[A small fire starts burning inside of the library with no one attending it. The fire spreads quickly from the table to the new bookshelves and the books, eventually engulfing a whole area in flames. From the outside, a townsperson was walking by and noticed that one of the walls of the library was smoking and engulfed in flames on one side. He starts to panic.]

TOWNSPERSON (yelling):

“FIRE! SOMEONE HELP! THERE’S A FIRE!”

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[On their way back from dropping off Ms. Poppy, Caelia and Cassian walk towards the library. They walk side-by-side slowly and in silence. It was dark and quiet, only lit by the few streetlights guiding their way. Caelia starts to remember her conversation with Ms. Poppy about Cassian.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

What did she mean by “if he shines the brightest in the room, what does that make you?”

[She glances over at Cassian as they walk. She notices his tall stature, dark brown hair, and his starry blue eyes gazing forward.]

It’s fun to work with Cassian, I feel like we really mesh well together. And he also supports and advocates for me. I’m very grateful for him.

[Feeling thankful, she looks forward.]

CAELIA:

“Cassian, I think we did a really good job on the library. I’m very proud of it.”

CASSIAN  (agreeance):

“Yeah, I think we work really well together.”

CAELIA:

“...I hope we get to continue doing this for a little while.”

[In that tender moment, Cassian felt a sense of warmth inside him. He looks down at Caelia who was looking forward, hiding her shy face. He closes his eyes and smiles to himself, taking in his emotions. Then, he looks forward again.]

CASSIAN (gentle):

“Yeah, I agree.” 

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[Getting closer to the library, there were faint screams of “FIRE” off in the distance. Hearing this, the engineers start to feel anxious.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Fire?!

CASSIAN (panic):

“Caelia, do you see that?”

[He points to a large cloud of smoke going into the sky. Immediately, they run towards it.]

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[By the time they got there, they saw an entire side of the small library was burning away. They see a line of people passing each other buckets of water in a single file line. When they arrive at the library, they both stand in shock. The townspeople all look directly at Caelia, some with angered looks and others with scared looks.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

What?? What is this?? How is the library on fire??? We were gone for barely 30 minutes????

CAELIA (panic):

“W-What’s going on here??? Is everyone okay??!?!?”

[Caelia starts running over to help haul the buckets of water but the townsperson dismisses her, smacking her hand away.]

TOWNSPERSON (stern):

“We don’t need your help.”

[Caelia stands there in disbelief and other townspeople join in on blaming Caelia.]

“How come you left the library unattended???”

“Get out of here! This fire started because of you!! You wicked witch!!”

“I knew I couldn’t trust you!”

CAELIA (defensive):

“W-What do you mean?!? Why would I start a fire??”

[The townsperson points at the source of the fire.]

TOWNSPERSON (angered):

“Look over there!”

[A bookshelf was slanted against the wall with its contents spilt on the ground. The fire was centralized just under the slanted bookshelf, and a lantern knocked over. While the townspeople still work in the background, Caelia spirals internally.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Did the bookshelf somehow fall down because it was too heavy…? I made sure it was all secure!! What is it?? Or… maybe it wasn’t secure enough??

No way. I triple checked everything, Cassian made sure everything checked out as well! There’s no way it just fell!

[Caelia shakes her head.]

Enough of this!! We need to put out the fire!

CAELIA (pleading):

“Please! Let me help put out the fire!!! We can discuss this later!!!”

[One of the townspeople came up to Caelia with a bucket of water and handed over the handle for Caelia to help. She went to grab the handle but the townsperson immediately splashed the water all over her soaking her entire body. Caelia stands there motionless- her eyes empty.]

TOWNSPERSON (angry):

“No one asked for your help! Don’t come back here! Go back to your pretty little palace and leave us alone!” 

CASSIAN (angered, yelling): 

“Hey! Why are you doing that???!”

[Another townsperson took their bucket and was in preparation to splash even more water on Caelia but Cassian immediately stands in front of her, covering her. Now, Cassian is now soaked in water. She looks at him terrified, feeling terrible that he is now soaked because of her.]

TOWNSPERSON:

“How can you even trust a woman to build anything? Look what happened!”

[Cassian continues to stand in front of Caelia to protect her from the townspeople. The fire has become a lot more subdued because of the work the townspeople put in. He looks at her directly in the eyes.]

