Chapter 206 Happy Birthday
>>Seraphina
As I walked the deserted streets under the cloak of night, a heavy sense of solitude settled over me.. The dim glow of streetlights cast long shadows that danced around me, a haunting reminder of the loneliness that permeated every inch of the empty road.
I walked quietly, all of the energy and the will to live had pretty much left my entire being. My eyebags were heavy and I was worn out of my mind.
I couldn't shake the gnawing ache in my chest, a silent yearning for freedom. Maybe even a friend. Someone, who I could talk to.
I walked but my steps felt heavy. The neon signs flickered around me and a group of female friends ran past me. They looked my age. They laughed and teased each other, pushing each other with no care in the world.
One of them pushed the other and she came and crashed into me.
“Sorry!” She immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry!!” The rest of them walked past us, so the girl ran to them as well. I watched them with a hollow feeling in my chest.
The weight of the darkness seemed to press down on me, suffocating me with its oppressive embrace. I began to walk again without saying a word.
As I turned the corner, a dull ache settled in the pit of my stomach, a painful reminder that tonight was no ordinary night. It was my birthday—a day that should have been filled with laughter and love. If I was a normal kid, I might have been running around with friends like those girls, but instead I found myself wandering the streets alone, lost in the vast expanse of the city.
With a heavy sigh, I paused beneath the flickering glow of a streetlamp, my eyes drawn to the empty storefronts that lined the deserted street. There was no one to remember my special day, no one to offer a kind word or a warm embrace.
I was alone, adrift in a sea of darkness with no beacon to guide me home.
But then, in the midst of my despair. I made my way to the nearest bakery, the warm scent of freshly baked goods wafting through the crisp night air.
Inside, I found temporary solace in the soft glow of the overhead lights, the rows of decadent pastries and sweet treats offering a brief respite from the loneliness that consumed me. With a heavy heart, I approached the counter and ordered a single cupcake, its delicate frosting adorned with a single flickering candle.
As I stepped back out into the night, the cupcake cradled in my trembling hands, a sense of vicious loneliness settled over me. There would be no grand celebration, no gathering of friends and family to mark the occasion.
And there, beneath the star-studded sky, I found a quiet moment for myself. I stared at the flickering flame that danced on the sole thin candle on the cupcake.
Looking at it made me feel pathetic.
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and made a wish, the flame of the candle casting a warm glow upon my face.
‘I hope there comes a time when I wake up and don’t have to worry about surviving.’ I whispered my wish that was only heard by the passing wind, ‘I hope I too can find peace and love in the future.’ I gulped softly, ‘Be in a place where I am happy and content.’
And I opened my eyes and blew out the flickering light.
“Happy Birthday, Seraphina,” I stared at the smoke from the candle, “Hope you have happy ones ahead,”
In the quiet solitude of the empty street, I celebrated my birthday alone—a solitary figure bathed in the soft glow of flickering street light that eventually gave out too.
I woke up with tears staining my cheeks
“Oh,”
I wiped them off with my fingers as I lay sideways on the bed.
“What a dream…” I let out a sigh then sat up.
I dreamt of the past.
Why? I paused for a moment then remembered something.
Wait, isn’t it my birthday today? I had that dream because it’s my birthday? How weird? Why would I dream of such a lonely time?
The door opened and Azef peeked his head inside, “You’re up!” He seemed excited.
“Yea,” I removed the blanket and stood up.
“Happy birthday,” He said and I paused
“Oh?” I was wearing my slippers when he said that, “You knew?” I looked at him in surprise,
“Yes,” He had a content smile on his face, “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Thank you,” I smiled softly as I walked towards him. But that’s when I noticed he had hiding something behind his back. Both his hands were behind him.
“What do you have there?” I asked as I approached him.
“Oh? This?” He brought his hands to the front, “Nothing much, just my favorite bunny,”
!!!
“This!” I recognized it immediately, “This is ‘kookie,” It was Sarina’s bunny.
He handed it over to me, “Here,”
I looked at him with a frown, “Why are you giving it to me?”
“It doesn’t matter if you keep it or I do, We’re one now.” He smirked and I smiled shyly at him.
I took it, “I’ll keep it safe,” I said, feeling cozy
“That wasn’t really a gift though,”
“Oh?” I smirked, “It’s not,”
“No,” He smirked back, “The gift is this,” He showed me his empty hands
“An empty hand?” I was confused. He clapped his other hand onto it and I looked at him with an amused expression, “Okaayy…”
He watched me as he removed the hand he slapped onto his palm, and it revealed a sim card, “I got your mother’s number,”
My smile faded, “What?”
“I made sure that no one can have it reissued.”
My eyes went wide.
“You did what?” Tears welled in my eyes immediately
“You can text your mother freely now,”
The world seemed to spin, my heart wanted to explode.
“Azef!” I had no words to express what was going on inside of me so I jumped towards him and hugged him, “OH MY GOD! Thank you so much!!”
“Like it?” He asked.
“I love it!” I held him tightly.
“We still got one more thing to go,” He said and I broke the hug to look at him
“What?”
“I asked you about this before,” He said, “And a lot of time has passed since then, I’m sure you’ve had plenty of time to think about it.” I knew what he was talking about, “So, did you think about what you want to do now?”
