Chapter 1 – Rebirth in Shadows
Page 5 (Part 3/5)
The following day, Seraphine played her role with careful precision. She greeted classmates with a gentle smile, shared pencils with those who had forgotten theirs, laughed at the right jokes. Every gesture was calculated to reinforce the image she had woven: approachable, trustworthy, harmless.
But her true attention was elsewhere.
Jim avoided her gaze in history class, his focus buried in his notebook. He hadn't told her the secret yet, but his silence screamed louder than any words. He was fraying at the edges, and soon he would snap.
Until then, she would tighten the web another way. Through Toby.
Lunch was the perfect stage. Claire had been pulled aside again by her debate partner, leaving Jim and Toby alone at their usual table. Seraphine slipped into the seat across from them, tray in hand.
"Mind if I join?" she asked brightly.
"Of course not!" Toby said, grinning around a mouthful of pizza. "The more, the merrier."
Jim gave her a small nod, guarded but polite. That was fine. She didn't need him open today.
Her gaze shifted to Toby, her smile softening. "You've got good energy, you know that? People notice."
Toby blinked, surprised. "Me? Nah, I'm just the funny sidekick."
Jim chuckled faintly, shaking his head. "He sells himself short."
Seraphine leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Funny sidekicks are the ones who hold everything together. Without you, I bet Jim would've collapsed a long time ago."
Toby's cheeks flushed, his grin widening. "Well… I do try to keep him going."
Jim glanced at his friend, fondness flickering across his tired features. "Yeah, you do."
Seraphine let the warmth settle between them before twisting it, just a little. "But doesn't it get heavy sometimes? Always being the one holding things up?"
Toby's brow furrowed. "I mean… maybe. But that's what best friends do, right?"
"Of course," she said smoothly. "But even best friends deserve recognition. Support. Who supports you, Toby?"
He blinked again, thrown off balance. "Uh… I guess Jim?"
Jim looked guilty at that, shifting in his seat. "I try—"
Seraphine's gaze softened, tilting her head sympathetically at Toby. "I think you give more than you realize. You deserve someone to carry you once in a while."
The words struck home—she could see it in the way Toby's shoulders sagged, in the nervous laugh he gave. "Well, uh… guess that'd be nice."
Jim frowned, clearly uncomfortable. "Tobe, don't listen to her like that. You know I—"
"No, Jim," Seraphine cut in gently, her tone kind but firm. "He's not saying you're a bad friend. He's just saying he has needs, too. Everyone does."
The tension hung in the air. Jim pressed his lips together, caught between guilt and defensiveness. Toby looked down at his tray, chewing slower now.
And Seraphine smiled inwardly. She had nudged the balance just enough. A crack had opened, subtle but powerful.
As lunch ended, she lingered a moment behind Toby while Jim went to dump his tray.
"You're a good person, Toby," she said quietly, almost reverently. "Don't ever think you're just a sidekick. People like you… you're the heart of the story."
His eyes widened, touched. "Really?"
"Really." She gave him a small, earnest smile before walking away.
Behind her, she could feel his gaze lingering, his chest puffing just slightly with newfound pride. Another thread secured.
Later, between classes, she caught sight of Jim at his locker, fiddling nervously with the Amulet hidden deep inside his bag. He muttered under his breath, the faintest glow escaping the zipper.
Seraphine's lips curved. Yes, Jim. Whisper your secrets to yourself. The more you hide, the more you'll need someone like me to understand.
And when he finally broke… she would already own his best friend.