"Are you all okay?" Seraphine asked gently. Her eyes roamed and tenderly caressed Arthur, Leslie, and Evelyn. However, she stared a little longer at Daniela. Approaching, she lovingly stroked her cheek. Daniela quickly blushed.
"Mom..." she said with embarrassment, but she didn't pull her mother's hand away.
"You're so adorable, hehe," Seraphine laughed, stopping her teasing. Then her gaze turned a little more serious. "We're going to a dangerous place, but if you stay close to me, there won't be any problem. You might wonder why I want to bring you along. The main reason is for your own sake. As they say, danger always comes with opportunities," she smiled. "If you like, you don't have to come. You can always decide."
Daniela didn't even think twice before nodding her head vigorously up and down.
"I'm going!" she said excitedly. Apparently, she hadn't heard the word "dangerous" and trusted her mother completely.
Leslie thought for a few moments before nodding her head.
"Yes," Evelyn simply said one word. Her eyes sparkled a little as she looked at Seraphine, and she felt a strange sense of peace being near her.
Arthur shrugged. He had to go no matter what, so he didn't give it much importance. He was genuinely curious to meet the sixth seraph... even if it was just to see them—if he didn't die trying.
Seraphine nodded and looked at Professor Emilia. She let out a sigh as if she were frustrated and turned toward the door. She extended her hand and the door trembled. Splitting black and white, a rift opened that, unlike the other one, appeared much more stable. From the dark void, a white line emerged and split in half. Behind the veil of darkness, nothing else could be seen.
"Is it really safe?" I asked while looking into the darkness. The feeling of oppression hit me directly in the face. A silence tried to fill my thoughts, and the sense of danger intensified.
"It is," Elizabeth said with a smile as she stepped into the doorway. Emilia followed silently without comment. Seraphine simply smiled and motioned for us to go forward.
With a sigh, I stepped through the door along with Leslie and Evelyn. Daniela had a furrowed brow, but without hesitation, she went in too.
Seraphine lingered a moment before saying:
"Can you protect the door while we're gone?" she asked the air.
"Fine," Noemí's voice came from nowhere in response.
Seraphine nodded and passed through the door.
The feeling was unreal. I literally felt as if my soul was separating from my body as I watched, mouth open, what was happening. There was my body, disintegrating and vanishing into nothingness.
"What's happening?" I asked myself in shock. "Is this what dying feels like?"
Looking around, I could only see tiny particles of light speeding past. It felt like my soul was traveling at unimaginable speeds. After a few seconds, I felt like everything around me came to a halt. My eyes darted everywhere. I was in what seemed to be a large room. Shadows swayed everywhere, just like ash particles floating motionless in the air. Standing up, although there wasn't much lighting, most of the place could still be made out.
Confused, I walked slowly toward what looked like the exit. When I crossed, the world seemed to flip upside down. White was the only color visible. At first glance, it looked like I was standing on a canvas. Not knowing what else to do, I simply walked. Apparently, there was nothing dangerous in this place—for now. After a few seconds, I saw some kind of animal running at full speed and diving into some purple crystals.
"Hmmm..." I frowned. "I'm definitely going to find out. It always ends badly..."
Ignoring those crystals, I passed through what seemed to be another exit. But before I could cross, I felt a small hand on my shoulder.
A shiver ran down my spine. Spinning around erratically, I saw the "person" standing before me...
Her hair and eyes were whiter than white. Her hand didn't seem to have blood, not even her face. Everything about her was completely white. Her eyes blinked a couple of times; her expression was stoic.
"Shit..." I cursed hard in my thoughts. "She doesn't even seem alive!"
Not knowing what to do or say, I simply froze. I didn't feel any ill intent or even curiosity; she just looked like a very large doll. She was taller than me, must've been around six foot one.
Uncomfortable under her dead gaze, I lowered my eyes… and my body shuddered again.
"She's not wearing anything..." I trembled, and fearing that might offend her, I lifted my gaze. She slowly removed her hand from my shoulder, turned her head...
"Sister!" a voice full of emotion echoed from behind her.
The whiteness of the place compressed into a single point and colors were reborn. The place returned to normal. It was actually a small forest. Nothing moved. Everything seemed frozen...
Hearing Seraphine's familiar voice, I relaxed a little. Hearing her say "sister"...
"Change," I opened my eyes. The white woman had disappeared. Her hair was now a beautiful golden color, just like Seraphine's. They looked like twins, but the woman's eyes were blood-red. She looked at Seraphine and slowly approached, skipping a bit. Once close, she gently patted Seraphine's head…
They looked at each other for a few moments before nodding at the same time. Seraphine noticed my presence and smiled.
"So this is where you were."
"What is this place?" I asked with a sigh. Apparently, according to her, I was the only one who ended up here alone. "Why do weird things always happen to me...?" I asked myself.
Putting that aside… the woman beside Seraphine… is she really the sixth seraph? Seraphine's older twin? I don't feel any presence from her. There's none of that divine energy that should unconsciously emanate...
Thinking for a moment, the woman's red eyes turned to me...
The dead gaze had vanished. Her eyes sparkled like rubies, and she smiled faintly. Then she turned to Seraphine:
"Let's go to my dear sisters."