Adrian's POV
The rooftop was still alive with the echoes of Valeria's unleashed power. The air was thick, charged with an energy I could feel in my bones, something primal and raw that both terrified and awed me. She had fought against it—fought against the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole. And yet, despite her victory, something felt off. The tension in her eyes hadn't faded. It had only shifted into something deeper, more unsettling.
I couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. I could still feel the weight of her power lingering, pressing against the walls of my mind. But it wasn't just that. It was her. The way she held herself, the way she looked at me like she was still carrying a secret too heavy to share.
I stood in front of her now, the city lights casting shadows over her features, but they couldn't hide the unease in her eyes.
"Valeria..." I said softly, stepping closer to her. "What are you? What the hell just happened back there?"
She flinched, a flicker of something dark crossing her face. "I told you before, Adrian. I'm not like other people." Her voice was quiet, as if she were speaking more to herself than to me.
"I need you to be honest with me." I took another step closer, my eyes scanning her face for any hint of what she wasn't saying. "I don't care what you are, but I need to know. What was that power? That... that storm inside you. It felt like it could tear everything apart."
Her eyes flickered, a spark of panic surfacing before she controlled it. "I... I'm dangerous, Adrian. More dangerous than you realize."
My heart was pounding as I tried to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. "Why keep it from me?"
She turned away, looking out over the city, her posture stiff and distant. I could feel the coldness creeping back into her, the same icy detachment she had worn the first time we met. But this time, I wasn't letting her push me away.
"Valeria." I stepped in front of her, blocking her view. "Please, tell me."
She was quiet for a long time, and I thought for a moment that she wasn't going to speak at all. But then, slowly, she raised her gaze to meet mine, her golden eyes now tinged with something darker, something ancient.
She recoiled slightly, a subtle shift in her posture, and I realized then that I wasn't the only one holding secrets. She was hiding something—something even darker than the power she had just unleashed.
"Adrian..." she started, but her words faltered, her eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing something I couldn't.
I followed her gaze, but the rooftop seemed empty, silent. The air still buzzed with the remnants of her power, but otherwise, there was nothing.
Then I felt it—an unfamiliar, unsettling presence lurking just outside my awareness. A shadow moving in the dark corners of my mind, like a whisper that had turned into a roar. And I could see it in Valeria's face—the way she stiffened, the way her eyes darkened.
"Someone's here," she whispered, her voice tinged with a strange blend of fear and recognition. "I need to go."