Seraphina Gilmour was born in 2002 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Her father, Idris Gilmour, was a renowned businessman in the fashion industry, while her mother, Olivia, had been a famous musician in the 1970s. Seraphina had two siblings: her older brother Thomas Gilmour and her older sister Ava Gilmour, making her the youngest child in the family.
Throughout her childhood, Seraphina was doted upon and provided with everything she desired almost immediately. Consequently, she grew accustomed to a life filled with comfort and luxury. However, competition among siblings was an inevitable curse of wealthy and prominent families, something she couldn't avoid from the moment she was born.
Initially, Seraphina was overshadowed by her siblings, who excelled significantly in sports, academics, and music. Her abilities were decent—slightly above average—but not remarkable enough to attract attention or recognition. Most children raised in similar conditions might have simply enjoyed their lavish lifestyles, indifferent to competition, using age or seniority as excuses when cornered. But Seraphina was different. She had a unique trait ingrained since birth: an addiction to challenges.
Seraphina loved to challenge herself, always trying things she'd never done before, and pushing her limits to see how far she could go. Her obsession centered entirely on methods to achieve her goals. When she desired something, she had to possess it. Her first major goal was to surpass her siblings.
Initially, Seraphina let her siblings shine. Thomas became a prominent football player, and Ava gained admission to Manchester's best school. Seraphina allowed them their glory at first, but then revealed her true talent—the remarkable ability to rapidly improve herself.
Today, you might play five chess games with her and defeat her in all five. However, if she took two weeks to practice, upon returning, she would overwhelmingly defeat you in five consecutive games. This ability to rapidly self-improve was Seraphina's frightening potential.
Thomas was skilled in football, so Seraphina became a youth snooker champion. Ava attended the best school in Manchester; Seraphina entered the top-ranked school in England. Her mother was a distinguished musician, so Seraphina mastered piano and achieved a Level 7 certificate. Surpassing those who once outshone her brought her immense satisfaction.
The only person she couldn't surpass was her father, Idris, simply due to legal restrictions preventing her from starting her own business at her age.
Having gained acknowledgment from her family, Seraphina began exploring new experiences before moving to London. She tried activities such as rock climbing, international travel, playing chess, studying literature, exploring Chinatown, and even briefly dating individuals of both opposite and same genders (relationships that ended later).
People around her often recognized her for her exceptional taste in fashion and art, something strongly influenced by her parents, particularly her father's involvement in the fashion industry. She obsessively collected luxury handbags and perfumes, strictly adhering to a personal rule never to use her supernatural abilities to obtain these particular items.
Seraphina was admitted to her prestigious school, ranking around 40th initially. Shortly after, she rapidly climbed the ranks by defeating several top-ranked power users during the school's opening ceremony, leading her peers to nickname her "Black/Pink"—a nod to her distinctive style of predominantly black clothing contrasted by her bright pink hair.
Only one person remained undefeated: Jody Johnson, the American student ranked first at this English school. Seraphina felt insulted that a foreigner topped the rankings in her homeland. She vividly remembered the day a single misstep allowed Jody to defeat her, leaving her determined to challenge Jody again upon entering her third year.
However, her determination was crushed when she learned Jody wouldn't participate in the opening ceremony of the third year. Frustrated, Seraphina confronted Jody, demanding explanations. Instead, she received a condescending gaze from Jody, who simply replied, "It's none of your business."
Left aimless for an entire semester, Seraphina's competitive spirit was reignited by rumors of a mysterious transfer student named Syd Barrett, who had suddenly appeared beSyde Jody Johnson as a dark horse. This news sparked Seraphina's passion for competition once again.
After confronting Syd and Jody during a dangerous encounter involving Father Peterson, Seraphina returned home shaken and confused. Syd's mysterious abilities and his commanding influence over someone as powerful as Jody deeply unsettled her.
Upon reaching her luxurious hotel room, still feeling dazed from the event, Seraphina opened her laptop and searched Syd Barrett's name on a popular search engine, landing on his Wikipedia page—something Jody had read earlier. She quickly discovered Syd was from a wealthy family like hers but found no further intriguing information.
Unsatisfied, Seraphina accessed the dark web—a platform Jody likely never conSydered. Searching Syd Barrett's name yielded only one cryptic result: "Barrett's Mansion Destroyed by Fire in Chiang Mai (Rare Footage)." Clicking on it, she found a strange video showing a burning mansion deep within a forest at night. The footage was heavily color-graded and reversed, depicting flames engulfing the mansion and animals running backward into the flames. Its authenticity was questionable, and its presentation on the dark web confused her further.
Closing her laptop, Seraphina lay down on the sofa, deeply concerned about her compromised position—Syd and Jody held evidence of her illegal dealings with Father Peterson, while she possessed no leverage against them. Haunted by memories of Syd nearly burning her alive, she resolved to confront them again the next day.