Chapter 16: A Bitter Return

The atmosphere in Aeris was thick with the familiar buzz of the floating city, the hum of the islands defying gravity merging with the bustling streets below. Sienna stepped off the transport vessel, the same cool elegance with which she always arrived, with her black hair curls bouncing as she walked though the streets and her palid marble skin reflecting the sunlight.

First, she headed to her luxurious apartment, a high-rise tower overlooking the bustling heart of Aeris. The view, with its sprawling network of islands in the distance, should have been a comfort, but instead, it only reminded her of the weeks spent in isolation. After unpacking her things, Sienna made her way to the desk and retrieved her holographic communicator.

She knew she had to face the inevitable. There was only one way to know if her meteoric rise had truly stalled, if her absence had cost her too much—she had to speak with Magistrate Ilara Drena. Ilara was sharp, cunning, and never one to mince words. But Sienna had once been her right hand, her most trusted ally in the delicate dance of diplomacy that held the islands of Operientes Solem together. It was time to see if she still held that place.

With a deep breath, Sienna activated the communicator, watching the holographic display flicker to life. After a few moments, the unmistakable, cold voice of Magistrate Drena filled the room.

"Blessed are the eyes, the prodigal daughter of the Veilore. What brings Your Majesty to speak with me once again, after such a long absence?" Ilara's voice dripped with mockery, the amusement clear in her tone.

Sienna clenched her jaw. She knew exactly what the magistrate was doing—she was using her sharp wit to provoke. But Sienna had learned long ago that responding to her jabs only invited more.

"Apologies for the absence, Magistrate Drena," Sienna said, trying to keep her composure. "I did not expect my time away to last this long. I had to—"

"Yes, yes, I know what you had to do," Ilara interrupted, cutting her off with an exasperated wave. "And I could not care less."

Sienna's eyes narrowed, and she gripped the edge of the desk harder. She had known Ilara's tendency for cruelty, but this—this was personal.

"I thought that floating rock of Calla Veil meant nothing to you," Ilara continued, her voice smooth like velvet yet sharp like a dagger. "I am very careful with who I place in positions of power, and I thought you could have been a key figure in Operientes Solem’s administration. But clearly, I was mistaken."

A tense silence filled the room, and Sienna felt her heart skip a beat.

"Tomorrow morning, I want your things out of my office," Ilara added coldly.

Sienna's pulse quickened. "Are you firing me?" she asked, her hand clenching into a fist at her side.

"No," Ilara replied with a cruel smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I’m demoting you. A punishment far worse than any dismissal for someone like you."

The transmission cut off abruptly, leaving Sienna staring at the now blank screen, her mind reeling from the sharp blow.

Her breath caught in her throat as rage and humiliation surged through her. She let out a furious scream, her voice echoing through the empty apartment. She reached for the nearest object—a glass vase—and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, pieces scattering to the floor like the fragments of her shattered pride.

That damn Magistrate Drena would pay for this humiliation. Sienna was certain of it. But how?

As the anger began to boil over, she realized she needed to clear her mind, to find a way to regain control. In that moment, the solution came to her. The one thing that had always helped her forget—if only for a while—was the bar she frequented. It was a place where she could let loose, drink her frustrations away, and lose herself in the anonymity of the crowd.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her coat and headed out. The cold night air hit her as she left the building, and with each step, the anger and bitterness seemed to melt away, just a little. She had to let go, at least for tonight. Tomorrow, the world would be a different place—but tonight, she would drown her frustrations in a drink.

As she entered the bar, the familiar, dimly lit space greeted her. Sienna walked to the counter, her eyes scanning the room looking for her favourite spot to sit.

In just over twenty minutes, Sienna was already on her third drink. It was a bitter liquor she’d never tried before. At first, it tasted awful, but after a few more sips, she started to get used to it and kept ordering round after round.

“Boss, what the hell is this stuff? It’s amazing,” Sienna said, clearly starting to get drunk.

“It’s jade liquor from the south of Tharvannis,” came a familiar voice.

It was Dante Varnel, a colleague of Sienna's at the Operientes Solem administration, with whom she had a brief affair while she was getting to know Calen.

“Oh, what are you doing here?” Sienna asked.

“Same as you,” her colleague replied. “I’ve heard they’re going to demote you. It’s likely that I’ll be your superior now, and considering your family practically works for mine, I think you should show me some more respect. I still haven’t forgotten how you left me hanging in the cafeteria that morning after we spent the night together.”

“What?” Sienna said, her voice sharp. “First of all, I didn’t leave you hanging, I left you lying there like the garbage you are. I made it very clear I wanted nothing with you, it was just sex, nothing more. And second, Levicita will stop floating the day I work for you,” she added, her tone icy.

Her colleague, clearly angry at her words, grabbed her by the wrists and said, “Let’s see if you understand, little slut. You’re nobody around here now, so why don’t you show me some respect in my apartment? Let’s go.”

Forcing her, he made Sienna, already drunk, stumble and fall off her stool, her mouth hitting the floor, causing it to bleed.

“What the hell are you—?” Before Sienna could finish the sentence, a loud crash and another thud echoed through the room.

A large man, built like a wall and with a menacing look, had intervened between Sienna and her colleague. He delivered a punch to the man’s stomach, knocking him unconscious. It was Balthar Drik, the mercenary and bounty hunter.

“I can’t stand scum like this who don’t know how to treat women properly,” he said in a deep voice. He extended his hand to help Sienna up.

“Thank you,” Sienna said, grateful. “I really appreciate it, it was getting out of hand, maybe I’ve had too much to drink. How can I repay you?” She said, leaning toward Balthar and placing a hand on his chest.

Balthar quickly moved her hand away. “Don’t rush things, girl. You want to thank me? Let’s chat for a bit. I’m looking for someone. Maybe you’ve heard of them.”

Sienna’s expression faltered when she realized her advances weren’t going to get anywhere. She ordered two more rounds of jade liquor from the bartender and sat down next to Balthar at a secluded table in the bar.

“Alright, who are you looking for? If there’s one thing I know, it’s the people of Aeris. So, go ahead,” she said.

“I’m looking for a young woman, about eighteen years old, named Livra Veyne. She’s slim, tall for a woman, with long black hair, though that may have changed since it’s been two years since anyone’s heard from her. The only clue I have is that she’s been wandering with groups of artists, island-hopping constantly. Maybe someone like that rings a bell, someone who sings or plays an instrument or even does portraits for money on the streets.”

“Portraits?” Sienna said. “I don’t know anyone like that, but I have an idea of who you might be referring to.”

“Oh, really?” said the mercenary. “Looks like I made the right choice talking to you, girl.”

At a nearby table, Rion, Calen’s colleague, was attentively listening to the conversation between that two very different people.