Kael
It was the first time I brought Seraphina to my estate-a place that belonged solely to me.
Initially, I thought bringing her here would allow her to enjoy the scenery, soak in the beautiful environment, and appreciate the tranquil atmosphere. I believed it might give her a refreshing experience, something new and exciting. Perhaps, I hoped, it would even bring us closer.
Watching Seraphina explore the estate with childlike curiosity, seeing her enjoy the food I prepared-it made me genuinely happy. Most importantly, I hoped that our relationship could progress more smoothly, even faster than I had initially anticipated.
That night, we found ourselves in the bathtub together, making love until Seraphina was completely exhausted. I carried her to bed, and we lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms. At that moment, I felt we were the closest lovers in the world.
Holding her in my embrace, I kissed her forehead, and together, we drifted into a deep sleep.
But in the middle of the night, I felt something. Seraphina was restless in her sleep. Her hand moved to rest on my chest.
I grabbed her hand and pressed it gently against my heart, hoping it would calm her. But then, a sharp pain shot through my chest.
I opened my eyes to see her nails piercing into my heart. Blood trickled from the wound, and I instinctively grabbed her hand.
At that moment, Seraphina looked utterly unfamiliar. Her eyes, once full of life, now carried a dull, gray haze.
Someone had cursed her.
I tried to wake her, shouting, “Seraphina, wake up!” But she was like a puppet, controlled by some unseen force.
She was trying to kill me.
Finally, her eyes flickered with recognition, a glimmer of light returning to them. But it only lasted for a moment. Before I could do anything, a teleportation circle appeared behind her.
I reached out to grab her, but she vanished into the portal before I could stop her. The circle closed just as I was about to step in.
She was gone.
I had no idea who had taken control of her or where they had taken her.
Damn it!
Why hadn’t I noticed anything strange about her sooner? If I had, this wouldn’t have happened.
My chest throbbed in pain. The wound she left wasn’t large, but it was deep.
I had trusted her completely. I never thought she would harm me-until her nails had pierced my heart.
The injury left me weak. I couldn’t even stop the bleeding on my own.
I immediately called for David.
He arrived quickly, still in his sleepwear, his face pale with concern as he took in my condition.
“Kael, what the hell happened to you? This is your estate. Who could possibly hurt you here?”
David pressed his hands to the wound on my chest, his healing magic glowing softly as the pain began to recede.
After a while, he stopped and looked at me gravely.
“Kael, the wound is serious. I’ve healed most of it, but it’ll take daily treatment to fully recover. Now, tell me-how did this happen?”
David’s concern was genuine, but it reminded me of Seraphina’s final expression-shocked, pained.
I couldn’t tell David the truth. If he knew Seraphina had hurt me, he would undoubtedly inform my father.
My father already disliked Seraphina. If he found out about this, he’d kill her-curse or no curse. He wouldn’t care about the circumstances.
But I cared.
Even though she hurt me, I knew it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t mean to. Her final expression told me that. She was a victim, cursed and controlled.
This was my failure. I hadn’t protected her.
“It was a rogue wolf,” I lied. “I don’t know why they suddenly appeared here.”
David’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the room.
“Really? But Kael, there’s no sign of a struggle. Are you sure it was a rogue wolf?”
“Of course. Who else could it be?” I replied, forcing confidence into my voice.
David hesitated, then nodded slowly.
“All right. If you say so. But do we need to inform your father?”
“No. It’s not a big deal. There’s no need to involve him,” I said quickly.
If my father got involved, he’d uncover the truth-and Seraphina would pay the price. I couldn’t let that happen.
“You’re unbelievable, Kael,” David muttered. “Even now, you’re downplaying this.”
He sighed but didn’t press further. “Fine. I’ll come by daily to help you heal.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. My body will heal itself soon enough,” I assured him.
David studied me for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. “All right. But be careful.”
After he left, my expression darkened.
I called for Marek.
“Where do you think Seraphina might have gone?” I asked.
Marek appeared, his face grim. “I don’t know. She disappeared too suddenly. But I suspect Magnus is involved.”
“I think so too,” I said coldly.
Anger and frustration boiled inside me.
Seraphina had told me before that she’d lost her memory for a period after meeting Magnus. I hadn’t taken it seriously then.
If I had, I might have been able to stop this from happening.
I contacted the people I’d assigned to track Magnus.
They hadn’t found much during this time, and I had almost called them off. But now, everything had changed.
Moments later, I received their report through our telepathic link:
“Magnus is gone. We saw him enter his apartment, but now it’s empty.”
Magnus had vanished.
Despite my weakening body, I teleported to his apartment.
The room was empty, just as my people had said.
The strain of teleporting aggravated my wound, and I clutched my chest in pain.
On the desk, I found a note:
“Kael, this is my surprise for you. Are you pleased?”
Furious, I tore the note to shreds.
Did Magnus really think I’d let this go?