Seraphina
This opening chapter is a masterfully layered introduction that weaves together grief, pregnancy, trauma, and quiet dread with impressive emotional complexity. Seraphina is immediately compelling — a woman holding herself together through sheer willpower while mourning her sister, carrying her baby, and now facing what appears to be a threatening shadow from her past. The writing is atmospheric and emotionally rich, using small, intimate details like the silver bracelet, the navy scrubs, and the counting ritual to build a vivid, deeply human portrait of the protagonist. The white lilies landing at the end of the chapter serve as a perfect, chilling hook that transforms what began as a grief and pregnancy story into something far darker and more suspenseful.
