Althea and Clyde walked side by side down the long, polished corridor, the fading evening light spilling through the tall windows, casting a soft glow on the marble floors.
"Empress Celeste didn't say a word, no matter how much we prodded her," Althea said, her voice low but tinged with frustration. "It's like… she has been threatened by someone. Someone dangerous."
Clyde glanced at her, his usual playful demeanor replaced by something more serious. "She must have been. For her kids, no doubt," he replied, his voice soft but certain.
Althea halted abruptly, causing Clyde to stop a step ahead of her. Her eyes flared wide, a sudden realization sparking through her. "Wait—have I even seen Katelyn and Ronan since this morning?" she demanded, her voice sharp with rising panic.
They locked eyes, the unspoken tension snapping between them like a taut wire, their expressions mirroring the same dreadful understanding.
———
