It was past 7 p.m. by the time Esme finally closed her last file. She pushed her chair back, intending to leave, but the sudden, sharp pulse of pain from her still-healing wound made her falter. She clutched the desk for support, the injury from her recent fight stinging intensely despite Beom's slow healing magic. Breathing through the pain, she straightened up and pulled open her drawer.
Inside, a small, transparent container of white pills glinted under the light. Rehan had warned her: these weren't just painkillers. They accelerated healing but at a cost—intense drowsiness that could make even the strongest waver. Esme swallowed one, almost feeling the bitterness soak into her bloodstream. Within moments, the familiar, thick haze began clouding her mind, dulling the pain but making everything seem dreamlike, slightly off-balance. She leaned back in her chair, deciding she'd wait it out here; there was no way she'd risk letting anyone see her in this state.
