The linoleum floor split by strips of dark wood ground softly with each step. The cold corridor was only lit at intervals, dim, golden lights going on and off, lighting the forest green wallpaper, leaving long stretches of shadow where light never quite reached.
There were pots of red camellias every once in a while on the wall between the lights with leather seats under them. Along those seats finely dressed figures sat in stiff silence with wealth in their postures, doctors drifted through the corridor at an unhurried pace.
The corridor moved at its usual calm until a sudden clatter broke against the floor sharp enough to turn everyone's head. A doctor stepped back as she passed, lightly struck by her shoulder, his irritation flickering across his face, yet he couldn't say anything and she didn't slow.
She walked into another room with more people sitting around as someone behind a door yelled their names for them to come in. She didn't waste her time waiting in line with people's faces turning to her without making eye contact. As she banged on the door loudly no one dared to speak up, nor the doctor inside or the nurse at the front desk. She didn't stop until she heard "Come in."
The room smelled faintly of ink and antiseptic. A man sat behind the desk, silver-haired, monocle glinting in the lamplight. Another patient occupied the chair beside him, hands folded too tightly in her lap.
"This is not the day set for your weekly review, Miss Celeste. You have arrived ahead of schedule."
"I'm aware." Celeste replied. She first eyed the doctor then her gaze flicked briefly to the patient. The woman avoided her eyes.
"I'll make sure to book another appointment for you Miss as soon as possible." The doctor stood up with his hand extended to shake the patient's. She only nodded with an uneasy look on her face before leaving the room for good.
The door closed. "Be seated."
Celeste dropped onto the same brown leather seats, opposite him, sprawling with careless familiarity. There was a sharpness to her stillness, like a storm contained behind glass.
"Explain to me why." she said, lifting a finger to the black collar around her throat. "This wretched thing won't stop itching since this morning?"
The doctor paused, his pen hovering. "So you can experience itching? That is new…" He wrote a couple of lines on his notebook.
"I am one foolish response of yours away from flooding this chamber entirely, answer me properly" she yelled out leaning slightly forwards, with her hands gripping the wooden desk.
The Doctor responded calmly:
"You know very well that such an outcome is no longer within your reach."
She went back to her old position, sitting more comfortably, hands down but her jaw was tight. The irritation beneath her skin pulsed, not painful, merely insistent. But the thing that bothered her the most was knowing why exactly she couldn't do that anymore. Why she couldn't flood the chamber with just one movement of her hand anymore.
"I'll examine it, but you are aware that this collar is also a first for humanity too, we, humanity has not yet learned all its honors. Come closer."
She rose at once, walked around the table next to the doctor, she bent a little at the sitting man's height.
The doctor glanced at the collar through his monocle, examining where it met her skin, tiny attachments going right into her skin, yet leaving no marks. He traced around her throat for a couple more minutes before leaning back to his seat with a paper in his hands.
He spoke as he glided the ink onto the paper. "I found nothing, at least, nothing I can account for."
Celeste exhaled sharply. "How invaluable."
Celeste's words barely had time to settle before the doctor spoke over her, his voice calm and measured, already halfway to a conclusion he had reached long ago.
"The only remedy that occurs to me," he said. "is a simple salve for irritation. I shall have a prescription written, give it to the front desk, and it will be sent to your quarters shortly. Maybe in a couple of hours."
Celeste looked more irritated as she was holding the collar, trying to get her finger between the skin and the fabric. The itching was a first for her, after all
"Have them deliver before I go back." she said, ordering.
"We are not the ones who conjure remedies unlike you, you know Celeste." he said. "We are human."
She lifted her eyes to his, steady despite everything. "Then do not remind me," Celeste said. "I live with it already."
He paused as the air got heavier. He wanted to respond but couldn't, couldn't get any words out of him. Instead his eyes flicked briefly away from her and toward the far wall. He spoke after exhaling. "If I am not mistaken, your allotted hours outside are nearly at an end, is it not?"
Their gazes lifted together, almost instinctively, toward the wood-cased clock mounted above the shelves. The glass face caught the sun's final light, amber and fading, the reflection trembling slightly as evening pressed in. The hands rested at 20:38.
Only twenty-two minutes left.
"I know," Celeste replied softly after speaking what was harsh to her. She reached forward and accepted the prescription, the paper warm from his hand.
The doctor studied her for a moment. "You usually resolve these matters with water, do you not?" A faint trace of amusement touched his voice. "It is in your nature, after all. A cream will be a first, if I am not mistaken."
"The first." she said, slipping the paper away.
