A woman, likely around Kieran's age, strode past me like she owned the earth beneath her heels.
Blonde. Regal. Sharp gaze.
She walked like a model — if not one — her golden hair swaying behind her with every step. Effortless beauty, effortless dominance.
I might no longer have power, but I hadn't lost my sense for it.
The moment she passed, my veins ached. A dull, familiar throb — magic, ancient and volatile, even if faint. She oozed something unnatural. Not her own, but borrowed.
Goddess Kelly.
Kieran's twin.
Born two hours apart, yet worlds different.
She had no power of her own — not truly. Her divine access was partial, dependent on her brother's presence. A twin in title, a goddess in borrowed light. No one in their family truly took her seriously. She was ornamental. A shadow of the powerhouse she shared blood with.
Still, I'd done my research on her.
And right now, she was staring straight at me.
"Hey," she called, voice crisp like cold steel. "Who are you?"
I stiffened. I wasn't supposed to be noticed — not this early, not by her.
But she had paused. Her eyes raked over me like she was trying to peel back layers.
"I—I'm the new maid," I stammered, dipping my head quickly.
Her lips curled in something between amusement and skepticism.
"New maid?" she echoed, slowly. "What's your name?"
"Elara," I said, forcing strength into my voice.
She said nothing more — just walked past, stopping once… twice… to throw a sidelong glance at me.
Her eyes lingered like she knew something.
But… she wasn't supposed to know anything.
If she could feel me — really feel who I was — I was finished before I'd even begun.
My pulse spiked. I fled to my next chore, panic crawling beneath my skin.
I scrubbed the marble floor with such force, I forgot where I was. My thoughts, my control, my sense of mission — it all unraveled.
That's when it happened.
I slipped — hard — my foot catching the edge of the mop bucket. Water sloshed violently, splashing over my dress… and onto someone else.
A deathly silence followed.
I didn't need anyone to tell me who stood before me.
Kieran.
His polished shoes dripped with soapy water. His suit, dark and sharp as his reputation, was streaked near the hem.
I froze. My breath caught. My hands trembled as I lowered my head, heart slamming against my ribs.
His arms were folded. His gaze? Unreadable.
"Who are you again?" His voice wasn't loud — but it was razor-sharp. Cold. Stern.
"I—Elara," I whispered, my body shaking.
"You dumb now?"
"N-no, Sir."
He didn't blink.
Then, slowly — dangerously calm — he said,
"Elara… clean this mess. Then come to my room immediately. You'll be handling my laundry too since you've managed to drench it."
A pause.
"Aight?"
I gulped. "Y-yes. Yes, Sir."
He turned and walked away, leaving behind the echo of control and the chill of barely restrained power.
I stayed there on my knees for a moment longer.
Not because I was weak — but because I'd just learned something crucial:
He felt me too.
And now… he was watching.
Kelly's pov
I've lived my life in Kieran's shadow.
Born two hours after him, same divine blood — but not the same strength. I was the ornamental twin. The polished, pretty distraction the divine court smiled at, but never respected.
But weakness… teaches you to watch closely.
And that girl — Elara — wasn't what she seemed.
I stood in the Moon Gallery, hands laced behind my back, watching as light filtered through the stained crystal. The glass shimmered with threads of fate. Normally it glowed when divine energy passed near. For most of the maids? Nothing. But today, when Elara stepped through the western corridor?
The glass pulsed.
Faintly.
But undeniably.
I turned when I heard the familiar stride behind me. Lucien — forever smug, forever lounging like the world existed to entertain him — leaned against a golden column with a careless smile.
"You summoned me, darling?" he asked, twirling a silver ring on his finger. "I was just about to make a priestess cry."
"Lucien," I said, ignoring the tease, "I need to talk to you. About the new maid."
He raised a brow, clearly amused. "Please don't say she charmed Kieran already. He hasn't liked anyone since—"
"—Since his fiancée and best friend betrayed him, yes, I know the tragedy," I snapped. "This isn't about his love life. I think she's hiding something."
"Do you think everyone is hiding something?" he muttered.
"I'm serious. She walked past the divine mirror and it reacted. My veins ached when she got close to me. That only happens when someone has sealed power. Ancient kind."
Lucien sighed. "Kelly, you're always looking for a mystery. Maybe she's just scared of you. Humans get jumpy when they're near gods."
"She's not scared. She's hiding. I can feel it in my bones. Like her magic's pressed down, forced under skin. She's been bound."
Lucien shook his head, waving it off like smoke. "Even if she was from some forgotten bloodline, what? She's folding laundry. You're just bored."
"She's not harmless."
"And you're not exactly objective," he added, smirking. "You've been trying to earn the council's respect since you were twelve. If Kieran's attention drifts to her, you'll get jealous."
My jaw clenched. "This isn't about jealousy. If she's who I think she is, she was sent. And not for housekeeping."
Lucien rolled his eyes. "If you're that sure, test her. Drop her in the Chamber of Echoes. If her magic reacts, I'll believe you."
I stared at him. "That's a sacred space. You want to risk it on a hunch?"
"No," he said. "You do. I'm just giving you an option."
Then he turned and strolled away, tossing a lazy wave over his shoulder.
"Or maybe," he called back, "you just want to matter."
I stood there for a long time, jaw tight, fists clenched.
Because what if he was right?
What if I did just want to matter?
But the mirror had glowed. My veins had screamed. And that maid... that girl... was anything but ordinary.