Valeria's POV
The room was still, yet the air buzzed with a tension that refused to dissipate. Every breath felt heavier than the last, each second dragging under the weight of what was to come. Adrian's hand remained firmly in mine, grounding me, but it wasn't enough. Not this time.
I glanced at the window, watching as the first light of dawn bled across the horizon. Gold and crimson streaks painted the sky, their beauty a cruel contrast to the storm gathering within. The city below stirred, blissfully unaware of the reckoning looming above. But I knew the truth. The Trial wasn't a distant threat. It was here, its claws already sinking into my soul.
Adrian's voice broke the silence, low and strained. "Valeria…" His grip tightened. "What did that creature mean? What's this Trial going to do to you?"
I turned to face him, my throat tightening. His eyes searched mine, filled with concern and something deeper—fear. For me. For us. He had always been my constant, my anchor in the chaos, but now I could see the cracks in his armor. The thought of him breaking terrified me.
"I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely audible. "But I feel it, Adrian. It's like a storm inside me, growing stronger by the second. I've spent centuries suppressing my power, locking it away. Now it's awake, and I don't know if I can control it."
He cupped my face, his touch gentle yet firm. "We'll face this together. You're not alone in this. You never will be."
I closed my eyes, leaning into him. His words were a balm, but they couldn't erase the truth. The Trial would strip away everything—my defenses, my secrets, my illusions. And when it did, I would be left bare before it, forced to confront the darkest parts of myself.
The lights flickered.
I tensed, pulling back as a familiar chill swept through the room. The shadows in the corners began to stir, stretching and writhing like living things. My heart pounded as an oppressive energy filled the space, suffocating and cold.
Adrian's eyes darted to the shifting darkness. "What's happening?"
"It's here," I whispered, my voice shaking.
The shadows coalesced into a swirling vortex at the center of the room, a mass of inky blackness that seemed to devour the light. The hum of ancient power filled the air, vibrating through my bones. From within the vortex, a figure began to emerge.
It was tall, cloaked in tattered robes that flickered between solid and smoke. Its face was a shifting void, a canvas of shadows that never settled. Its presence radiated pure dominance, an ancient force that made the creature from before seem like a mere whisper.
Adrian moved instinctively, stepping in front of me. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the tremor I could feel in his body.
The figure's laugh echoed through the room, a deep, resonant sound that chilled me to the core. "I am the first of many," it said, its voice like the grinding of stone. "The Trial begins now, Celestial."
I stepped forward, forcing myself to meet its gaze—or what passed for a gaze. "What do you want from me?"
The figure tilted its head, its shifting face locking onto mine. "The Trial is not about what I want," it replied. "It is about what you fear. It will strip away your illusions, force you to confront the truth you have buried. Only then will you understand the cost of your power."
The shadows around us pulsed, tightening like a noose. The pressure in the room grew unbearable, each breath a struggle.
Adrian's voice cut through the tension. "She's not facing this alone. Whatever this Trial is, I'm standing with her."
The figure turned to him, its presence growing colder. "The Celestial's path is hers alone. Your interference is meaningless."
With a flick of its wrist, Adrian was thrown across the room. He hit the wall hard and crumpled to the floor.
"Adrian!" I screamed, rushing to his side. His pulse was steady, but rage bubbled within me as I turned back to the figure.
"You have no right to dictate my choices," I said, my voice low and seething. "I won't abandon him."
The figure's aura flared, its shadows surging. "Attachment weakens you. Sacrifice is the only path to power. If you cannot sever your ties, you will fail."
"I've sacrificed enough," I spat, the air around me crackling with energy. My power surged, no longer contained. Silver light glowed in my eyes, illuminating the room as the penthouse trembled under the weight of my defiance.
The figure paused, as if reassessing. "Perhaps there is hope for you yet," it said, its tone begrudging. "But know this: the Trial will reveal the truth you fear most. Only by embracing it can you hope to survive."
The vortex began to collapse, the figure dissolving back into the shadows. "Prepare yourself, Valeria. When the sun rises, the first Trial will begin."
And then it was gone.
The silence that followed was deafening. I knelt beside Adrian as he stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
"We're not done," he muttered, his voice hoarse but determined.
"No," I said, gripping his hand tightly. "Not even close."