Celeste lingered for a moment, meeting his deep brown eyes then she turned, already reaching for the door.
"Miss Celeste,"
The doctor's voice rose, urgently.
Celeste did not turn around at first. She only glanced back over her shoulder, one hand resting against the doorframe.
Behind her, he adjusted the monocle, pressing it more securely to his eye.
"You have been assigned a new task from the laboratory," he said. "Have you been informed?"
This time, she stopped fully.
"No," she answered after a brief pause. "Not that I'm aware of."
"I see." His tone softened again, returning to its usual clinical calm. "I am sure you will be informed once you return to your room."
Celeste turned away once more. She spoke only when she had reached the doorway, half in shadow now, half in the dim glow of the hall beyond.
"Alright," she said, looking back one last time. "Until next week, Doc Julian."
She finished the sentence only after she had left the room, her voice trailing into the waiting area beyond. A moment later, she caught his reply as the door eased shut behind her.
♕
The candlelight wavered violently with the sudden rush of air as Celeste pushed the door open. The flames bowed and flared, shadows tearing loose from the walls before settling again. She crossed the room quickly and dropped onto the edge of her bed, kicking her boots away with little care. The old frame groaned beneath her, the beige and green sheets shifting with each small movement.
She was right on time.
20:59.
Just one minute left. One minute until the evening checks.
Celeste drew in a deep breath, heavy with the day's exhaustion, an exhaustion she could not truly feel, only recognize by the resistance settling into her limbs, the way her muscles moved more slowly than usual. She leaned back fully onto the bed just as the door behind her creaked open.
"Miss Celeste?"
The nurse's voice floated in. She stepped inside, pale skirts brushing the floor, eyes scanning the room until they landed on Celeste sprawled across the bed.
"There you are."
She reached into the pocket of her dusty-pink uniform and produced a small notebook, flipping it. A pencil scratched as she checked something off the list. Celeste shifted, drawing her hair from beneath her neck as her head rested against the pillow, freeing it from the press of linen and skin. The mauve lengths spilled over the edge of the bed, cascading downward in a loose fall.
"You'll be receiving a…" The nurse squinted at the page, then leaned closer. "…an itching cream? Is that right?"
Before Celeste could answer, the nurse nodded to herself.
"Doctor Julian mentioned it would be delivered in a couple of hours."
"I clearly said I needed it as soon as possible," Celeste replied flatly.
The nurse thought for a second. "Perhaps this will do you good," she said lightly, already turning a page. "or at the very least, stir a bit of excitement…"
She paused, eyebrows lifting as she found what she was looking for.
"Ah. Here it is. A new duty for you from the laboratory, beginning tomorrow."
Celeste sat upright at once, the mattress creaking again as her attention sharpened.
"There is a person going around the town of Kova…chev…is…?" She frowned at the spelling, sounding it out slowly.
"Kovachevitsa?" Celeste offered.
The nurse looked up, lips curving faintly as she met Celeste's eyes.
"Exactly. How did you know?"
"I was around there while it was still rising."
"Well, isn't that thrilling, to return somewhere familiar…" Her voice began to drift, wandering, until Celeste cleared her throat pointedly.
"Oh yes. Right." The nurse straightened. "There is a person going around a town in Bulgaria, Kovachevitsa, using stones and debris to block streams and rivers. Nearby villages can no longer benefit from the water, especially along the Kanina River. The local police have attempted to apprehend him several times, but without success."
Celeste laced her fingers behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.
"So," she said, "it's on me."
"Indeed." The nurse slipped the notebook back into her pocket and tucked her pencil behind her ear. "And you will be accompanied henceforth."
Celeste's eyes brightened at that, a small spark of interest breaking through her composure.
"Really? A companion." She didn't even remember the last time the laboratory gave her one.
"A gentleman." she said. "I was told he will meet you first thing tomorrow morning," the nurse said as she turned toward the door. "And that he is quite thrilled to work with you."
Celeste's expression harde ed like she almost forgot to ask.
"A human or not?"
The nurse paused only briefly, her hand already on the door.
"You know, Celeste, only humans are permitted in these duties." she glanced back once. "Have a good night."
She stepped out into the corridor and shut the door, the old lock clicking into place, once, twice, several times, until the sound of her footsteps faded entirely.
"Of course it's a human," Celeste thought. Her attention and excitement were gone.
She lay back without bothering with any further night routine. With a single, effortless motion of her hand, every candle in the room went dark at once, leaving the cold space swallowed whole by shadow.
