Sanctuary: Safe Haven

The loud knock echoed off the heavy wooden door, followed by a voice that cut through the air like a blade. "Enter, whoever you are, twat!"

Maggi let out a low, exasperated tsk sound, a familiar frustration settling over him. He gave Canna a sidelong glance as they entered the room together, knowing all too well what awaited them inside.

The office they walked into was dominated by an enormous desk, cluttered with papers and plates filled with half-eaten food. Behind it sat a woman whose appearance and demeanor instantly grated on Maggi's nerves. She was large, her corpulent figure draped in fine silks that did nothing to hide her indulgence.

A greasy spoon clutched in one hand, she shoveled food into her mouth with the kind of casual disregard for manners that made Maggi's stomach churn.

This was Madam Sarella, one of Clan Varran's most influential members, not because of her skill but due to her connections. She was technically a great-transcendent, though Maggi had never seen her wield any actual fighting ability. It infuriated him to no end. Not only did she enjoy a cushy position within the clan, but she also relished bossing people around and berating them at every turn.

"Ah, it's you again, rude boy," she said, her voice thick with condescension. Without even looking up, she tossed her spoon aside and rummaged through a stack of papers. "Let's see here... Oh, I see. The guildmaster called us, huh?" She continued flipping through the papers, her tone growing more agitated. "Five carriages?

Five? Can't you all just walk? You think you're hotshots that need carriages, huh? You fat asses! Who gave you permission to use them? Was it you, punk?"

Her words came out in rapid-fire succession, like a machine gun of insults aimed directly at Maggi. He stood there, his face twisted into an expression of barely contained fury. This was the part of his undercover mission he loathed the most—having to deal with people like her. But he bit back the anger, focusing on his goal. He needed to get through this.

"It wasn't me, madam," Maggi said, his voice even despite his irritation. "I was only informed after the fact. I believe it was the squad captain who—"

"Ah, shut up!" Sarella interrupted, not even bothering to let him finish. Her beady eyes flicked toward Canna. "And you, little snot. What did you do? You're from a prestigious clan, and yet you disgrace us by getting into trouble. You should be honored to wear our crest, disgusting!

You should be praying to the gods that I don't exile you right now."

Maggi stood stiff, trying his best to endure the barrage of insults. Over the past months, he had perfected the art of letting her words in one ear and out the other. But as much as he hated it, it was part of the job. If he wanted to survive in this clan and gather the intel needed for the sanctuary, he had to play his role.

He swallowed his pride and prepared to continue, eager to leave this office as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for Maggi, the person standing next to him didn't operate by those same rules.

Maggi glanced at Canna, already sensing the danger. His eyes widened, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he noticed the intense look in Canna's eyes. "Shit..." Maggi muttered under his breath, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Canna didn't waste a second. His index finger extended, and without a word or any warning, a bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip. The electricity crackled through the air and struck Sarella square in the chest, her body convulsing as the lightning surged through her.

The spoon in her hand clattered to the floor, and before she had a chance to even scream, Canna was already on the move. In the blink of an eye, he dashed forward and planted his foot squarely into her chest with a thunderous kick. The sheer force of the blow sent her crashing through the back wall of the office, leaving a massive hole in the structure.

She flew back, collapsing onto the ground in a crumpled heap.

Maggi's eyes were wide as saucers. He stood there, frozen, his brain trying to process the scene that had just unfolded in front of him. Canna, meanwhile, stood tall, dusting off his hands as if he had just swatted a fly.

"How dare you," Canna's voice rang out, his words carrying a weight that made the very air around him seem heavier. Outside, the skies began to darken as storm clouds gathered overhead, thick and ominous. The air crackled with electricity, the distant rumble of thunder signaling the arrival of something far more dangerous than a simple storm.

"To insult me," Canna continued, his voice echoing through the room, "is to insult the sanctuary."

Maggi could feel the tension in the room rising. The atmosphere was charged, both figuratively and literally, as the storm clouds above began to swirl faster. The air was thick with the scent of impending rain, and the faint hum of lightning filled the air. Canna's fury was palpable, and everyone in the vicinity could feel it.

And Maggi could tell that all hell had just broken loose. Stay updated through empire

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a step forward. He needed to de-escalate the situation before it spiraled completely out of control.

"Canna-sama," Maggi said, his voice tight but respectful, "I think we've made our point. Perhaps it's best if we... exit quietly?"

But Canna wasn't listening. His eyes were still fixed on the spot where Sarella had been standing moments ago, his jaw clenched with fury. Maggi cursed internally. Canna's temper was legendary, but this was not the place for an all-out war.

In the distance, Maggi could hear the sounds of commotion. The crash had likely alerted half the base, and it wouldn't be long before reinforcements arrived to deal with whatever they thought was attacking.

Maggi shot a quick glance toward the door, then back to Canna. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to get them both out of this without causing a full-scale riot. The last thing he needed was to blow his cover over a moment of impulse.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

But as Maggi watched the storm clouds swirl and heard the rumble of thunder growing louder, he knew that things had already gone beyond his control.

"All right, Canna-sama," Maggi muttered under his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way."