Isolde didn't run blindly when she left the archives, because she understood far too well that panic, when displayed too openly in a place like the Luminai Accord palace, was as good as a confession.
Instead, she forced herself to slow down the very moment she stepped into the corridor, even though every instinct inside her was screaming at her to run, to flee, to disappear before anyone realized what she had done.
Her heart was thudding so violently against her chest that she was certain anyone standing too close would hear it, but she lifted her chin slightly, straightened her shoulders, and adjusted the folds of her gown with the cleaning materials in her hand as she was trying to give in an aura of one that is composed.
"Normal," she whispered under her breath, her lips barely moving as she walked forward trying to keep herself composed. "You are completely normal, and you have done absolutely nothing illegal."
She paused for half a second, then added quietly, "Which is a lie, but at this point we must commit to it fully."
Her footsteps echoed softly against the polished marble floors as she moved through the long corridor.
Servants passed her carrying trays, linens, and bundles of neatly folded fabrics, and none of them paid her any particular attention, which would have been reassuring if she did not feel like she was seconds away from being discovered.
In the distance, a pair of guards shifted positions, their movements precise and disciplined, their eyes scanning the hall with quiet authority, and Isolde resisted the urge to turn away too quickly when one of them glanced briefly in her direction.
"Do not look suspicious," she muttered under her breath. "Looking suspicious will get you caught."
She turned a corner with controlled ease forcing her heart to beat at a regular pace because any irregular heartbeats sensed by the vampire guards will label you suspicious and definitely get you tailed, maintaining the steady pace of someone who belonged exactly where she was.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then, a voice rang out sharply from somewhere in the hallways, "Magic....it has been detected!". "Those damn witches dared to use magic in a place filled with vampires", another deep voice rang, "what a stupid move".
The words cut through the air with such force that Isolde nearly stumbled, her foot catching slightly against the smooth floor before she managed to recover.
Her breath hitched, but she kept walking. "Wonderful," she murmured, her tone dry despite the panic tightening in her chest. "Absolutely wonderful. That went better than expected."
Around her, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Guards began moving more quickly, their steps sharper and intent.
Conversations between servants died mid-sentence, replaced by uneasy silence as the announcement of the use of magic still recoiled in their ears. Their heads turned and their eyes sharpened. Other creatures who worked as servants began looking at the witches like they were trying to identify the culprit.
The palace which had felt controlled and orderly just moments ago now felt tense. Isolde kept walking. She did not speed up nor slow down. She simply kept walking like she did not just perform magic.
"Keep moving," she whispered to herself clutching her chest slightly. "If you panic now, if you might as well walk directly into a guard and confess."
She turned another corner and nearly collided with Maria.
"Isolde!" Maria grabbed her arm immediately, her expression tight with concern. "Where have you been? They are saying someone used magic and—"
"I did," Isolde said quickly, not even attempting to soften it.
Maria blinked and her face squeezed. "You… what?" "I will explain while we are walking," Isolde replied, already pulling her along. "Right now, we need to leave."
Maria did not move. "Leave?" she repeated, staring at her as though she had lost her mind. "Leave where?"
"Anywhere that is not here," Isolde said, her voice low but urgent. "Preferably somewhere that does not involve execution, vampires, imprisonment, or a very dramatic public example being made out of us."
Maria stared at her for a long moment. Then she sighed"…You really cannot go one single day without causing problems, can you?"
Isolde gave her a small, apologetic smile as they began moving again. "In my defense," she said, "this one is extremely important and only slightly catastrophic."
Maria shook her head as she followed.
"Fine," she said. "We are leaving. But if I die because of you, I will always be in your dreams haunting you"
"Noted," Isolde replied with a smug on her face. "Please haunt me politely. I would appreciate that."
Despite everything, Maria let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh. "I cannot believe I am agreeing to this," she muttered. "That makes two of us," Isolde said.
They moved quickly through the corridors now, though still not running, because running would draw attention, and attention was the last thing they needed.
Behind them, the building was no longer calm. Doors were being flung open. The sounds of boots striking the polished floors and then orders echoed through the halls.
"Search every servant!"
"No one leaves the building!"
"Find the witch!"
Maria glanced at Isolde, her expression tightening when she heard the orders. "You really did something serious this time," she said.
Isolde let out a small, strained laugh. "You have no idea," she replied.
They turned into a narrower hallway just as two guards appeared at the far end, their eyes scanning the space with sharp focus.
Maria froze instantly but Isolde did not.
She grabbed Maria's wrist and pulled her back the way they had come with a very quick movement. "This way," she whispered.
They slipped into a side passage just as the guards reached the main corridor, their voices echoing faintly as they continued forward.
Maria pressed her hand against her chest once they were out of sight. "That was too close," she breathed.
"Yes," Isolde agreed calmly. "Let us try very hard not to get caught."
Maria gave her a look. "You talk like it is easy to avoid them."
"We do not," Isolde admitted. "But I think it really pays to be optimistic," she said while panting.
Maria almost laughed as she never accepted the idea of optimism that Isolde always harbored in her "thick skull" as she always referred to Isolde brain and mode of thinking.
They continued moving through smaller corridors and servant passages, choosing routes that were less visible, less crowded, and far less likely to be patrolled heavily.
The deeper they went, the quieter it became, and the tension increased because it felt like someone was watching and trailing them in silence.
Eventually, they reached a large window overlooking the lower levels of the city, where the grand structures of the vampire region stretched outward in elegant, imposing designs.
Maria stepped closer and looked down. Then she froze. "…You cannot possibly be serious," she said slowly.
Isolde was already pushing the window open. "Oh, I am deadly serious," she replied.
"That is a very long fall; we could die Isolde" Maria said, her voice rising slightly. "It is a survivable fall and we will not die" Isolde corrected.
"What about your dreams of being with a vampire even as his sex slave," Maria turned to look at her trying to persuade her not to jump. "It will be shattered," she said again.
"Oh, that, I have given up on that dream. No normal vampire would like to take me in considering what I just did." Isolde said replying to Maria. "And trust me, we will survive this fall without breaking limbs," she said again
"You sound very confident for someone who has never actually tested that theory." Maria said
Isolde smiled faintly. "Well," she said, "there is a first time for everything."
Behind them, the sounds of footsteps and boots echoed closely and loudly. And they seemed to close.
Maria closed her eyes briefly. "I hate you," she said.
"I understand," Isolde replied gently. "Now jump before we get caught."
And before either of them could think too much about it, they jumped.
The sound of Maria screams echoing.