With every step, her heart pounded even harder, anticipation coursing through her veins.
As they walked, Damian's grip on her hand tightened, offering her warmth in the chilly air. When he uttered the words, "Let's go," Sera had to believe that this was indeed real.
She said nothing but turned to look at her father.
A faint smile played on Valerian's lips. He locked eyes with Sera and nodded slightly, but tears welled up in his eyes, silently streaming down his face.
Kara's gaze was also fixed on Sera, filled with a mixture of worry and hope.
Sera felt the weight of countless eyes on her as they walked deeper into the woods, moving away from the crowd.
"Keep going, princess," Damian's deep voice urged her onward, his presence providing a sense of reassurance.
Hand in hand, they continued their journey.
When Sera felt they must have ventured deep enough, she released Damian's hand and let out a loud sigh of relief.
"Wow, we actually did it!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a tinge of excitement. Seating herself on the ground, her gown cascaded around her in a beautiful display as she buried her hands in her face.
Perspiration covered her forehead, a testament to how far they had come from the ceremony.
"We've walked a long way," she muttered to herself, stealing a glance at Damian, who was gazing up at the sky.
"It's going to rain if we don't start moving. I should have brought a horse," Damian chastised himself, his gaze shifting to Sera.
She sat amidst the trees like a true princess, her belongings safely in Damian's possession. He almost dropped them, captivated by Sera's presence.
"Let's get going soon," Damian reiterated.
Sera nodded, but when she attempted to stand, her gown and weary legs betrayed her efforts. Twice she tried, but each time she ended up back on the ground.
Her eyes met Damian's, who observed her struggles with a quiet amusement, his eyes crinkling as he laughed. It was a captivating sight. After a while, she averted her gaze.
"If you're not going to help me, I don't think we'll make it on time. Who knows, we might die in these woods together," Sera said, a shudder running through her at the thought.
She longed to rise, but her dress hindered her movements. As much as she adored its beauty, she realized it offered little assistance.
Her gaze returned to Damian.
"I mean, I'm a gentleman who wouldn't dare laugh at the plight of a young woman, but just look at you," he remarked, his eyes lingering on Sera once more.
However, their moment was interrupted by a deafening crack of thunder that shattered the silence. Sera instinctively hugged herself, and Damian glanced skyward once again.
"The rain is imminent. Come," he urged, extending his hand to lift Sera to her feet, wasting no time.
With the thunder relentlessly pounding, the breeze and cold wind swept through the woods, causing Seraphina's skin to prickle with chills. Her gaze shifted to Damian, who still held her hand firmly.
Glancing down at their intertwined hands, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity and significance each time they touched.
"I told you to help me sooner," Sera murmured, walking past him.
Their footsteps continued to echo as they ventured deeper into the dense forest. One by one, her thoughts wandered along the same path they had traversed before. The dark and enticing trees and bushes captivated her attention, and she found herself observing the intricacies of the leaves and flowers.
Damian followed behind, burdened by the weight of the trunk in his hands. She could hear the sound of his footsteps trailing behind, each step measured and deliberate.
With every passing second, they immersed themselves further into the forest, occasionally pausing in their tracks as the thunder reverberated through the air.
Unable to ignore it any longer, Sera allowed her thoughts to drift back to the village they had left behind. The image of everyone's bewildered and concerned faces lingered in her mind. It was only after Damian assured them of the village's safety that the tumultuous emotions subsided.
"No one truly cared about me," Sera whispered to herself, her words carried away by the wind.
Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the rock that snagged her foot, causing her to stumble and fall. Her palms met the ground, the impact jarring her.
"Princess!" Damian exclaimed with urgency, placing the chest on the ground before swiftly moving to her side.
Sera's golden waves obscured her face as she lay on the ground. Damian approached, reaching out to touch her shoulder, concern etched on his features.
"I did not see the stupid stone. Help me again," she once again requested from Damian.
He shook his head and helped her get up.
The touch sent flames through her body, but she ignored it all for the time. Her eyes once again looked at Damian.
He stood wearing his black clothes. His eyes were on her. Behind him, the lightning was loud. He almost looked scary.
"You look worried, princess," he said, just above a whisper.
His hands were at his sides, but he quickly bent down to grab the chest. Sera shook her head. "My thoughts were on and on about the village—" she paused. She saw that Damian was prepared to start walking again. 'He looks handsome even while carrying the chest,' she couldn't help but notice.
