Liam Ashford sat in the corner of a small, dimly lit café, the faint hum of idle conversation and clinking cups filling the air. His gaze was lost in the screen of his phone as he scrolled aimlessly through social media, bored by the usual posts and online noise. It had been another uneventful day in his quiet, monotonous life, filled with work and the occasional escape into the digital world. He had no illusions of grandeur, no grand ambitions—just the same routine, day in and day out.
That was until he stumbled across her.
Seraphina Gale.
The name flashed across his screen in the form of an advertisement for her latest live-stream. He had seen her name a few times before, but had never bothered to click. Something about her vibrant profile picture—her intense gaze and that mysterious aura—pulled him in tonight. Without thinking much, he tapped on the notification.
The moment he entered the stream, the world around him seemed to fade. On the screen, Seraphina sat in front of her camera, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders, framed by soft lighting that made her appear almost ethereal. Her deep, almond-shaped eyes glistened under the glow of the screen as she greeted her viewers, her voice smooth and melodic.
"Welcome back, everyone. It's good to see you again. Tonight, we'll be talking about more than just my music," she said, her lips curling into a mysterious smile. "Let's dive deep into some things that need to be said."
Liam watched in silence, the words of the others in the chat filling his screen as they bombarded her with requests and compliments. Despite the noise, there was something raw and vulnerable about her presence. She was a figure of both power and fragility, a paradox that tugged at him, making him want to know more.
He lingered in the chat, just another anonymous face in the sea of viewers, too hesitant to type anything. But something about her drew him in, as if she had somehow sensed his quiet presence.
A few minutes later, she read one of the comments aloud, her voice soft yet cutting through the digital noise.
"Is someone here watching without saying hello?" she teased playfully, her gaze briefly flicking to the camera. "I don't bite, you know."
Liam felt the color rise in his cheeks as if she were speaking directly to him. His fingers twitched at the keyboard, but he didn't know what to say. The comment section filled with more compliments, but Liam remained silent, a stranger in her world.
A sudden notification broke his thoughts.
You've received a private message from Seraphina Gale.
Liam's heart skipped a beat. Hesitantly, he opened the message:
Seraphina Gale: "Hey there. Don't be shy. I see you're watching quietly. Come on, say something! You might be surprised how much you'll enjoy it."
Liam froze. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He had no intention of getting involved in her world. But there it was—a message from her, the woman everyone else was too intimidated to approach. The overwhelming attention in her stream, the presence she commanded—it all suddenly felt too real. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, the cursor blinking.
What was he supposed to say?
Before he could respond, another notification popped up on the screen. It was a voice message from Seraphina.
Her soft voice filled his headphones, sending a wave of unease through him. "I'm glad you're watching, Liam. Trust me, there's a lot more to me than you think. Maybe one day, you'll see what I really mean."
Liam's breath caught in his throat. How did she know his name?
He stared at the screen, his heart racing. He had no idea how to respond, but somehow, he couldn't look away. This was just the beginning.