disdain. Without a glance back, she spoke as if Celestia were invisible. “Lord Nightglen, your 3 o’clock meeting is about to start. I will escort this…” She paused, her eyes running over Celestia like a venomous snake. “…woman outside and ensure she doesn’t disturb you again, my lord.”

  With a grip like iron, Zara seized Celestia’s wrist, dragging her from the room. Caleb’s eyes narrowed at the sight of his assistant’s rough treatment. A surge of anger ignited within him, his golden eye glowing with barely contained fury. His voice, cold and dark, cut through the tension. “This is not necessary, Zara! She can leave on her own.”

  His words were laced with authority, a command that no one who knew him dared challenge. The air grew frigid as he spoke, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of his displeasure.

  Zara, momentarily taken aback, tightened her hold on Celestia. “But my lord…” She yanked Celestia’s wrist, raising it almost mockingly. “She doesn’t belong here! She’s a mere commoner, disrupting your important work! I was determined to not let her see you! Does she genuinely think her…” She looked Celestia up and down, her contempt palpable. “…fat, portly body would charm you? That she could trick me into believing she needed your help? Simply an excuse to just disturb you and try to get a better position for herself!”

  Zara’s disdain flowed freely as she dragged Celestia down the corridor, her words like daggers. Completely ignoring what Caleb had told her. “My lord would never look at this pile of disgusting meat! NEVER! He deserves better than this ugly sight.” she muttered, her tone dripping with venom. With each step, her anger intensified, until they reached the staircase. Without a moment’s hesitation, Zara flung Celestia down the curved steps, her laughter mingling with the sound of Celestia’s body hitting the floor. Zara was satisfied with herself, sure she would be praised for handling this disgusting intruder so brilliantly.

  But when he saw Zara toss Celestia down the stairs, a primal rage surged within him. Caleb’s jaw clenched, a growl simmering beneath the surface. He was frozen in place, he could not believe what just happened while he was standing in the doorway of his office. Torn between his position as Lord, the image he needed to keep, and his instinct to protect.

  He fought to contain his emotions, struggling against the tumult inside him. “LEAVE this office! You’re fired. Get another job! And by the stars, never crossways with me again, ZARA!” His voice was calm, but the intensity simmering beneath made it sound like a death sentence. Caleb clenched his hand beside him, in an attempt to regain control over his anger before his magic would leash out, or he would throw a dagger at this woman.

  Zara’s shock quickly morphed into indignation. “You can’t mean this, my lord! I’ve worked for you for five years! FIVE Years!” She pointed down the staircase, her face twisted in anger. “That… that thing down there? She’s just like the others! They all come with the same pathetic excuse for seeing you! They want something from you! But I know the truth! They just want to charm you, my lord. I protect you!”

  “THAT ONE DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE!!” Zara’s voice rose to a shriek, filled with desperation and madness. Her mind was unable to comprehend what just happened. This was the first time she saw Lord Caleb this angry.

  A dangerous growl erupted in Caleb’s throat, his golden eye blazing with golden fury as he locked eyes with Zara. His magic was barely at bay. “Enough, Zara!” he snarled, stepping forward, closing the distance between them, but her laughter was already echoing down the corridor.

  “YOU FIRED ME! I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!” Zara’s fury morphed into madness, her hands sparking with barely contained magic. She summoned a small fireball, the flames dancing menacingly in her palm. When she reached the ground floor, she grabbed Celestia by her hair and dragged Celestia toward the grand double doors leading outside. “I will show you what happens to scum like you!” Zara's mind spun this wild idea, that if this woman was no more, everything would turn back to the way it was. Her beloved Lord would be normal again.

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  “Stay out, scum!” she shouted, flinging Celestia down the front flight of stairs, the sound of her body thudding against stone echoing through the gardens. The few clerks and citizens enjoying the garden turned around to see what was happening. Zara hurled the fireball after her, without hesitation, the flames soaring through the air. But a golden spark had dissolved her magic.

