The burn of a Harbinger

#5

Furina sat hunched over her desk in her dimly lit office, the only source of light being the scattered lamps and the soft glow from the city of Fontaine outside her window. Papers were strewn across every surface, forming messy piles on the desk, spilling onto the floor, and even stacked precariously on her chair and bookshelves. Half-filled inkpots sat among the chaos, and quills that had long since lost their sharpness lay abandoned in odd places. The room, once a pristine space suited for the Archon of Fontaine, now resembled the aftermath of a storm, with everything in disarray.

She scribbled furiously at a document, her hand moving with mechanical precision as her eyes flicked over the fine print. The clatter of papers and soft scratches of her quill were the only sounds in the room, apart from her soft murmurs as she talked herself through the endless list of cases. The fatigue was evident in the slight shake of her hand, but Furina, ever the perfectionist, ignored it. Her once regal appearance was now unkempt: her long, silver hair slightly disheveled, her elegant Archon robes wrinkled and carelessly thrown on. She had been here for hours, and the daylight had long faded, but she refused to rest.

There was too much to do. Too many cases. Too many people counting on her to resolve the legal matters of Fontaine. Her people were her responsibility, and she couldn't allow herself to falter. Every file held a decision that would affect a life, a judgment that only she, as the Hydro Archon, could render. Her title weighed heavily on her shoulders, but she wore it like armor.

The door to her office creaked open slightly, and Neuvillette, the Iudex, entered quietly. His steps were soft, but they still echoed in the stillness of the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment, his tall figure casting a shadow over the cluttered space as he took in the scene before him. His sharp, discerning eyes swept over the piles of documents, the chaotic mess of papers that had swallowed Furina's once-immaculate office.

His gaze finally landed on Furina, who hadn't noticed his entrance, so engrossed in her work that she was oblivious to everything else around her. She was working at a pace that bordered on frantic, her quill flying across the parchment as though racing against time itself. The dark circles under her eyes betrayed just how long she had been at this, likely without rest or food.

"Lady Furina," Neuvillette spoke softly, his deep voice cutting through the silence but with a tone so gentle it felt almost hesitant, as if he didn't want to disrupt her.

Furina froze for a moment, her quill pausing mid-stroke. She didn't lift her head immediately, taking a second to blink and let his voice register in her exhausted mind. Finally, she glanced up, her expression one of mild surprise, as if she had forgotten that other people existed outside of her workload.

"Neuvillette," she greeted, her voice hoarse from lack of use, but she immediately turned back to her document. "I didn't hear you come in. If it's about the cases, I'll get to them soon, I just—there are more pressing matters at the moment." Her tone was brisk, almost defensive, as if preemptively deflecting any concern he might express about her current state.

Neuvillette, however, didn't respond to her words immediately. He stepped further into the room, his sharp gaze softening as he moved closer to her desk. His eyes scanned over the files, the legal documents scattered in every direction, and the Archon herself, who looked more like a worn-out scribe than the embodiment of Hydro. He could see the strain etched into her every movement, the weight of her responsibilities dragging her down, but she pressed on, stubborn and determined.

"Furina," he began again, a hint of firmness in his tone this time. "You cannot continue like this. It has been days since you've rested properly." He glanced down at the stack of papers she was clutching, then back at her. "Fontaine needs its Archon, but not like this."