Seraphim [on hold]

Chapter 1 : The Truth

I stretched, trying to hold back a yawn, but failing miserably. My father, who sat on the other side of the table, raised an eyebrow, and I knew I needed to think of an excuse and fast.
"Kiara, I noticed you slipped out of the house last night." He said, and I let out a sigh, dropping my head onto the table. Damn it. Now I couldn't lie about it. He laughed, and I raised my head, confused.
"You're almost 16, Kiara. Up until recently, you've always been... perfect. I was worried that you wouldn't rebel even the slightest." Father said, and I chuckled. He wasn't wrong. I took a bite out of the waffles he had made, and grinned, before taking another bite.
"I'm sorry! But I met up with Delilah to talk about our magic aptitude tests coming up." I said, partially telling the truth. While I was with my best friend, Delilah Withers, and we did discuss our upcoming magic aptitude tests, we were also at the movies with some boys from our current school. Father sighed, and I could tell something was bothering him. I knew better than to ask, however. Last time I tried pressing him to talk about something that had been on his mind, we had to replace our dining room.
"Kiara, I want you home right after classes today. There's some things I must talk with you about." He said, and I nodded. It wasn't like I had plans anyways, and I was curious as to what was eating away at father. I glanced at my phone, before realizing I was going to be late if I didn't get going. I jumped up, and rushed to put my backpack on before giving my father a kiss on his cheek. I grinned, and he smiled gently at me.
"Gotta go dad!" I said, before dashing out the door, and to the bus stop. Luckily I made it today, but just barely. The bus stopped, opening the doors and I got in giving the bus driver lady a smile. I walked towards the back where I saw Delilah sitting, and I plopped down next to her. I noticed she was just as tired as I was, and I couldn't help from giggling. She looked at me, irritated, but I knew it wasn't aimed at me. So her parents were arguing again this morning. I grabbed her hand, gently squeezing it, and smiled gently.
"You know you can always stay with me for a night or two. Dad wouldn't mind in the slightest." I said, for the fifth time in the past week. She sighed, turning to look out the window, and I felt my heart break for her.
"It's fine Kia. Anyways, did your dad find out you left last night?" She asked, and I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
"He did, but I just told him I met up with you to talk about our magic aptitude tests coming up. By the way, about them. Did you hear that a boy was revealed to be the Demon King incarnate two days ago?" I asked, and Delilah looked at me, shocked. So she hadn't heard.
"I can imagine the School of Demons is overjoyed by this news. What school do you hope to get into? Priests, Government, or Medics?" She asked, leaving out the Demons, but for good reason. You see, on everyone's 16th birthday they get sent to a special center in the middle of a large campus. In that center, kids are tested for magic, and based on that magic, they are given a very accurate foresight of their future occupation. Depending on those results, you then attend a school based solely around the occupation and your magic. Everyone usually hopes to get into the School of Priests, but most get assigned to the School of Government or Medics. The School of Demons were full of people with dark magic usually, whose occupations ranged from criminal activities, to being actual Demons. I felt someone shake my shoulders, and I realized Delilah was shaking them, looking amused.
"There we go. You were off in lalaland again. We're at school dummy." She said, and I sighed. I hated school. I couldn't wait until I left this miserable excuse for a school and began to do what I was destined to be doing. Delilah laughed, before shoving me out of my seat, and we got off the bus. I noticed everyone talking, and I immediately knew it was about the Demon King boy. Once every hundred years is someone given that occupation, and usually it leads to a massive war between the Demons, and the rest of society. I sighed and walked into the school, making my way to my locker.
"Hey D... what happens if either one of us are sent... there?" I ask quietly, as I get the books I needed for classes, and Delilah was quiet as she got her things from a locker right down the rows.
"I don't know K." She whispered, and we both fell silent, worried. Her 16th birthday was tomorrow, and mine was a week from hers. Meaning after tomorrow, I wouldn't get to see her everyday.
"Kia... I'm scared. What if I don't get to see you?" She asks quietly, slamming her locker shut, and I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. That wasn't something I wanted to think about, never mind talk about right now. Thankfully, the bell rang before I could reply and we both hurried to our classes.

~

After the school day ended, I decided to walk home. It was only a half hour walk, but it would give me time to think about everything. During lunch today, there was an announcement that the Demon Commander occupation was assigned, and it worried me greatly. If the Demon King had been assigned, the chances of people getting Demon occupations were increased. Delilah left early, as was normal for kids the day before their aptitude tests. Delilah... I glanced up, before realizing I was already home. That's when I remembered dad had something he wanted to talk about with me. I walked in, and unsurprisingly he was seated in his office with the door open, typing away at his computer. I closed the door behind me, putting my backpack by the door, and walked into the study.
"Whatcha working on this time?" I asked, a small smile on my face. My father was a writer, but he wasn't always one. Apparently he used to be a Priest, but stopped when I was born so that he could focus on raising me. He saved his current work, and closed the laptop shut before standing up and stretching.
"Nothing good, I'm afraid. Let's go talk in the living room. Tea?" He asks, and I shake my head. He nods, and we walk into the living room. I sit down on a couch, shifting my weight uncomfortably with the thick tension in the room.
"I'm sure you've had thoughts about this in the past, but there's things you need to know before your aptitude tests, and seeing as I have to leave in a few days, I want to tell you now. Kiara, you aren't my biological child. 16 years ago, a woman dropped you off here asking me to keep you safe." He said, and I sighed. I figured as much. I always had suspicions that he wasn't my real father, but seeing as he's raised me, cared for me, nurtured me, he is my dad.
"I figured. I mean, we look nothing alike, dad." I pointed out, and he laughed relieving some of this God awful tension, before looking serious again.
"That night you were brought here, the woman put a spell on you using dark magic. That mark on your arm is proof of that. I'm not sure how much you know about Demon magic, but it seems you are very closely intertwined with it. The mark suppresses all signs of magic until you are 16. I know many kids get a sense of their magic before their tests, but unlike them, you won't have any idea until you take those tests." He said quietly, and I froze. Demon... magic? I glanced down at the mark on my upper arm, rubbing it with my other hand. Why would some random woman feel the need to suppress my magic? My face must have been asking the question, because dad sighed.
"The woman who dropped you off was your mother, I'm almost sure of it. I'm assuming that she placed the mark on you for your protection. She did seem to be running from something." Dad said, frowning. My mother? Meaning she was a Demon magic user? I felt tears well up, and I launched myself at father, beginning to cry. He stroked my hair, holding me close as he's always done.
"Shhh, Kiara. No matter what happens, I will love you and protect you." He whispered, and the words that he's been saying to me for my whole life comforted me once more.