Silvia stirred on the bench, her body aching as she drifted back into consciousness. A dull throbbing pulsed in her head, but the air was fresh, the world around her unnervingly quiet. No smoke. No screams. She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the sight of sunlight filtering through the wooden beams of a gazebo, casting warm, dancing patterns on the stone floor beneath her.
A presence nearby pulled her attention, Adrian, seated cross-legged, perfectly still, as if he were a part of the calm surrounding them. His eyes remained closed in meditation, yet even in his stillness, she could sense something about him—control, power, and an unshakable calm that radiated through the space like an invisible shield.
"You're awake," he said suddenly, his voice low and steady, without opening his eyes.
Silvia sat up slowly, her limbs heavy and unfamiliar, the weight of exhaustion still lingering. "Where… where are we?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
"A safe place." His response was calm, but his words held a quiet intensity, a weight she couldn't ignore. "The battle is over for now." His voice softened just a fraction. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Silvia?"
Hearing her name sent a jolt through her, though it wasn't a surprise. He'd saved her, after all. Of course he would know her name. Yet his mention of it brought memories flooding back, crashing against her fragile sense of calm.
...
A few days ago…
Silvia had stood in the heart of her village, the mountain breeze carrying the scent of pine and fresh earth. Laughter echoed around her as villagers went about their daily lives, and she had felt nothing but peace.
Her mother's voice had broken through the tranquility, warm and gentle. "Silvia, could you fetch some water from the stream?"
With a nod and a smile, Silvia had grabbed the bucket and skipped away, the village's serenity filling her with warmth. She had hummed to herself as she reached the stream, watching the fish dart in the clear water. Everything had felt right.
But then, smoke.
Thick, dark plumes rising from the direction of the village. Her heart had stopped in her chest as the bucket slipped from her fingers and hit the ground with a hollow thud. Panic surged through her, and she ran, her feet pounding against the earth, driven by a terror she couldn't yet understand.
When she'd arrived, it was chaos. Flames consumed everything, the air thick with ash. Her people, her clan, lay broken, scattered on the ground, soaked in blood.
"No… no… this can't—"
She had teleported home in a frantic blur of motion, her space affinity moving her body before her mind could process what she'd find.
When she reappeared, her mother stood before her, blood staining her robes, eyes filled with urgency. Hooded figures stood in the distance, dark robes swirling in the heat of the fire, their presence like shadows creeping over her world.
"Mother!"
Her mother had grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her close. "Take this." A dagger pressed into Silvia's hand, her mother's grip trembling. "Run. Do you understand me? Run, and never look back."
The words had been like a commandment, urgent and final. Silvia had wanted to argue, to fight, but her mother had already turned away, casting a powerful spell that encased the enemies in ice, their figures frozen in mid-attack.
In the next moment, Silvia was gone, her mother's spell teleporting her far from the village, far from the destruction.
Days passed in a blur after that. She had survived, hunting in the wilderness, but always running. Always looking over her shoulder. By the third night, the hooded figures had found her again. She had fought, injured but defiant, until finally, she couldn't run anymore.
That was when Adrian had appeared—like a shadow stepping from the night. He had saved her. And the last thing she remembered was his face before the world went black.
...
Now…
Silvia's breath hitched, and her vision swam as she returned to the present, the weight of the memory pressing down on her chest. Her voice cracked when she spoke. "My village... it's gone. My mother, the clan... they're all gone." Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away, clenching her fists in her lap. "They're hunting me. They won't stop."
Adrian's eyes finally opened, his gaze sharp but steady. There was no pity in his expression, only a quiet understanding that cut through her like a blade. "And they will continue to hunt you."
The truth in his words was like a slap, but somehow, hearing it from him steadied her. She couldn't keep running. The thought of living like that, always on the move, terrified her more than facing her enemies.
"I can't live like this," she admitted, her voice firmer now, her resolve hardening. "I won't keep running."
Adrian rose gracefully from his seated position, towering over her with an unspoken authority. "You have a choice," he said, his voice low but commanding. "You can disappear, live a life in the shadows, always looking over your shoulder." He stepped closer, his presence casting a long shadow across her. "Or, you can follow me."
Silvia looked up, her heart racing at the intensity in his voice. "And if I follow you?"
"You will face enemies beyond your comprehension. You will see horrors worse than what you've already endured." His eyes locked onto hers, piercing and unyielding. "But you will also become stronger."
Her pulse quickened, the weight of his words sinking in. She had been alone for so long—fighting, surviving, but never truly living. Something in Adrian's gaze sparked a flicker of hope deep within her, a glimmer of something she hadn't felt since the day her village burned: purpose.
"I'll follow you," she whispered, the words carrying more weight than any decision she'd ever made. "I don't want to run anymore."
Adrian's expression softened, just slightly, and for the first time, a faint smile touched his lips. "Then you've already taken your first step toward power."
Silvia pushed herself to stand, though her legs trembled beneath her. The world swayed around her, and her body felt too weak, too fragile. She managed a single step before her knees buckled, but before she could fall, strong arms caught her, pulling her close to a firm chest.
Adrian's warmth enveloped her, and for a moment, everything else disappeared, the fear, the uncertainty. She had never been this close to any man before, let alone a man like him. His presence was overwhelming, yet somehow, it calmed the storm raging inside her.
"You're still weak," Adrian said quietly, his grip firm but gentle. "Don't push yourself."
Her face flushed as she looked away, embarrassment flooding her. "I... I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to—"
"There's no need to apologize." His tone was steady, but there was a softness beneath it, an assurance she hadn't expected.
He carefully guided her back to the bench, his hands steadying her as she sat down. Even after he pulled away, the warmth of his touch lingered, and Silvia found herself wondering just how much of her strength had been drained by the battles she had fought alone.
But now, she wasn't alone.
As she sat there, the air around them seemed to shift, growing heavier, more tense. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard the faint echo of footsteps approaching.
Silvia's gaze snapped toward Adrian, her heart pounding.
"We don't have much time," he said quietly eyes narrowing as if he, too, had sensed the shift. "Get your rest. Tomorrow, we're moving out."