Adrian's POV
The sky had barely begun to lighten when Valeria returned, the first hints of dawn casting a muted glow through the windows. She moved with a quiet intensity, her presence filling the space even before I saw her. Her dark attire melded into the shadows, but there was something fierce in her expression-something heavy that seemed to cling to her as she stepped into the room.
I was on my feet in an instant, watching her carefully. She didn't meet my gaze at first, her eyes locked on the floor as if burdened by something she couldn't bring herself to say. She looked like a storm barely contained, and I wasn't sure whether to give her space or pull her close.
"Valeria," I said softly, cautious. Her eyes met mine, and I could see the weight of something dark and unyielding in them.
She didn't waste any time. "Sit down, Adrian. We need to talk."
Her voice was commanding, leaving no room for argument. I moved toward the couch, taking a seat across from her, my heart pounding. Whatever she had to say, it was serious-there was a certain gravity in her tone that she rarely allowed to surface.
She paced the room, as if trying to gather the right words, her face a mixture of resolve and frustration. Finally, she stopped, turning to face me fully. "There are things about my world you need to know," she began, her voice low and calm but laced with tension. "Things I never planned on telling you... but our situation has changed."
Her gaze locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. "There are ancient beings known as the Elders. They're powerful, Adrian-more powerful than anything you could imagine. They govern the balance between realms, enforcing laws that even I am bound by, no matter how much I may resent it."
I felt a chill creep over me as I listened, trying to absorb the weight of her words. "And what does that mean... for us?"
A slight shadow crossed her face, and her jaw tightened, as if bracing herself for something she didn't want to admit. "The Elders don't approve of our bond. They believe it's a danger-a destabilizing force in the balance they've worked for centuries to maintain."
My mind spun, struggling to process the implications. "So they want us apart?" The idea filled me with a cold, hollow dread that I couldn't quite shake.
"It's more than that." Her voice softened, and a rare vulnerability flashed in her eyes. "When I bound you to me, when the Oracle forged that connection... it wasn't supposed to happen. Humans aren't meant to share a link like this with my kind. It's dangerous. And that night at the gala, when Erebus threatened me... you tapped into my power."
I remembered that night vividly-the surge of energy that had coursed through me, raw and almost uncontainable. At the time, I'd written it off as pure adrenaline, the desperate instinct of someone fighting to survive. But now, I realized there had been something more.
"The power you felt that night," Valeria continued, her gaze never leaving mine, "it wasn't human. It was a fragment of my essence, something you weren't meant to access. And if it continues to awaken within you, unchecked... it could consume you."
Her words left a heaviness in my chest, a strange mix of fear and awe. I felt like I was standing on the edge of something vast and unknowable, and yet... I couldn't deny the thrill that ran through me. This connection, this bond between us-it was dangerous, yes. But it was also something I was willing to risk everything for.
"Valeria," I began, my voice barely more than a whisper, "what are we supposed to do? If the Elders are so against this... against us... how do we fight them?"
A grim smile played on her lips, and the fierceness in her expression reminded me why I had fallen for her in the first place. "You don't fight the Elders, Adrian. Not directly. But I know how to work around them. They have their rules, and they're bound by them just as much as I am. We can navigate those rules, find the loopholes. But it will take time."
I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. Whatever it took, I would stay by her side, face whatever threat came our way.
"There's more," she added, her expression darkening. "If your powers continue to grow, the Elders will eventually intervene. They'll see you as a threat-a human with supernatural abilities... it's something they won't allow."
A chill ran through me, but I forced myself to remain calm. "Then let them come. I'm not afraid of them, Valeria."
Her face softened slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You don't understand the forces you're dealing with. The Elders have centuries of power, knowledge that I could spend lifetimes learning and still only scratch the surface."
"Then teach me," I said, surprising even myself with the intensity in my voice. "If I have these abilities, even if they're dangerous... I want to learn how to control them. I want to be able to protect you."
The look she gave me was unreadable, a mix of pride and something darker. "You're braver than most, Adrian. Foolish, maybe... but brave."
She leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. "If we're going to survive this, we need allies-supernatural beings who have their own grudges against the Elders. There are those in my world who would be willing to defy the Elders if the price is right."
"And you trust them?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Trust?" She let out a soft, bitter laugh. "I don't trust anyone. But I know how to negotiate. They'll help us as long as it serves their interests. Just don't expect loyalty."
I nodded, understanding her caution. Her world was ruthless, a maze of shifting alliances and hidden dangers. But I was willing to dive into it, to face whatever came, as long as it meant staying by her side.
---
Valeria's POV
As night descended once more, I found myself watching Adrian as he slept, his face softened in the moonlight. Despite everything I'd told him, he was still here, still ready to stand beside me. The human in him, the strength he carried, was both beautiful and terrifying. He was a force I hadn't expected, a light I hadn't planned on inviting into my world.
The Elders' warning hung heavy in my mind. They'd made their position clear-our bond was a threat to the balance they'd spent millennia upholding. If they found out how deeply our connection had grown, they would move to sever it, and they would show no mercy.
But I couldn't let them take him from me. Adrian was mine, a part of me in a way that defied reason, and I would defy any force that tried to tear us apart.
Reaching out, I brushed my fingers gently over his cheek, and he stirred, murmuring something under his breath. For a moment, I allowed myself to feel the vulnerability of the moment-the softness that he inspired in me, a feeling I'd long since buried.
This was a battle I would wage in silence, a war that would unfold in the shadows. The Elders believed they could control me, bend me to their will... but they had underestimated me.