Seraph Hollow's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

Seraph began at the only place that made sense—the city's record hall. The building sagged to one side, its roof caved in, but the basement archives might still hold something. They descended crumbling stairs into darkness. Their wings gave off a faint glow, enough to see by. Rows of filing cabinets stood water-damaged but intact. Seraph searched through soggy papers, looking for residential records, evacuation lists, anything with Maya's name. Their fingers trembled as they opened drawer after drawer. This was the first step. Find where she lived. Find where she might have gone. The work was slow and tedious, but Seraph didn't stop. By the time they emerged hours later, they clutched a wrinkled address card in their hand. It was something. It was a start. The address led them to the desert's edge, where an old observatory tower rose against the sky. Seraph climbed the iron stairs wrapped around its exterior. The telescope inside still pointed upward through the open dome. But what mattered was the logbook on the desk, thick with dust. They flipped through pages of star charts and weather notes. Then they found visitor records from before the city fell. Maya's name appeared three times, signed in careful handwriting. She had come here to look at the stars. Seraph traced the letters with one finger. The dates told them she had been here in the final weeks. Someone else might know where she went. This tower held answers, and Seraph would find them all.