The library had always been Seraphina's refuge.
A place where the world softened into whispers, where nothing chased her, nothing demanded anything from her. Just rows of books, the faint scent of paper, and silence that felt…safe.
But today, even the silence felt suffocating.
Her steps were slow as she moved deeper between the towering shelves, her fingers trailing absentmindedly along the spines of books she wasn't truly seeing. Her mind wasn't here. It hadn't been since she stepped into the building.
Since she felt him behind her. Damon.
He hadn't spoken. Hadn't tried to walk beside her like a normal person would. He kept his distance, but it wasn't enough to feel free.
Because she knew he was there, watching.
Her chest tightened , her breath uneven as she turned into another aisle, her thoughts a tangled mess of fear and frustration.
This was what she chose, safety. But why did it feel like she had walked willingly into a cage?
