Chapter 1 Rebirth

Seraphina’s POV

Cold. Darkness. Pain.

Those were the only things she felt as she lay on the ground, her life seeping out with the blood that stained the soil beneath her. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, mixing with the crimson pool that surrounded her.

Regret. That was all that remained in her broken heart.

Regret for trusting the man she had once called her mate. Regret for believing in the love of a sister who was nothing but a venomous snake. Regret for not seeing the truth before it was too late.

Kaelion Voss Blackthorne—her so-called mate, her Alpha, the man who had whispered promises of forever into her ears. The man who had vowed to love her until the stars burned out.

And yet, it was his claws that had torn into her flesh.

It was his voice, cold and indifferent, that had sentenced her to die.

All for another woman.

Her own stepsister.

Seraphina had fought, screamed, begged for him to look at her—really look at her. To see the woman he had once claimed to love. But his heart no longer belonged to her.

It belonged to Selene.

Selene, the stepsister who had stolen everything Seraphina had ever loved, one venomous whisper at a time.

As the last shreds of her consciousness slipped away, she swore she saw Selene smirking—victory gleaming in her eyes as she stepped over Seraphina’s body. Hand in hand with Kaelion, she had won.

The pain was unbearable. Not just from the wounds, but from the sheer weight of betrayal.

She closed her eyes, expecting oblivion.

But then—

A pull. A strange, almost celestial force tugging at her soul.

The darkness gave way to a sea of stars, the moon glowing impossibly bright. Golden tendrils wrapped around her lifeless body, warmth spreading through her cold limbs. The last thing she felt was a deep, soothing hum, like the universe itself was whispering a secret meant only for her.

And then—nothing.

Seraphina gasped, jolting upright in bed.

Her chest heaved as she sucked in desperate breaths, her hands clutching at the soft fabric of her nightgown, which was drenched in cold sweat. Tears streamed down her face, her entire body trembling.

Her room.

She was in her room.

The same bedroom Kaelion had given her before everything had gone to hell. Before the betrayal, before the blood.

Her hands shot to her chest, fingers pressing against the skin where Kaelion’s claws had once torn through her. But there was nothing. No wound, no pain—only smooth, unblemished skin.

Her breath hitched.

She threw back the covers and stumbled toward the mirror, nearly tripping over her own feet. The reflection staring back at her was unmistakably her own, but…

She looked younger.

Her skin had regained its youthful glow, her hair cascading down her shoulders without the dullness it had gained in the years of heartbreak. Panic clawed at her throat as her gaze flickered to the bedside table.

A loud, familiar tune blared from her phone.

"You were the shadow to my light..."

Alan Walker’s Faded.

Her old ringtone.

Heart hammering in her chest, she snatched up the phone, her fingers trembling as she looked at the caller ID.

Selene.

Her stomach lurched.

No. No, no, no. This couldn’t be real.

She hesitated before answering, forcing herself to steady her voice.

“Hello?”

“Ina! Heyy, did you just wake up? Did you forget we were going on a shopping spree today?” Selene’s voice was cheerful, sweet—so innocent, so fake.

Seraphina’s grip tightened on the phone. Anger coiled in her chest, but she swallowed it down. She couldn't let her emotions betray her. Not yet.

“Um… Sorry, Sel,” she said, forcing a lightness into her tone. “I promise I’ll be there soon. Just let me get ready.”

She ended the call and immediately looked at the date on her phone.

Three years.

Three years before her death.

Three years before everything went to hell.

She had been reborn.

Seraphina walked into the lavish shopping mall, her heart pounding in her chest as she spotted Selene waiting by the entrance. The sight of her step-sister brought a bitter taste to her mouth, but she plastered on a neutral expression and approached.

Selene’s face lit up when she saw her. “Finally! I thought you were going to ditch me,” she pouted playfully.

Seraphina forced a small smile. “Of course not. Let’s go.”

The two girls wandered through high-end boutiques, Selene excitedly picking out designer dresses and jewelry. She kept shoving outfits at Seraphina, urging her to try them on.

But Seraphina barely paid attention.

She was watching. Studying.

Now that she knew what Selene was capable of, she could see the cracks in her façade. The way her lips curled in satisfaction when a store clerk complimented her. The subtle flicker of jealousy in her eyes whenever Seraphina looked prettier in a dress.

And then—there was Kaelion.

As they stepped into a boutique, Seraphina felt the air shift.

A familiar presence.

And there he was.

Kaelion stood near the men’s section, looking just as devastatingly handsome as she remembered—dark hair tousled effortlessly, piercing silver eyes scanning the suits in front of him.

Her heart clenched.

He hadn’t changed.

Of course, he hadn’t. He wasn’t the one who had suffered, who had died.

But she did have to play the “Loving girlfriend part for now. Just until she was strong and ready for her revenge. She would make them both pay their blood debt sooner than later.

Selene gasped beside her, grabbing her arm. “Oh my god, it’s Kael! I should go say hi!”

Seraphina smiled tightly. “Go ahead.”

Selene waltzed over, her voice dripping with sweetness as she called his name.

Seraphina?

She turned and walked in the opposite direction, sat on a chair watching these two play friends with a small smile on her face.

Let Selene have her moment.

This time, she wasn’t going to be a fool.

This time, she was going to play the game better than both of them.

And when the time came…

She would win.