Chapter 13: Marked by Fire
The night refused to settle.
Even long after Viktor left the cell, the silence he carried with him lingered—heavy, suffocating, wrong.
Seraphina sat curled against the far wall, her knees drawn to her chest, fingers gripping tightly into the fabric of her dress as though it were the only thing anchoring her to reality.
If he dies… you die with him.
The words would not stop repeating.
Her chest tightened.
Her heartbeat—no longer hers alone—echoed louder than it should.
Too loud.
Too present.
Too… shared.
She pressed her palm against her chest, trying to steady it.
But the rhythm didn’t change.
It didn’t listen.
Because it wasn’t hers to control anymore.
A tremor ran through her body.
“Stop…” she whispered to herself, her voice barely holding togeth
