Valeria's POV
The night air hung thick with the scent of rain and asphalt as Adrian and I left the place where we'd just faced down Nyx. The city was a maze of glistening streets and distant sirens, swallowed in shadows as midnight crept toward dawn. I could feel Adrian's tension as we walked, his shoulders squared, fists clenched at his sides. This world was more than he could ever have imagined, and I knew each encounter with its dangers stripped away more of his human certainty.
We stopped beneath the dim glow of a street lamp, its yellow light casting a harsh halo around us. Adrian's gaze was sharp, searching my face as if looking for answers I'd been withholding. I met his stare, watching the storm in his eyes, the unspoken questions laced with worry and fear.
"Tell me," he began, voice steady but laced with the weight of everything left unsaid. "Why him? Why are you willing to risk everything for someone as dangerous as Nyx?"
His words cut through the quiet like a knife, and I felt the weight of them settle deep in my chest. I sighed, choosing my words carefully. "Because Nyx is chaos incarnate," I said softly. "He thrives on disruption, on bending the rules that even beings like the Elders live by. And that's exactly what we need right now. Someone who plays by no one's rules but his own."
Adrian's jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "And if he decides to turn on us?"
"Then we'll handle it," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Nyx may be unpredictable, but he's not invincible. No one is."
Adrian looked at me, something dark and fierce glinting in his eyes. "I'm not going to sit back and let you risk everything for this… this war. You may be willing to throw yourself into the fire, but I'm not. I won't lose you, Valeria."
His words sent a shiver through me, both a promise and a threat. I'd never had anyone fight for me like this, never had someone willing to go to such lengths for my survival. But Adrian's resolve was dangerous; it could turn reckless. And in a world as unforgiving as ours, recklessness was often a death sentence.
I reached out, letting my fingers graze his cheek. "You won't lose me," I murmured. "I've survived centuries of darkness, Adrian. I'll survive this too. But I need you to trust me, to believe that I know what I'm doing."
For a long moment, he said nothing, his gaze shifting between my face and the shadows surrounding us. Then he nodded, his hand covering mine, grounding me in a way I hadn't realized I needed. "I do trust you. But I won't stand by if he tries to hurt you. I don't care what kind of power he has."
I felt a small smile tug at my lips, both touched and pained by his conviction. "Then we're in this together," I said softly, feeling the truth of those words settle between us.
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Adrian's POV
The idea of relying on Nyx twisted something dark inside me, something instinctual that hated everything he represented. It wasn't just the raw, inhuman power that made my skin crawl—it was the way he looked at Valeria, as if she were a prize to be claimed, a possession to be conquered. I couldn't shake the feeling that Nyx's "help" came with a price, one we weren't fully prepared to pay.
The city was quiet around us as we walked, our footsteps echoing down empty streets. I kept glancing over at Valeria, watching the way her face shifted in the dim light, shadows slipping across her sharp features. There was a weight on her shoulders, a burden she refused to share, and I could see it chipping away at her.
"What aren't you telling me?" I asked finally, unable to keep the question inside any longer. "What else is there about Nyx that I need to know?"
She paused, a sigh escaping her lips as she glanced back at me. "Nyx… isn't bound by the same rules as the rest of us. He's ancient, and his powers don't come from the same sources as mine. He's more primal, more… unrestrained. Which means that his loyalty is only as strong as his interest."
I frowned, the unease growing stronger. "So we're relying on someone who could turn on us the second he finds it entertaining."
She nodded, her expression grim. "That's the risk we're taking. But I've dealt with his kind before, Adrian. I know how to keep him in line."
It didn't reassure me, but I forced myself to let it go. Valeria's world was one of shadows and secrets, and as much as I hated it, I was part of that world now. The rules were different here, brutal and unforgiving, and I would have to learn to navigate them if I wanted to protect her.
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Later That Night
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We found a small, out-of-the-way bar, nearly empty at this hour. The dim, warm lights and low hum of conversation created a sense of calm, a temporary escape from the chaos swirling around us. I watched as Valeria ordered a drink, her movements graceful, almost hypnotic, even in the simplest of actions.
We sat across from each other in a corner booth, the silence between us filled with the unspoken tension of everything we'd been through. She sipped her drink, eyes distant as if lost in thought, and I found myself studying her, tracing the lines of her face, the subtle curve of her lips.
"Do you ever regret it?" I asked, my voice quiet. "The power, the immortality… all of it?"
She looked at me, surprised by the question. For a moment, something softened in her gaze, a glimpse of vulnerability that she rarely let show. "Sometimes," she admitted. "Power comes with a cost, one that most people aren't willing to pay. But when you're in this world, you don't get to choose. You adapt, or you die."
I reached across the table, my fingers brushing hers. "You don't have to face it alone anymore, Valeria. Whatever's coming… we'll handle it together."
She gave me a faint smile, but I could see the sadness in her eyes, the weight of centuries pressing down on her. "I know. And that's what scares me."
The words lingered between us, heavy with meaning. Valeria had lived through things I couldn't begin to understand, and the thought of losing her, of failing her in some way, clawed at my chest. But I wouldn't let fear control me. I was in this, for better or worse.
---
As the night wore on, we talked about everything and nothing, sharing bits of ourselves in the quiet, dimly lit corner of that forgotten bar. For the first time, the shadows felt distant, the dangers far away, and it was just us—two souls bound together by fate, standing on the edge of a world neither of us could fully control.
But I'd made my choice. I'd follow Valeria into the dark, face whatever horrors lay ahead, if it meant standing by her side. And as we walked out of the bar into the cool night, I felt a calm resolve settle over me.
Whatever came next, I was ready.