Chapter 14

Jade stared out at the churning waves, barely aware of the warmth from Aiden’s arm around her shoulders. He had held her as she cried, and when her sobs finally subsided, he brought her to the beach pier, hoping the rhythmic crash of the water would calm her turbulent mind.
They had barely spoken since he carried her from the auditorium. Jade had no idea how to start. How could she ask if demons were real, or if the fire she had seen was something she had created? How could she admit she wasn’t human, and expect Aiden to confirm it? And most of all, how could she confess that she had fallen for the person he had warned her about—and that everything he feared had come true?
It wasn’t easy to face how wrong she had been, to confront the memories that now haunted her: Benjamin’s eyes, first lit with pleasure at the taste of her blood, then twisted in pain as her power began to destroy him. But even more terrifying was the question of what she had become. She couldn’t ignore it any longer, but how could she face it?
How do you face it? she asked herself, the answer surfacing from deep within: You just do.
“Aiden?” She finally turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t rush her. He waited, knowing she needed to speak the words before she could truly believe them.
“Aiden…what am I?”
“A girl,” he replied, his tone light, an attempt at humor. Jade nudged him with her shoulder, her expression serious.
“No jokes,” she said, her voice heavy with the weight of the truth she looked for.
Aiden’s playful demeanor faded as he saw the pain in her eyes. He shifted, turning to face her more directly on the bench. Her heart sank as she watched him transform from her comforting friend to the bearer of answers, she both dreaded and needed to hear.
“First, do you know what Benjamin and the others are?” he asked softly. She nodded, her breath catching in her throat.
“Tell me, Jade.”
She took a deep breath, knowing that the moment she spoke the word aloud, the terrifying images in her mind would solidify into reality. The supernatural strength, the speed, the twisted faces, and the dark powers—it would all become undeniable.
“Demons,” she whispered, the word nearly carried away by the wind. But Aiden heard her.
“Good. Now, can you guess what we are?”
Jade looked at him, grateful that he had confirmed what she had suspected—that they were the same, that she wasn’t alone in this strange new reality. But despite this, she had no idea what that truly meant. Her eyes searched his, seeking answers to questions she was only beginning to form.
“Jade, we’re something called Seraphina think of us as protectors, guardians against the darkness. We’re the only living beings capable of hunting demons—true demons. These aren’t the mythological creatures of stories, Jade. They’re real and walk among us, hidden in plain sight, feeding off the chaos and fear they spread. And I say ‘living’ because demons are not like us. They’re entities of pure spite, corrupt beings that were once human but have lost all traces of humanity. They thrive on destruction and pain, and often, they kill each other in their pursuit of power.”
Jade’s mind raced as she absorbed his words. Demons weren’t just tales from ancient lore; they were real, malevolent beings hiding in the shadows. And somehow, she was connected to them in a way that made her a threat to them. The concept seemed impossible, but it was the only explanation for what she had just seen.
“So…we’re Seraphina,” Jade said slowly, forcing the unfamiliar word from her lips. Aiden smiled, a flicker of relief in his eyes as she began to accept this new reality.
“To be a Seraphina means to channel something powerful. What you saw that light, which was the energy you channeled. It’s the essence of the sun, Jade, the purest form of light. It’s the only thing that can destroy demons. I know it sounds insane, but it’s true. That light you sent through your arms? That was solar energy, raw and potent. It hurts at first, but you’ll learn to control it.”
“The sun? How can that be possible?” Jade asked, shaking her head in disbelief. She remembered the sensation of molten heat rushing through her veins, the light that erupted from her hands like flames. Could she even say anything was impossible anymore? “But how? Why?” she pressed, her voice tinged with desperation.
“I’ll explain everything, but first—”
“No, tell me now. It’s been long enough,” she interrupted, her frustration boiling over. “Why didn’t you tell me before? Why didn’t you warn me? A little ‘stay away from Benjamin or you’ll turn into a human torch’ would have been nice—if I was even human. I thought you were my best friend, Jade. I was terrified. I could have died not even knowing I could save myself. Damn it, why didn’t you say anything?” Tears welled up again, this time fueled by anger and betrayal.
