The weight of the conversations she overheard pressed on Seraphina's shoulders as she made her way back to her dormitory, her mind spinning with half-answers and unknowns. She barely registered the passing students, her feet taking her on autopilot.
When she entered the dorm, Maria was sitting by the window, staring out at the view with a contemplative look on her face.
"You heard it, didn't you?" Maria asked, her voice quiet.
Seraphina looked at her, startled. "You... you knew?"
Maria turned to her, her face serious. "I overheard a conversation earlier. A couple of the high-tier students were talking about you. About your father. They mentioned something about your bloodline, Seraphina. About something dangerous coming with it."
Seraphina's blood ran cold. *How much did they know?* And why was her family's past becoming such an open secret?
"I don't know what's happening," Seraphina said, her voice tight. "It feels like everything I've known is being turned upside down. My father—he's hiding something from me. He always has."
Maria stood up, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe it's time to ask him. To go home. You deserve the truth, Seraphina. The more you wait, the more you're going to be in the dark. You have to face it."
Seraphina felt a cold wave of fear wash over her, but Maria's words resonated with her. The prophecy, her powers, her father's silence—none of it made sense until she got the answers.
"I'm going to confront him," Seraphina said, determination hardening in her voice. "I can't keep running from the truth."
Maria nodded, her expression soft. "And when you do, you're not alone. We'll figure this out together."
***
The following evening, Seraphina packed a bag quietly, her movements slow and deliberate. She didn't know exactly what she would find when she went back home, but she knew it was time to face whatever shadows had been lurking in her family's past. The prophecy was no longer just a distant legend; it was part of her story now. And if she was going to find the answers, she needed to take the first step into the darkness.
She stood at the door, her hand resting on the handle. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't sure what awaited her on the other side.
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