Chapter 26: An Anamoly
Seraphina's breath came in shallow gasps, her heart pounding as she stared up at the man pinning her against the cold stone wall. Crown Prince Aldric Valmond—the Golden Sovereign—was supposed to be a predictable character, an unshakable ruler who followed the story's flow. Yet the man standing before her was nothing like the one she had created.
His grip was firm but not cruel, his sapphire eyes sharp with amusement, studying her as if she were some curious puzzle. There was a certainty in his expression, as though he had been waiting for this moment, as though he knew something she didn't.
"Finally, we meet, Seraphina," he murmured, his lips curving into a smirk.
Her mind reeled. How had this happened? One moment, she had been chasing after him through the castle, determined to catch up. The next, a strong hand had shot out from the shadows, seizing her wrist, yanking her inside this dimly lit chamber. She hadn't even registered what had happened before she was pinned—trapped between him and the unyielding stone.
His fingers pressed lightly against her wrist, and for the first time in this world, Seraphina felt something close to fear.
"Finally," Aldric continued, voice low and rich with amusement, "I have caught the culprit who is causing such ruptures in my kingdom."
Her pulse pounded. Ruptures? What was he talking about? She wasn't causing anything—this was her story.
[SYSTEM ERROR: CRITICAL FUNCTION FAILURE]
Seraphina's breath hitched as a crimson system window flashed in front of her.
Her stomach clenched. No, no, no.
She pressed it again. Nothing.
Again. The error message pulsed, distorting.
Again. A glitch flickered across her vision, red screen flashing ominously before vanishing.
Her thoughts spun wildly. The system is malfunctioning? That had never happened before. She had always been able to rely on it—to give her choices, to guide her through the paths she had created.
But now, at the most crucial moment, it was broken.
Her fingers twitched. Her instincts screamed for her to run, but Aldric had her trapped—both physically and with his piercing gaze.
"Tell me, Seraphina," he said, his voice a soft purr, "do you intend to deprive the kingdom of all its powerful men?"
Her breath hitched.
What does that mean?
He leaned in slightly, and for the first time, she noticed how devastatingly perfect he looked up close. He had always been designed as an ideal ruler—tall, broad-shouldered, with golden hair that shimmered in the candlelight and eyes like liquid sapphire. But there was something else about him now, something unsettlingly real.
It was the way he spoke. The way his presence filled the space between them.
The way he knew things he shouldn't.
A foreign presence. A threat.
An anomaly.
She swallowed hard. "I—I don't know what you're talking about."
He chuckled. The sound sent shivers down her spine.
"Don't you?" he mused. "Wherever you go, chaos follows. First, the Duke. Then the General. Soon, the Mage." He tilted his head. "Is that not so?"
Seraphina stiffened.
How did he know?
No one should have been aware of the system's influence—not unless they were outside of it.
Her mind raced. She needed to escape. To regroup. To figure out what the hell was happening to her world.
With a burst of adrenaline, she shoved at his chest.
He let her go.
No resistance. No fight. As if he had expected it.
As if he had wanted her to run.
Seraphina staggered back, heart hammering.
Run.
Her instincts screamed it at her.
She bolted toward the door, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she lunged for the exit.
But his voice followed her, smooth, amused, unhurried.
"When you want answers, come and find me."
She hesitated. Just for a fraction of a second.
Then—
"No." His voice softened, like a promise. "You will come and find me soon."
Seraphina didn't look back.
She ran.