Adrian's POV:
I had never felt so empty.
I stood at the threshold of the abandoned building, the wind howling around me, the chill creeping into my bones. It had been hours since I left her apartment—hours since Nyx's cruel words had cut through me like a blade. And still, the image of Valeria, cold and distant, haunted me.
I never thought I would find myself in this position. I never imagined that I would lose her.
But I had.
The bond that had once tied us together, that had anchored me to her in a way I couldn't explain, was gone. Severed by my own foolishness, my own inability to see past my own desires.
I'd betrayed her.
And now, the consequences of that betrayal were sinking in deeper than I could have ever prepared for.
I ran my fingers through my hair, my breath shaky, my heart heavy. What was I supposed to do now? How could I ever fix something so broken?
Nyx's words echoed in my mind, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "You're nothing, Adrian. You never had a place in her world."
It stung. He was right. I was just a man. A man who had failed.
But even as I stood there, in the darkness, a part of me—no, the part of me—refused to accept it. I would find a way back to her. I would make things right. If I had to tear down the world to do it, I would.
I turned on my heel, making my way through the desolate streets, my mind racing with plans, possibilities, things I could do to get her back. But the more I thought, the more I realized one undeniable truth: I wasn't the only one with a claim on her now.
I didn't know much about the supernatural world—hell, I had barely even scratched the surface—but I knew Nyx was dangerous. I knew the way he looked at me, the way his eyes gleamed with malicious pleasure as he watched me crumble. He wasn't going to let go of Valeria without a fight. And I was starting to realize that I wasn't ready for the kind of battle that was coming.
The alleyways blurred as I walked, my eyes narrowing with determination. I couldn't keep running. I couldn't just let this go.
The city was quiet. It was late, the streets mostly empty, but in the depths of my mind, I could hear the sound of footsteps. Faint, but there. And they were following me.
I didn't turn around. I didn't have to. I knew exactly who it was.
I had felt them before. The same sense of foreboding, the same weight of power that seemed to surround them.
"Adrian."
The voice was smooth, low, like a whisper against my skin.
I stopped, my heart skipping a beat.
I didn't need to see their face to know who it was. The presence alone was enough.
Nyx.
"I thought you might be lost," Nyx mused, stepping into the dim light from a nearby streetlamp, his eyes gleaming in the shadows.
"You're not welcome," I growled, my hands instinctively going to my sides. I wasn't sure what I could do, but I wasn't about to stand there and let him toy with me.
Nyx's lips curled into a grin, but it wasn't friendly. It wasn't even amused. "Oh, Adrian," he said with mock sympathy, taking a step forward. "You really are a fool. What do you think you're going to do? Fight me? Please." He laughed, the sound chilling. "You're out of your depth. You can't even protect yourself, let alone her."
"I don't need protection," I spat back, my voice tinged with frustration. "And I sure as hell don't need you to tell me what I can or can't do."
Nyx's expression darkened. "You don't get it, do you? You never stood a chance with Valeria. Not when you're human. You think she needs you? That she'll come back to you just because you apologize? You're nothing but a fleeting distraction, Adrian. A momentary weakness she'll forget as soon as the storm passes."
His words dug into me, deeper than any physical blow ever could.
I took a step forward, my fists clenched at my sides. "You don't know anything about her."
"I know more than you," Nyx said, his voice low and almost smug. "I know what it means to be her equal. To understand the power that drives her. And trust me, Adrian, you are not it."
My patience snapped. I couldn't stand there and let him degrade me, let him destroy what little confidence I had left.
Without thinking, I lunged at him, a burst of energy fueling my movement. But Nyx was faster. He sidestepped effortlessly, his expression more annoyed than surprised.
"Is this really the best you can do?" he asked, his voice thick with disdain.
I didn't answer. I just kept swinging, trying to land a blow, trying to prove that I was more than just a weak human. That I wasn't nothing.
But no matter how many times I moved, no matter how many times I tried to land a punch, Nyx was always a step ahead, giving a blow that knocked me to the ground.
I was exhausted. I was starting to realize that this fight was pointless.
Nyx had all the power. I had none.
When the last of my strength left me, I finally collapsed, kneeling on the cold ground, my chest heaving with exhaustion.
Nyx loomed over me, his face a mask of cold amusement.
"I told you, Adrian," he said softly. "You're nothing."
I didn't respond. There was nothing left to say.
All I could think about now was Valeria. The thought of losing her forever, of seeing her slip further and further from my reach, was like a blade in my chest.
But Nyx was right. I had nothing left. No power, no hope, no bond.
Just the hollow, painful truth that I had lost.
---
Valeria's POV
I stood in front of the large glass windows of my office, watching as the city stretched out before me like an endless sea. The cold breeze ruffled the edges of my hair, but it did nothing to disturb the ice that had settled inside me.
Adrian was gone.
Not physically, no. But in every way that mattered, he was gone. And yet, there was a strange sense of calm that followed. A relief that washed over me as I stared at the skyline, as I allowed the weight of it all to settle.
I wasn't angry anymore. I wasn't hurt.
I was... free.
Tomorrow, I would go back to being the woman they feared, the woman who controlled everything. And Adrian?
He would fade into nothingness. Just like he always should have.
I would not waste another thought on him.
Not when there were bigger things at play. And not when I had more important matters to attend to.