The morning after Vael's words didn't feel like a normal morning.
Everything felt louder.
The air outside was too still, like even the birds didn't dare sing. Her room—if she could still call it that—felt tighter than ever. Like the walls were watching her. Like the shadows knew her name now.
"You are more…"
Vael's words echoed again, but this time, they weren't just floating in her mind.
They were digging.
Digging up memories.
Whispers from Elryn. Questions left unanswered. That glowing mark she kept hidden for so long.
Seraphina sat up slowly, her hand going straight to her wrist. The mark wasn't glowing now, but it tingled—like it remembered being seen.
And maybe… it wanted to be seen again.
She knew she couldn't ask Elryn. Not after the way she slammed that book shut like it was cursed.
But she wasn't a child anymore. And she was tired of being lied to.
Seraphina got dressed quickly—pulling on her worn-out boots and the gray cloak she always wore when she wanted to disappear. It was the only piece of clothing that made her feel safe. Maybe because it used to belong to her mother. Maybe because it still smelled faintly like wildflowers and rain.
Outside, the sky hung heavy with clouds, but no rain came.
She moved fast through the trees, her breath steady even as her thoughts raced.
She wasn't going far—just to the shed behind the house. The place Elryn rarely went. The place where secrets went to rot.
She pushed the door open and dust scattered into the air like tiny ghosts.
She remembered the first time she'd found the book. She was looking for a jar of herbs, not answers. But the leather binding had called to her. Literally—she heard a faint hum when her hand brushed the spine.
Now she found it again, hidden behind cracked wooden boxes and an old lantern.
It hadn't moved.
Elryn had taken it. But somehow, here it was again.
Maybe the book wanted to be found.
Seraphina knelt down, her fingers trembling as she picked it up. The symbol on the cover shimmered faintly, almost like her mark.
She opened it.
Not just to the drawing this time—but further.
There were words. Whole pages of strange, ancient language… but then something in the middle stopped her cold.
A page written in her own tongue.
"When the blood of two enemies births the child of dusk, the balance shall break. Her mark shall burn beneath two moons. She will either rise… or end us all."
Her breath caught.
Two enemies. Blood of dusk.
Her fingers gripped the edge of the page, hard enough to tear it.
This was her.
It had to be.
And if this was true… then everything she thought she knew—her name, her past, her place in the pack—was a lie.
She heard the shed door creak behind her.
Spinning around, she saw Elryn standing there. Face pale. Hands shaking.
"You opened it again," Elryn whispered.
Seraphina stood her ground. "Why didn't you tell me? Why am I marked like this? What am I?"
Elryn's lips parted, but no words came at first.
Then finally, softly—like she was letting go of something heavy—
"Because if they knew what you were… they'd kill you."
Silence.
Then Seraphina took a shaky step forward. "But I need to know. I deserve to know."
Elryn closed her eyes. "Your mother… was like us. And your father… he was the last of a royal line. A vampire king who vanished after the war."
Seraphina froze. Her heart thudded like a warning.
"You're telling me… I'm…"
"Not just a wolf. Not just a vampire. You are both. And that mark… it's the seal of the prophecy."
A bitter laugh slipped from Seraphina's lips. "So I really am a monster."
"No," Elryn said, finally stepping close enough to hold her. "You're a miracle."
Seraphina didn't cry. Not yet. But something inside her shifted.
A piece of the puzzle had clicked.
And she knew—this was just the beginning.
She would find the rest of the truth.
Even if it killed her.
Author Message:
Secrets are cracking open. The prophecy is real. And Seraphina isn't just different—she's dangerous… and wanted. 🖤
If you felt that twist in your chest reading this, leave a 🔥 in the comments and let's keep unraveling the truth together.