CASSIAN (sincere):

“Caelia, it looks like the fire is under control. Let’s get away from here and go back to the house.”

[Caelia slowly nods, the spark in her eyes already faded. They start walking towards the guest home while the townspeople still rile up about her. On their way there, Caelia, is touched by Cassian’s protectiveness but she cannot help but to notice something.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I have just realized something at this very moment… 

The only reason why Cassian is covered head to toe with water is because he is protecting me. They are only aiming at me. Cassian was also involved in the building process, he also works for the royals, but why am I the only one getting punished for this…?

[Caelia swallows as she makes this realization.]

It doesn’t matter where I go… It’s always the same.

[Flashbacks of Caelia’s previous life play in her head of her being kicked around at the engineering firm.]

It. Doesn’t. Matter. 

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[They go back home in silence as they slowly walk- Caelia is overly paranoid in her head.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

They’re only shitting on me because I am a royal and a woman….

Norma, don't listen to them! They’re being ridiculous!

We secured the bookshelves… There’s no way that it fell on its own!

Right…?

But… What if it did…?

What if it is actually my fault…?!

[Ms. Poppy’s smiling face flashed in Caelia’s mind.]

Oh no…. What is Ms. Poppy going to think about this?

[Her hands start shaking. Cassian notices and thinks to himself for a second. He almost instinctively puts his hand on top of hers but he catches himself before doing it. Instead, he leans forward toward her and tries to comfort her.]

CASSIAN (comforting):

“Caelia, I really don’t think the bookshelf fell on its own. You know that too. Don't listen to any of them.”

CAELIA (nervous):

“I-I’m not quite sure if I believe you… What if it did fall?”

CASSIAN (gentle):

“We can look at it tomorrow, and if it really is a design error, then we both take the blame.”

[She starts feeling guilty. Even though she knew deep in her heart that it wasn’t her fault, she navigated it in the only way she knew how.]

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[The next morning, Caelia and Cassian ride a carriage in silence. Outside the carriage, there were loud noises and chatter. Townspeople screaming “CAELIA ARDENT IS A WITCH!” right outside the carriage. Caelia uses her hands to cover her ears to drown out the noise and Cassian looks at her, hurt that she is hurt.]

───── ⋆⋅⊹⋅⋆ ─────

[They were riding towards the library, a crowd of townspeople followed them as well as people gathered around the library. The library was slightly burned, only one wall was affected. On their way to work, Ms. Poppy and Jack are walking towards the library and are confused by all the commotion surrounding their building.]

MS. POPPY:

“Jack, why is the library so busy today?”

JACK (confused):

“I’m not sure… Let’s get over there.”

[Ms. Poppy and Jack arrive at the library, the townspeople leaving space for them to approach it. They then see their burnt library. The two of them look at the rubble in shock, eyes widened and mouths open.]

MS. POPPY (shocked):

“... Our library…. It burned.”

JACK - INNER MONOLOGUE:

What happened here??? A fire…? 

[He then realizes the one bookshelf that tipped over when he went on a rampage the previous night. The damage to the library was the same area he rampaged.]

Did that cause this…?!

TOWNSPERSON (explaining to Ms. Poppy):

“Pops’! There was a fire here last night! There was a bookshelf that tipped over and made a lantern fall!”

MS. POPPY (stunned, her expression saddened):

“Really…?”

[Jack saw his mom’s saddened face and felt an immense amount of guilt.]

JACK - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I have to tell her…

JACK (nervous):

“M-Mom, I have to tell y-”

[Suddenly, the carriage slowly arrives at the library along with a group of people following it. It stops completely.]

TOWNSPERSON (angry):

“The witch arrived!!! This is all her fault!”

[Both Jack and Ms. Poppy looks at the townsperson with confusion.]

JACK - INNER MONOLOGUE:

It’s her fault…?

MS. POPPY (confused):

“...What do you mean it’s her fault?”

[The crowd of people start putting their focus on the stopped carriage, screaming, “CAELIA ARDENT IS A WITCH!” Ms. Poppy looks at the crowd with a saddened look.]

︶⊹︶︶✧︶︶⊹︶

[From inside the carriage, Caelia looks out the window and sees Ms. Poppy’s saddened expression and she starts to internally panic.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I have to go and apologize to her!!

