Seraphina’s day began like any other, a perfect symphony of routine and precision. The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of her luxurious bedroom, casting a soft golden glow over the pristine white sheets. She woke up at exactly 6:00 AM, as she always did, her body attuned to the rhythm she had carefully crafted over the years.
She slipped out of bed, her feet meeting the cool marble floor with a soft click. Every movement was deliberate and practiced, from the way she folded back the sheets to the precise way she brushed her hair. Her morning was a well-oiled machine, each action flowing seamlessly into the next.
After a quick shower, she dressed in a tailored suit—sharp, elegant, and perfectly fitted to her form. She looked at herself in the mirror, a picture of poise and control, and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. Everything was in its place. Everything was as it should be.
Downstairs, the kitchen staff had prepared her usual breakfast: a simple yet elegant spread of fresh fruit, toast, and a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. Seraphina sat at the head of the table, savoring the calm, the quiet, the perfect stillness of the morning. This was her time, a brief respite before the chaos of the day began.
But today, that peace was not meant to last.
As she lifted the cup of coffee to her lips, there was a sudden knock at the door. She frowned, annoyed at the interruption. The staff knew better than to disturb her at this hour, so who could it be?
Before she could even put the cup down, the door swung open, and there stood Michael, his expression as unreadable as ever. He stepped into the room, completely ignoring the shocked looks from the staff who quickly retreated to give them privacy.
“Michael,” Seraphina said, her voice tinged with irritation, “What are you doing here? It’s barely morning.”
Michael walked in without acknowledging her question, his eyes scanning the room briefly before settling on her. “We need to talk about the mission,” he said bluntly, as if his presence there was the most natural thing in the world.
Seraphina sighed, setting her cup down with a little more force than necessary. “Can’t this wait? I’m trying to enjoy my morning.”
Michael shook his head. “There’s no time to waste. We need to finalize our plans.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, her irritation growing. “Michael, I understand that you’re eager to get things done, but I have a life outside of this mission. You can’t just barge in here whenever you feel like it.”
But Michael, unfazed, continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “I’ve been thinking about the recent glitches and how they’ve been harder to track. There’s something different about them, and we need to be prepared.”
Seraphina pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off the headache she could feel coming on. “Michael, I’ll meet you later. I have a schedule to keep.”
Michael seemed to consider her words for a moment before nodding. “Fine. But don’t take too long. We’re running out of time.”
And just like that, he turned and left, leaving Seraphina to stare at the door in frustration. Her perfect morning, shattered by his abruptness. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. It was only 8:00 AM, and her day was already off to a rocky start.
---
Later that day, after reluctantly agreeing to meet with Michael, Seraphina found herself following him through the city. He led her to a nondescript building, one that she would have never guessed held any significance. But as they entered, she quickly realized it was a hub of activity—angels, all like Michael, moved with purpose, their expressions serious and focused.
“This is where the others work,” Michael explained as they walked through the corridors. “Each of them is assigned to different regions, tasked with maintaining balance just like I am. They don’t often work together, but when they do, it’s usually for something big.”
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Seraphina watched as the angels went about their tasks, their movements fluid and almost mechanical. There was a cold efficiency to their actions, a stark contrast to the way Michael operated alone. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized how disconnected they seemed from the world they were supposed to protect.
“Why are you showing me this?” Seraphina asked, her voice quieter than usual.
Michael glanced at her. “You need to understand what’s at stake. We’re not just dealing with glitches anymore. There’s something more happening, something we haven’t encountered before.”
As they continued walking, Michael overheard a conversation between two angels standing by the entrance to a small room. Their voices were low, but the urgency in their tone caught his attention.
“…another case in the city. A normal human, suddenly displaying unnatural abilities. It doesn’t match the usual glitch pattern.”
Michael paused, his ears perking up at the mention of unnatural abilities. Seraphina noticed his change in demeanor and looked at him questioningly.
“What is it?” she asked.
Michael shook his head slightly. “Nothing. Just a rumor.”
