In the dimly lit office, stacks of documents cluttered the desk, their edges curling from the sheer weight of bureaucracy. Seraphine let out a weary sigh, her silver pen resting between her fingers as she stared at the endless stream of reports before her.
Her body was exhausted, worn thin by the ceaseless demands of her position. Paperwork. Always paperwork.
And to make matters worse, she had just finished dealing with an utterly ridiculous interrogation—a man who had the audacity to claim he had come here for sightseeing.
Seraphine scoffed, rubbing her temples.
"As if anyone comes to this godforsaken place just to look around," she muttered under her breath.
Something about him didn't sit right with her. He was hiding something. She was sure of it.
But right now, she couldn't afford to waste energy thinking about an idiot when she had more pressing matters to handle.
Exhaling, she leaned forward and let her forehead rest against the cool surface of her desk. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to drift—her thoughts wandering back to something far more personal.
Her parents.
The ever-present ache in her chest surfaced again, but she shoved it down, as she always did.
Then—a sharp knock.
Before she could even lift her head, the door slammed open.
---
"Ma'am!"
---
Seraphine's eyes snapped toward the entrance, her irritation flaring. Normally, Madelyn—her secretary—was meticulous about protocol. She never entered without permission.
Yet now, the woman stood in the doorway, her breath uneven, her posture stiff with urgency.
Seraphine straightened, her sharp gaze locking onto her.
"What's the matter?" she asked, voice calm but edged with authority.
Madelyn swallowed hard. Her hands were trembling.
---
"A Gate, Ma'am—at the Eastern Border."
---
Seraphine's expression barely shifted.
"Is that all?" she sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "Send a squad. Handle it."
It wasn't unusual. Gates appeared frequently, and their forces were more than capable of managing them.
She laid back down, disinterested.
But Madelyn didn't move.
She stood frozen, her face drained of color.
And when she finally spoke again, her voice shook.
---
"M-Ma'am… it's a Major Gate."
---
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet.
Seraphine froze.
Her breath hitched for the briefest second.
Then, slowly, she sat up, her expression now unreadable.
Her fingers curled into fists atop her desk, the leather of her gloves creaking under the pressure.
Not out of fear.
But something else.
Something far deeper.
A cold, simmering rage.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as memories clawed at the edges of her mind—memories drenched in fire and blood.
She gritted her teeth.
---
"Sound the alarm."
---
Madelyn stiffened.
Seraphine's voice was calm. Unshaken.
Yet the weight in her tone carried the force of an iron command.
She rose to her feet, her chair scraping against the floor. Her presence alone seemed to shift the atmosphere in the room.
---
"Gather every Captain and every Legion under our banner."
"We are wiping that Gate off the face of the earth."
---
Madelyn blinked before snapping into motion. She turned and ran.
Her footsteps echoed down the hall, fading beneath the sudden, blaring wail of the emergency sirens.
Seraphine remained still.
The panic that a Major Gate would cause among ordinary awakeners was undeniable. Even Master Realm awakeners—elites who stood at the pinnacle of strength—would hesitate before such a crisis.
But Seraphine was not ordinary.
She was not just a Master Realm awakener.
She was a warrior who could face even those beyond her realm and hold her ground.
And those beyond her realm acknowledged it.
She had carved her reputation through blood and battle, earning the fear and respect of even Grandmaster-level awakeners.
Seraphine reached for her sword.
Her fingers brushed against the cold steel of the hilt, and for the briefest moment, her eyes softened.
---
"Father… Mother…"
---
A whisper. Barely audible.
Then, the fire in her gaze returned.
She turned on her heel, cloak billowing behind her, stepping toward the battlefield.
Because tonight—
She would make sure that gate never saw the light of day again.
The clamor of metal against metal, the synchronized march of armored boots against the ground, and the sharp commands cutting through the air—these sounds filled the headquarters as awakeners scrambled into formation.
Zhuo observed the controlled chaos with quiet amusement, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. The air was thick with tension, but he remained unfazed, simply watching the scene unfold.
His gaze drifted across the bustling crowd, moving past the heavily armed squads until it landed on a particular figure at the forefront—
Seraphine.
Even amidst the storm of activity, she stood out.
Her presence was like a razor's edge—sharp, commanding, and impossible to ignore.
With her raven-black hair tied neatly behind her, she exuded an air of discipline. Her piercing gaze held the weight of authority, and her posture—firm and composed—made it clear that she was no ordinary officer.
She wasn't just commanding soldiers. She was leading them.
The other captains standing beside her were intimidating in their own right—battle-hardened warriors, each exuding a presence that would make lesser awakeners hesitate.
Yet it was Seraphine who stood at the center, her voice cutting through the commotion like a blade.
Zhuo's eyes lingered on her, an amused glint flashing within them.
"Seems like she's someone important," he mused.
His assessment wasn't unfounded. The way she carried herself, the way others instinctively looked to her for direction—it was evident.
She bore the weight of leadership, and she carried it well.
As if sensing his gaze, Seraphine suddenly turned.
Her sharp eyes locked onto him.
For a brief second, her brows furrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing her face.
Then, without hesitation, she strode toward him, her every step exuding authority.
When she spoke, her tone was clipped, firm, and entirely unamused.
---
"What are you doing here?"
---
The sheer weight in her voice was enough to make most lower-ranked awakeners stiffen.
Zhuo, however, merely smiled wryly.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?" she continued, her irritation mounting.
Her patience was thin, stretched taut by the looming crisis and the burden of command.
Zhuo tilted his head slightly, the corners of his lips quirking up.
---
"Well, I thought I'd take in the sights. The scenery here is rather breathtaking."
---
His words were light, bordering on playful.
But Seraphine was in no mood for nonsense.
Her eyes narrowed, the slightest twitch in her jaw betraying her rising frustration.
She had no time for foolishness. No patience for distractions.
Her army was preparing for war, and here he was—standing around, jesting.
---
"Shut up."
---
Her words cut through the air like a blade.
Zhuo stilled.
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, he let out a breath, inwardly sighing.
'Well, that was to be expected' he thought to himself.
Perhaps he had overstepped this time.
He wasn't naive. He could tell that the weight on her shoulders was immense. She was carrying far more than just her own responsibilities.
And yet, despite the pressure, she stood tall—unyielding.
Maybe that was why he found her interesting.
Feigning innocence, he shrugged, adopting a more neutral expression.
---
"What's going on?"
---
His tone was light—too light for the situation at hand.
Seraphine's expression darkened.
She didn't have the luxury of indulging whatever game he was playing.
Her next words were clipped, spoken with urgency.
---
"A Major Gate has opened near the Eastern Border."
---
Even though her voice remained composed, there was no mistaking the weight behind her words.
A Major Gate.
A disaster-level threat.
One that could wipe out an entire city.
Zhuo's gaze flickered past her to the gathered forces.
The tension in the air wasn't just for show.
They weren't preparing for a simple mission.
They were preparing for war.