School resumed with the same dull rhythm—bells ringing, lectures dragging, students shuffling between classes. But for Raiven, everything had shifted.
He wasn't just another student anymore.
Since Seraphine's cryptic visit and her strange, knowing presence, things had changed. He felt different. Stronger. Sharper. The world around him seemed louder, brighter—his senses on edge. Something was waking inside him.
Raiven found himself spending more time with Sera—not just because of her charm, but because she felt... familiar. Like a puzzle piece he hadn't realized was missing. They'd talk between classes, sometimes after school. She laughed easily, but behind it, her eyes carried weight—a centuries-old wisdom hidden behind golden hair and mischief.
"You're changing," she told him one afternoon as they sat by the back courtyard. "Faster than you should. It's dangerous."
"I didn't ask for this," Raiven muttered, watching students spill out of the building in clusters. "I just wanted normal."
Sera smiled, but there was something sad in it. "Then you should've been born someone else."
He didn't reply. Deep down, he knew she was right.
Senya didn't like any of it.
She watched from a distance—always close enough to observe, always too proud to approach. Her glare followed Raiven like a shadow, her jaw tight whenever he walked past with Sera.
It wasn't just envy—it was instinct. Something about Raiven was off. Broken. Or maybe unfinished.
She cornered him in the hallway after gym class. No crowd. Just her and him.
"You've gotten comfortable," she said coldly.
Raiven sighed. "What now?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't confuse peace with safety, Raiven. You're only protected here because it's school. But step one foot outside..."
She leaned in, her voice sharp enough to cut."Let the strongest live."
She brushed past him, shoulder clipping his, leaving him frozen mid-step. It wasn't just a threat. It was a promise.
That evening, Raiven sat alone on the rooftop of his apartment building, wind tousling his hair. Sera hadn't shown up again—but he could feel she was close. She always was.
He closed his eyes.
A memory flashed.
Not his.
Fire. A battlefield. Shadows clashing in blinding speed. A young boy—his reflection—bleeding and broken. Above him, a girl with silver eyes and a snarl. Senya. His mark pulsed.
He touched the symbol on his neck. The skin was hot.
In the darkness below, someone watched.
High up in a tree, golden eyes shimmered faintly—one of the Wair Cats, still cloaked in their human form.
And behind them... another presence stirred. One that hadn't revealed itself yet.
Soon, all the pieces would collide