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Chapter 7: Flame in the Shadows

last update Last Updated: 2025-05-02 15:10:59

Seraphina could still feel it—breathing beneath the earth, humming in the back of her skull like a second heartbeat. Every time she blinked, she saw flashes—visions that didn’t belong to her. Flames dancing in spirals. Eyes watching from beyond.

But worst of all was the whisper.

Take your place.

She stood alone in the high tower, the gauntlet on her right arm pulsing with residual flame. Since returning from the Gate, nothing felt normal. Even the wind smelled sharper, like it carried secrets. She no longer felt like a woman walking through stone halls—but something deeper. Something ancient.

Behind her, Dante entered without knocking.

“You haven’t come down in hours.”

“I’m not ready to face them.”

“They're your people now.”

“That’s the problem,” she said, finally turning to meet his gaze. “They expect a queen. But what I brought back with me… it’s not royalty. It’s ruin.”

He approached slowly, eyes locked to hers. “What you brought back is strength. And they’ll follow it.”

“They’ll f
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