Chapter 1 – Rebirth in Shadows
Page 4 (Part 5/5)
Night settled over Arcadia Oaks, the moon casting pale light across rooftops and quiet streets. Seraphine lingered near the edge of town, a place where the hum of traffic faded and the old trees whispered to each other in the breeze.
Her power prickled at the edge of her senses. She had learned to trust it—the subtle pull that told her when an opportunity was near. Tonight, that pull led her to Jim Lake.
She spotted him near the canal, his bike leaned against the guardrail, his figure hunched on the embankment below. He thought he was alone, shielded by the night.
Seraphine moved like a shadow, silent and patient. She didn't step too close, not yet. She crouched behind the slope of grass, close enough to hear, hidden enough to remain unseen.
Jim's voice drifted through the still air, low and strained.
"…I don't know if I can do this."
Her pulse quickened.
There was a pause, then the faint rasp of metal shifting—the sound of something being drawn out of his bag. The air shimmered faintly, carrying a strange warmth that tugged at her senses.
The Amulet.
Seraphine's eyes widened, though she quickly masked her excitement, crouching lower. So this is your secret, Jim.
Jim held the object in his hands, the faint glow casting blue light across his troubled face. "You chose me," he whispered, his voice cracking. "But why? I'm not ready. I almost froze back there. I almost…" He trailed off, shaking his head.
Seraphine leaned forward, every word threading into her mind like gold. Chosen. Not ready. Something powerful enough to glow in the dark…
The Amulet pulsed again, and Jim bowed his head. "If they find out—if Seraphine finds out—I don't know if I can protect them. Or myself."
Her breath caught, heat sparking in her chest. He's already thinking about me. Already afraid of what I might do with the truth.
She pressed a hand to her lips, steadying the smirk that threatened to spread. Good. Let him fear me, even if he doesn't realize why. Fear makes people cling to their protectors—and soon, Jim will think that protector is me.
Jim's voice wavered, raw with doubt. "What if I fail them? What if someone gets hurt because of me?"
Seraphine tilted her head, studying him in the Amulet's glow. His fear was intoxicating—so vulnerable, so ripe for exploitation. But she didn't move. Not yet. This was better than confrontation. This was knowledge, leverage.
Every manipulator knew: a secret overheard was worth more than a confession given.
She slipped back, her footsteps soundless, her smile sharp as the moon above.
Tomorrow, she would comfort him again. She would offer the perfect words, the perfect smile, the perfect role. And when he leaned on her—when he trusted her with the very thing he feared she might discover—she would already have all the answers.
Jim tucked the Amulet back into his bag, sighing heavily before trudging toward his bike. Seraphine lingered in the shadows until he was gone, her eyes glinting with satisfaction.
The game had changed.
She no longer needed to wonder what Jim was hiding. Now she knew where to look, what to prod, what threads to pull until his secret unraveled in her hands.
And as the night swallowed Arcadia Oaks in silence, Seraphine whispered to herself, her voice laced with promise:
"Soon, Jim Lake. You'll give me everything."