Adrian's POV
I woke, disoriented, a dull ache spreading through my limbs, as if every bone in my body had been crushed. The pain was familiar, a constant reminder of my failure. The darkness around me felt oppressive, but not as much as the void left by Valeria's absence. I could still feel her—somewhere deep inside—but the bond was gone, severed by forces I didn't understand.
I had been broken.
But I was still alive, still breathing, still trying to figure out how to fix this.
I tried to push myself up, but my body betrayed me, and I slumped back onto the bed. The physical strain was too much, my mind fogged, but then—something changed. A cold breeze swept through the room, ruffling the curtains despite the windows being shut. The room shifted, vibrating with an energy that was too powerful to ignore.
A figure stood in the shadows, a silhouette bathed in an otherworldly glow. I froze.
The Oracle.
Her presence filled the room, undeniable and ancient, her eyes dark and knowing as she stepped closer. The ethereal light around her shimmered with a quiet power, her robes flowing like liquid midnight. There was no mistaking who she was. The Oracle had come to me, but why now?
"Adrian," she said, her voice low, calm, and far too knowing. "You're not well."
I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. "What… what are you doing here?" My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, but the question felt urgent.
"You need to listen," the Oracle replied, her gaze sharp, piercing. "There is much you don't know. Much that has been kept from you."
I blinked, my mind racing. "What do you mean? What's happening? Why—why did Callista do this? Why—"
Her expression softened, as if she had anticipated my confusion. "Callista was never the one in control, Adrian. She was merely a pawn in Nyx's game. The spell she cast on you, the lust, the kiss—it wasn't her doing. Nyx orchestrated it all."
I recoiled, the weight of her words crashing over me. "Nyx? He… he manipulated me? He's the one who—"
"Yes," the Oracle interrupted gently, stepping closer to where I lay. "Nyx is the architect of this entire plan. He wanted to break you—to tear apart the bond between you and Valeria. And in doing so, he thought he could gain control over you both."
My chest tightened, the rage I had tried to bury flaring back to life. "But… why? Why would he do that? Why target us? What does he want?"
The Oracle's eyes grew distant, her expression more somber than ever. "Nyx has always sought power. But not just any power. He wants to control the supernatural realm. He seeks a union—one that will bind him to Valeria, in a way that will make him untouchable. This is more than love or lust; this is a calculated move to secure his rule."
My mind swirled with confusion. "Union? What kind of union?"
"Marriage," she said, her voice a whisper now, heavy with sorrow. "A supernatural bond, one that will tie Valeria's power to his. Together, they will become an unstoppable force. If he succeeds, Nyx will ascend to a position of unimaginable power, and you will have no chance of stopping him."
I recoiled, horror flooding my veins. "No… I won't let that happen."
The Oracle nodded, as though she had expected this response. "You're not broken, Adrian. Not yet. But you need to understand—Nyx's plan is already in motion. He has manipulated Callista, used her as a tool, but he was never going to stop with her. The moment he broke your bond with Valeria, the ritual began."
"Ritual?" I gasped. "What ritual?"
She leaned forward, her voice now urgent. "The ritual to bind Valeria to Nyx. It's close to completion. If you do not act, if you do not stop Nyx soon, you will lose her forever. The ritual will be irreversible. He will have her, body and soul. And he will use her to crush anyone who dares defy him."
I felt like the world was spinning around me. Nyx's manipulation, the twisted plot to tear us apart—it was all more than I had ever understood. I had been nothing more than a pawn, a vessel for a plan I had no knowledge of.
"I didn't know," I whispered, the regret crushing me. "I didn't know any of this."
The Oracle's gaze softened, but her expression remained firm. "It was never your fault, Adrian. You were under the spell, but now you must be strong. Now, you need to fight."
I took a shuddering breath, pushing myself up. The pain was still there, but her words had ignited something inside me. "How? How can I fight him if I don't even understand what's happening?"
"You will understand soon," the Oracle said, her voice taking on a different tone. "I will heal you, Adrian. I will restore your strength so that you can stop this."
Before I could respond, she raised her hands, and I felt a surge of energy—gentle, but undeniable—flow into me. It was like a warm wave, washing over the pain, the exhaustion, and the hopelessness. I felt my body respond, the aches in my muscles easing, the fog in my mind lifting. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt whole again—clear-headed, strong.
The Oracle's eyes glowed as she finished the healing. "You are ready now. But remember this—time is running out. Nyx's ritual will soon reach its final stage, and if you don't stop it, you won't just lose Valeria. You will lose everything."
My heart pounded in my chest as the weight of her words sank in. "I won't fail her again."
"You must find Valeria," she said, her voice growing softer. "She holds the knowledge and the power you need to stop Nyx.
I nodded, my resolve hardening. "I'll her."
The Oracle's form began to fade, her presence slipping away as she left me with the final parting words. "Hurry, Adrian. The fate of everything depends on you."
And then, as suddenly as she had arrived, she was gone.
I was alone once more—but not empty. Not anymore. The fire inside me burned brighter, stronger. I wasn't just fighting for Valeria anymore. I was fighting for all of us—for everything that mattered.
And I would stop Nyx.
No matter the cost.