The Last Strokes Of Divine

The Garden was unnaturally still.

Soleil's defiance raising as Lady Saphielle's sharp words lingered in the air between them, their conversation teetering on the edge of submission or confrontation. But before either could speak again, the gentle rustle of hurried footsteps broke the tension.

Martha emerged from behind a curve of hedged lilies, her face composed but her eyes flickering with silent urgency.

She had been looking for Azeriah everywhere.

Luckily someone spotted her walking this route.

She was surprised to see the princess and the tension in the garden, But she had a more pressing matter at hand.

"Pardon me, Lady Saphielle," she said with a respectful bow. "But Azeriah has been summoned for an urgent task. I'm afraid it cannot wait."

Saphielle narrowed her eyes, displeasure etched across her fine features. But she said nothing, only stepped back and turned away, her silk skirts whispering disapproval.

Soleil cast one last glance at the woman's retreating figure, "i don't know what's the deal with this person but I hope we never cross path again till i find my way back " she thought.

Returning her gaze back to Martha to ask what the urgent task was , only to see she was already walking away in hurried steps

Running to catch up with her, she thanked her internally for getting her out of the weird situation with the princess.

Finally being able to reach her,

She asked "What task?"

Martha's voice dropped low. "You've been reassigned," she said. "As of today, you are now the emperor's personal servant."

Soleil froze mid-step. "What?"

Martha didn't slow. "You heard me. The orders came sealed. Official script, inner court seal. No room for appeal."

The world around them dimmed, sunlight filtering through the branches, gilding the stone path in gold, now seemed too bright, too distant. Her pulse thundered in her ears.

"To the emperor?" she repeated, her voice tight. "Why?"

"I wasn't told," Martha said, glancing back. "Only that your presence is required at the upper sanctum wing by twilight. You'll be given quarters nearby. And new livery." She hesitated. "And… the Black Flame sigil."

Soleil stopped walking altogether.

The Black Flame sigil was not for ordinary servants. It was given only to those bound to the emperor's most private halls, trusted with matters no commoner should see or speak of. It was, in many ways, both a promotion and a warning

She didn't want this.

First Auren

Then the weird princess

And now the Emperor

It's like everyday in this world spelt trouble for me, She thought .

I need to leave.

I need to do something fast.

I just want to be invisible, but that has gotten so hard.

What does the Emperor want?

Martha turned toward her , voice low, kind but firm. "I don't think this was meant as a punishment. You've drawn attention. And the emperor… he notices more than people think."

Soleil's hands clenched at her sides. Or maybe he noticed I don't belong here. Maybe it time to pay the price of stealing someone's identity.

It not like I asked for any of this , she was so frustrated.

Martha pressed a folded parchment into her hand. "This has your new route access. Read it before you reach the Noble Wing. And Soleil?"

She looked up.

"Be careful what you say in there. And even more careful of what you think."

Watching Martha's retreating footsteps, Soleil stood alone beneath the arched shade of carved stone and ivy. The garden was quiet again , and only the quiet hum of unseen birds and wind-ruffled leaves could be heard.

Her fingers curled around the sealed parchment.

The emperor's personal servant.

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The weight of the garden conversation with Lady Saphielle still clung to her like smoke, but this, this was different. Heavier.

What did he see when he looked at her?

What should she expect? Her thoughts ran wild.

She stared at the creases in the parchment, at the place where the emperor's sigil, dark ink shaped like a flickering flame marked the edge.

Then her face lit up suddenly .

Doesn't this seal means I'm now allowed near the sanctum. Her mind racing fast.

This was her way out.

Finally, some hope.

She would leave this place, and she would do it tonight.

Upper sanctum wing, Emperor's study chambers.

The air in the emperor's chambers was subdued, thick with the scent of cooled incense and charred myrrh. The Hollow Flame, ever-burning and ever-muted, pulsed low in the wall lanterns like the slow breath of some living thing. Shadows clung to the far edges of the vast room, drawn where Saya sat, posture composed but eyes half-lidded in thought.

Auren entered. as always, silent , straight-backed, every step precise.

He stopped a distance from the emperor and bowed his head. "Your Majesty."

Saya lifted his gaze, the flicker of green firelight glinting faintly off his iris. "Report."

"The Sanctum wards have held steady," Auren began, producing a scroll from his sleeve, "but the resonance around the Inner Circle is fluctuating again. Minor, but consistent. It's the fourth time such tremor is occurring month. We suspect residual interference from the Relic Vault's inner chambers, but—"

"It's not residual," Saya interrupted quietly.

Auren hesitated, his brow barely twitching. "Then… you believe something has been stirred?"

Saya did not answer immediately. He reached for a crystal shard on the table beside him, letting it rotate slowly between his fingers.

"Not stirred. Merely reacting."

"To what?"

That, too, earned no reply.

Auren understood the signal and gave a slight nod, allowing the matter to close for now.

After a pause, he straightened slightly. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I was informed earlier of a change in staff arrangement this morning. I wish to… clarify." His voice remained polite, neutral. "Regarding the appointment of the Divine Artistan Azeriah as your personal servant.

May I know reason behind this, he asked bowing slightly to show respect.

Saya didn't move.

The shard stopped turning.

For a moment , Auren thought perhaps he hadn't heard him at all.

But then Saya's gaze flicked to him, measured and unreadable. "You've grown curious."

"I remain… concerned only with ensuring the stability of the Sanctum," Auren said carefully. "A sudden change in status for someone of her former standing is bound to cause speculation."

Saya leaned back against the chair , his expression smooth, quiet. "Let them speculate."

Auren waited a moment longer, but the emperor's silence was complete.

He bowed his head again. "Understood."

Saya let the silence settle like ash before breaking it once more.

"I have also heard "he said, tone very casual . "About a maid. Soleil."

Auren's breath caught just briefly, a near invisible reaction before he responded.

"I encountered her by chance. Near the Sanctum arch."

That made Saya shift ever so slightly.

"She was carrying a linen basket large enough to obscure her face," Auren continued. " hair fully covered due to the maids mob cap . I couldn't make out any features. But something felt off. She paused too long at the threshold, looked towards the sanctum arch like she a longing for it."

Saya's silence carried a weight.

"I questioned her," Auren went on. "She claimed she was lost. Confused about her route. But it looked like there was something more than that. I suspected an intention toward the Sanctum itself."

He drew in a breath. "I ordered her to return immediately.

But I was unsettled and later, I tried to find her again. Checked every servant ledger, cross-referenced the wing rosters."

"And?" Saya asked, his voice cool.

"There was no one listed under the name 'Soleil.' Not on record. Not on any assignment schedule. It's as if she didn't exist at all."

And that's why I've begun a thorough search.

"You may go." Saya dismissed him

Auren gave a final bow, silent as ever, and left the chamber without another word.

When the door shut behind him, the room returned to stillness.

Saya leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the flickering flame in the lantern nearby. The silence stretched, but his mind was far from still.

A name that sparked his curiosity .

But not enough to unsettle him.

A strange girl. A strange feeling.