Halo Crown Of Serendibite: The Ring

Just when I put my head to rest, the memory of that night comes alive, like every cell of my brain turns into an atom of flashing light, of music notes, of screams from the crowd. The scenes of that night play vividly behind my closed eyes. Seraphine Bay looked like paradise. White villas on the cliffs, endless parties, the sons and daughters of the rich and famous spilling champagne onto marble floors. But behind the glamour, the town carried a strange energy, like its sea and stone had soaked up too much blood to ever be clean again. They say there is no halo for Seraphine Bay girls, free, wild, and hungry for escape. But I’ve always felt like I was wearing one. I was righteous, peaceful, and minded, craving only a simple life. I loved music. Every partition I wrote, every demo I recorded, every note. Making music is magic to me. I loved creating music as much as I hated using my magic powers. Inside, I always hoped to be a normal girl. But that night destroyed the last glimpse of hope I had left of being normal. The night I lost my halo of light and wore instead a halo of serendibite. I don’t remember the color of my dress. What I do remember is the sticky grip of its fabric clinging to my skin, and Patrick, my best friend, son of the god of light and the Spaniard witch, holding me tightly by the waist. My platinum blonde hair fell across his face as our bodies moved in wild, random rhythms to the music. The real kind, the kind that rattled your bones and made the whole of Seraphine Bay feel like it was about to break open and swallow everyone inside. The crowd was going crazy, dancing to the rhythm of the night. Some were trying to drink their way into the day. Bottles of whiskey, the smell of rum, and sweat filled the air. In Seraphine Bay, parties were more than just parties. They were competitions, displays of wealth and excess, and masks to hide the city’s dark secrets. And then, all of a sudden, a deep silence. As if God himself turned off the world for a second. Followed by a scream that brought it back into motion. I rushed to the source of the sound, pushing everyone out of my way. Deep inside I knew that scream had something to do with what was mine. A few steps outside the villa, she was there, on the cold floor, as beautiful as when she had complimented my look at the beginning of the party, but broken now, like a bird someone tried to put back together with blood and glue. Everyone gathered around what they called an accident scene. But I knew it was a crime scene. My eyes turned upward to the balcony, where a dark figure stood hidden behind white flowy curtains. I rushed back up to the third floor, almost breaking the door to reach him. Jason. My evil twin. The part of me I can never get rid of. Tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, the kind of man every girl falls for, blinded by his charms and money, never realizing how dangerous he is beneath his good looks. “What did you do this time?” I spat, furious, scanning the wooden table littered with old bottles of liquor and psychedelics. “She crossed a line,” he said lightly. “You know I don’t tolerate that.” I couldn’t stand his carelessness. He had just drugged and pushed someone to their death off a balcony, and yet he stood there smiling. I jumped on him with my fist raised, only to be stopped by Gregor, the muscular lord demon of Hell, our grandfather’s court man, Jason’s secondhand, best friend, and my enemy. Despite his good looks, blonde hair, green eyes, and a sharp face, and despite his great powers and constant attempts to impress me, we never vibed. He was always trying to get me banished from Hell, afraid I would one day be named Queen of the Trinity, the land that rules demons, covens, and creatures of the night. That realm, still ruled by our grandfather Lucifer, was soon to be handed down to the right heir. For Gregor, it meant one of two things: either I married him and we ruled together, or he eliminated me from the competition. Back to the villa. The moment I tried to punch Jason, Gregor stopped me, his unearthly grip pulling me back. “Victoria… stop. Don’t act surprised. This is who he is.” “You’re right.Why would I expect anything else from either of you?” I stormed out of the room, leaving them with their smirks and smirky wine-stained lips. Patrick was waiting for me outside. I fell into his chest, he hugged me tightly without saying a word. He knew silence was all I needed in that moment. It was peaceful. The last peaceful moment I had before seeing her face. Behind Patrick’s shoulder stood my mother. Her eyes burned with disappointment, fury, and something decisive. I had seen many looks on her face, but never one like that. Behind her stood a familiar figure, a woman I had almost forgotten, yet instantly recognized. My paternal grandmother, Donatella. The last time I saw her, I was five. Yes. Exactly five. My mother dragged me away from Patrick, who stood frozen in shock, and pulled me into the dark gothic room where Jason and Gregor remained, still with wine in their hands, still without an ounce of regret. “Enough.” my mother said. “You’re going back to your father’s realm. Both of you.” “No more Hell. No more human world. And no more music.” “It’s time you start acting like what you are.” “It’s not me!” I screamed, cutting her off. “It’s Jason. It has always been him. Why am I punished? Why should I be sent away and stripped of my dreams because of his foolishness?” “Because you are one. You are twins. You were meant to stop him, to control him. He is your responsibility, as you are his.” I stared at her, shocked by her meaningless words. Her decision was already made. Jason, for the first time, stood silent. He knew as well as I did that nothing we said could change her mind. “The driver is waiting outside,” Donatella said coldly. “He will take you to the gate of the First World, where you’ll meet your father and the rest of your family.” “I have one condition,” I said, stopped for a second before I jumped on the wooden table pushing the liquor bottles with my feet, then continued: “And if you agree, I won’t resist. You have no idea know how stubborn I am, and Mother can confirm it.” “And what is that?” Donatello said coldly unbothered by my cat like behavior . “Don’t announce me as Princess Victoria. Not at first. Let me enter the army of Serendibite. Let me get familiar with the First World, with its culture. Let me watch my family from afar before I am forced into their lives. I haven’t been there in sixteen years. Don’t ask me to throw away everything I’ve built and trade it for the unknown, all because of a mistake I did not commit.” “I agree with Victoria,” Jason cut in, his mischievous eyes glinting with hidden intent. “If our fate is already decided, at least give us time to adjust.” “Fine ” Donatella said after a pause. “But only for a short while. Then your true identity will be revealed, and you will begin your royal duties. You will be given new identities upon arrival and integrated into the soldiers’ ranks starting tomorrow morning. Expect no special treatment. And no trouble.” I left the villa that night, waving farewell to my old life in Seraphine Bay, stepping unwillingly into the new one.