  Caleb’s expression darkened as he reached the entrance, his control finally shattering. With a furious growl, he stormed down the stairs, shoving Zara aside as if she were nothing more than a piece of debris. He dropped to his knees beside Celestia, panic flooding through him. “Hey! Celestia. Look at me! Look at me!”

  His hands trembled as he grasped her chin gently, his heart racing as he checked for injuries. Celestia groaned painfully, blinking as her surroundings came into focus. “It…hurts…to be tossed…down…two times…some stair…cases…”

  The sight of blood trickling from her forehead sent a jolt of panic through him. Long-forgotten memories tried to resurface, fuelling his panic even more. “Don’t try to move, it can make it worse. Just hold still, Celestia. I will heal you!”

  “It’s…Miss…Pendragon…my lord.” Celestia’s voice was weak, her breath laboured. Behind them, chaos erupted as Zara screamed at Celestia. Blaming her for everything. But Caleb didn't care, and Celestia was too focused on the pain that had given her relief from the Voices and the burning sensation. Someone had alerted the Royal Guards, which dragged her away. One guard stepped forward, his voice respectful yet firm. “Lord Nightglen, could you explain what happened here? It's a first that we see such a commotion at the City Office.”

  Caleb’s attention remained locked on Celestia, his focus unwavering. “Don’t close your eyes. Stay awake. Please stay awake!” he pleaded, shaking her gently. His mind was a mess, he knew the healing spell, but something hindered him from using it immediately.

  “Sorry, Lord Nightglen... Could you elaborate on what happened?” the guard pressed, oblivious to the tempest brewing within Caleb. “How did the Miss end up here? Did you try to defuse the situation? What was the trigger?”

  Celestia’s head swam, her vision blurring again. This wasn’t how she imagined her day would unfold. Her fingers twitched, he wanted to heal herself as usual, but the memories of failed painful attempts blocked her. With a raspy breath, she drifted into comforting quiet darkness.

  Caleb’s frustration boiled over, his fists clenching as he turned to the guard, his golden eye blazing with his magic. “SECURE THE DAMN AREA! ARREST THE WOMAN! CAN’T YOU SEE WE NEED SPACE? How incompetent are you City Royal Guards! At the Palace, the commander would make you run fifty laps for this faux pas!” Caleb's mind raced, why was he so different today? What was happening here?

  The guard blinked in surprise, but he nodded, barking orders to his comrades, pushing back the gathering crowd and casting a blocking spell.

  Celestia huffed beneath Caleb’s healing hands, the pulsing green light shimmering over her skin. “Almost done, Celestia. Almost done!” he murmured, his voice a mix of urgency and desperation.

  He took a moment to steady himself, focusing on her injuries, trying to regain control over his emotions. The air crackled with tension, the aftermath of the chaos still thick around them. His mind finally grasped the situation, probably. “Fine, I’ll elaborate,” he finally said, his tone clipped and precise. “I was having an appointment with Lady Pendragon. We had a friendly misunderstanding, and she was on her way out of my office. Lady Pendragon was standing in the door frame when my assistant arrived to tell me about my 3 o’clock meeting.”

  Caleb’s gaze remained locked on Celestia, seeing the faintest flicker of awareness in her eyes. “When she saw Lady Pendragon, something changed. My assistant grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the staircase. While muttering to herself. I tried to defuse the situation with words. She spoke about not disturbing me and insulted Lady Pendragon’s appearance.”

  His voice trembled with restrained anger. “Then she threw Lady Pendragon down the first staircase to the ground floor. At that moment, I fired her and demanded that she leave. But when she saw Lady Pendragon on the floor, she snapped again, dragging her by the hair, and summoning a fireball. She tossed Lady Pendragon out of the building like she was rubbish. I deflected the fireball before it could hit Lady Pendragon.”

  Caleb’s frustration surged again, his fists tightening. “Is this detailed enough?” he snarled at the guard, who merely nodded, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.

  The pulsing green light sank deeper into Celestia’s skin, the healing magic weaving through her body like a lifeline. Caleb’s concentration deepened, his brow furrowing as he fought to keep the darkness at bay for both of them.