Two Worlds Apart

CHAPTER IX - CHEVERIE

The grand Everien mansion is shrouded in its familiar silence, every surface polished to a cold, pristine gleam. Cheverie sits at her vanity, her mind lost in the haze of the night before. Her reflection stares back at her, pale and quiet, but her thoughts are anything but calm. They're loud and chaotic, racing with the memory of the boy she'd met at the border, the boy who'd looked at her as if she were a person - not a reflection of her family's reputation or a symbol of the Upper Slate.

She still sees him in her mind, standing on the other side of the invisible line that divides their worlds, his eyes warm and curious, his voice gentle and inviting.

Adrian.

The name feels foreign on her tongue, forbidden, like a word she's not meant to say.

"Cheverie!" Her mother's sharp voice slices through her thoughts, jolting her back to reality.

She rises quickly, smoothing down her dress, her heart pounding as she steps out of her room and makes her way down the grand staircase. Her mother waits at the bottom, her expression stern and unforgiving.

"You were distracted again last night," her mother says, her tone low but laced with disapproval. "You know how important it is to maintain our family's reputation, and yet you looked... unfocused."

Cheverie forces herself to stand straighter, fighting the urge to shrink under her mother's gaze. "I'm sorry, Mother," she says quietly. "I... didn't mean to appear that way."

Her mother narrows her eyes, her gaze searching. "Is there something you wish to tell me, Cheverie? I have noticed you slipping away at odd hours. It's as if your mind is always somewhere else."

Cheverie's stomach twists, a pang of fear settling in her chest. She keeps her face carefully composed, but her mind races, frantically searching for a way to steer her mother's suspicions away from the truth.

"No, Mother," she says, keeping her tone steady. "I've just... been tired. I'll make sure to focus better."

Her mother's expression softens only slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line. "See that you do. The Upper Slate has no room for distractions, Cheverie. We are a family of status, of dignity. Remember that."

Cheverie nods, feeling the weight of her mother's words settle over her like a heavy cloak. She knows she should let go of the encounter at the border, that she should push the memory of Adrian from her mind and return to her life of rules and structure. But even as she tries, she feels the memory of him clinging to her thoughts, as if he were a part of her that she can't simply discard.

The day drags on, a blur of polite conversations and endless lessons, each one feeling more stifling than the last. Vivianne and Heloise visit in the afternoon, bringing their usual blend of gossip and shallow chatter, their words filling the room like smoke, suffocating and thick.

"So, have you heard?" Vivianne says, leaning in close, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "There was a... situation at the border last night. Apparently, a group of Dark Slate troublemakers were caught loitering. Can you imagine? So bold, thinking they could just wander near our side."

Cheverie's breath catches, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. She glances down, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she struggles to keep her expression calm.

"Really?" she says, forcing a light tone. "What happened to them?"

Heloise shrugs, waving a dismissive hand. "The guards drove them away, of course. They deserve to be put in their place, don't they?"

Vivianne nods, her lips curling into a smirk. "Can you imagine? Filthy Dark Slate kids thinking they belong here. They're all criminals, every last one of them."