The words stayed in Seraphina’s mind long after they left Alexandria.
That mark shouldn’t exist anymore.
She sat quietly in the passenger seat, her left hand resting on her lap.
The black cross was no longer glowing, but she could still feel a faint warmth beneath her skin.
Lucien drove without saying a word.
Seraphina finally broke the silence.
“Who was that man?”
“I don’t know.”
“He knew about the cross.”
“Yes.”
“And you looked surprised.”
Lucien glanced at her.
“I was.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“You’re becoming difficult.”
“I learned from you.”
Lucien looked back at the road.
Seraphina turned toward the window.
She wasn’t satisfied.
There was something Lucien wasn’t telling her.
She could feel it.
When they arrived home, Seraphina walked straight into the living room and dropped her bag onto the sofa.
Lucien followed her inside.
She turned around.
“Sit.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because I want answers.”
Lucien sighed before sitting in the armchair.
Seraphina sat opposite him and raised her left hand.
“This.”
Lucien’s eyes immediately moved toward the black cross.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“That could take a while.”
“I have time.”
Lucien stared at her for a moment.
Then he leaned back.
“The cross has been with me for centuries.”
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
“Centuries?”
“Yes.”
“And it gives you your powers?”
“Some of them.”
“Teleportation?”
“Yes.”
“Healing?”
“Yes.”
“So when you touched my hand at the hospital…”
“My power returned.”
Seraphina looked down at her palm.
“Then why can’t I use it?”
“Because it isn’t yours.”
“But it’s attached to me.”
“For now.”
She looked up sharply.
“For now?”
Lucien became quiet.
Seraphina leaned forward.
“Are you planning to take it back?”
“If I could, I would.”
She stared at him.
“Then why haven’t you?”
“Because I don’t know how.”
That answer surprised her.
Lucien Silva, the man who always seemed to know exactly what he was doing, didn’t know how to reclaim the most important thing he possessed.
“Do you think the cross chose me?”
Lucien looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s all you ever say.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
Seraphina lowered her hand.
“What if whoever that man was comes back?”
Lucien’s expression hardened. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“Then he won’t get near you.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can try.”
She looked at him.
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.
“You almost died yesterday,” she whispered.
Lucien’s expression softened.
“I didn’t.”
“But you could have.”
He didn’t answer.
Seraphina looked away.
“I don’t want that happening again.”
Lucien studied her face.
“Are you worried about me?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“You are.”
“I’m worried about myself. If you die, who’s going to protect me?”
“Of course.”
She picked up a cushion and threw it at him.
Lucien caught it easily.
“You’re annoying.”
“So I’ve been told.”
The following morning, Darius arrived at Alexandria Corporation with a folder.
Lucien met him privately.
“What did you find?”
Darius opened the folder.
“The man from yesterday used a false identity.”
“Expected.”
“We traced the vehicle he arrived in. It was rented under another name.”
Lucien frowned.
“Anything else?”
Darius placed an old photograph on the table.
“This.”
Lucien picked it up.
It showed an old stone building surrounded by trees.
At first, it looked ordinary.
Then Lucien noticed the symbol carved above the entrance.
A black cross.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get this?”
“It came from an old archive.”
“How old?”
“We haven’t determined the exact date.”
Lucien stared at the symbol.
He had seen that mark countless times.
But something about seeing it there disturbed him.
“Find out where this building is.”
Darius nodded.
“And Lucien…”
He paused.
“What?”
“Someone else has been looking for information about you.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Find them.”
Darius closed the folder.
“I will.”
That evening, Seraphina was getting ready for bed when she noticed something strange.
Her left hand felt warm again.
She looked down.
The black cross hadn’t changed.
It was still there.
She touched it carefully.
Nothing happened.
She sighed.
“It’s probably nothing.”
She turned off the light and climbed into bed.
Within minutes, sleep took over.
Then everything changed.
Seraphina opened her eyes.
She was standing somewhere she had never seen before.
There was no house. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
No city.
No moon.
Only darkness.
She looked down.
The black cross on her left hand was glowing.
“Lucien?”
Her voice echoed into the darkness.
No answer.
Then she saw someone standing in the distance.
A tall figure dressed in black.
Seraphina took a cautious step forward.
“Who are you?”
The figure didn’t answer.
Another step.
The figure slowly raised its hand.
There was a black cross around its wrist.
Seraphina’s breathing stopped.
“Where did you get that?”
The figure finally spoke.
“Find him.”
“Who?”
“Before they do.”
“Who are they?”
The figure suddenly disappeared.
Seraphina spun around.
“Wait!”
A voice whispered directly behind her.
“Lucien.”
She turned—
And saw Lucien standing several feet away.
Blood covered his shirt.
His eyes were closed.
“Lucien!”
She ran toward him.
The moment she reached him, he opened his eyes.
But they weren’t his usual eyes.
They were completely black.
Seraphina screamed.
And woke up.
She sat upright in bed, breathing heavily.
Her room was dark.
Her heart hammered against her chest.
She looked around.
Nothing.
No figure.
No blood.
No strange place.
Just her bedroom.
Seraphina slowly raised her left hand.
The black cross was still there.
She touched it.
“It was only a dream.”
Then she heard footsteps outside her bedroom.
She froze.
“Seraphina?”
Lucien’s voice.
She looked toward the door.
“How did you know I was awake?”
Silence.
Then Lucien answered.
“Because you were calling my name.”
Seraphina’s face went pale.
“I was?”
“Yes.”
The door slowly opened.
Lucien stood there, staring at her.
His expression was unusually serious.
Seraphina swallowed.
“What did I say?”
Lucien didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at the cross on her left hand.
Then he said quietly,
“You kept saying one thing.”
“What?”
Lucien’s eyes met hers.
“Don’t let them find him.”