Romance: Beauty Queen Chapter two

Shedding her silver heels, Ella slipped through a service corridor, the pulse of the city’s magic suddenly a frantic drumbeat in her veins, guiding her. She emerged onto a high-altitude service walkway, the wind whipping her hair. Everstar spread below, a tapestry of electric light and swirling, hidden magic. She could see the sickly, draining pull of energy converging towards the Thorne Corporation's central spire.

A security drone whirred overhead, its red eye scanning. Aris knew she was missing. Desperation fueled her. She focused on the magic, *reaching* for it, not to quiet it, but to *ask*. A nearby cluster of neon signs on a lower building flared brilliantly, momentarily blinding the drone.

She ran, barefoot on cold grating, heading towards the crumbling, vibrant Old Quarter – the source Aris wanted to bleed dry. Down fire escapes, through alleyways pungent with street food and ozone, the pulsing glow of the city’s magic became her compass. It felt alive, wounded, and… hopeful? Hopeful of *her*?

Exhaustion clawed at her when she reached the edge of the Old Quarter. A dead end. Brick wall. The distant wail of Thorne security vehicles echoed. Trapped. She pressed her hands against the cold brick, tears mixing with rain. "Please," she whispered, not knowing who she begged. "Help me. Help *us*."

The brick *warmed* beneath her touch. A section shimmered, not dissolving, but becoming… permeable. A hidden passage, revealed only to those who could see the magic and ask. With a gasp, she stumbled through.