Liam spent the rest of the evening in a daze, staring at his phone, re-reading Seraphina's message over and over again. How could she possibly know his name? It wasn't a common name—at least, not in this town. He barely had enough followers on any platform to be noticed, let alone singled out by a rising star like Seraphina.
He sat back in his chair, running his hand through his messy hair. Maybe it was just a coincidence. After all, it could have been a standard message sent to all viewers. But something about her words felt different—personal. "Maybe one day, you'll see what I really mean."
He shivered at the thought.
It was already past midnight, but sleep seemed like a far-off idea. His mind kept circling back to Seraphina. Who was she, really? She wasn't just a popular streamer; there was an air about her that he couldn't quite place. She didn't seem like the typical online persona—charming, sweet, but detached. No, Seraphina felt more like a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, her layers beckoning him closer.
Determined to get some answers, Liam opened his phone once more, this time navigating to her profile. He scrolled through her posts and live-streams, but there was little information about her life outside the screen. A few photos of her performing in small, intimate venues, some candid shots with friends, and a couple of cryptic captions.
Nothing concrete.
Liam's thumb hovered over her most recent live-stream link, and before he could stop himself, he clicked. He hesitated for a moment, but curiosity had already taken control.
The moment he entered the stream, his heart skipped a beat. Seraphina was sitting in front of her camera again, wearing a loose, oversized sweater that made her look even more effortless in her beauty. Her hair was loose, framing her face in soft waves, her gaze intense as always.
This time, however, she wasn't speaking. Instead, she was staring at the camera, her expression unreadable. The chat was lively, as usual, with viewers spamming their messages and requests for her attention, but Seraphina seemed completely absorbed in her own thoughts.
A moment passed, and then her voice, soft but commanding, broke the silence.
"Sometimes... I wonder if any of you would still care if you knew who I really was."
Liam's breath caught in his throat. Was she speaking to him again? He quickly typed out a response: What do you mean?
She didn't immediately reply, but the words haunted him. Who I really was. What could she possibly mean by that? His mind began to race as he anxiously stared at the screen.
Then, a new notification popped up—Private Message from Seraphina Gale.
Liam's heart skipped again. He opened it without thinking.
Seraphina Gale: I know you're curious, Liam. But some things are better left unsaid for now. When the time is right, you'll learn everything. For now, let's just keep this between us, okay?
Liam felt a mix of excitement and dread. There was no denying it anymore—Seraphina had found a way under his skin. But what was she hiding?
He sat frozen for a moment, trying to process the strange, yet tantalizing pull she had over him. Maybe he was getting in too deep. Maybe it was better to walk away now before he found himself tangled in something he couldn't escape. But something told him that walking away wouldn't be so easy.
The following day, Liam tried to shake off his obsession with Seraphina. But as the hours passed, he found it impossible to concentrate. His work felt like a blur, his interactions with his coworkers meaningless, and the rest of his day—empty. All he could think about was her—her eyes, her voice, the secret she was hinting at.
That night, he found himself back at the café where it all began.
This time, though, he was no longer just a spectator.
Liam sat down at his usual table, sipping a coffee he hadn't really wanted, and opened his phone again. His fingers trembled as he typed a simple message into the chat of Seraphina's latest live-stream: I'm ready to know the truth.
He hit send before he could overthink it.
Seraphina's live-stream was still going, and her face lit up as her eyes locked onto the message. Her lips curled into that same mysterious smile, and for a moment, Liam wondered if she had been waiting for him to finally speak up.
Without missing a beat, she replied, her voice as calm and enticing as ever, "Good. We'll see where this takes us, Liam."
The game had begun.