**Seraphina’s** **POV**
The sunlight streaming through the curtains nudged me awake. I blinked, adjusting to the brightness, and my gaze fell on Kael beside me. His chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm, his face soft and serene. He looked impossibly handsome while asleep.
Smiling, I shifted carefully, trying not to wake him, but his arms tightened around my waist. Startled, I glanced back to see his eyes wide open, a warm smile tugging at his lips.
"Good morning," I whispered, leaning closer to press a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Before I could pull away, he caught me, his lips capturing mine in a soft yet fervent kiss. When he finally pulled back, his voice was light, filled with affection. “You’re so beautiful, Sera. So pure.”
Heat rose to my cheeks under his gaze, and I smiled shyly. “Kael…” I hesitated, then voiced the thought that had been gnawing at me. “Don’t you think it’s too early for you to… to be entangled with me? It’s barely been forty-eight hours since you broke up with Lunara.” My voice trembled with regret. “Somehow, I feel like I’m to blame for it.”
His smile faltered, his expression turning serious. “You’re not to blame,” he said softly. “Yes, it’s early, but… I’m drawn to you, Sera. I think it’s the mate bond, but it’s more than that. I love everything about you.” His eyes shone with sincerity. “And Lunara… she’s always been insecure. That was our downfall, not you.”
I nodded, forcing a smile, though doubt lingered in my heart.
Kael kissed me again, briefly, before slipping out of bed. “I need to go,” he said, pulling on his trousers. “There’s a council meeting today, but I’ll be back later.”
I moved to help him button his shirt, my fingers brushing against his chest. Suddenly, he stopped me, holding my hands gently. “Sera, promise me something,” he said, his tone serious.
I tilted my head, confused. “What is it?”
“Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous. Promise me you’ll trust me, trust my judgment, and that you’ll be here when I get back. I know you, Sera. If I leave this room, you’ll have dark thoughts. I can feel it.”
His words struck a chord deep within me. I hesitated but finally nodded. “I promise,” I said, though uncertainty gnawed at my resolve.
A smile broke across his face, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “That’s my girl.”
I followed him to the balcony, watching as he walked to his car. He glanced back, waving with that familiar smile that always managed to soothe me.
But the moment he disappeared from view, my thoughts consumed me. Could I really stay? Could I trust his judgment when I barely trusted myself? Kael was my mate, but fate had cruelly dictated that we couldn’t be together.
Tears blurred my vision as I began packing my belongings. Each item I placed into my bag felt like another piece of my heart being torn away. On a scrap of paper, I scribbled a quick note and left it on the table, my hand trembling as I placed it there.
I lingered in the room for a moment, my eyes scanning the space that had been my sanctuary. A place where I’d found fleeting comfort, even amid the storms of my mind. Turning away, I forced myself not to look back and walked out the door.
The taxi ride to the countryside was a blur, the scenery outside a mix of vibrant greens and distant blues. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clutched my bag, my chest aching with each passing second.
I eventually settled in a small apartment in a quiet town. Life there was peaceful, the kind of peace I hadn’t known in years. I found work at a quaint bookshop and even made a few friends among the locals and their children. But despite the calm, my thoughts often drifted back to Kael, to his smile, his touch, his promise to stand by me.
A month passed like this—peaceful, yet incomplete.
One afternoon, I sat in the park, watching families laugh and play. The sight warmed me, but it also left a hollow ache in my chest. Would I ever have a family of my own?
“Miss Seraphina!”
The cheerful voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Amara, one of the local children, running toward me, her arms outstretched. I caught her with a laugh.
“Hey, Amara. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, grinning. But as she tried to adjust the ice cream cone in her hand, it tipped, spilling onto my dress.
“Oh no!” Amara’s face fell. “I’m so sorry, Miss Seraphina!”
I wanted to open my mouth to reassure her, to tell her it was nothing. But something dark and uncontrollable surged within me.
“Are you blind?” I snapped, my voice sharp and unrecognizable.
Amara froze, her eyes wide with hurt.
Before I could stop myself, my magic flared to life. My hand rose, and with a flick of my fingers, Amara was lifted into the air, suspended by an invisible force. Gasps erupted from the crowd as parents scrambled to shield their children.
No, no, no. This isn’t me!
I tried to stop, to pull back the power, but it had a will of its own. With a flick of my wrist, I hurled Amara into a tree. She crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath her small frame.
“She’s a witch! A dark one!” someone screamed.
Chaos erupted as people fled, screaming and tripping over one another in their haste to escape. Trees splintered and flew in all directions as my magic spiraled further out of control.
When the power finally subsided, the park was eerily silent. Only Amara remained, her small body lifeless on the ground.
Shaking, I stumbled toward her. Tears blurred my vision as I cradled her in my arms. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, over and over, though the words felt hollow.
At the clinic, I begged the nurses to save her. They whisked her away, their faces grim.
“What happened?” one asked.
“An… accident,” I stammered, unable to admit the truth.
I fled before they could ask more, the weight of my guilt crushing me.
Hours later, I found myself standing at the gates of Kael’s palace, my resolve shattered.
“Tell him Seraphina is here,” I said to the guard, my voice trembling.
When Kael appeared, his robes billowing as he ran toward me, tears spilled from my eyes.
“Sera,” he called, his voice filled with relief and worry. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Kael…” My voice broke as I looked into his concerned eyes. “I’m here now. It’s either you save me… or you kill me.”