Chapter 54 – A Heavy Heart
Elara bit her lip hard, fighting the flood of emotions pressing inside her. She wanted to scream, to beg, to run.
Ambrose said to her “What you carry is heavy, Elara. But you are not alone. Remember that. Whatever comes, you are not alone.”
Elara sat in silence, her thoughts spinning, her heart torn between fear and a strange, aching pull she couldn’t name.
She didn’t understand what the Moon Goddess wanted from her. But one truth echoed louder than the rest.
The chains she had seen…could just as easily one day be hers.
Ambrose’s words lingered in the air like smoke that refused to fade. His hand, once firm and grounding on hers, now slipped away gently. He looked weary, as though speaking those truths had drained what strength he had left.
He pushed himself up slowly from the chair, his joints stiff, his shoulders sagging beneath years of battles seen and unseen. “Seraphina,” he called out, his voice rough but steady. “Come and sit with your friend. I need to rest these old bones.”
Seraphina came out of the kitchen immediately, like she had been waiting for their conversion to end. “Stay with Elara. Don’t let her brood too much.”
Seraphina’s brow furrowed slightly, glancing between her father and Elara, but she said nothing.
Ambrose turned toward the kitchen. “Rowena, I’ll be in our room.”
His wife’s voice floated back, gentle and warm. “Go ahead. I’ll finish up here.”
The sound of water stopped, and a moment later, Rowena appeared, wiping her damp hands on a cloth. She gave Elara a soft smile, one that reached her kind eyes. “You girls talk. I’ll check on your father.” She touched Seraphina’s shoulder affectionately before slipping away toward the bedroom.
And just like that, Elara and Seraphina were alone. The house seemed quieter now, though the lingering smell of food still filled the air, wrapping the room in homely warmth.
Seraphina plopped down beside Elara on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her. She tilted her head, studying her friend closely. “You look like you’ve been thinking too much again. What did Papa say to you?”
Elara hesitated, her fingers twisting in her lap. “He…told me things don’t look good. It seems the future isn’t going to be easy.”
Seraphina’s lips pressed into a thin line, then she forced a cheerful smile, though Elara could see the worry behind it. “Papa always makes things sound more dramatic than they are. You know him–he sees storms even in clear skies.”
Elara shook her head, her voice soft, heavy. “No, Sera. This was different. He wasn’t just guessing. He knows things. He sees something coming.”
Seraphina reached out and squeezed Elara’s hand. “Even if he does, you don’t need to carry it all on your shoulders. You’re not alone here. You have us. My father, my mother…me. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
The kindness in her words cut deep. Elara wanted to believe it, wanted to lean into the comfort Seraphina offered. But deep inside, her heart was tangled in things she couldn’t say out loud. She thought of Edward–his hand on hers, the way his presence pulled at her in ways she couldn’t control. And then Callista’s sharp words echoed in her memory: His girlfriend will be here soon.
Elara’s stomach twisted. She couldn’t tell Seraphina about any of it–not the feelings she was struggling with, not the ache of knowing Edward belonged to someone else.
So she forced a small smile and squeezed her friend’s hand back. “Thank you, Sera. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Seraphina grinned, the brightness in her expression returning for a moment. “Well, you’d probably spend too much time alone, talking to shadows. And then I’d have to drag you back into the light.”
Elara let out a soft laugh, the sound fragile but real. “That sounds like something you’d do.”
They talked a little more–light things, small stories. Seraphina rambled about the silly antics of two guys at her work place. Elara listened, letting herself be carried by the warmth of her friend’s chatter, even if her own heart was heavy.
Time passed quietly. The fire burned lower, shadows stretching longer across the room.
When the clock chimed softly in the corner, Elara’s eyes widened. “Oh no,” she muttered, sitting up quickly.
Seraphina blinked. “What is it?”
“I almost forgot. Ma’am Albright gave me a list of things to buy from the mall before coming home. If I don’t leave now, I will definitely get home very late.”
Seraphina pouted. “You’re leaving already? It feels like you just got here.”
“I know,” Elara said softly, reaching for her bag. “But it’s getting late, and I need to make it back to the mansion early. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
Seraphina sighed dramatically, then leaned over and hugged her. “Fine. But you’ll come again one of these days, right?”
Elara hugged her tightly, her throat stinging with emotion she couldn’t explain. “Yes. I’ll definitely come.”
They pulled apart, and Seraphina gave her a playful nudge. “Good. Because you’re my one and only best friend. And we still have a lot to talk about.”
Elara smiled faintly, standing and adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
The house was quiet as she stepped toward the door, the faint murmur of Ambrose and Rowena talking in their room drifting through the walls. Seraphina walked her out, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
“Be safe,” Seraphina said firmly.
“I will,” Elara whispered.
And with that, she stepped out into the cool evening air. The sky was painted with shades of deep purple, the first stars beginning to pierce through the fading light. Elara pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and started down the path.
Her mind was heavy with everything Ambrose had told her, everything she hadn’t said to Seraphina, and everything waiting for her back at the mansion.
Deep down, Elara knew her life was shifting. The shadows were closing in. And no amount of pretending could keep them away.
At the mansion, Edward sat in his room, the TV was on but he wasn’t watching, he was busy reading some articles on his phone. The news played faintly from the crystal screen mounted on the wall, the announcer’s urgent tone cutting through the silence.
“There has been another attack reported at Eastwood this evening,” the voice said grimly. “Citizens are advised to remain indoors and avoid movements until further notice.”
Edward’s posture stiffened immediately. His jaw clenched, and his hand tightened against the arm of the chair. He glanced toward the tall windows; night had fully fallen, and the clock ticked steadily forward.
Elara still hadn’t returned.
His mind raced with possibilities–each one darker than the last. What if she had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? What if she had heard the warning too late? Or maybe she needs my help.
Edward paced, his eyes darting back to the door as if expecting her to walk through at any moment. But the emptiness of the mansion pressed back at him, sharp and suffocating.
He muttered under his breath, “Elara…where are you?”