Valeria's POV
The air around me was heavy, charged with the remnants of the Trial. The light was no longer foreign, nor was it something to fear. It was mine now, and it settled within me like an old friend returning from a long absence. The darkness had not vanished entirely, but it was now a part of me that I could control, rather than a force that controlled me.
Adrian's touch was still warm in my hand, grounding me in a reality that felt both surreal and solid. We had done it. I had done it. For the first time in centuries, I felt like I was no longer running from myself. But even in that moment of triumph, there was an underlying tension—an awareness that this was only one battle, not the war.
"Is it over?" Adrian's voice was tentative, as if he didn't quite believe what had just happened, but he couldn't shake the hope that it was true.
I turned to him, searching his expression. He was still standing beside me, his gaze unwavering, but his brow furrowed with concern. There was something unspoken between us, something deeper than the immediate relief we felt.
"I'm not sure," I admitted, my voice steady but laced with uncertainty. "It feels… different. But it's not over."
I didn't need to explain what I meant. He understood.
The Trial had been a reflection of the internal war I had fought my entire existence. The guilt. The shame. The fear. I had confronted all of it, and yet there was more to face. My powers, my legacy—none of it was as simple as overcoming a singular trial. There were other forces at play—forces I couldn't yet fully understand, let alone control.
Adrian's hand tightened around mine, as if to reassure me, or perhaps to remind himself that we weren't alone in this. "Then we keep moving forward. We don't stop. We face whatever comes next, together."
His words were a balm to my soul, but they didn't erase the weight that lingered. There were too many things left unsaid, too many shadows lurking in the corners of my mind. Adrian had been by my side, but he didn't fully understand the depth of my curse, the legacy of my bloodline, or the weight of the choices I had made. And even if he did, it wasn't enough to shield him from the consequences of those choices.
"We'll face it together," I repeated, nodding, though a part of me wondered if he truly knew what that would mean.
The ground beneath our feet trembled, and I felt the familiar pull of something deep within me—a presence, a disturbance. My heart skipped a beat as I sensed something beyond the veil, something far more ancient and dangerous than the Trial. I had been so consumed by the darkness, I had forgotten to look beyond it. But now, the air seemed thick with an undeniable force, an energy I could neither deny nor explain.
Adrian's grip on my hand tightened once more, sensing my unease. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low, full of caution.
I closed my eyes for a moment, reaching deep inside myself to listen, to feel the vibrations in the air. The energy was unmistakable. It was familiar, yet far more powerful than anything I had ever encountered. A chill ran down my spine, a warning whisper in the back of my mind.
"The Relic," I murmured, almost to myself. "It's calling me."
Adrian's expression shifted from concern to confusion. "The Relic? I thought it was… lost?"
"It wasn't lost," I said, a grim determination settling in my chest. "It was hidden. And now… now it's found me."
The Relic had always been an enigma—an ancient object of immense power that was tied to my bloodline, my curse. I had spent years searching for answers about it, uncovering pieces of its history, but always coming up short. But now, the pull was undeniable. I knew the Relic was somehow linked to everything—the darkness I had just faced, the power I had tapped into, and whatever lay ahead.
"We have to find it," I said, my voice sharp, filled with urgency.
Adrian's brows furrowed. "Are you sure it's the Relic? It could be anything. A trap."
I shook my head, the clarity in my mind unmistakable. "I know. I feel it. This is something I've been running from for too long."
There was no turning back now. The Relic was no longer a distant myth. It was real, and it was part of me. And somehow, it knew that I was finally ready to confront it.
Without another word, I turned toward the entrance of the temple, the ancient stone archway looming before us like a portal to a place I was not sure I was prepared to enter. But there was no choice. The darkness would not let me rest until I had faced what I had been avoiding for so long. And the Relic would be my final test.
Adrian followed me without hesitation, the weight of his presence a steady comfort at my back. "Whatever happens next," he said, his voice steady, "I'm with you. Always."
His words should have comforted me, and yet, a part of me hesitated. I had never been good at letting anyone in—never trusted anyone enough to rely on them completely. But now, in the face of the unknown, I had to accept the truth. I wasn't alone. Not anymore.
I reached for the door, my fingers brushing against the cold stone. As I did, the ground beneath us seemed to shift, as if the very air had changed, the world tilting in response to the pull of the Relic.
The moment my hand touched the door, the room was filled with a deafening silence. And then, as if in response to my presence, the door creaked open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. The air inside was thick with an ancient energy, and the shadows seemed to writhe with life. The Relic was in there, somewhere, waiting for me.
Adrian stepped beside me, his eyes scanning the room warily. "It feels… different in here. What are we walking into?"
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I stepped forward, feeling the pull of the Relic growing stronger with every step. As we ventured deeper into the chamber, the shadows parted, revealing an altar at the center of the room. And there, on the altar, was the Relic—an intricately carved stone, glowing faintly with an ethereal light.
I knew, without a doubt, that this was it. The key to everything. The source of my power, my curse, and the way forward. And as I took a step closer, I could feel the weight of destiny settling on my shoulders.
But as I reached for the Relic, something shifted. The shadows twisted, and I could feel a presence—something else—moving in the darkness, watching us. My heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran through my spine.
"We're not alone," I whispered, my voice low with the knowledge that this was only the beginning.