[Realm: Álfheimr]
[Location: The Deathless Fortress]
Ella let out an irritated breath as she descended the spiraling stone stairs, her slippers tapping in a loud rhythm against each step. "Ugh, that damn curse is so annoying…" she muttered, rolling her neck as though the frustration lived in her bones. Robert had peeled away from her earlier, and without him at her side the lingering agitation showed more clearly on her face—though not even annoyance dared to diminish the natural beauty that clung to her like it was part of the air she breathed.
("It's not even all that complex,") she thought, rubbing her temple as she stepped off the final stair, ("but the bastard designed it to leave after-effects even when removed correctly. And not knowing what those side effects are? That's the annoying part.")