“You wouldn’t have died. Even though you didn’t know how to save yourself, your body did. It reacted to the danger instinctively. Besides, I wasn’t allowed to tell you, and before you say anything else, listen to me for ten minutes.” He reached out, gently placing a finger over her lips to silence her. “Remember how I told you I was from a small Florida town, called Crystal River?” she nodded. “Well, it’s not just a small town. It’s a haven for us, a place where we can grow up together, practice without the risk of exposing ourselves to normal people and stay safe from demons who might try to target us when we’re young.”
“Then why wasn’t I there?” Jade asked, her voice laced with pain and confusion. Why hadn’t she been raised with this knowledge, with the understanding of who she was?
“Because you’re different, Jade. Special. And I was sent here to watch over you, to protect you.”
“Sent here? So, you were forced to be my friend? Is anything in my life real?” Her voice broke as she asked the question, more to herself than to him.
“Yes, our friendship is real. I was supposed to watch from afar, but…I couldn’t just stand by. But I’m getting ahead of myself. To explain what we are, I need to go back to the beginning, to the stories you should have learned when you were a child.”
Jade nodded, her eyes wet with unshed tears, signaling she would listen despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.
“Ever since humans have existed, demons have been there too,” Aiden began, his voice somber as he delved into the hidden truth.
“They’re far stronger and faster than anything else in the world. Their bodies are nearly indestructible, protected by dark magic that makes their skin almost impervious to harm. Only another demon—or something equally powerful—can break through that protection, which is why there are so few ways to kill them. They feed off human life force, usually through blood, but their hunger goes deeper—it’s about consuming human souls. Beyond that, though, we don’t know much because they’re incredibly elusive and dangerous to study. What we do know is that sunlight is their weakness, just not in the way the legends say.”
“But I thought—”
He cut her off gently, understanding her confusion. “The truth is the sun slowly drains a demon’s power when exposed to sunlight. But to a demon, the passage of time is different—what feels like years to us is mere moments to them. It would take thousands, even tens of thousands, of years of continuous exposure for the sun to weaken them. That’s where we come in. As Seraphina, we channel the sun’s energy directly. When we focus and amplify sunlight, we shorten that time dramatically, condensing millennia into minutes. With this power, we can harm or even kill a demon in moments. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” she said, her mind racing as she tried to wrap her head around this new reality. She was a conduit of sunlight—a protector against demons that would otherwise be unstoppable. Strangely, it almost made sense. The sunlight had always been more than just warmth to her; it was a source of comfort, a presence she had felt deep within her. Now, she understood why. It was comforting to know she wasn’t a monster, but a savior. “But Aiden, I don’t understand how I’m different. Why wasn’t I raised with you?”
“Just have a little more patience,” he said softly, sensing the turmoil within her. “I promise, I’m almost there.”
Jade swallowed her questions and turned her gaze back to the ocean. The rhythmic churn of the waves, and the constant push and pull of the water, helped her hold onto the fragile calm she needed as he continued.
“Among us, there’s a debate about how demons—and therefore Seraphina—came into existence. Some believe demons were sent by Satan himself after his fall from Heaven, meant to corrupt and destroy God’s creations on Earth. They see us as God’s response—heavenly warriors sent to rid the world of evil. They call themselves Vindicators. They believe their mission is to hunt and destroy every demon, to cleanse the Earth of their darkness.
“Others think demons are more like a virus—a parasitic entity that infects and transforms human souls, twisting them into something monstrous for their survival. These Seraphina believe that demons despite their corruption, still hold a trace of humanity within them, something redeemable. They see their role not as vindicators but as guardians, intervening only when demons attack humans. They harm, but do not kill, believing in the possibility of redemption. These Seraphina call themselves Hierophants.”
Jade listened intently, absorbing every word. The concept of demons as parasitic entities made her skin crawl, but the idea that they were corrupted, yet still partially human, filled her with a mix of dread and pity. And then there were the Seraphina—the Vindicators who looked to eradicate evil and the Hierophants who believed in mercy. She wondered where she fit into this world, and what her role would be.
“Where do I fit in?” she asked quietly, her voice trembling with the weight of it all.
