Chapter 5: A Voice in the Dark

The night air was cold.

Seraphina stood by the balcony of her chambers, staring out at the city of Eldreon. The streets below were quiet, lanterns flickering like fireflies in the dark. Normally, the sight calmed her.

Tonight, it did not.

Her hands still trembled from the vision she had seen earlier. The battlefield. The fire. The man with silver eyes.

Elara.

That name had echoed through her mind ever since. It wasn't hers—but it felt like it should be.

She exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her temple. Get a grip, Seraphina. She had been through enough battles to know how dangerous it was to let emotions cloud her mind. And yet—

I found you.

The whisper came from nowhere. A deep, smooth voice, slipping into her thoughts like silk.

Seraphina spun around, reaching for her dagger. "Who's there?"

Silence.

But she wasn't imagining it. She knew the feeling of magic when it touched her. Someone was here. Watching. Waiting.

You don't remember me, do you?

The voice was inside her head—an unmistakable presence pressing against her mind like a shadow brushing against her soul.

Seraphina's grip on her weapon tightened. "Show yourself."

A low chuckle. Not yet. But soon.

Her pulse pounded. This was no ordinary trick. Whoever he was, his magic was strong—too strong.

She closed her eyes, focusing her own power, trying to push him out. "Who are you?"

A pause. Then, just one word—

Raziel.

Her eyes snapped open.

The moment she heard that name, something inside her cracked.

A flood of emotions surged forward—grief, longing, regret—but none of them made sense.

Seraphina staggered back, gripping the railing to steady herself. "What do you want from me?"

His voice softened, almost reverent. The same thing I wanted before.

You.

A shiver ran down her spine. But before she could demand answers, the presence vanished.

She was alone again.

Only the sound of her own unsteady breathing filled the room.

Seraphina pressed a hand to her chest, heart pounding.

Whoever Raziel was, he had reached into her mind as if he had a right to be there. As if he had known her long before tonight.

And worst of all?

A part of her had known him too.

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