But even as he said it, a small seed of doubt was planted in his mind. He had dismissed the idea of a human displaying powers outside of the usual glitch anomalies before, but now… now he wasn’t so sure. Still, he pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.
“Come on,” Michael said, leading Seraphina away from the murmuring angels. “We have work to do.”
But as they left the building, the rumor lingered in Michael’s thoughts. A normal human, with unnatural abilities—could it be connected to the glitches? Or was something else at play, something far more dangerous than they had anticipated? He pushed the questions down, not wanting to distract himself from the mission, but deep inside, he knew they would resurface sooner or later.
Seraphina noticed the subtle change in Michael’s demeanor but said nothing, keeping her thoughts to herself as they headed back to the city. But she couldn’t help but wonder what it was that had briefly caught his attention, and whether it was something they should be worried about.
---
As the day wore on, Seraphina and Michael received word of a minor glitch that had appeared in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. It wasn’t anything significant, just a minor disturbance, but it was a perfect opportunity for Seraphina to get more accustomed to the work.
They arrived at the location just as the sun was setting, the sky painted in shades of orange and pink. The glitch was a young woman, no older than twenty, who had accidentally discovered her ability to manipulate small objects with her mind. It was a harmless power, really—she could make pebbles float, make small items move across a table—but it was still a glitch, an anomaly that couldn’t be allowed to persist.
Seraphina followed Michael as he approached the woman, who was sitting on a park bench, completely unaware of the danger she was in. Michael’s expression was unreadable, as always, but Seraphina could sense the tension in his posture.
“This is a minor glitch,” Michael explained quietly as they approached. “It’s nothing compared to what we’ll face later. But it’s a good way to start.”
Seraphina nodded, her earlier frustrations from the morning fading as she focused on the task at hand. She watched as Michael subtly approached the woman, his presence so unassuming that she didn’t even notice him until he was standing right in front of her.
“Excuse me,” Michael said, his voice calm and gentle. The woman looked up, startled, her eyes wide with fear as she instinctively reached out with her power, causing the pebbles at her feet to lift into the air.
“It’s okay,” Michael said softly, holding out his hand in a calming gesture. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
The woman hesitated, but something in Michael’s tone seemed to reassure her. The pebbles slowly dropped back to the ground, and she looked up at him, her expression wary but no longer terrified.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Michael glanced at Seraphina, who stood a few steps behind him, watching the exchange closely. “We’re here to help you,” he said, turning back to the woman. “But you have to trust us.”
The woman’s gaze flickered to Seraphina, who gave her a slight nod. Slowly, she relaxed, lowering her guard just enough for Michael to reach out and place his hand on her shoulder.
There was a brief, almost imperceptible flash of light as Michael drew the glitch’s power into himself, nullifying the anomaly and restoring balance. The woman blinked, suddenly looking confused and disoriented as the power left her body.
“What… what happened?” she asked, looking around as if she had just woken up from a dream.
“It’s over,” Michael said simply. “You’re free now. Go home.”
The woman looked at him for a moment, as if trying to remember something, but then she simply nodded and stood up, walking away without another word.
Seraphina watched her go, feeling a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, it had been a successful mission—simple, clean, and without any unnecessary complications. But on the other hand, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her chest.
“That’s it?” she asked as Michael turned back to her. “That’s all there is to it?”
Michael nodded. “For now, yes. It was just a minor glitch. You’ll see more difficult ones soon enough.”
Seraphina frowned, still processing everything that had just happened. “It feels… strange, taking away someone’s power like that.”
“It’s necessary,” Michael replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “To maintain balance.”
She nodded, though she still wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it. But as they left the park and headed back to the city, Seraphina couldn’t help but feel a small sense of accomplishment. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. She was slowly getting used to this new life, to the strange world she had been thrust into.
And though the road ahead was uncertain, she knew one thing for sure—she wasn’t going to back down.
As they walked in silence, the earlier rumors Michael had overheard lingered in the back of his mind. He hadn’t given them much thought at the time, but now, after the mission, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to them than he had initially believed.
But for now, it was just a passing thought, something to consider later. Tonight, they had succeeded, and that was enough.
For now.
End of chapter 10