Chapter 1 – Rebirth in Shadows
Page 1 (Part 4/4 – Final)
Morning bled into night more quickly than Seraphine expected. The house she had been given hummed with false domesticity: a television murmuring downstairs, footsteps of "parents" who existed only as background actors in her new stage. She didn't bother to speak to them. They weren't real. They were props.
Instead, she sat at her desk beneath the glow of a lamp, notebook open before her. The paper was blank at first, but as she tapped the pen against the page, ideas spilled forth.
Not words — names.
Jim. Toby. Claire.
Each name was a thread waiting to be pulled. She sketched little marks beside them: a heart for Megan, an arrow for Connor, a jagged line for Derek. Her symbols meant nothing to anyone else, but to her, they mapped out the kind of strings she intended to weave.
She paused at Jim's name, tapping her pen.
He would be the most difficult. The Trollhunter was chosen by fate itself. Chosen ones had a way of resisting subtle influences — they were stubborn, shielded by destiny. She had felt it today in the cafeteria, the slight hitch when she brushed against him. The seed had taken root, but it would not grow easily.
Seraphine smiled faintly. The harder the prey fought, the sweeter the victory.
She closed the notebook and stood, moving to the window. Arcadia Oaks stretched quietly beneath the stars, suburban streets glowing with lamplight. Beyond them, she knew, lurked shadows — trolls hidden in the dark, magic humming beneath the mundane.
She pressed her palm to the glass, her reflection staring back. Green eyes, sharp and cunning. Lips curved into a smile too perfect to be honest.
"This world will be mine," she whispered.
The words carried no hesitation. Only certainty.
The next day dawned bright, birds chirping, the illusion of normalcy draped over everything. Seraphine walked to school with measured strides, her bag slung casually over one shoulder.
Already, whispers followed her. She caught fragments as she passed groups of students:
"She's so pretty—""Did you hear she's new?""Connor's already obsessed.""Derek says she's sitting with him."
She let the rumors swirl unchecked, each one weaving her deeper into the fabric of the school. Popularity was a tool, and she was sharpening it well.
In homeroom, she slid into a seat near the back. The teacher greeted her warmly, and a few students waved shyly. Megan and Connor all but tripped over themselves to sit close, their eagerness painted across their faces. Seraphine offered them both smiles, equal parts sweet and dismissive. Keep them hooked, but never satisfied.
Derek strutted past the door, throwing her a confident wink. She responded with a polite nod and nothing more. The frown that flickered across his face was delicious.
By second period, she had half the class convinced she was the cleverest girl they'd ever met. By third, she'd turned two whispering students against each other with a single comment laced with suggestion. By lunch, she was the center of a small crowd, her laugh like music, her influence spreading like spilled ink.
But still, her eyes searched for Jim.
She found him at his usual table, Toby devouring a burrito beside him, Claire balancing a tray on her lap as she slid into the seat across from them.
Seraphine lingered at a distance, studying the trio. Jim smiled at something Toby said, but his eyes darted toward Claire with an affection he didn't quite hide. Claire laughed softly, though tension lined her posture. Toby, blissfully oblivious, launched into another story, his hands waving dramatically.
Three friends bound by trust and affection. Three threads, tangled together.
Seraphine's pulse quickened. Breaking them apart would be a challenge. A joy.
She made her move.
Carrying her tray, she approached a nearby table, settling gracefully where she had a clear line of sight to the Trollhunter and his friends. Megan sat beside her immediately, Connor across, both chattering about some upcoming school event. Seraphine smiled, nodded, even laughed at their jokes. But her attention never strayed far from Jim.
She let her gaze linger. Not obvious — subtle. A glance when he looked away, a small smile when his eyes drifted near her table.
And then, as his attention flicked toward her once more, she tugged.
Not much. Just a brush. Enough to whisper: notice me.
Jim blinked. His brow furrowed faintly as though recognizing her from somewhere. Then Toby elbowed him, spilling soda, and the moment passed.
But it was enough.
By the end of the day, Seraphine had planted seeds across the school. Friendships bent slightly toward her, rivalries sharpened with a word. She moved through the halls like a queen whose crown was invisible only to the blind.
Yet it was not enough.
That evening, she returned to her room, notebook open once more. She added more marks to her list. Megan and Connor: loyal. Derek: restless. Jim: resistant. Toby: vulnerable. Claire: conflicted.
She tapped her pen against the paper, lips curving into a smile.
Yes. It was time to weave tighter threads.
Later, as the stars blinked awake above Arcadia Oaks, Seraphine stepped onto the sidewalk outside her house. The night air was cool, carrying faint scents of grass and asphalt. She breathed it in, savoring the calm before the storm.
And then—she saw him.
Jim Lake Jr., riding his bike down the street, Toby balanced precariously behind him. Their laughter rang out, echoing in the quiet night.
Seraphine watched from the shadows, her smile sharpening.
Her pulse quickened. The god's voice seemed to whisper faintly in her ears, mocking yet encouraging: Make them dance, little puppeteer.
"Oh, I will," she murmured, her eyes following Jim until he vanished around the corner. "Starting with you."
Her hand lifted, fingers curling as though grasping invisible strings.
"Soon."
The word lingered in the night air like a promise.