"The Council's special agents, led by SA Lukas Schmidt, have rescued three students and Sir Thomas Blackwood. All are stable. It is a welcome relief, though the search for the missing—"

A soft voice interrupted the broadcast. "Eydis Von Ap… Apfelhof?"

Eydis silenced her phone, slipped out her earbuds, and stood. She met the gaze of a woman a few inches shorter than herself.

"That I am," she said with a gracious inclination of her head. Her gaze swept over the woman, taking in the sharp white coat and the impeccably tailored suit beneath. "And to whom do I owe the pleasure?"

The woman's ocean-blue eyes narrowed, as if irritated, as though she had expected to be recognised. "Dr. Melissa Le Bleu. Follow me."

Prideful, Eydis noted, lips twitching.

She was guided through the cold corridors of Melissa's clinic. The doctor's office, however, was surprisingly tasteful. Natural light spilled across white walls. Outside, leaves swayed gently. It was strange for the season, and stranger still given they were ten floors up in the middle of Alchymia's central business district.

The doctor motioned to a plain examination bed and snapped on a fresh pair of blue latex gloves. "May I?"

"You may." Eydis settled into the cushions. "Though I suspect refusal wouldn't change the outcome."

The doctor blinked once. "Close your eyes."

She offered no further explanation.

With her eyes shut, Eydis felt a gentle touch at her scalp. A soft, warm blue glow seeped through her lids, beginning at the back of her head and filling her with an odd sense of peace.

Her body loosened and her thoughts slowed. Healing without elixirs or potions…

Intriguing.

When the session ended, a nurse escorted her for a second round of scans before returning her to Melissa's office. The doctor was already reviewing the results.

"All done. You'll stay here for fifteen minutes so we can monitor your reaction," she said, eyes still on the screen.

"As you wish, Doctor." Eydis took a seat and studied Melissa.

Why is everyone in this realm so incredibly striking? she thought. Or perhaps it was only the Gifted. They all seemed to shimmer just slightly, like their magic had soaked into their bones.

Melissa was no exception. Wavy azure hair tied into a loose ponytail, with a few strands framing those piercing blue eyes. She wasn't what Eydis pictured a doctor to be. She was young, in her mid-twenties, lean, and most unexpectedly...

"In all honesty, I was starting to suspect you'd transcended the need for medical care. My professional pride was on the verge of collapse."

Melissa held her thumb and forefinger a hair's breadth apart.

Especially that attitude. Delightful.

"Who knows, Doctor." Eydis said. "Perhaps I was avoiding what you might uncover. My mind is… densely occupied."

Melissa looked up from the X-ray. Her expression was less detached now, more calculating. "The fractures are gone. Completely. Given the severity of the initial injuries, this level of recovery is… unusual."

Eydis smirked. "Stranger things have happened, don't you think?"

"Not as strange as St. Kevin's sudden investment in a more competent Gifted doctor. Would you care to explain, Miss Von Apfelhof?"

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And that, of course, was why Eydis avoided checkups. As her power returned, her body had grown stronger, efficiently healing any lingering injuries.

Hmm.

Eydis breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Well, that saves me the trouble of limping into a second clinic."

"You're welcome to," Melissa said flatly. "But the results won't change."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Unless you think I doctored them."

"Doctoring by a doctor. How poetic. But no, I wouldn't dream of doubting you." Eydis let the pause stretch.

"Still," she said, "if someone needed a favour, say an ambitious politician with a daughter to protect: a missing signature here, a softened detail there. Small things with excellent returns. That would work, wouldn't it?"

Melissa's breath caught. The grip tightened on the X-ray.

Eydis'd found the nerve, and pressed just hard enough. Pride, wounded precisely where it mattered.

Melissa straightened. "Do you really think I have the time, or interest, for gossip? My record speaks for itself. You're a student. Don't mistake theory for experience."

Textbook deflection. Attack the speaker, avoid the argument.

"It's just a theory. You've had an impressive career, Doctor. St. Kevin's, top of your year, full scholarship. But Tiffany's mistakes aren't hard to notice. And if they resurface, people might ask questions. About who helped, who stayed quiet, and who had something to gain."

Melissa's eyes lit faintly with magic before dimming again. "And what, exactly, is wrong with treating a patient?"

"Nothing. But we both know that isn't what people will talk about. What's true rarely matters. What people believe does."

Melissa stiffened. The impact of the words landed. "I believe our session is over—"

"Just one thing." Eydis raised her phone. "There's a theory making the rounds. Thomas Blackwood and his circle. Trending, apparently. Over a million views. You're also mentioned, briefly."

Melissa's jaw clenched. "My ties to the Blackwoods are personal. My work is mine."

"Of course," Eydis said. "But that hasn't stopped the speculation, has it? Your age alone makes for easy headlines."

Melissa's eyes betrayed the sting.

Eydis went on. "Tiffany's record is still clean thanks to the Blackwoods and the school's discretion. But that doesn't last forever."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Melissa growled.

"Blackmail?" Eydis blinked. "Doctor, how could I? I'm just a powerless student making an observation. Surely you're not intimidated by that."

Melissa set the scan aside carefully. A hint of challenge surfaced in her eyes.

"Then tell me, as a fellow alumna… what exactly has our 'Talented' student figured out?"

Eydis's voice dipped. "It would be a pity, wouldn't it, Doctor, if your flawless reputation were tarnished by association? And with Thomas Blackwood now positioned as the city's darling, his heroism fresh in everyone's mind, I find it… curious that you weren't the one tending to the wounded hero."

Melissa's eyes widened, then narrowed.

Eydis rose from the bed, smoothing her oversized sweater. "Would you look at that. My time is up. Thank you, Doctor. I feel quite refreshed. Your care has been… illuminating."

She didn't wait for a response and left the office.

If her hunch was correct, Melissa Le Bleu would be among the attendees at the gala—a well-connected and respectable public figure. Well-connected enough to see this masquerade not as an opportunity but as a simple favour, and, most importantly, now just slightly off balance.

The Queen's gambit was in motion. Envy would play its part.

From what she'd gathered, the event was tightly secured, with high-profile guests attending from all over the country. Since it was a masquerade-style "anonymous" fundraiser, they weren't using the usual ID checks. Instead, entry was granted through invitations embedded with access chips. Reporters would be stationed at the front gate, but the real screening wouldn't begin until the inner door, where an AI scanner would start verifying physical features.

Melissa was shorter, but the tech could be fooled. Eydis had a plan for that. All she needed now was to remove the doctor from the equation before securing the invitation. And it was just her luck that Thomas Blackwood had sent his trusted family doctor to watch over her. If this plan failed, she might have to resort to... a much more violent method.

'Wouldn't you say so, Envy?'

'I certainly hope this doctor fails to see the logic you present, Your Majesty. I'm vibrating with anticipation for some action, as your power courses through me,' Envy hissed with glee.

'Woof woof,' Cerberus barked enthusiastically, probably already tasting the power coursing through Melissa.

Now that her power was stronger, Envy could operate further away from her physically. The seed had been planted; now, she only needed to wait for it to sprout.

Outside, a floating holo-screen hovered over the city square. Reporters surrounded Thomas Blackwood, who delivered humble statements about his heroic rescue. The missing St Kevin's students appeared to remember nothing, having likely been brainwashed by the creature.

But more importantly, the poll ticker at the bottom showed him as the current frontrunner for Senate.

Envy coiled in pleasure. 'I suspect tomorrow… the real performance begins.'

'Tomorrow,' Eydis said as she descended into the underground metro, weaving past the gathering commuters.

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