MOONBOUND: The goddess and her five

The rain tapped gently against the tall windows of the penthouse suite, like fingers drumming a warning on the glass. The city below pulsed with life—neon lights, roaring engines, laughter echoing between concrete towers—but inside the apartment, time had gone still. Seraphina Vale stood alone in the living room, barefoot on the icy marble tiles, dressed in blood-red silk that shimmered against her curves. The color had been his favorite, she realized bitterly. Gabriel always said she looked like temptation wrapped in fire. She used to care what he thought. Not anymore. In her hand, she clutched his phone—unlocked, shaking slightly. Her thumb hovered over the damning message thread, her pulse roaring in her ears. Cassandra: “She’s so clueless. Like a damn puppy. One more night and she’s out. We get everything.” Gabriel: “She’ll be gone soon. I’ll make sure of it. I promise. Just stay quiet for now.” Seraphina couldn’t breathe. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes stinging with unshed tears—not because of heartbreak, but because of fury. Fury at her own blindness. Fury that she gave up everything—her family, her art, even her own name—for a man who was now plotting her death with the woman who once swore to be her friend. No. Her sister in law. Cassandra. Seraphina swallowed the scream rising in her throat. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to break. Not for them. Not anymore. She dropped the phone on the velvet couch, echoing through the dead room. The click of a keycard. The door opened. And there he was. Gabriel Vale. Her husband. A man with eyes like storm clouds—always hiding something behind their smoldering gray. He stepped inside, shaking off the rain like it was just another ordinary Thursday night. His dark suit clung to his broad frame, tailored perfectly, of course. He noticed her immediately, standing by the window like a statue carved from heartbreak and rage. His lips curled into that same charming smirk. “Seraphina, baby... you’re awake. I was just going to—” “Save it.” Her voice cut the air like glass. “I saw everything.” He paused, then tried to recover. “What are you talking about?” “You and Cassandra,” she hissed. “You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.” Gabriel’s smirk faltered. “It’s complicated. You’re overreacting—” “Really?” She tilted her head, smiling coldly. “Tell me, Gabriel... am I overreacting to this?” She snatched the phone from the couch and tossed it at him. He didn’t catch it. It clattered to the floor, the screen still lit with betrayal. He said nothing. That silence was the loudest confession. “I gave you everything,” she whispered, her voice cracking despite her will. “My heart, my loyalty. I bled for you. I killed parts of myself to be the wife you wanted.” Still, silence. “You should have just left me,” she said, bitter laughter rising in her throat. “You didn’t need to kill me.” “I didn’t—Seraphina, you’re being dramatic.” “No, I’m being real for the first time in five damn years!” A sound behind her. She turned sharply. Cassandra. Wrapped in a champagne-colored silk robe—her robe—barefoot and smug, holding a wine glass like she owned the place. “Awkward timing,” Cassandra said lightly, taking a sip. “But since the cat’s out of the bag... might as well skip to the end.” Seraphina stepped back. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Something primal whispered danger in the back of her mind. “I loved you,” she said, eyes burning. “You were my friend.” Cassandra scoffed. “You were a placeholder. A distraction until Gabriel could claim what was his without scandal.” Gabriel stayed quiet. That silence cut worse than the lies. Seraphina backed toward the balcony. Rain blew in through the cracked doors, soaking her hair and dress. The city air was sharp and cold, like the edge of a blade. “You planned this,” she whispered. “The apartment in my name. The life insurance. The private island you kept hinting at.” Cassandra’s smile widened. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.” Seraphina’s breath caught. Her back hit the balcony door. Her hand brushed against the metal handle. She considered running—but where? They would chase her. They owned the building. The security. She had nowhere to run. So she faced them. “I’m not dying tonight,” she said softly. “Not for you.” But fate had other plans. A flash of silver. A sudden pain—a deep, shocking burn across her ribcage. She staggered, staring at the knife sticking out of her side. Red bloomed against her dress, dark and rich. Gabriel looked surprised. “Cass, what the hell?!” Cassandra’s eyes gleamed. “You weren’t going to do it. You always hesitate.” Seraphina collapsed to her knees, her vision spinning. The city lights blurred like stars on fire. Her blood was warm against the cold tiles. Gabriel knelt beside her, his expression unreadable. “I did love you... once.” She choked out a laugh. “Rot in hell.” Then, the world fell away. Everything faded—Gabriel’s face, Cassandra’s mocking voice, the sound of the rain... ...until there was nothing. Blackness. Silence. Then—light. A thin line of white in the darkness. A crack in reality. And from that light came a voice—ancient and beautiful, filled with power: “Seraphina Vale... you were never meant to die by mortal hands.” “Awaken. The true world calls you now.” And with that, her body vanished from the bloodstained floor, as if the earth itself had refused to hold her corpse. She was gone. But not dead.