Chapter 48: The Beginning of Her Obsession

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Beginning of Her Obsession

The cell stayed quiet, Seraphina’s eyes still faintly red from everything she’d just laid out.

Felix had sat there through all of it without a flicker of disgust, without pulling back, without calling her a monster.

He’d just stayed.

She’d always known he was different, from the first day he stepped into her cell, his presence had given her something she hadn’t felt in years. Clarity. Peace.

Something close to safety. At first she’d told herself it was just his mana calming her. Then she’d decided it was gratitude, the first person who’d ever treated her like a person.

But sitting here now, she finally understood it wasn’t either of those things.

She loved him.

The realization should have scared her. Instead her chest went strangely light with it.

*I love Felix.* The thought kept repeating, and this time she didn’t try to push it back down. She let it settle in completely.

Felix stood from the bed. "There’s something else I wanted to tell you."

She looked up.

"You can resume missions starting now."

Her eyes widened. "With your team?"

"With us." A smile broke across her face.

"You’ve also got open access to the training facility whenever you want it."

"Whenever?"

"Yes. It’s already arranged, just ask the guards and they’ll set it up." He headed for the door, then paused. "One more thing. I’ve got full responsibility for you, so don’t worry about the Association."

*He’ll protect me.* The thought sent her heart faster.

"Get some rest," he said, and walked out. The heavy door sealed shut behind him.

For a few seconds she just stared at where he’d been standing.

Then her mouth curved upward on its own, and she stood and spun once around the small cell, prison-issue fabric swinging around her legs, laughing quietly at nothing in particular.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this happy. No, she couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy.

"I love him," she whispered, and the words felt strange in her mouth, but good, pressing both hands flat against her chest to feel her own heart racing.

Everything finally clicked into place, the warmth every time he walked in, the letdown every time he left, the happiness whenever he spoke to her, the jealousy she’d never had a name for, even the irritation over him spending time with others.

She wasn’t just attached to him. She wanted him. Wanted to stand beside him, wanted to become someone actually worthy of that.

And she would. Nobody was taking him from her.

"I won’t let anyone take you from me," she said, quieter now, more resolved.

Her eyes drifted to the small mana pot on the table: the soil, the three flowers still growing out of it, the ones the elf girl had given her after the mission.

She crossed over and touched a petal gently, and the memory came back whole: the girl’s smile, her small hands offering the flowers, Felix watching with that warm expression.

"This is precious," she murmured, touching another petal, then looked back toward the door.

This prison had taken seven years of her life.

But it was also where she’d met him and for that reason alone, she couldn’t bring herself to hate the place anymore. Maybe, she thought, ending up here had been the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She opened the door. The guard outside straightened immediately. "Miss Seraphina?"

"I want to use the training facility."

He blinked. "Now?"

"Yes."

A short hesitation, then a nod. "Of course."

---

The training facility shook.

*BOOM.*

A dummy went flying into the reinforced wall and stayed there.

Seraphina stood at the center of the arena, water swirling around her with lightning threaded through it.

Another dummy rose in front of her, and she lifted a hand, hundreds of water blades taking shape at once.

"Go."

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The dummy shredded apart. Another rose. Then another, and another, and she kept going, control sharpening with every exchange, years of mana that had never had a real outlet finally getting one, and now she had a reason to want it. Someone to get stronger for.

The last dummy finally collapsed, and she stood in the wreckage catching her breath, then pressed both hands to her cheeks, face suddenly burning as she pictured him standing right in front of her: his smile, his voice, the way he’d looked at her without a trace of fear anywhere in it.

Her pulse spiked.

"Just wait, Felix," she murmured, a shy smile breaking through. "Just wait."

Her hands dropped. "When I make you mine, I’ll give you everything." Everything she had.

Everything she could still become. Everything he could possibly want.

"Everything you desire," she said again, quieter, smiling to herself.