I take a deep breath, transporting myself back to all those years ago, and begin.
"I was six," I said, letting the memories wash over me. "It was a normal day—clear skies, mild temperature. Nothing to suggest what would happen."
Seraphina's hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my own. The warmth of her touch anchored me to the present even as my mind traveled to the past.
"My mother loved to play hide-and-seek with me," I continued, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the pain of these memories. "I was good at it—already developing heightened senses. But she always found me."
I could see it all so clearly. Our old manor, not as grand as the one we lived in now, but impressive nonetheless. The wooden panels in the hallways that smelled like pine and polish. My mother's soft footsteps as she pretended not to know where I was hiding.
"That day, I hid in one of the laundry cabinets in the east wing. Squeezed myself in between fresh towels and waited."
