Chapter 10: Doubt
The bell rang.
The sharp sound cut through her thoughts suddenly.
The entire class moved in a moment.
Chairs pushed back.
Bags opened and closed quickly.
Voices mixed together, short laughter, crossing words, and footsteps heading toward the door.
The scene returned to life around her.
But Lily did not move immediately.
She remained sitting for another second.
She raised her eyes toward the window.
The light was bright outside.
The sky was clear.
The buildings, the trees, the street… everything seemed ordinary as it had always been.
The city had not changed.
And yet…
She felt as if something was moving beneath this calm.
As if the world itself was hiding another layer that no one could see.
She lowered her voice until it became closer to a whisper:
If you are truly a part of this, Alex…
Then I will find you.
And I will know the truth.
Whatever it is.
She paused for a brief moment.
Then added in a lower voice:
Even if the shadow…
Is waiting for me at the end.
The truth… as Lauren said.
The thought passed slowly through Lily's mind.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment.
It was not closing them for rest… but an attempt to catch her breath between thoughts crowding inside her head.
Do I have the courage… to fall in love with someone who might see me as prey?
The question was not spoken aloud.
It was quiet… but heavy.
What am I in his eyes?
For a moment she imagined his gaze.
That gaze which seemed as if it could see beyond words.
A victim?
Or something else?
She shook her head lightly, as if wanting to push the thought away before it settled deeper.
No.
The word came out decisively inside her.
I do not have the courage to give my heart to someone who might see me as prey.
But she realized something else in that moment.
Something that had not faded despite the passing of years.
She closed her eyes slightly, and let the thought slowly form inside her.
She did not have the courage to give her heart to someone who might see her as prey.
But there was something else she possessed.
The courage to search.
To search for the past.
For that night when everything changed.
And for the shadow… that never left.
She opened her eyes slowly.
The image in her mind became clearer.
If Alex was part of the solution…
Then she would face him.
But not as prey.
She would not be that weak thing waiting for others to decide her fate.
She would stand before him as a human who wants answers.
As someone demanding the truth.
She breathed slowly.
Alex…
She whispered his name inside her mind.
Then a faint smile formed on her lips, one that did not reach her eyes.
Anyway…
I will play with you in this game.
The game of Beauty and the Beast.
But she did not say it as a dream.
She said it as a test.
I only hope…
That its ending will be happy.
While Lily was immersed in her thoughts, she did not notice two footsteps stopping in front of her desk.
Alice… and Liz.
Liz stood first and waved her hand slightly in front of her face.
Hello, Lily.
She leaned slightly toward her.
It seems Seraphine did not come to school today. Do you know the reason?
Alice joined the conversation immediately, and the confusion was clear in her expression.
Yes, this is really strange.
She furrowed her brows slightly.
She may be playful and lazy sometimes… but she does not like missing school.
She paused for a brief moment before adding:
And yet… she did not come today.
Lily raised her gaze to them.
It took a second for her to fully regain her focus on reality.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Seraphine…
Lily looked at them for a few seconds, then said quietly:
Well… this is strange. Let's go to the principal's office.
A few minutes later, the three of them were standing in front of the principal.
The principal looked at them for a moment longer than he should have.
It was not a sharp look… but it was not a passing one either.
His eyes moved slowly between them, as if measuring something he was not saying aloud.
Then he lowered his gaze to the open file in front of him.
His fingers settled on its edge.
And he closed it slowly.
The faint sound of paper brushing against itself seemed clear in the quiet office.
He raised his head slightly.
Seraphine…?
He paused.
The pause was not long, but it was enough to make the air in the room heavier.
Then he said with measured calm:
Yes, the administration has been informed that she will not attend for an unspecified period.
The words came out ordinary.
Cold.
As if they were just routine information said every day.
But the silence that followed them was not ordinary.
The sound in the room stopped.
Even the movement of the clock on the wall seemed clearer.
And in that moment…
Lily felt something light move inside her chest.
A small feeling… but uncomfortable.
As if a piece of the picture had begun to slowly move from its place.
The principal opened the file again.
The paper pages moved under his fingers.
Then he said without raising his head:
Alright, you may leave now.
He raised his gaze to them and added in a neutral tone:
And in any case, if you are worried about her, you can contact her by phone.
A brief formal smile appeared on his lips, then he returned to his papers, as if the matter had ended for him.
His pen moved across the page, as if the subject had been closed from that moment.
For him… the matter was clear.
But for Lily…
There was nothing clear.
There was no agreement inside her head.
She nodded respectfully.
Thank you, sir.
She turned slowly.
Opened the door.
And walked out with Liz and Alice into the corridor.
The door closed quietly behind them.
The faint sound of the lock faded in the long hallway.
Liz spoke immediately, in a lighter tone than she had in the office:
See? I told you there was no need to worry.
Alice added while walking beside them:
Maybe she just needs some time with her grandmother.
