The palace library was always silent at night. Most courtiers feared the echoing halls and the ghost stories whispered by servants. But Seraphina loved it—it was the only place where her thoughts could breathe.
She ran her fingers across the spines of forgotten books, most of them sealed in dust and secrets. There was one volume she needed. One that wasn't supposed to exist yet.
"The Alchemy of Ashes."
Hidden. Restricted. Banned in her original timeline—after it helped create the poison that ended her father's life.
She knew where it would be.
Her hand reached behind the second pillar on the third row—felt for the hollow crease—and pulled.
Click.
A hidden panel opened.
"You're quite clever for a girl your age," came a smooth, dark voice from the shadows.
She froze.
A man stepped out from behind the far shelf, half-shrouded in darkness. Tall, dressed in black robes lined with silver thread, his face obscured beneath a hood. But his presence? Heavy. Controlled. Ancient.
"Who are you?" Seraphina asked, masking the tremor in her voice.
"A wanderer," he replied, his voice amused. "Or perhaps... a messenger."
"Of what?"
He tilted his head. "Of what's to come."
She didn't back away. "Speak plainly, or leave."
"You walk with the soul of a queen," he said, stepping closer. "But the scent of ash still clings to you."
Her eyes widened.
He knows.
"What do you want?"
The man smiled faintly. "To watch. For now."
"Watch what?"
He leaned in. "To see if you burn the world before they burn you again."
Before she could speak, he vanished—like smoke curling in the wind.
Seraphina stood there, hand still gripping the forbidden book, heart racing.
She had returned with knowledge.
But someone else… had seen her come back.
And he wasn't supposed to exist. Not yet.