"And well, the villagers... They seem to be careless nonetheless. I saw my father crying, Kara in tears, and Em... Em was sleeping in a chair, so she had no idea. What was this life of Seraphina Rose?" she asked her thoughts aloud.
Damian was still silent. He followed her silently—she couldn't even realize if he was listening or not, but at most, with her thoughts, she couldn't care less.
"The villagers are just happy now that they saved their village, but wouldn't they feel any sort of sympathy towards a young woman who almost got forced to wed an old man? And would you believe—can you believe that they let a Darkling take me away?"
The walk was filled with Sera's questions, thunder with dark clouds, and eternal silence from Damian. His emotions were not clear to Sera, but she knew that it was for the better.
It left her more space to talk freely and tell almost everything in her mind—except her secrets.
-
[At the Village]
Valerian sat on the same bench where he had been during his daughter's wedding. He remained still, even after almost forty-five minutes of silence since the Prince of the kingdom took Seraphina away.
"Uncle...?" Kara's voice came, pulling Valerian out of his thoughts.
His posture changed completely as Kara called his name. He looked around and noticed that there were no villagers nearby.
The festivities seemed lifeless, and even the sky was gloomy. It was as if everything else reflected his emotions about what had just happened.
"Uncle, we should head inside. The rain is approaching," Kara's words held truth.
Valerian shook his head. He wasn't ready to go inside. The prince had taken away the second most precious thing he had, with the first being his wife. He felt broken.
"I-I don't think I can," he said, looking at the ground.
The man had lost things he thought he would never lose.
Suddenly, his face turned, searching left and right. He became anxious as his eyes darted around.
"W-where is Em? My little daughter?" he asked, shifting and turning in his seat.
Kara sighed.
"She's inside. I took care of her. Uncle, are you sure you don't want to go inside?" she asked once again. She glanced at the sky, knowing that the approaching rain could be even worse—it might even turn into a storm given how dark it was.
The day wasn't even halfway over, but the sky seemed exhausted.
Valerian sighed with relief, knowing Em was safe. He leaned back on the bench and sighed once more. His hands rested on his large stomach as he looked at Kara sadly.
"I can't do this, Kara. I-I don't think I can."
He was a weak, emotional man. His vulnerability was once something Kara admired, as he showed complete openness in front of his wife. But seeing him broken and shattered outside her house made her feel sad and concerned for him.
"Uncle, do you want to talk?" she asked, moving closer.
Valerian nodded and adjusted his position, allowing Kara to sit comfortably. As soon as she sat down, she looked at him with a worried smile.
"I th-thought that if Si married Genghis, we would at least... meet her, take care of her... And we could, keep her safe, b-but this happened..."
Kara sighed. She had been on the verge of tears when Seraphina held Damian's hand and walked away silently, but she quickly composed herself. She was strong, stronger than anyone gave her credit for.
"I just... WHY, LORD?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO MY LIFE?! WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE?!" Valerian shouted, looking up at the sky and dropping to his knees.
Kara's eyes widened as it happened suddenly. A loud crack of thunder echoed through the sky, and rain began pouring down, the drops following their figures one after another.
"W-we need to get inside!" Kara said urgently. Valerian could get sick... that was her only thought. Now that she was responsible for Sera's father and Em, she needed to take care of them.
"I NEED ANSWERS!" Valerian yelled again.
Kara was bewildered. She looked around, feeling the cold rain soaking through her clothes. She needed to do something—something to get him inside.
"Uncle!" she mumbled, her lips quivering from the cold raindrops. The intensity of the rain increased with each passing moment.
"I need answers, God...!"
His tears merged with the rain, becoming indistinguishable. Kara had tears in her eyes as she watched the grown man in his misery. He had his own strengths, but now he unleashed all of his pent-up emotions.
"Aren't you glad that Si didn't marry that old man? Uncle," she knelt down, her hands resting on her thighs. Her dress was drenched, and she struggled to keep herself composed.
"If she did... we wouldn't know what kind of future Sera would have! We can still meet Sera! Don't worry... Uncle! She was brave! She made me promise that I would find her wherever she is! She did! Please, listen to me, let's get inside!" she pleaded.
"S-she made you p-promise?" he questioned, shivering from the cold.
Kara nodded.
"Please... let's get inside," she begged once more.