115. Children

Theon.

"Hello, Theon," Valencia says as soon as I enter my office.

She looks pretty sedate and more exhausted than usual. There are deep bags under her eyes as if she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days, and her shoulders are hunched. She seems defeated, which is uncharacteristic of her.

But she still wears her signature jacket and sword and still looks more put together than many others I know on a good day.

Still, concerns creep up on me.

"Hello, Valencia." I sit back on my chair behind the desk. "I'm surprised to see you here, to be honest. Especially as Callista isn't here anymore."

She perks up at that, expression too neutral to be concerned. "Oh? And what led her to be absent? Where might she be now?”

"If you must know, her episodes became too much for us to keep her safe here. She tried to jump off a wall, and we figured it was the right time for her to go to the Witches Guild."

Even saying that I feel a hint of melancholy run through me. Goddess, I miss Callista.

"So,