[Cassian looks out the window at the outrage.]

CASSIAN (ordering):

“Caelia, you can stay here. I can go out and explain everything.”

[Cassian stands up, about to leave the carriage but is stopped when Caelia grabs his wrist.]

CAELIA (exclaims):

“No! I’m going to apologize to her!”

CASSIAN (confused):

“Apologize for what? You didn’t do anything!”

CAELIA:

“I have to go out there and apologize to everyone and make everything right!”

CASSIAN:

“What’s not right is their outrage at only you! If they really cared about the library, they would’ve given me the same treatment! Besides, it’s impossible for the entire bookshelf to tip over like that!”

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

But… You’ll get hurt. If I don’t take the full blame, you’ll get hurt…

[Caelia grips her hands onto Cassian’s wrist. Feeling this, he gently sits back down on the carriage seat and looks at her seriously.]

CASSIAN:

“Caelia… Trust me. Everything will be okay. Please stay here so you’re more safe.”

[Looking at him, she trusts him and lets go of her grip. He gets out of the carriage first and nothing happens. She looks out the carriage window, making sure he doesn’t get hurt.] 

“WHERE IS CAELIA ARDENT?” 

“CAELIA, GET OUT OF THE CARRIAGE!”

CASSIAN (yelling):

“You guys are being ridiculous!! She didn’t do anything!!”

[The reactions from the crowd did not bode well.]

“You reap what you sow, witch!”

“Get outta there and explain everything to us!!”

“We will tell the royal circle about this and you will both get fired!”

[Caelia’s eyes widened after hearing that Cassian could potentially get fired.]

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

I need to get out of this carriage.

[The moment Caelia steps foot out of the carriage, a tomato was thrown at her, hitting her leg and leaving a stain on her dress. She flinches from the impact and then stands there, processing her situation and feels like crying.]

Just keep walking, just keep walking.

︶⊹︶︶✧︶︶⊹︶

[Ms. Poppy sees Caelia getting hurt and gets angry.]

MS. POPPY (angry):

“What are you guys doing?!?!?! You’re hurting her!!”

[But no one heard her through the loud crowd.]

[Jack observes all of this happening, a royal getting ridiculed right in front of him and feels a sense of joy, but at the same time, he knew that she was taking blame for something he did. This made him feel guilty, but not guilty enough to do anything about it. So he stood there in silence.]

︶⊹︶︶✧︶︶⊹︶

[One step felt like lugging around 500 pounds and Caelia couldn’t get herself to walk as people were verbally insulting her.]

“Caelia Ardent is a witch!”

“This is all your fault.” 

“The fact that you almost had us all fooled!!”

“I knew it! We can’t trust a woman building! That was what was ridiculous from the beginning!”

“It’s all her fault! The guy was probably following orders of a royal!!”

“She is Caelia Ardent, she’s known for causing havoc!!!!”

[All their comments make her head feel overstimulated and she stands frozen. She closes her eyes shut, frustrated that she can’t get herself to walk.] 

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

JUST WALK! WHY CAN’T I WALK?!

CASSIAN (calling):

“CAELIA!”

[Caelia opens her eyes and looks up, seeing Cassian’s lent hand to help her move forward. She looks up at his face, a face with content like he was saying that he will protect her if anything happens.]

[She intently looks at Cassian’s hand with slight shock, feeling a sense of déjà vu. At 12 years old, Norma had to face the reality of her mother leaving. She was kneeling on the floor heartbroken as her faceless mom was walking away from her, not looking back. Norma tried to stand up to try and run towards her mother, however, it felt like there was a 500 pound weight above her head. Her father, a stern traditional man, seeing his daughter hurt, lent out his hand to try and comfort her. Accepting his hand, Norma felt as light as a feather and was able to stand up and move forward in the direction opposite her mother. Even if her dad wasn’t the perfect father, that moment was engraved into her head.]

[Sadly looking at Cassian, Caelia accepts his lent out hand. Just like in her past life, the moment they touch hands, the weight lifts off of her legs and she is able to walk. Feeling emotional because of his unconditional support reminiscent of her father, she starts to cry.] 

CAELIA - INNER MONOLOGUE:

Thank you… for helping me move forward for a little bit longer… 

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