Ciel's POV
I stayed on the cold floor, my body pressed against the stone as if the ground itself could steady me. The doctor and his helpers crowded around Clara, their hands moving frantically, their voices tight with urgency. I should have been at her side, I should have been doing something—anything—but I was frozen, useless, my chest hollowed out by terror.
Every cry, every murmur of the doctor's orders felt like a blade dragging across my skin. The more they fought for her, the deeper I sank into despair. My hands shook, my vision blurred, and all I could do was whisper her name under my breath as though repeating it would tether her here with me.
"Your Highness," the doctor said gently, "being here isn't good for you. Please, you should wait outside—"
"No!" I snapped, my voice breaking. "I must be here. I can't leave her."
"Your Majesty…" he tried again, but I couldn't hear him anymore. The world around me faded into nothing except the fragile rhythm of Clara's heartbeat—faint, but still there. I clung to it like a drowning man to air.
After what felt like an eternity, the doctors finally stepped back.
"Your Majesty," one said carefully, "she's out of danger. But she won't wake up for a while. Please… be patient."
Relief and exhaustion washed over me at once. "Alright…" I whispered, pulling myself up from the floor. My legs trembled as I stumbled to her bedside. I lay down carefully beside her, gathering her fragile form against me.
"My love," I murmured softly, pressing my lips to her hair. "Please… wake up."
LUCIEN'S POV
I just stood there, frozen in fear.
No… no, this can't be happening. If this is real—if Malvrik actually has something—then it's the end for me.
No. Wait. Breathe, Lucien. Relax. It's not as if Malvrik truly has anything that could make Asriel cast me aside.
"This is bad, Lucien," Lila whispered gravely beside me. "If this is true, then we're done."
"Don't worry," I said, forcing my voice steady. "I know Malvrik. He doesn't have a mind of his own. He can't do anything without someone controlling him."
But in my head the thought clawed at me:
What if he did? What if this time, he actually does? Then it's really over.
"These documents better be worth you risking your life over, Malvrik," Asriel snarled, his voice sharp as a blade.
"Yes, Master," Malvrik said, bowing low. "It's worth a thousand times more than my life. And it will give you what even that bastard Lucien never could." His glare burned into me.
"Fine then," Asriel said, snatching the documents from Malvrik's hands.
To my horror, a slow, wide smile began to spread across Asriel's face.
Ciel's POV
After some time, I kept holding Clara gently beside me, keeping her close, refusing to let go. Then suddenly—she stirred.
I froze, then looked down at her face as her eyes fluttered open weakly.
"Ciel…" she whispered.
"Serena, my love," I breathed, clutching her tighter. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes. "My love, I'm so glad you're okay. I… I'm sorry. I wasn't there for you. I left you again." My voice broke. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I kept whispering, the words spilling out like a desperate prayer.
"Ciel," she said softly, lifting her trembling hand to my face, gently bringing me close. "It's okay… it's alright."
"No, no, it's not. I almost lost you too, my love," I whispered, shaking my head as more tears fell.
"It's alright, Ciel. I'm right here, remember? I promise I'm fine."
I held her close, so happy—so grateful—that she was alive, that she was still here with me.
But then, she looked at me with a flicker of worry.
"Ciel… I saw someone in your office. He took some documents."
"It's alright, my love. Don't worry," I reassured her, brushing a hand through her hair.
"But… he looked really dangerous and he was happy when he saw them. I think they were important," she said weakly.
I shook my head. "It's okay, my love. I took all the important documents out a long time ago and hid them somewhere safe—I couldn't trust anyone anymore. The ones in the study now are just fakes, enchanted to look valuable. So there's no need to worry, my love."
"Alright…" she whispered, finally relaxing.
I stroked her hair slowly, my heart still racing. That man who broke into my study had no idea what he'd gotten himself into. And soon, he was going to regret it.
Lucien's POV
Damn it. I'm dead.
Asriel's fist struck Malvrik before I could think. The man flew across the hall, cracking against the stone. I stood frozen, heart slamming against my ribs. What the hell?
Asriel pounced, fury incarnate. He hauled Malvrik up by the collar until the bruised man doubled, coughing and bleeding. "How dare you," Asriel seethed, eyes cold fire.
"Master—why?" Malvrik croaked, struggling for breath.
"For breaking into enemy territory. For attacking Clara—the key to our plans. For chasing worthless, cursed documents," Asriel snarled. "You idiot."
Heat flared through me. He hurt Clara. My blood boiled. If anything happened to her, everything I'd built would collapse. That idiot Malvrik—he'd risked it all for some scrap of paper.
Asriel's hand rose to strike again. "I'm going to kill you—"
"Wait." I stepped forward, a slow, cruel smile unfurling across my face. The anger in me sharpened into something colder and more satisfying than murder. "Don't."
Lila glanced at me, eyes wide. "What are you doing?"
"You don't have to kill him, Asriel," I said, voice smooth. "I have a far better idea." I could see it already—every twisted, perfect corner of the revenge I'd shaped in my head. Malvrik would pay. In a way that burned longer than death.