♕
The garden stirred awake beneath the first rays of sunlight, the gold of the sun settling into the red petals like honey poured, making a cool violet bloom. Dew became tiny mirrors, each drop holding a fragment of sunrise. A mild spring breeze wandered through the benches around, carrying the soft rush of wings as birds drifted with the air.
Celeste was sitting on a bench, enjoying the relaxing breeze. She noticed the slight vibration with the sound of walking. She didn't mind it and kept her eyes closed, head up toward the bleu céleste sky, that's what she liked to call cloudless open morning skies.
She noticed the footsteps before they were close.
They were too deliberate, too heavy to belong to a nurse or an orderly. The vibrations reached her through the stone path, steady and approaching. Still, she did not open her eyes.
That was until she could feel the breath in front of her from whoever that was walking towards her just earlier. She slowly opened her eyes and met eyes with the stranger boy standing over her.
"Madame Celeste?"
Celeste just nodded her head. This must be my partner, she thought.
He paused just short of her, inclining his head in greeting. The gesture was softened by a smile.
"It is a true pleasure at last, I'm very glad to finally meet you. I hope the morning finds you well."
He extended his hand, gloved in white leather.
Celeste's gaze lingered on it longer than politeness required. Humans were careless with touch. They always had been. Also, he was a human after all, she wasn't and people don't take that very well ever since humanity or non-humanity started. Still, after a moment, she placed her fingers lightly into his palm.
He lifted her hand and pressed a brief, almost ceremonial kiss to her knuckles.
"Jade de Béthune." he said. "That is just Jade for you Madame."
"Béthune?" Celeste asked raising one brow. "As in the French house Béthune?"
A faint smile curved his mouth. "Exactly. I believe we are assigned together from now on, right?"
Celeste moved a bit to her right and gestured her hand for Jade to sit down next to her. "Yes, you sure are." she said with a small smile to seem more polite, rather anything genuine.
Jade sat down next to her. "You were taken aback when I said Béthune Madame, is it that surprising?"
Celeste let go of the small smile and spoke as she would do normally. "Well it is a big and well born house after all." She turned her head to him and met his eyes, the same jade color with his name. "And what would a highborn noble whose life is already settled and worth more than many families combined be doing all the way in Greece, especially working in a job most people would walk the other way when they hear you work for?"
"Well Madame," Jade replied genuinely. "I, myself wouldn't really occur me as a suitable person for that noble like life." Celeste's lips twitched slightly.
"I've heard a lot about the adventurous life you had before here and would love to go on more with you, so I got the job."
"Adventurous?" Celeste raised one eyebrow of hers.
"Was it not for you?"
"It sure was," she shook her head slightly. "just an interesting choice of word to describe it."
Jade replied instantly, clearly wanting to learn more about Celeste. "So how was it for you?"
Celeste leaned back slightly and looked forward to the still golden colored garden, drifting her eyes off. "En…" All of a sudden she jumped back onto the reality from the gold. "We're drifting off our topic here." she said. "Do you even know what our mission is, Jade?"
Jade looked a bit down at the response he couldn't get out of Celeste but quickly went back to his usual self. "All I was informed was that there was a man blocking water with his powers and we had to find- stop him."
"Is that all? No details?"
"Nothing more." he said. "Do you know more Madame?" with excitement in his voice.
"First of all he is in Kovachevitsa," she paused and thought for a second. "You said powers right?"
"Yes."
"Then he must be a Lithogenus aeternus."
Jade just watched Celeste speak with a confused look on his face.
"A Lito what?" he asked.
"An Elion, for daily use." She looked a bit judging as she kept speaking. "Do they not teach you that in school? You are a noble after all, you for sure went to school."
Jade shook his head to his sides with a smile. "No, no, now I'm familiar with the name Trins. I'm just not the best with those Latin names that is all."
"As I was saying," with a small smirk. "He must be a Lito- Elion" she corrected herself for Jade. "Or else how is he supposed to move rocks right?" It wasn't a question since Celeste kept talking. "Shall we leave this evening or tomorrow morning?"
Jade was a bit shaken. "Wait that early?"
"We are still gonna be talking about the details more before we leave. Just," she looked up at the sun. "I'm going to have to go back to my room soon."
"I understand, then I'll visit you in the shortest time and then decide when to leave, does that suit you Madame?"
"Sure thing." Celeste said as she stood up with a breath out. "I must leave now, I'll see you in the shortest time, goodbye."
"À très bientôt, Madame." he smiled for the last time. "Prenez soin de vous." he said without Celeste being able to hear the last words.
She turned her back and walked away on the grey, shiny stone path and between the colorful petals into the building. Leaving Jade behind.