Chapter 5

Ersa

“Seraph? What happened?” I asked.

She gave a slow, weary smile. “Come in.”

When I stepped inside, even her room was in chaos. I stayed quiet and sank onto her bed—the only clean spot—tapping lightly on the space beside me.

Slowly, she walked over and sat down, but neither of us spoke. I waited, letting her take the lead; that’s always the best way to get someone to open up.

“Are you not going to ask me what happened?” she finally asked, eyes on me, pouting like a child.

“I did,” I said gently. “I’m just waiting for you to tell me the whole story.”

“Fine, if you really want to know,” she said, patting my back lightly.

I almost said, not really, if you don’t want to, but she had already started talking.

“I apologize for being like that at dinner. It’s just… the mention of that pleasure house really messes me up, you know? The worst part is, that asshole knows it,” she said, hiding her face in her palms.

“The Alpha knows you hate talking about it?” I asked.

“Yeah… at least, I think so. They made all these profiles on us, didn’t they? Surely, he knows.”

I tilted my head. “So… you’re just assuming he knows?”

“Oh, he knows,” she said, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

“You see, Seraph, I know you’re going through something difficult right now, but we should never judge anyone unless we truly know. That’s one of my mistakes today. I thought you were putting on an act earlier, just to become Luna, but I was wrong. I won’t judge you again—unless you tell me how you really feel. The same goes for the Alpha. I think I judged him too quickly, and I can see you’re doing the same.”

She lifted her head and gave me a look that said I was being absurd. “So… you’re not here to take my side?”

“Nope. I’m not taking anyone’s side. But… do you want me to?” I asked, because just like always, I wanted to be what someone needed.

She shook her head. “No. You’re exactly what I need right now. I hope that someday I’ll be able to tell you my whole story.” She smiled, then suddenly patted me hard on the back, nearly making me stumble. Almost.

“Thank you. It was short, but somehow you really lifted my spirits,” she said as she straightened up. “And to correct you, I didn’t really want to be Luna—but being chosen here was an escape. So… maybe I should thank the Alpha for that.”

I nodded. “You should.”

“And I should probably ask Mathilda to help me clean this mess up.”

I nodded again. “You should.”

“That means you can go now, Ersa.”

I nodded once more. “I should.”

Seraph laughed aloud. “You really are a weird one, aren’t you?”

Finally, we said our goodnights. During that short talk, I felt my own spirits lifted, like a thorn had been pulled from my heart.

I realized, once again, that everyone hides parts of themselves. But that doesn’t make them all bad.

Morning came once again. We were told there would be no special tests today, leaving us free to spend the hours as we pleased.

Wandering through the mansion, I eventually found myself by the pool near the garden—the same place where we had faced our first test.

There, cutting gracefully through the water, was Seraph. “Ersa!” she called out, lifting an arm in a cheerful wave.

I barely had time to wave back before she climbed out of the pool, droplets cascading down her skin as she jogged toward me. I muttered under my breath, what an unfair life, as her every step sent a ripple through her figure, an effortless reminder of just how little the world dealt its cards evenly.

“Let’s swim,” Seraph said brightly, holding both my hands as if to drag me in with her.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll pass. I was only taking a walk.”

“Oh, really? Alright then.” She shrugged, a smile still lingering on her lips.

I offered her a brief nod before turning away, wandering deeper into the garden. The further I walked, the more I realized just how vast the grounds were. Before long, I wasn’t sure where I was anymore.

Then it came—his scent.

“Looking for an escape route?” a voice called, smooth and steady, threading through the quiet.

I turned, and there he was—the Alpha. He sat with disarming ease at a small round table tucked inside a wooden gazebo, golden eyes fixed on me like a predator humoring his prey.

“Care to join me, Ms. Soltharic?”