CELINE’S POV
I had grown used to the silence that clung to me like a second skin. No friends. No laughter echoing in my direction. Just shadows, long hallways, and the company of my books. At first, the isolation had burned, cutting sharper than any blade, but over time it dulled into routine—an ache so constant it almost became invisible. Betrayal had taught me its lesson well: trust was dangerous, affection came at too high a cost.
The torture only grew sharper when my eyes betrayed me, when I’d catch glimpses of Seraphina walking with him—her smile radiant, his hand brushing hers, their connection flaunted like a cruel joke only I wasn’t laughing at. Each time it felt like my heart was being ground underfoot, and yet I stood still, silent, pretending I didn’t see.
Sometimes, late at
