Valeria's POV
I let my gaze wander over the glittering skyline, the faint glow of streetlights like stars trapped under glass. It should have felt exhilarating, standing here, untouchable. But the truth was far simpler—power had lost its thrill.
Perhaps it was Adrian's betrayal that dulled the edge. Perhaps it was the relentless grind of control. Either way, I was here. Detached. Calculated. And untouchable.
The knock at my office door was faint but insistent. Without turning, I spoke. "Enter."
Lucien stepped in, his polished shoes clicking against the marble floor. He carried himself like a man on edge, and I immediately knew this wasn't a routine interruption.
"What is it?" I asked, finally turning to meet his gaze.
His eyes were hard, his jaw tight. "Nyx."
A pulse of annoyance rippled through me, though I kept my expression blank. Of course, it was Nyx. He always had a knack for stepping in where he didn't belong.
"What about him?" I asked, my tone colder than I intended.
Lucien hesitated, an uncharacteristic flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "He's found Adrian."
The sound of Adrian's name hit me like a whispered memory, faint and unwanted. I straightened, my heels clicking as I moved from the window to my desk.
"And?" I prompted, gesturing for Lucien to get to the point.
Lucien shifted, clearly uneasy. "He's... toying with him. Adrian tried to fight back."
I froze. "Tried?"
"Failed," Lucien clarified, his voice low. "Badly."
I turned sharply, my hands gripping the edge of my desk. "Where?"
"An alley near the docks. Nyx hasn't killed him—yet. But he's making a show of it, Valeria. It's deliberate. He wants you to know."
Of course he did. This was Nyx's style—calculated, theatrical cruelty. He didn't just want to punish Adrian; he wanted to remind me of my mistakes. To remind me that he could take what I'd discarded and crush it just to watch my reaction.
But there would be no reaction.
I straightened, smoothing the fabric of my blazer with steady hands. "Let him do what he wants. Adrian's decisions are no longer my concern."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "You're going to let him die?"
The question cut deeper than I expected, though I masked it with a sharp glare. "Adrian chose this. He aligned himself with forces he didn't understand, made choices he knew would lead to his ruin. Nyx is merely the consequence."
"And you're comfortable with that?" Lucien asked, his voice bordering on insolence.
I stepped closer, letting the frost in my gaze silence him. "Comfortable has nothing to do with it. It's irrelevant. Now leave."
Lucien hesitated, then gave a curt nod before disappearing out the door.
But even as the silence reclaimed the room, I felt it—an ache, faint but insistent. Adrian's face flashed in my mind, bloodied, broken, and defiant. No. I couldn't afford to think of him. Not now.
Still, my hands itched, the weight of his name clinging to me like smoke.
---
Adrian's POV
My ribs ached, each breath jagged and sharp, like shards of glass cutting into my lungs. Nyx crouched in front of me, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.
"You're surprisingly durable for a human," he mused, his voice smooth and venomous. "But I suppose desperation does make you cling to life, doesn't it?"
I glared at him, though it was all I could manage. My body refused to cooperate; every limb felt heavy, every muscle screaming in protest.
"Go to hell," I spat, though the words came out weak, barely audible.
Nyx chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "Oh, Adrian. Hell is exactly where you are right now. And the best part?" He leaned in closer, his breath cold against my ear. "No one's coming to save you."
I gritted my teeth, fighting against the fear clawing at my chest. He was wrong. Valeria wouldn't let this happen. She wouldn't let him—
But the truth hit me like a blow to the gut. Valeria was done with me. She had made that painfully clear.
Nyx pulled back, his grin widening as if he could see the realization dawn in my eyes. "There it is," he said, almost reverently. "That beautiful moment when hope dies."
His hand closed around my throat, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. My feet dangled, my vision swimming as I struggled to breathe.
"You're not worth her time," he hissed. "You're barely worth mine."
The pressure tightened, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I thought it was over.
But then the air shifted.
The oppressive weight of Nyx's presence was suddenly matched, then overshadowed by something far colder, far deadlier.
Nyx froze, his grip loosening just enough for me to gasp for air.
"She's here," he murmured, his expression darkening.
---
Valeria's POV
The alley reeked of damp concrete and desperation. Nyx stood in the center of it, his hand wrapped around Adrian's throat like a predator savoring its prey.
The sight was almost pathetic—Adrian, bloodied and broken, his defiance reduced to ashes. And yet, despite myself, I felt something stir.
It wasn't pity. It wasn't anger. It was something colder, sharper—a reminder of why It had severed our bond in the first place.
"Nyx," I called, my voice cutting through the night like a blade.
He turned, a slow, serpentine smile spreading across his face. "Valeria. How lovely of you to join us."
"Let him go," I said, stepping closer, my heels clicking against the pavement.
Nyx chuckled, his grip on Adrian tightening. "Why? He's nothing to you now, isn't he? Just a broken toy you've tossed aside."
My gaze didn't waver. "I said, let him go."
Nyx studied me, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "And if I don't?"
The air around us grew colder, the shadows deepening as my power unfurled. "Then I'll remind you why even you fear me."
For a moment, Nyx hesitated, his smirk faltering. But then, with a theatrical sigh, he released Adrian, letting him crumple to the ground.
"You're no fun," he said, brushing off his hands as if discarding trash. "But I'll leave you to clean up your mess."
He disappeared into the shadows, his laughter echoing behind him.
I stepped forward, my gaze falling on Adrian. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place—hope, regret, desperation.
"You're a fool," I said, my voice devoid of warmth.
Adrian didn't answer, his gaze never leaving mine.
"Stay out of my world," I continued, turning away. "Next time, I won't intervene."
And as I walked away, leaving him bleeding and broken in the alley, I told myself it was the truth.
Even as my heart whispered otherwise.