All Chapters of Welcome to Aetherborn: Crushes, Curses & Creatures: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The chamber burned with firelight, shadows writhing like serpents across the walls. Seraphine’s reflection circled her, movements sharp and graceful, like a predator stalking prey. Her eyes glittered with cruel amusement. “Look at you,” the double hissed, her voice a distorted mirror of Seraphine’s own. “Your courage is counterfeit. Borrowed strength. Pretty little words. Deep down, you’re still that abandoned girl, begging for scraps of love that never came. That’s who you are.” The words sank like knives into Seraphine’s chest, because they were truths she’d tried to bury. But she clenched her fists. “No,” she said, though her voice shook. The reflection smirked and stepped closer. “You dream of power, don’t you? Of being chosen, adored, unstoppable. But even now, even here…” she raised her hand, and phantom illusions flickered into being: Kade turning his back, Lucien laughing cruelly, Alaric walking away, Damien fading into smoke “…they will leave you. One by one. And you’ll

Seraphine’s knees nearly buckled as her father’s arms wrapped around her. He smelled of cologne and warmth, so real, so solid, she almost believed he had stepped out of the grave just for her. Her tears came harder, and she clung to him, her face buried in his chest. “I’ve missed you so much,” she sobbed. “I thought… I thought you were gone forever.” He cupped the back of her head and kissed her hair. “I would never leave you, Sera. Not truly. You see? Now we can be together again, like we were always meant to.” Her mother appeared behind them, smiling radiantly. “We’re whole now. Just the three of us. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? A home. A family. Love that never goes away.” Seraphine’s chest tightened. Yes. Yes, it was. This was everything she had ever begged the universe for in her loneliest nights. No empty house. No cold stares. No whispers of not belonging. Just warmth, safety, parents who wanted her. Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. “Stay here, my da

The wind rushed through Seraphine’s hair as she clung to Damien’s back, her laughter breaking free in startled bursts. His wings, black, sharp, and powerful cut through the night sky, carrying them above the glowing lanterns of Aetherborn and out toward the darker stretch of forest. “Hold tighter,” Damien called over the rush of air, sounding far too amused at her nerves. “You don’t want to fall.” “I already regret trusting you with this!” Seraphine shouted back, but her arms only tightened around his shoulders. His laugh was low, teasing. “Relax. I’ve got you.” The clouds parted to reveal a clearing below, and perched at its heart was the Four’s private lodge, a warm glow spilling from its windows, smoke curling gently from the chimney. Damien landed with practiced grace, wings folding in before they vanished altogether. He crouched to let her down, smirking when her feet touched the ground. “Not bad, huh?” he said. “Not bad?” Seraphine panted, brushing her wind-tangled

Seraphine sank onto her bed like a stone dropped into still water. The sheets were cool against her skin, but her body ached in ways no rest ever seemed to fix anymore. Day after day it had been the same: drills until her muscles burned, spellwork until her vision swam, lectures until her mind felt stuffed and buzzing. They’d said the Trials were approaching, that they had to sharpen themselves like blades. No distractions. No access to the Aether Grounds. No reprieve. All work. No breath. No play. Her chest rose and fell as she sprawled across the mattress, too drained to even untie her boots. She let her eyes flutter closed, the weight of fatigue pulling her down. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to just… stop. The silence of her room wrapped around her like a fragile cocoon. Here, at least, there were no teachers barking corrections, no illusions to unravel, no whispers about who she was or wasn’t. Just Seraphine. Just a tired girl clinging

Seraphine Vale walked alone. The corridors of Aetherborn Academy stretched wide and vaulted, gleaming with banners and pale lanterns, the marble floor polished so bright it seemed alive. Normally the bustle of students would feel comforting, a rhythm of chatter and laughter, of robes brushing against robes. Today, the rhythm bent around her. It began the moment she stepped through the archway. The students ahead noticed her, and the hall shifted like water rippling around a stone. Feet scuffed, voices hushed, bodies pressed to walls. They gave her space not out of courtesy, but out of revulsion, as if her skin carried a rot that might spread. Heads turned after her. Eyes dragged across her back. Whispers tangled in the air, low but sharp, riding along the walls. “That’s her.” “The tagged girl.” “She should’ve kneeled.” “She is brave but foolish.” The words slid against her like invisible blades. She walked faster. The whispers followed. By the time she reached her first cla