Page 30 of The Sovereign: Part One
Lev tilted his head, a shadow of regret passing over his expression, as if lamenting the burden he had just placed on my shoulders, the glimpse into the rot beneath Hyperion Proper’s flawless veneer.“You already know the answer.”
By the time I stepped into my office, the weight of the day settled on me like a heavy coat I couldn’t shrug off.The translucent walls of my workspace—once a symbol of clarity and transparency—felt oppressive now, their polished sheen mocking the disarray of my thoughts.I dropped my tresset onto my desk, the structured bag landing with an uncharacteristic lack of grace, and I sank into my chair, exhaling sharply.“Calyx, transition wall panels to full opacity, maintain window view,” I instructed, my voice steadier than I felt.The walls dimmed to an opaque frost, cocooning me in a rare moment of privacy.
I had dozens of tasks to complete before my leave began.Everything had to be in order, scheduled down to the smallest detail.As the Senior Advisor of Cultural Affairs, I couldn’t let things fall through the cracks.But now, my mind was brimming with questions I wasn’t supposed to have, doubts I wasn’t allowed to entertain.
In a single conversation, Joss had taken so much from me—the truth I had believed in, certainty, the fragile illusion of peace I had clung to—leaving only the hollow ache of something irreplaceable.
A day ago, I had been steadfast.Assured.Focused on the life I had spent years curating, on the world that made sense.And then he appeared, an uninvited ghost from a past I had buried so deep I thought it couldn’t touch me anymore.Yet here I was, dissecting every word he had spoken, every lingering glance, as if the answers to questions I shouldn’t be asking were hidden somewhere between them.
I righted my posture and flattened my palms against the desk.I couldn’t let this distract me.Not when I was only days away from meeting Maxim in person.With a quick gesture, I activated my interface, instructing Calyx to pull up the reports.I forced myself to scan the data, but determination quickly slipped away.The thoughts I was trying to suppress crept in, clouding my concentration, until the figures on the screen blurred, lost in the storm raging in my mind.
Joss and his home were in danger.I knew it as surely as I knew that I couldn’t help him.
And yet, I wanted to.Why?
The hypocrisy of it all began to consume me.Joss had walked away from The Vale, willingly submitting to Hyperion Proper’s order and structure, leaving behind the life he once knew.He had no right to ask me to return to The Vale with him.And yet, his voice haunted me, the way he said my name like it still belonged to him.Simultaneously, Hyperion, which prided itself on peace and abundance, masked its own duplicity—concealing terrorist attacks, suppressing whispers of war and Blight—just as Joss had condemned one world while embracing another, both sides were pretending to be something they were not.The foundations of Hyperion were built on certainty, yet cracks were forming, and I could no longer ignore them.
Frustrated, I swiped my hand to dismiss the interfaceand then perched my elbows on the desk, pressing my fingers into my temples.
The Dominion Building wasn’t a place for feelings like mine.It wasn’t a place for doubt.And it certainly wasn’t a place where I could speak freely.I needed to compartmentalize.I needed to bury this.
“Isara?”
I looked up to see Bellam standing in the threshold, one perfectly arched brow raised in curiosity.I had spent years reading her expressions, but this one was new: deep concern.
“After work beverages?”she asked.
I stared at her, startled by how easily she had read me.Stress was obsolete in Hyperion.We had systems.We had support.And yet, here I was, visibly unraveling.
I swallowed hard and nodded.“Yes.”I hadn’t even considered refusing.
Bellam studied me for a moment longer before she nodded.“Meet me in the lobby in ten,” she said, exiting through the panel, then disappearing behind the opaque walls of my office.
*****
We took the Skith to Horizon, an intimate lounge on the western edge of the city, known for its dim ambiance and gentle murmur of conversation.It was a place for hushed deals and confessions, where Hyperion’s professionals and upper-tier workforce could unwind without an audience.
Bellam ordered for us both, something strong, smooth, designed to unspool tension without dissolving control.She sipped hers, watching me carefully over the rim of her stemmed leir.
“You’re going to tell me what’s wrong,” she said.It wasn’t a question.
I sighed, swirling the deep-hued spirit with my finger.“I ran into Joss.Actually, he ran into me.”
Bellam’s eyes widened before she recovered, setting her cocktail down with a clink.“Since the last time I saw you?”
I nodded.“At brunch, with Avaryn.”
Her expression darkened.“On that side of the city?Why?”
“He’s been spending a lot of time there, apparently.”
“He’s been trying to find you in a public setting to deflect suspicion, considering your history and that you’re both in Veritas.”
“Yes.”
Bellam pinched at her fingers.“You spoke with him?”
“We saw him outside the window.Avaryn invited him in and then excused herself.He sat down.”
