chapter 2- The mirror glitch

Seraphina sat in the garden, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared at the flowers swaying gently in the breeze. The petals danced in the warm afternoon light, but she barely noticed them. Her mind was elsewhere — stuck on her mother's strange behavior, on the fear that flashed in her eyes every time Seraphina walked past the mirror in her room. It didn't make sense. It was just a mirror. A piece of glass framed in wood. So why did her mother act like it was something dangerous? Why did she flinch? Why did she yell?

"Looking at the time in the mirror..." Seraphina muttered to herself, pulling at a blade of grass. "Nothing ever happens. I don't know what's wrong with Mom."

She let out a heavy sigh and leaned back, staring up at the sky.

The clouds drifted lazily overhead. Birds chirped in the distance. It was a perfect afternoon — warm, peaceful, quiet. But Seraphina couldn't enjoy it. Her mother's voice echoed in her head: "I'm sorry, Seraphina... I can't tell you..."

Why couldn't she tell her? What was she hiding?

Just then, a voice called out behind her, breaking the silence.

"SERAPHINA! SERAPHINA!"

Seraphina turned to see Cassia running toward her, out of breath, her hair wild and her face flushed from the heat. She was waving her arms frantically, like she was trying to signal a plane.

"Cassia? What are you doing here?"

Cassia bent over, planting her hands on her knees as she gasped for air. "Do you know... how far I ran... to find you?!"

(Cassia was Seraphina's cousin. Her mother, Diana, was the sister of Seraphina's mother, Lyar. They had grown up together, shared secrets, laughed until they cried. But lately, Cassia had been acting strange — too cheerful, too eager. Almost like she was hiding something behind her smile.)

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you need something from me?"

"We're having a group study for the test!" Cassia exclaimed, grabbing Seraphina's hands excitedly. "Will you join us?!"

"Oh, I have my own plans—"

Cassia grabbed her hand and started dragging her across the garden before she could finish.

"WHY ARE YOU TAKING ME TO YOUR HOME?!" Seraphina protested, stumbling after her.

"Because you always promise to join group study, and you always make excuses!"

"I WAS BUSY!"

"You're always busy!" Cassia shot back, grinning.

They arrived at Cassia's house. Inside, Adrian was lounging on the couch with a bored expression, flipping through his phone. He looked up as they entered, his eyes widening with surprise.

"Wait, she actually came?" Adrian said, sitting up.

Aurora gasped dramatically from the other side of the room, her mouth falling open. "IS THAT REALLY SERAPHINA?! SHE ACTUALLY SHOWED UP?!"

(Adrian and Aurora were childhood friends of Seraphina and Cassia. They had been through everything together school, birthdays, late-night study sessions, and endless teasing.)

Cassia flicked Aurora's forehead. "Yes, you dummy."

"OW!" Aurora whined, rubbing her head.

Seraphina groaned. "Why did you bring me here, Cassia?"

"Adrian said—"

"You promised to join the group study last time," Adrian interrupted, smirking.

"So what? That means you can drag me to your house and force me to study?"

"Exactly."

Emily stepped forward, crossing her arms with a smug look. "Yes. And now what are you going to do about it?"

Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't talking to you."

"There's no rule that I can't talk just because you're speaking to someone else," Emily shot back.

"It's called manners. When adults are talking, children should stay quiet. But you're spoiled—"

Cassia stepped between them. "STOP! Can we just study?"