Aiden sighed, looking at her with a mix of sadness and understanding. “That’s what we need to figure out, Jade. You’re different, it's why you weren’t raised in Crystal River with the rest of us. There’s something unique about you—powerful— I was sent here to protect you. But you’ll have to decide which path you’ll take.”
Jade’s mind spun with the implications. She had always felt out of place, but now she understood why. She was something more, something dangerous but also vital.
“This debate—this question of purpose—has existed as long as our history can be remembered,” Aiden continued, his voice heavy with the weight of ancient knowledge. “It caused a massive rift among Seraphina leading to the formation of two distinct factions, almost separate species. The Vindicators trained exclusively in the art of killing, and over time, their hair turned red, a mythic sign of the anger and wrath that fueled their power. Eventually, they lost the ability to channel the light defensively, becoming relentless killing machines. On the other hand, the Hierophant, who focused solely on defensive tactics, developed almost white hair, a reflection of the purity they believed existed deep within a demon’s soul. In doing so, they lost the ability to kill.”
“And you’re a Hierophant?” Jade asked, trying to piece together the fragments of this new reality. Aiden’s dyed brown hair marked him as such, and he nodded in confirmation. “But I’m…neither?” Her confusion deepened as she thought of her reddish-black hair. She didn’t fit neatly into either category.
“Never in the history of our people have Vindicators and Hierophants been able to have children together. It’s been forbidden because of something I haven’t mentioned yet—something critical demons can become immune to us.”
“I don’t understand,” Jade said, gripping the pier’s wooden railing as a sense of dread began to take hold. “I thought we were supposed to be some kind of super race created to stop them.” Her heart pounded as she realized there was more to this than she could have imagined.
“In a way, we are. But nothing is ever that simple. There’s always a catch,” He explained, his tone growing more serious. “It’s one of the reasons the two factions split. If a demon drinks the blood of a Seraphina, it becomes immune to that conduit’s power until the blood leaves its system. The duration of immunity varies depending on the amount of blood consumed. If a demon drinks from a Vindicator, it becomes immune to the killing light. They could theoretically move from Vindicator to Vindicator, slaughtering each one and growing stronger with every kill. It’s a danger too great to risk. So, when the divide began, the factions decided to separate—not just to develop different powers, but to ensure no demon could become immune to both powers simultaneously. If that happened, they could wipe out both races. If a Hierophant is captured, the Vindicator must be able to kill the demon responsible. If a Vindicator is captured, Hierophant needs to trap the demon until the blood leaves its system. Otherwise, demons could become unstoppable. It would be chaos—”
“Which is where I come in?” Jade interrupted, her voice trembling. Aiden’s solemn expression told her she had guessed correctly, and she began to piece together the terrifying reality of her existence. “I’m a child of both races? I can choose to kill or to protect?”
Aiden nodded, his eyes filled with concern.
“And I’m forbidden to exist?” Her voice wavered as she asked the question, already knowing the answer.
Aiden nodded again, this time with a profound sadness.
“I could mean the end of the world?” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, and she saw him look away, unable to meet her gaze. Tears welled up in her eyes, the enormity of it all crashing down on her.
“Am I evil…like them?” she whispered, the fear creeping into her voice.
“No, God no, Jade,” he said, pulling her into his arms, and holding her tightly against his chest. They sat together for a while, Jade clinging to him as she tried to absorb the torrent of new information. She was a force for good, yet her very existence could spell doom for the world. Why had they allowed her to live? Why hadn’t they forced her mother to end the pregnancy as soon as they realized what she was? She thought of her mother and father—they didn’t seem like rule-breakers. Her mother’s red hair, her father’s rather dull brown…
Brown? she thought, a sudden realization dawning on her. Had he dyed it? But then she remembered her sister’s hair and the suspicion gnawed at her. Was he not my father?
“Aiden? Do you know about my parents?” she asked, lifting her tear-streaked face from his chest to look up at him. The concern in his eyes only confirmed her worst fears.
“Are you sure you want to hear everything right now?” he asked gently, his voice tinged with worry. She felt a choke in her throat the fact that he hadn’t said no meant she was on the right track. Her entire world was shifting in a single afternoon—was she ready for even more revelations?
“Yes, I have to,” she said, her voice small as she nodded against his soaked T-shirt, bracing herself for the truth.