Chapter 19: The Mirror's Edge
The sun had barely risen, casting a cold, gray light across the Fenix estate. The early hours brought no peace, only the sharp edge of Kian's thoughts, ever sharper now that he could no longer silence them.
He sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the phone in his hand, where her last words still glowed on the screen. I'm still a virgin. Don't forget it. A declaration. A boundary. A promise in disguise.
He had always believed that everything in his world could be controlled, manipulated, measured. But she… she was something else. A force. Unpredictable. Elusive. His heart still raced, even now, hours later.
The text came again.
It's not the bruise that leaves the mark, Kian. It's the touch that makes it real.
He frowned, holding the phone in both hands. Her words always came in layers, hidden meanings beneath the surface. And she knew—knew how to get under his skin, knew how to speak to the parts of him he never dared to acknowledge.
Kian: Why do you speak in riddles?
The reply was swift.
Because the truth is a labyrinth, Kian. And I've never been afraid of getting lost.
His pulse quickened. This wasn't just a game anymore. It was something deeper, something far more dangerous.
Kian: And when we get lost... what then?
A long pause. Long enough for him to feel the silence creeping over him, like a fog he couldn't shake. Then, the next message came.
Then you'll see me. Not the illusion, not the mask, but what lies beneath.
Kian leaned back against the bed, his mind spinning. There it was again. The invitation. The challenge. A chance to see the real her—just as she had seen the real him.
But he wasn't sure if he was ready. The deeper they went, the more impossible it became to untangle the web they were creating.
Kian: I've seen you, Seraphine. The real you. Every inch of you, in ways no one else could understand.
Her response was both soft and biting.
And yet, there's more. Always more.
Kian could feel his pulse in his throat. More. There was always more. But how much more could he take before he drowned in it?
He had no answer. And that unsettled him more than anything else.
Kian: Are you playing me?
Seraphine: Maybe. But not in the way you think.
His jaw clenched. He could feel the weight of her words pressing on him. She had a way of making him question everything, including himself.
Kian: Then what is this, Seraphine? What do you want from me?
Another pause. This time, it felt like an eternity. And when her words finally appeared on the screen, they were more cryptic than ever.
What I want, Kian, is for you to see the world the way I do. To walk in the dark and find the light. To understand that every choice you make is an echo of everything you've ever been.
Kian swallowed hard. The weight of her words crushed him, and yet, there was something magnetic about them. She was pulling him deeper into her world, deeper into the complexity of who she was.
Kian: You speak of darkness and light, but what if I can't find either?
Seraphine: Then you'll have to create them. You'll have to create your own world. And in that world, maybe we can both be the light and the shadow.
Her words were like fire and ice, burning him and freezing him at the same time. He wasn't sure if he could withstand it.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to withstand it.
Kian: So, we're both lost, then?
Seraphine: No. I'm not lost, Kian. I'm exactly where I need to be.
Kian stared at the phone, his chest tight. She was claiming her space in his mind, in his heart. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew—she had already taken him.
He had no choice. She had him, in every way that mattered.
Kian: You don't make things easy, Seraphine.
Seraphine: Easy is for those who fear the challenge. You, Kian, have never been afraid to lose.
And that was it. The moment he realized. She wasn't just playing a game. This was the truth, stripped bare.
He had already lost.
And yet, he couldn't walk away. Not from her. Not from this.
Not from whatever it was they were becoming.