SERAPHINA'S POV
I run away like a coward, unable to face the meaning behind his words, and what they would mean for me, the changes they would bring to our dynamic, and everything else.
I rush past the class I was eager to go to minutes ago, speeding into the library where I know it will be quiet.
I speed walk until I reach the forgotten ends of the vast hall, a place nobody really explores due to the well-known notion of everyone hating school.
Finding the perfect corner, I crawl into a ball and cry.
I don't even know why I'm crying.
Is it because of the confession? No, maybe it's his words about Artemis really ending up with Kamila.
Maybe a part of me has started to see it becoming a reality, more and more, with the less time we get to spend together these days.
Maybe this is it, and I'm just holding on pointlessly, like every other girl who's had her heart broken chasing after Artemis.
Maybe Kamila really will have what she wants in the end.
I'm hyperventilating, my chest hurts so much, and a whirlwind of emotions cascades and crashes into each other like angry waves.
I don't understand what it is that I want anymore - if anything is worth it.
I cry for what feels like minutes until my swollen eyes are sore and puffy, and I can't breathe through my nose anymore. At moments like this, I wish Artemis was here, holding me.
Maybe it would hurt less and make more sense. Maybe words like Lucian's wouldn't move me so easily.
"Sera."
I hear my name like a distant whisper and look up. It's just me here, still, with my swollen eyes.
"Hello?" I call out, not surprised by the lack of a physical body when there's no answer.
Looking back down at my hands, I think of the excuse I'll give for skipping the rest of my classes.
"Sera." The voice calls again.
I sigh with exhaustion; the last thing I need is another darn hallucination to worsen my day.
"Look at me."
I look up this time, my head moving on its own, expecting to see nothing, but I'm wrong.
The lady in the white dress hovers above me, softly glowing in white light, watching me with a look in her eyes.
I stumble back in fright, knocking a few books off the shelf, but the wooden shelf gives me no space to put enough distance between us.
It's her - really her.
I've seen her face before, as clear as this, but not for this long. A second passes, and I'm still looking at her; she's still here, and I don't think I'm dreaming.
Or am I?
She smiles once I calm down; it's warm and fills me with warmth in return. Something about it makes me feel somewhat safe and understood, if that makes any sense.
I know there's no reason to fear, and I'm safe with her.
"You're here," I mutter softly, almost in disbelief. It's as if she heard my subconscious call for comfort.
"Yes, I am," she nods, actually responding to me for the first time, speaking to me without disappearing or guiding me to something I need to find.
It feels surreal, staring into her green eyes, hearing her soft, gentle, motherly voice
"Why?" I ask, my curiosity piqued.
"Because you are finally ready-because your powers have reached their peak, and you can handle me manifesting in front of you like this," she responds, providing a clarity that still feels surreal to me.
I look down at my hands. My powers have reached their peak, she says, yet I feel perfectly normal, the same as always. When I look back at her, the beauty that always surprises me greets my eyes again.
"Who are you?" I can't help but ask.
Her smile falters a bit, but she holds it up again.
"You will know when you are ready to know."
"But I'm ready to speak with you? That doesn't make any sense."
"It will make sense when you are ready."
Scratch the clarity part.
Here I was thinking now that she's here, I could finally have all the answers I want, and possibly solutions, like getting this mark on my back off me once and for all.
I decide to settle for something simpler.
"You know who I am?"
"Of course. You are a child of Astria, the last and only one to be born. You are Astria's last light."
I already figured that part out on my own, yet hearing it from her makes it feel all the more real and scary.
"Why am I the only one? Why am I one at all? I thought they were extinct years ago. I'm supposed to be just a human girl."
"You only know what has been revealed to you... there are more secrets in the dark that you do not know, child."
"Enough with the riddles, okay? I want to know what all of this is about, why I'm this way. I never asked to be a witch. I don't even know how to be a witch!" I burst out in frustration, against my better judgment.
Breathing fast and hard, I realize I've raised my voice at this spirit lady, my only possible source of answers. I close my eyes in shame and embarrassment.
It's not her fault I'm this way, right?
I look at her, expecting some kind of ticked-off expression or disinterest, but she looks at me sadly.
She moves closer, cupping my cheeks in her hands, and I feel her desire to help emanating from her touch. I can sense her wanting to take my pain away and know she cares.
I feel tears brimming in my eyes again, hot tears of sadness, and I blink them away, pulling away from her touch, scared of the emotions I feel when she touches me.
She looks a bit wounded but brushes it aside quickly.
"I will tell you a story, and it might give you a bit of the answers you're looking for."
"A story," I repeat, looking up again once my eyes are wiped clear of tears.
She nods and suddenly gets closer. She grabs the sides of my face and presses her forehead against mine.
Immediately, we're engulfed in blinding white light that consumes everything around us until I can't see anything else.
I close my eyes against the harshness, and when I open them again, we're no longer hidden away in the darker parts of the library. Instead, we're in what looks like a village.
Above us are open, bright blue skies with birds flying in flocks. The ground beneath us is covered in vibrant, healthy green grass that stretches across a vast expanse of land.
Ahead is the entrance to a small settlement of people living in houses that resemble huts, fashioned from wood, clay, and stones. The people are dressed in very old fabric, the kind you'd see displayed in museums.
It feels like a renaissance fair, yet it doesn't.
In shock, I look around until the lady appears by my side again. This time, she isn't glowing or wearing a white dress.
She's dressed similarly to the villagers but in richer fabric and copper jewelry showcasing great craftsmanship. Her long brown hair is braided into a messy bun, adorned with more old jewelry.
She looks beautiful.
"Who are you?" I ask again.
She only smiles warmly at me, taking a step closer to the village without another word. I have no choice but to follow her.
We walk into the main streets, watching the people talk and laugh, children running about, playing silly games. It looks like a normal, friendly town of people living their lives.
"Where are we?" I ask, too curious to contain it any longer.
"This..." She begins, opening her arms wide, "...is Astria."
My eyes almost pop out of their sockets in shock at her lavish announcement.
What!