Chapter 1- THE SHADOWS

The classroom buzzed with the usual chaos of students shouting, laughing, and throwing paper airplanes across the room. In the back corner, near the window, Seraphina slept with her head resting on her arms, oblivious to the noise around her.

She stirred slowly, blinking against the harsh fluorescent light.

"You guys are too loud..." she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.

The bell rang, shrill and final. School was over.

Seraphina stretched, gathered her bag, and walked out of the classroom, slipping her headphones over her ears. Music filled her mind as she made her way home through the familiar streets. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the sun cast long shadows across the pavement. It was a peaceful afternoon, but something felt wrong. She couldn't explain it — just a nagging feeling in her chest that something was waiting for her.

She pushed the thought aside and walked through her front door.

"How was your day, Seraphina?" her mother asked from the kitchen.

"Good," Seraphina replied, setting her bag down. "If lunch is ready, please bring it to my room."

She climbed the stairs and entered her room, tossing her bag onto the bed. She stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair absently. Her reflection stared back at her — tired eyes, messy hair, a face that looked older than it should. She leaned closer, examining the faint shadows under her eyes.

Her mother appeared in the doorway, holding a tray of food. She saw Seraphina looking at the mirror, and her face instantly twisted with fear.

"SERAPHINA!" her mother shouted, dropping the tray with a loud clatter.

Seraphina spun around, startled. "What happened, Mother?!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?!" her mother's voice was sharp, almost desperate. "Do NOT look at the time in the mirror!"

"Mom, I was just looking at my hair—"

"Don't lie to me!"

Seraphina's frustration boiled over. "When I stay quiet, you say I'm ignoring you! And when I talk, you think I'm talking back! What do you want from me?!"

Her mother fell silent, her expression softening into something sad and exhausted.

Seraphina's voice dropped. "You never explain anything. You just scold me and tell me what not to do. But you never tell me why."

Her mother looked away. "I put your lunch on the bed," she whispered. "Come eat it."

"I'm going out," Seraphina said coldly.

She turned to leave.

Her mother's voice came out as a broken whisper — so quiet Seraphina almost didn't hear it.

"I'm sorry, Seraphina... I can't tell you..."

Seraphina paused at the door.

For just a moment, she could have sworn she saw a dark figure standing behind her mother. It had no face, no shape — just a shadow that seemed to breathe.

She blinked.

It was gone.

Seraphina shook her head and walked out, convincing herself it was just her imagination. But deep down, she knew she wasn't imagining anything.

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