My Sister Stole My Mate And I Let Her (Seraphina) novel Chapter 421

Chapter 421: Chapter 421 BAD DECISIONS

SERAPHINA’S POV

Morning light filtered through the tall glass panels of the New Moon Institute, clean and clinical, as though the building itself had decided that whatever chaos had torn through Moonlight Alley did not belong within its walls.

I had no idea if the fire had touched the institute, but if it had, order had reasserted itself.

There were no scorch marks. Any broken structures had been repaired or replaced.

Scholars moved through the corridors with the same quiet purpose as before, their conversations low, controlled, almost deliberately detached from the memory of fire and smoke that still lingered faintly in the air if you paid close enough attention.

Kieran walked beside me, his presence a steady weight at my side.

His shoulder brushed mine occasionally as we moved through the institute, subtle and unintentional, yet each contact anchored me more firmly in the moment.

“You’re thinking too much,” Kieran said, his voice low.

I glanced at him. “I’m about to walk back into a place that nearly killed me.”

“Funny, when I mentioned that same issue, you didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

I snorted. “It’s easy to be brave from a distance.”

His hand slipped into mine and squeezed.

“I’m here,” he murmured. “You can be brave when I’m here.”

A smile tugged at my lips, and I squeezed back.

We reached the rear exit of the institute and stepped out into the open air, where the mountain path began its gradual climb.

The trees grew denser the farther we walked, their trunks older, thicker, their presence pressing in with a quiet gravity that made the air feel heavier.

The world seemed to narrow, as if everything beyond this path had fallen away.

Kieran noticed it too. I could tell from the way his posture adjusted, his awareness sharpening, his gaze flicking to the shadows between the trees before returning forward.

We didn’t speak until the cabin came into view.

Smoke curled lazily from the chimney. The familiar chopping block sat near the door, the axe embedded in its surface exactly as I remembered.

The wind chimes stirred, bone and stone clicking softly together in a rhythm that felt older than the forest itself.

And on the porch was Elias.

He looked up the moment we stepped into the clearing.

At first, his expression was unreadable. Then, surprisingly, a smile spread on his face.

“Well,” he drawled, pushing himself to his feet, his metal leg shifting with a faint, clanging sound. “If it isn’t the stubborn girl who refused to die.”

I greeted him with a smile of my own. “It’s good to see you again, Elias.”

He snorted, stepping forward, his gaze sweeping over me. His smile had disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

“I’d say the same, but actually, it’s too soon to see you again.”

His attention shifted to Kieran.

“And you brought company,” he said, voice appraising.

“Kieran Blackthorne,” I said simply. “My mate.”

Elias’s gaze flicked between us once, then settled back on Kieran with renewed interest.

“Hmm,” was all he said.

Kieran inclined his head, calm, unbothered. “Elias.”

“You know who I am.”

“I was told.”

“Good. Saves time.”

Elias’s attention returned to me, his expression bearing something familiar: suspicion.

“So,” he said, crossing his arms. “I know you didn’t come all this way just to visit.”

“No.”

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me—”

“I’m going back in.”

Elias stared at me as if I had just announced my intention to walk off a cliff.

“I’m giving you time to retract that statement.”

I shook my head. “I’m entering the Archives again.”

“That’s not how this works,” he snapped. “You don’t just stroll back in whenever you feel like it. Your body barely survived the first visit.”

“I know; I remember.”

“Clearly not well enough.”

“I’m not here to argue about what already happened,” I said evenly. “I’m here because I have another question.”

“And that question is important enough reason to risk tearing yourself apart again?”

“Yes.”

His jaw tightened.

For a moment, I thought he might refuse outright.

“You’re reckless,” he said flatly. “Even more than your father.”

“Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

I shrugged. “Agree to disagree.”

Elias took a step closer, his presence suddenly sharper, more imposing.

“You don’t understand what that place does,” he said, voice low. “You got lucky once.”

“I like to think some of my resilience was involved.”

He snorted. “Barely.”

His gaze searched mine, as if looking for hesitation, doubt—anything he could use to push me back.

He wouldn’t find it.

“Does Alois know you’re here?” he demanded.

“Yes.”

“And he approved this?” There was disbelief in his tone, edged with irritation.

“Yes.”

Elias exhaled sharply through his nose, muttering something under his breath that sounded distinctly like a curse.

Despite the tension, a flicker of relief loosened something in my chest.

He wasn’t refusing.

His gaze shifted again, landing on Kieran before returning to me.

She had always been better at this part—reading the things that didn’t speak, recognizing the patterns hidden beneath power. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

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