5

Morning arrived with a soft drizzle. Rain trapped against the tall windows of the Alpha House, wrapping the territory in a quiet calm. Serafina had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Darius standing beneath the moonlight, as if he had known exactly how her escape would unfold.

It irritated her. She hated being predictable. More than that, she hated that he hadn’t punished her at all. She had expected chains. A dungeon. Perhaps even torture. Instead, she had simply been escorted back to her room. As though nothing had happened to her. A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in...”

The door opened and Martha stepped inside. She smiled when she saw Serafina already awake.

“I thought you’d still be sleeping.”

“I don’t sleep much.”

“I can tell that.” Martha placed a fresh set of clothes on the bed. “They’re yours.”

Serafina frowned. “Mine?”

“The Alpha ordered them for you.”

She glanced at the neatly folded garments. Dark troused, a cream colored blouse, a thick cloak embroidered with the Black Fang crest.

“I won’t wear their symbol.”

Marthe chuckled softly. “Then remove the cloak.”

Serafina looked at her suspiciously. “Why is he doing this?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“But... you still have an opinion.”

Martha nodded. “I do.” Her eyes met Serafina’s eyes with a warm smile.

“I think, our Alphas sees something that the rest of us haven’t noticed yet inside you.”

Serafina looked away. “I don’t think so.”

A short while later, one of the guards arrived. “The Alpha has requested your presence.”

“I don’t take orders from him.”

The guard sighed. “I wasn’t asking.”

Serafina rolled her eyes but followed him anyway. The Alpha House was much livelier than it had been at night. Servants hurried through the halls. Warriors came and went with reports. Despite the constant movement, everything remained orderly. No shouting. No fear. Only discipline.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a pair of large wooden doors. The guard pushed them open. The scent of freshly prepared foor filled the room. A long dining table stretched across the chamber. Several senior officers were already seated. Among them sat Beta Kael, whose sharp blue eyes immediately narrowed when Serafina entered.

“So, the assassion joins us now?” Kael muttered.

Darius, seated at the head of the table, looked up. “Sit.”

Serafina remained where she was. “I’m not hungry.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

A flicker of irritation crossed her face. “I’d rather starve.”

“You won’t.”

Their gazes locked. Neither willing to yield. The silence grew heavier with each passing second. Until finally, Serafina walked to the far end of the table and sat down. As far from Darius as possible. Kael let out a dry laugh.

“I still think this is a terrible idea.”

“So you’ve mentioned.”

“She’ll betray you again, Alpha.”

“Maybe.”

Kael frowned. “You don’t sound concerned about it.”

“I’m not.” Darius shook his head slowly.

Kael leaned forward. “But why?”

Darius calmly cut into his breakfast. “Because if she intended to kill me...” He looked directly at Serafina. “She would’ve taken the opportunity last night.”

The room fell silent. Every eyes turned toward her. Kael frowned. “Last night?”

“She escaped.”

Several officers instantly reached for their weapons. “What? You let her out?”

“No. She let herself out.” Darius corrected.

Kael stared in disbelief. “And she’s sitting here alive?”

“Obviously.”

“Why didn’t you lock her in the dungeon?”

“Because she returned back.”

Serafina’s eyebrows drew together. “I was caught.”

“No.” Darius’s voice remained calm. “You could’ve fought last night, but you didn’t. So you came back.”

She opened her mouth to argue, then stopped, because he was right. She hadn’t resisted. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps, some part of her had already known running was pointless at this time. Kael slammed his hand onto the table.

“This is madness, Alpha. She fooled everyone once, and she’ll do it again.”

Darius finally set down his fork. “Beta Kael.” His voice wasn’t loud, yet the room instantly fell silent.

“If I believed she was beyond saving...” His crimson eyes shifted toward Serafna. “She would’ve died three days ago.”

Thos words struck her harder than she expected. Beyond saving. No one had ever spoken about her like that before. Not as a weapon. Not as a failure. But as someone who could still be saved. The thought made her strangely uncomfortable.

The meal ended in tense silence. As the officers filled out of the room, Kael remained behind. He waited until Serafina had been escorted toward the library with Martha. Only then did Kael speak.

“You trust her too much, Alpha.”

Darius stood by the window overlooking the training grounds. “I don’t trust her.”

Kael blinked. “Then what are you trying to do right now?”

“I just watching.”

“Watching what?”

Darius was quiet for several moments. “When I fought her...”

Darius remembered the hesitation. The confusion in her eyes. The scars hidden beneath her sleeves. The way she reacted whenever someone showed her kindness, as if she didn’t understand it.

“I just know, that she’s hiding something.”

Kael folded his arms. “Or she’s manipulating you.”

“Maybe, but my instincts say otherwise.”

Kael sighed heavily. “I’ve known you for twenty years, and you never ignore your instincts.”

“No, I don’t.”

***

Meanwhile, Martha led Serafina into a vast library filled with towering shelves. Books lined every wall from floor to ceiling. Serafina slowed her steps. She had never seen so many books in one place like this before.

“You can come here whenever you like.”

“I don’t know how to read most of these.”

Martha looked surprised. “You can read, can’t you?”

“Enough to understand mission reports.”

“That’s all they taught you?”

Serafina nodded. “They said, books make people too soft.”

Martha’s expressions filled with quiet sadness. “No... books make peopkle free.” She whispered.

The words settled deep inside Serafina. Free. She wasn’t sure she understood what that felt like. As Martha wandered off to organize a shelf, Serafina’s gaze drifted across the room. One book caught her attention. Unlike the others, it rested alone inside a glass display case. Its cover bore the image of crimson moon surrounded by silver vines.

Without thinking, she stepped closer. The memont her fingertips brushed the glass, a sharp pulse shot through her chest. Her vision blurred. For a heartbeat, she saw a magnificent castle beneath a blood red moon. A woman’s voice echoed through the darkness.

“Come home...”

Serafina gasped and stumbled backward. The vision disappeared. The library returned to normal. Martha hurried over.

“Serafina! Are you alright?”

Serafina stared at the ancient book, her breathing uneven. “What is that?”

Martha followed her gaze. A shadow crossed her face. “An old history book.”

“History of what?”

Martha hesitated. “A kingdom... that no longer exists.”

From the doorway, unseen by either of them, Darius had witnessed everything. He had seen the moment Serafina touched the glass. He had seen the strange silver light flicker beneath her fingertips. A single impossible thought crossed his mind. What if Serafia wasn’t just hiding from her past, but what if her past had been stolen from her?