I nodded at him, “I have,” I spent a lot of time thinking about it. And there was one thing I absolutely wanted to do, “I want to go to college,” I said
“College?”
I nodded, “I could never enjoy my student life. I know I’m a bit late and it might be difficult for me-”
“No,” He cut me off, “You should go,” He smiled, “I’ll make the arrangements,”
I couldn’t contain my happiness, “Really?”
He nodded, “Really,”
I had to bite my lip down but even then I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, “Thank you!” I couldn’t stop myself from hugging him again, “Thank you so much!!!”
He wrapped his arms around me, “But you’ll have to live with me, you can’t live in the dorms,”
I let out a chuckle, “Okay,”
I never knew I could find peace and happiness like this.
All of it was pure bliss
We broke the hug. The dim light of the room cast a warm glow over us, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. I felt his fingers brush a stray strand of hair from my face, sending shivers down my spine. The silence between us was electric
As I stared into his eyes, all I could think was, ‘I love him so much’
He took a step closer, closing the distance between us, and I could feel the heat radiating off his body. My breath caught in my throat as he gently cupped my face, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. His touch was tender, yet there was an undeniable urgency in the way his fingers gripped me. Our eyes met, and in that moment, the world outside ceased to exist.
Then his lips were on mine, a soft, exploratory kiss that quickly grew more passionate. My hands instinctively reached up, threading through his hair as I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. His lips were firm and demanding, igniting a fire within me that I couldn’t ignore.
Suddenly, I felt his strong arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off the ground with an effortless strength.
A surprised gasp escaped my lips, but it was quickly swallowed by his kiss. The next thing I knew, my back hit the wall with a gentle thud, and he pressed his body against mine, pinning me in place.
The coolness of the wall contrasted sharply with the heat of his body, intensifying the sensations coursing through me. He kissed me harder, his lips moving with a fierce hunger that made my knees weak. I clung to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I surrendered to the overwhelming desire that surged between us.
His hands roamed my sides, exploring every curve with a possessive touch that sent sparks of pleasure racing through my veins. I could feel the rapid beat of his heart against my chest, matching the frantic rhythm of my own. Our kisses became more frantic, more desperate,
As the kiss slowly broke, we both gasped for air, our foreheads resting against each other. His eyes, dark with passion, softened as he gently set me back down on my feet. My heart was still racing, my lips tingling from the intensity of our embrace. I felt dazed, like I was floating on a cloud.
He put me down and took my hand
"Come with me," He whispered, his voice still husky with desire.
“Okay,” I didn’t ask him anything and let him take me.
He guided me down the hallway, the sounds of our footsteps the only thing breaking the silence. I was so caught up in the afterglow of our kiss that I barely registered where we were going until we turned a corner and stepped into the lounge.
!!!
My breath caught in my throat again, but this time for an entirely different reason. The room was bathed in a warm, golden light from fairy lights strung across the ceiling. Balloons of every color were scattered around, and a large banner reading "Happy Birthday" hung proudly on one wall. The coffee table was covered with a variety of my favorite snacks and a beautifully decorated cake.
Standing in the middle of it all, beaming with excitement, was Matthew, Calliope and Eris. They had wide smiles on their faces, their eyes sparkling with delight. In the kitchen stood Bezof, Runy and Lila who had come to help with the kitchen stuff.
"Surprise!" They shouted in unison, their voices filled with joy.
I stood there in shock for a moment. Then I turned to look at Azef, my heart swelling with gratitude and love. He smiled down at me, his expression tender.
"Happy birthday," He murmured, his thumb brushing a tear from my cheek.
I felt overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and effort that had gone into this. Calliope stepped forward, wrapping me in a warm hug.
"We wanted to make sure your day was special," She said softly. "Hope you like it. We've been planning this for weeks!"
“Weeks?” I was astounded. How come I didn’t find out?
“Me too!!” Eris jumped towards us. I broke away from everyone else and picked her up in my arms. She hugged me tightly, “Happy Birthday Sera!”
I stared at her, “Thank you, baby,” Unable to hide the love swelling inside of me, I kissed her forehead, “I love it!” I looked at everyone, “It’s amazing.”
I looked around the room again, taking in every detail. It was perfect, more than I could have ever asked for. I felt a surge of affection for all of them, my heart bursting with happiness.
"This is- too good" I said, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Everything was lovely
A few months back I couldn’t have even dreamed of something so nice and peaceful. Something only filled with happiness. I was so washed out then, I thought my life was only going to fill with further misery.
“Let’s cut the cake!” Calliope said and we all walked towards the table. I put Eris down and grabbed the knife as we circled around the table.
Is this why I had that dream?
Because I made a wish?
I gently touched the mark on my nape, then smiled.
Life really does better.
As I began to cut the cake, the rest of them sang the birthday song for me. Eris was the loudest one there, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ with all her might as she clapped her hands as well. It was cute and funny at the same time and everyone was enjoying her action.
All of us subtly chuckled at her.
It felt a little corny at my age, but deep inside I also loved the feeling of being adored and cared for.
I raised my head and look at Azef
My wish did come true.
I love the fact that I got to meet this man, and that I’ll be spending the rest of my life with him
The End