The steps of students passed through the corridor.
Distant conversations.
Lockers opening and closing.
Life in the school continued as it always had.
But Lily did not answer immediately.
The thought the principal had said remained suspended in her mind.
Phone.
Yes…
She can call.
But a small question began to form in Lily's mind.
Why did Seraphine not send a message?
Why did she not say anything beforehand?
At first the thought did not seem big…
But it remained there, like a small stone inside her chest.
She felt a faint pressure slowly gathering beneath her ribs.
She took out her phone.
The movement was slow, as if her mind were occupied with something else.
She looked at the screen.
Seraphine's name was still saved as it was.
Her finger stopped above the call button.
A brief moment.
Then she pressed it.
The ringing began.
The steady sound repeated in her ear.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each passing second slightly longer than the one before.
Then…
The line opened.
A voice came from the other side.
Hello… Hello Lily.
Lily quickly raised the phone to her ear, as if she had been waiting for that moment.
Hello Seraphine. You did not come to school today, so Liz, Alice, and I were worried about you. Are you alright?
After her words…
A brief silence fell.
It was not long.
But there was something in that silence that made her pay attention.
Then a faint sound of breathing came from the other side.
Well… I am sorry that I did not tell you beforehand. I will stay with my grandmother for a while.
Seraphine paused for a moment.
As if searching for a lighter word.
Then she added in a calmer tone:
There is no need to worry. We can stay in contact by phone at any time. So truly… do not worry.
Lily remained silent.
Her eyes fixed ahead of her in the corridor.
Students passed around her.
The sounds of footsteps.
Short laughter.
But she could barely hear any of it.
She focused only on the voice in the phone.
Seraphine's voice sounded normal.
Calm as she knew it.
There was no tremor in it.
No clear hesitation.
And yet…
There was something.
Something small she could not identify.
As if one note in the voice did not belong to the rest.
Perhaps exhaustion.
Or perhaps…
Something else.
Lily breathed slowly.
Then she said gently:
If you need anything… tell me.
Silence returned once again.
Shorter this time.
Then Seraphine's voice came:
I will. I will do that, alright.
But the feeling in Lily's chest did not calm.
The worry did not disappear.
Then Seraphine laughed lightly.
The same laugh Lily knew well.
Light… playful… as it had always been.
Then she said in a joking tone:
Alright, I will hang up now. My grandmother is waiting for me in the kitchen to teach me how to cook a chicken over low heat.
Lily smiled without realizing it.
Really? Since when did you start caring about cooking?
Seraphine laughed again.
When you are forced to stay at home… you discover new talents.
Then her voice softened slightly.
I will call you later, alright?
Before Lily could respond…
The line disconnected.
The phone remained near her ear for an extra second.
The silence on the other side felt strangely heavy.
She slowly lowered the phone.
And looked at the dark screen.
The call had ended.
But the feeling inside her…
Had not ended.
Lily lowered the phone slowly.
The screen went dark in her hand, leaving a faint reflection of her face.
Cooking a chicken… over low heat.
The sentence passed through her mind again.
Ordinary words.
An ordinary moment.
Something that could happen in any house, on any quiet day.
And yet…
That feeling in her chest did not calm.
It remained there.
Faint… but present.
Was it really funny?
Or was the laugh she heard a moment ago something else?
She slowly raised her eyes toward the long window in the corridor.
The sky outside was clear.
The sun reflected on the glass, lighting the shining floor beneath her feet.
Students passing in the courtyard.
Distant sounds blending with the noise of the school.
Everything seemed ordinary.
But the feeling inside her was not.
There was something out of harmony… like a wrong note inside a familiar melody.
She lowered the phone to her side.
Then turned toward Alice and Liz.
A faint smile formed on her face.
A balanced smile… as if closing the door to the questions moving inside her head.
Well girls, you heard her.
She is fine.
She raised her shoulders slightly, trying to make it seem simple.
I am going to the cafeteria now.
What about you two?
Alice and Liz exchanged a quick glance.
A short look… but it was full of meaning that did not need words.
Then they smiled at the same time.
A smile everyone knew.
Liz spoke in a joking tone:
As for us…
We have a mission.
Alice completed the sentence immediately, the light sarcasm clear in her voice:
We will search for Aldric.
They waved to her together.
Goodbye, Lily.
They moved through the corridor, their steps quick, their whispers blending with quiet laughter.
Lily watched them as they walked away.
Then they disappeared among the students.
She breathed calmly.
Aldric…
The name passed through her mind like a distant echo.
Things had become more complicated than they had been only a few days ago.
Relationships.
Secrets.
Questions that had begun to appear one after another.
At last she turned.
And walked alone toward the cafeteria.
Her steps were calm.
Regular.
Moving among the students as if she were part of this usual daily rhythm.
But her mind…
Was not as calm as her steps.