The Wielder's Winter (The Manifests Series #1)

[40] Seraphim, A Spectrum of The Past

The Manifest Origins Codex Seven: The Seraphim

There was a story of a young woman in the distant past named Clementine, who had a physical illness that no doctor at that time could diagnose. This illness caused her occasional pain on her bones whenever she tried to walk or run, and thus, she has to be careful not to overexert herself in the process.

Despite having her unknown illness constantly plaguing her, Clementine was a very hardworking individual. She worked as a glassmaker in a factory, trying to make ends meet to sustain her two siblings' education. The work at the factory was tough and cruel, but it paid enough, thus she had no complaints.

But a fateful, chaotic event will lead her to make the most difficult choice of her life--- a choice between integrity or money.

On Clementine's third year of working as a glassmaker, there were rumors of a strange, smoking, bipedal being dubbed as the Silhouette that began appearing all over the town she was working in. At night, the entity was moving about in the shadows searching for a human in the dark to kidnap---mostly young children and leave no trace of the hideous crime whatsoever. What happened to these kidnapped individuals was unknown, but the villagers already consider them dead once they figure out it was the Silhouette's doing.

To prevent the Silhouette from ever attacking anyone in the middle of the night, it was said that one must have a strong light source on their homes because apparently, this monstrosity fears it. So the villagers set up lamp posts, candles, and more light sources to veer away the Silhouette from their places.

One late night, Clementine was the last person in the glassmaking factory. She was cooling off a glass flask when suddenly, the lights went out. She figured that someone must've forgotten she was still around. Clementine then slowly and quietly packed her stuff. Her bones hurt when she walked, so she had to do it at a slow and steady pace.

Suddenly, there were was a sound of muffled screaming. Clementine immediately hides behind the brick furnace for quite some time before she sees a dark figure dragging a child, who was struggling a lot. She then witnesses as the figure meets up with another figure whom he gives the child.

By then, Clementine realized something. That the Silhouette was most likely this man, and he was kidnapping individuals to be traded elsewhere, presumably for labor.

Not wanting to let the child get taken away by the other figure, Clementine grabs a steel pipe from the furnace and faces off against the two enemies. As the light flickers and illuminates their faces, she is shocked to realize that the Silhouette is her boss's right-hand man, Silvan.

Silvan confirmed that he was the Silhouette, and tried to speak with Clementine, telling her that the reason why he takes these individuals is to send them to better places. Clementine was in disbelief because she knew that this wasn't the proper way to give them a "new life". It was clearly kidnapping and a violation of the law.

Silvan, having noticed that his reason wouldn't convince Clementine, then asks her to keep quiet about the whole ordeal. He offered her a pay raise, and a position raise, too, in exchange for her silence on the matter.

It was a tempting offer. With a raise on both ends, she will be finally able to fund her sibling's education properly.

But to accept the offer means letting more individuals get kidnapped and sent to who knows where.

"This cannot continue," she thought.

With the burning pipe ready, Clementine attacks Silvan by jamming the pipe on his wrist, freeing the child and setting him free. The other figure runs in fear, as Silvan and Clementine clash and struggle with a lot of effort.