JUDGED

Tide was still in Adeline’s office on the second floor of The Grid, the small sound of the club below barely reaching through the thick walls. The overhead light cast a bright glow on the dark wooden desk, illuminating the stacks of files spread out before him.

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a slow, frustrated sigh as he grabbed another file from the pile. Name. Background. Affiliation. He skimmed through the details, flipping to the attached report.

"Denied," he muttered under his breath, tossing the file into the growing pile of rejects in the trash bin beside him.

This was his third round of reviewing these damn invites. The first time, Adeline had done a rough cut. The second, she had filtered them further. And now, here he was, going through the “final” selection to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks before the list reached the castle.

He picked up another file. This one had a familiar name. He paused, tapping a finger against the cover.

Hector Grayson.

Tide’s lips pressed into a thin line. That guy was trouble. He was kind of rich idiot who thought throwing money around gave him a free pass to do whatever the hell he wanted.

"Not happening," he muttered, flipping the folder shut and dropping it straight into the trash.

Yes, that was personal, alright.

He worked through the stack at a slow pace, occasionally stopping to take a sip from the half-empty coffee cup on the desk. Most of the names were forgettable, people looking for a taste of luxury and power they had no business reaching for.

Every now and then, though, he’d come across someone who actually had a shot. Someone with the right connections. The right influence. The kind of person third masters might actually approve.

Those files, he set aside carefully.

Soon, the clock on the wall ticked past 11 PM, but he barely noticed. He now had a job to do, and the last thing he needed was Adeline breathing down his neck for slacking off, or actually threatening to kill him.

He grabbed another file, and skimmed through the details, then stopped when another certain section caught his eye.

Red flags. Multiple.

His jaw tightened as he read further.

Yeah. No way in hell.

He exhaled sharply through his nose and, without hesitation, tossed the file into the trash.

One less problem to deal with.

𝐄.𝐃.𝐄.𝐍

𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 @ 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄

The room was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn halfway to let in the soft morning light, and a faint chill hung in the air, but Evangeline didn’t seem to notice. She was propped up against the dark wooden headboard, her body finally free from the strain that nearly destroyed her.

Her usual stiff, elaborate gowns has been replaced with a simpler underdress, light and specially breathable, allowing her exhausted body to rest without the usual suffocating weight of layers. She looked better—less pale, less drained—but still tired. Like a candle that had flickered too close to burning out.

Adeline stood up and walked to the door, with stiff posture. Her eyes flicked over her sister once, assessing, satisfied that Evangeline wouldn’t suddenly collapse again, she reached for the doorknob.

“Wait,” Evangeline called, torn between saying it and letting her leave.

She paused, not turning around.

A beat of silence passed before Evangeline exhaled slowly. “Thank you.”

Her fingers tightened around the doorknob.

She let out a short sniff. “I don’t need it,” she said flatly, finally turning her head slightly to glance at Evangeline. “I didn’t do this because I wanted to.”

Evangeline only nodded, as if she had expected that answer. It's Adeline we are talking about here.

She held her gaze for another second before stepping out, shutting the door behind her without another word.

\---

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐃 - 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

The scent of alcohol and sweat clung to the air, a leftover trace of the previous night’s crowd. The ground floor was quieter now—only a handful of people lingering, most of them either nursing hangovers or finishing off whatever early morning business they had.

Adeline moved through the club with a frown, ignoring the few glances thrown her way. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and pushed open the office door without knocking.

Inside, Tide was slumped over the desk, dead asleep, his head resting on one of the stacks of files. The sight almost made her frown harder.

She walked over and flicked his ear. Hard.

He jolted upright with a sharp inhale, blinking rapidly as he tried to process where he was. His eyes darted around before landing on Adeline, who was watching him with an unimpressed look.

“What the—” His voice was rough with sleep. He rubbed his face before glaring at her. “Seriously?”

Adeline leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “You had one job.”

“I did the job.” He gestured at the organized files, then yawned. “Finished everything. Unlike you, I actually need sleep to function.”

She ignored that. She pushed the stack of files toward him. “Take these to the castle. Master will go through them before the tonight.”

He groaned, leaning back in his chair. “Right now?”

She raised a brow. “No, tomorrow. Maybe next week. What do you think?”

He exhaled sharply and grabbed the files, muttering something under his breath. “Should’ve known you’d stick me with this.”

As he stood up, he hesitated for a moment, then looked at her. “How’s Evangeline?”

She didn’t even blink. “She’s fine now.”

“Good.” With that, he picked up the files and left, leaving her alone in the office.

She sighed, rolling her shoulders, then turned toward the desk. There's still work to do.

\---

Tide stepped out of The club and into the cold morning air, rolling his shoulders as he adjusted his grip on the files. The streets were still waking up even though it was still late morning. He made his way to the sleek car he drove last night, unlocking it with a click before sliding into the driver’s seat. The low purr of the engine rumbled beneath him as he pulled out of the lot, merging onto the road.

It shouldn't bother him but it did. Adeline hadn’t given him much room to argue back at The club last night. Not that he could, not when she had a point. Evangeline had thrown herself into this mess, knowing full well what the consequences would be. And yet, somehow it was always her coming to clean her sister's mess a way or the other and of she didn't, they all judge her.

\---

𝐄.𝐃.𝐄.𝐍 - 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄

The gates opened automatically as the car approached, the heavy iron sliding apart without a sound. Tide drove in without hesitation, the tires crunching lightly against the gravel path leading toward the castle. The estate was back to its original, untouched state.

Illusion magic was no joke.

He pulled up near the entrance, cutting the engine and grabbing the stack of files. With a deep breath, he stepped out, taking a moment to glance up at the towering structure before heading inside.

The castle was quiet, so quiet that it pressed against his ears, making even the smallest sound feel loud. He moved quickly heading straight toward the grand staircase that led up to the third floor.

By the time he reached the super-wide study, he was already preparing himself mentally as he kept the files on the large desk. He then took a deep breath and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him. This was the part he hated.

He adjusted himself and walked toward the the opposite hallway, stopping in front of the second chamber doors.

Knocking twice, he inhaled sharply, bracing himself. Then, without waiting for permission, he pushed the doors open and stepped inside.