The Memory He Carried
1334 Words
Chapter 5: The Memory He Carried
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
Or at least, that was how it felt to Seraphine.
Aria continued dragging her from one lecture hall to another, talking enough for the both of them.
Unfortunately, Seraphine barely heard a word.
Because her mind was stuck on four words.
I'm sorry.
I was too late.
The professor's voice echoed through the lecture hall.
"Can anyone explain the relationship between Alpha bloodlines and territorial authority?"
Several students immediately raised their hands.
Seraphine stared blankly at her notebook.
Her pen hadn't moved for ten minutes.
Beside her, Aria slowly slid a folded note across the table.
Seraphine opened it.
Do you secretly know my cousin?
She stared at it.
Then wrote:
No.
A few seconds later, another note appeared.
Then why did he walk past hundreds of students just to talk to you?
Seraphine frowned.
That was a very good question.
She wrote:
Ask him.
The reply came immediately.
I value my life.
Despite herself, Seraphine smiled.
Aria caught it instantly.
"There!"
The loud whisper earned them both a glare from the professor.
Aria immediately lowered her head.
"Sorry."
The lecture continued.
Unfortunately, Seraphine's concentration didn't.
Every time she tried focusing on the lesson, Darius's face appeared in her mind.
The guilt in his eyes.
The sadness.
The regret.
Most importantly—
The words.
I was too late.
Too late for what?
Why did it feel as though he had lost something precious?
And why did those words affect her so much?
By the time the final lecture ended, Seraphine felt mentally exhausted.
Students immediately began gathering their things.
The lecture hall quickly filled with chatter.
Aria stretched dramatically.
"I'm starving."
"You say that after every class."
"Because education burns calories."
"That's not how that works."
"It should."
Seraphine shook her head.
For someone who belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom, Aria behaved suspiciously like a disaster.
The two girls walked out of the building together.
The afternoon sun painted the campus in shades of gold.
Groups of students crossed the pathways.
Others relaxed beneath the trees.
For the first time since arriving at Mooncrest, the university felt almost peaceful.
Almost.
Aria suddenly stopped walking.
"Your car is here."
Seraphine looked toward the front entrance.
The familiar black limousine bearing House Veyra's crest waited nearby.
"Looks like this is where we part ways."
Aria sighed dramatically.
"A tragedy."
"We'll literally see each other tomorrow."
"A temporary tragedy."
Seraphine laughed softly.
Aria pointed at her immediately.
"There."
"What now?"
"You laughed again."
"I'm beginning to regret befriending you."
"Impossible. I'm delightful."
The confidence in her voice was astonishing.
Before leaving, Aria suddenly stepped closer.
Her playful expression softened slightly.
"I'm glad we're friends, you know."
For a moment, Seraphine froze.
Such a simple statement.
Yet in her previous life, nobody had ever said those words to her so sincerely.
A strange warmth settled in her chest.
"So am I," she admitted.
Aria grinned brightly.
Then immediately ruined the moment.
"Now don't go falling in love with my cousin."
Seraphine nearly choked.
"Goodbye, Aria."
Aria laughed as she stepped away.
"See you tomorrow, Seraphine."
Watching her leave, Seraphine found herself smiling.
This life really was different.
Eventually, she entered the limousine.
The journey back to the Veyra Estate took nearly an hour.
As the city disappeared behind them, enormous iron gates came into view.
The gates opened automatically.
Beyond them stretched a world most people only saw in magazines.
Rolling gardens.
Crystal fountains.
Private forests.
Stone pathways illuminated by golden lights.
The Veyra Estate looked less like a home and more like a kingdom.
In her previous life, she had spent years wondering what it felt like to belong somewhere like this.
Now it was her reality.
Even after months, the irony wasn't lost on her.
The limousine stopped before the main mansion.
Servants immediately approached.
"Welcome home, Young Miss."
Seraphine nodded politely before entering.
The grand doors opened.
Warm laughter greeted her.
