Valeria's POV
The hours after the creature's departure were a blur. Adrian and I hadn't left the penthouse. We were too shaken, too consumed by the implications of the Trial. The city's lights twinkled below, indifferent to the storm brewing in the heavens. The weight of its prophecy hung over us like a thundercloud, threatening to split open at any moment.
I stood by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, my reflection staring back at me. My silver hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, a silent reminder of the power I had tried so hard to keep hidden. But now, it was awake, alive, and I could feel it humming beneath my skin like a second heartbeat. The Trial wasn't just coming—it was already here, a dark shadow looming over everything I held dear.
Adrian's footsteps echoed softly behind me. I didn't turn. I couldn't. If I looked at him, I might break.
"You should rest," he said gently, his voice a soothing balm against the storm raging within me.
"I can't," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Not when we don't know what's coming."
He came closer, his warmth radiating through the space between us. His hands hesitated before resting on my shoulders. "We'll figure it out, Valeria. You don't have to carry this alone."
I turned to face him, and the vulnerability in his eyes nearly undid me. He had always been my anchor, the one constant in the chaos. But now, even he seemed shaken, his confidence dimmed by the encounter with the creature.
"You don't understand," I said, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and frustration. "This Trial… it's not just a test of power. It's a reckoning. And if I fail…" My throat tightened, the words catching. "If I fail, everything ends."
Adrian's jaw clenched. "Then you won't fail."
I pulled away, shaking my head. "You don't know that. I've kept my power buried for centuries, Adrian. I don't even know the full extent of what I'm capable of." I paced the room, my mind racing. "And this isn't just about me. That creature said the balance would shatter. What if the Trial isn't just testing me? What if it's testing the entire world?"
Adrian's gaze followed me, his expression unreadable. "Then we prepare for whatever it throws at us," he said with quiet determination.
Before I could respond, the room suddenly dimmed, the lights flickering wildly. A chill swept through the air, colder than the creature's presence. My heart seized as I felt a familiar energy surge—a raw, unbridled force that wasn't my own.
Adrian moved to my side instantly, his hand gripping my arm. "Valeria, what's happening?"
"I don't know," I whispered, though deep down, I feared I did.
The shadows in the room began to move, swirling and coalescing into a dark vortex at the center of the penthouse. The hum of ancient power filled the air, vibrating through my bones.
Then, from within the vortex, a figure began to emerge. Unlike the creature before, this one radiated an oppressive aura, suffocating in its intensity. Its form was draped in flowing, shadowy robes that seemed to flicker between solid and smoke. Its face was obscured, but its presence was unmistakable.
This was no mere messenger.
"Valeria," it intoned, its voice a deep, resonant echo that seemed to shake the very foundation of the building. "The Trial begins now."
Adrian stepped forward, placing himself between me and the figure. "She's not ready," he said firmly.
The figure's attention shifted to him, and though its face remained hidden, I could feel its disdain. "The Celestial does not need your protection, mortal. She will face the Trial alone, as is decreed."
"No," Adrian growled. "If she faces it, so do I."
The figure raised a hand, and with a flick of its wrist, Adrian was hurled across the room. He hit the wall with a sickening thud and slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"Adrian!" I screamed, rushing to his side. My hands trembled as I checked his pulse, relief flooding through me when I found it steady. But my relief was short-lived as the figure spoke again.
"Your attachment to the mortal weakens you," it said, its voice filled with cold judgment. "You must sever all ties if you hope to survive."
I stood, turning to face it, my fear replaced by a simmering rage. "You have no right to dictate my choices," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "I won't abandon him."
The figure's aura flared, and the shadows around it pulsed. "Defiance will serve you poorly in the Trial, Celestial. You must learn that sacrifice is the only path to true power."
"I've sacrificed enough," I spat, my power surging in response to my anger. The air around me crackled with energy, and for the first time in centuries, I let it flow freely. My silver eyes glowed with an intensity that matched the figure's, and the penthouse trembled under the weight of our combined power.
The figure seemed to regard me for a moment, as if reassessing. "Perhaps there is hope for you yet," it said, almost begrudgingly. "But know this: the Trial will strip you bare. It will reveal the truth you fear most and force you to confront it. Only then will you understand the price of your power."
With that, the figure began to dissolve, its form melting back into the vortex. "Prepare yourself, Valeria," it said, its voice fading. "The first Trial will come with the next dawn."
And then it was gone, leaving behind a deafening silence.
I stood there, my chest heaving, my power still thrumming in the air. The Trial was no longer a distant threat. It was here, and it demanded everything I had.
Adrian groaned softly, pulling me back to the present. I rushed to his side, helping him sit up. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked at me with a mixture of pain and determination.
"We're not done," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
"No," I agreed, gripping his hand tightly. "Not even close."