She stopped.
For a moment, she thought she was imagining it.
Then she saw them.
Her parents.
They had returned.
Her mother's face lit up immediately.
"Seraphine!"
Before she could react, she was pulled into a tight embrace.
"You've gotten thinner."
Seraphine blinked.
"...Mother, it's been four days."
"Exactly."
Across the room, her father snorted.
"Your mother believes you lose weight every time she doesn't see you."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
The familiar argument made several servants smile.
Seraphine stood frozen.
In her previous life, she had no parents.
No family.
No home.
No one waiting for her return.
Now she had all of it.
The contrast was almost painful.
Her father finally approached.
Unlike her mother, he maintained a dignified expression.
For exactly three seconds.
Then he asked,
"Did you eat properly?"
Seraphine laughed.
The concern in his voice was impossible to miss.
"Yes."
"Good."
Her mother immediately grabbed her hand.
"Tell us everything."
And just like that, the evening disappeared.
Dinner.
Stories.
Family conversations.
Laughter.
Normal things.
Things she had once dreamed about.
Things she now possessed.
For the first time in a long while, Seraphine felt something dangerously close to happiness.
Later that night, she finally retreated to her room.
The enormous bedroom overlooked the estate gardens.
Moonlight streamed through the glass doors leading to her balcony.
After changing into comfortable clothes, she stepped outside.
The night breeze brushed against her skin.
Above her, the moon shone brilliantly.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Then the memory returned.
Silver eyes.
A quiet voice.
I'm sorry.
I was too late.
Seraphine closed her eyes.
Why?
Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?
Eventually, exhaustion won.
She returned inside and lay down on her bed.
Within minutes, sleep claimed her.
And then—
Darkness.
Cold.
Chains.
A familiar platform.
Her eyes snapped open.
No.
Not again.
The execution.
The nightmare she could never escape.
Crowds surrounded her.
Thousands of faces.
Watching.
Judging.
Celebrating.
The memory unfolded exactly as it always had.
The chains.
The accusations.
The betrayal.
The pain.
Then suddenly—
Something changed.
The memory continued.
Far away, chaos erupted.
People screamed.
Guards were thrown aside.
The crowd parted.
A figure was forcing his way through.
Fast.
Desperate.
Terrified.
Seraphine frowned.
That wasn't supposed to be there.
She had never seen this before.
The figure came closer.
Closer.
And suddenly she saw his face.
Silver eyes.
Dark hair.
Darius.
Shock slammed into her.
He wasn't calm.
He wasn't emotionless.
He looked completely broken.
His voice echoed through the chaos.
"SERAPHINE!"
The desperation in that single word made her heart ache.
Darius fought through soldiers.
Through barriers.
Through impossible odds.
Trying to reach her.
Trying to save her.
Trying to stop what was about to happen.
But he couldn't.
He was too far away.
Too late.
The execution blade fell.
And the last thing she saw before darkness consumed her was Darius reaching for her.
Desperately.
Hopelessly.
A second later, Seraphine jolted awake.
Her entire body trembled.
Her breathing was uneven.
The room was dark.
Silent.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
For several seconds, she simply sat there.
Trying to process what she had seen.
Then realization struck.
Like lightning.
Her eyes widened.
"No..."
The words escaped as a whisper.
Memories connected.
The guilt.
The regret.
The sadness in his eyes.
The words he had spoken.
I'm sorry.
I was too late.
A sharp breath escaped her.
Because now she understood.
Finally understood.
Darius hadn't been speaking about Mooncrest.
He hadn't been speaking about this life.
He had been speaking about that day.
The day she died.
The day he tried to save her.
Seraphine stared into the darkness.
Shock flooding every part of her being.
Then, very softly, she whispered:
"You were there..."
Silence answered her.
A moment later, another realization followed.
One that shook her even more.
"You tried to save me."
And for the first time since her rebirth...
Seraphine truly began to see Darius Ravencrest.
- Writer
