Chapter 53

Adrian's POV

The night swallowed the streets as I moved, every step guided by the faint thread of magic that still connected me to Valeria. It was fragile, barely perceptible, but it pulsed with a faint warmth—an echo of what we had once been. The Oracle's revelation played on repeat in my mind: Nyx orchestrated it all. The kiss. The spell. The betrayal.

Every detail unraveled like a noose tightening around my throat. Callista had been a weapon, her actions an extension of Nyx's calculated hand. But none of that absolved me. My failure to resist her had shattered Valeria, and I didn't know if I could ever put the pieces back together.

But I had to try.

The tug in my chest grew sharper, more insistent. I turned a corner into an abandoned square, its silence unsettling, and there she was.

Valeria stood beneath the fractured light of the crescent moon, her silver hair glinting like frost against the darkness. She didn't turn when I approached, but I could feel the tension radiating from her—sharp, cold, unyielding.

"Valeria," I said, my voice breaking the stillness.

She stiffened but didn't face me. "What do you want, Adrian?" Her voice was like ice, cutting and distant.

"To fix this," I said, stepping closer. "To explain—"

"Explain?" She spun to face me, her silver eyes blazing with fury. "What is there to explain, Adrian? You broke us. You let her destroy everything we built."

The weight of her words hit me like a blow, but I didn't back down. "It wasn't me," I said, my voice shaking. "It wasn't me, Valeria. It was Nyx. He used Callista to break our bond. He planned all of this."

Her laughter was bitter, laced with pain. "And that absolves you? Does knowing it was his plan erase what you did? The moment you let her touch you, the moment you—" She stopped, her voice cracking, and looked away.

"I wasn't myself," I said desperately. "I wasn't in control. The spell—"

"You think that matters?" She stepped closer now, her fury humming under her skull n. "You think knowing someone else orchestrated it makes it hurt any less? You chose her, Adrian. You let her take what was supposed to be ours."

"I didn't choose her!" My voice rose, echoing through the empty square. "I would never choose her over you. You know that."

Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. Her breathing was ragged, her fists clenched at her sides.

"I don't know what I know anymore," she whispered finally, her voice trembling. "I don't even know if I can trust you."

My chest tightened, the truth of her words cutting deeper than I expected. "Valeria, please. Nyx is trying to bind you to him. The Oracle told me. If we don't stop him, he'll—"

"I know," she interrupted, her voice hard again. "You're not the only one the Oracle visited, Adrian."

Her words stunned me. "What?"

"She came to me before she came to you," Valeria said, her gaze locking with mine. "She told me what Nyx is planning. The ritual, the bond he's trying to forge—everything. I already know what's at stake."

"Then you know we have to fight him," I said, my voice urgent. "Together. I can't do this without you."

She laughed bitterly again, shaking her head. "You don't get to say that. You don't get to ask for my help after what you did."

I stepped closer, ignoring the way she flinched. "I made a mistake, Valeria. But I am still yours, even if the bond is broken. I will fight for you until my last breath. Please, tell me you can feel that. Tell me you still feel something."

Her eyes softened for the briefest moment, and I thought I saw the faintest flicker of the Valeria I knew—the one who had loved me, who had fought beside me. But then the walls went back up, and she turned away.

"Feeling something doesn't mean I can trust you again," she said quietly.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the air around us shifted, a sudden chill sweeping through the square. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, and the faint shimmer of light heralded the arrival of the Oracle.

She appeared between us, her form bathed in the same ethereal glow as before. Her dark eyes held both of us captive, their ancient wisdom heavy with urgency.

"There is no time for this," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "The ritual is nearly complete. If you do not act, everything you have fought for will be lost."

Valeria's eyes narrowed, her anger now directed at the Oracle. "You knew this was coming, didn't you? You knew Nyx was manipulating us, and you didn't stop it."

"I cannot interfere directly," the Oracle said, her tone steady. "But I can guide you. And now, I am here to remind you both—your pain, your mistrust, your anger—none of it matters in the face of what is coming."

Valeria bristled. "It matters to me."

"And it will matter even less when Nyx binds you to him," the Oracle said sharply. "Your power will become his, and the balance of the supernatural realm will be destroyed. Is your pride worth that price?"

Valeria flinched but didn't respond.

The Oracle turned to me, her gaze piercing. "Adrian, your strength has been restored, but strength alone will not save her. You must be willing to sacrifice everything."

"I will," I said without hesitation.

"And you, Valeria," the Oracle continued, her voice softening. "Your heart is fractured, but it is not beyond repair. Trust is not given—it is earned. Let Adrian earn it. Let him fight for you."

Valeria's eyes filled with conflict, her walls wavering. "How can I trust him when he already broke me?"

The Oracle stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Because he has not stopped fighting for you, even when he knew he might never win you back. Let that be enough, for now."

Silence fell again, heavier this time.

Finally, Valeria turned to me, her violet eyes glinting with determination. "You want to fix this, Adrian? Prove it. Help me stop Nyx. But don't think for a second that this changes what you've done."

"I don't expect it to," I said, my voice firm. "But I'll prove to you that I'm still yours. Even if it takes the rest of my life."

The Oracle's presence began to fade, her parting words echoing in the air. "Hurry. The ritual is near its end. If you do not stop it now, you will lose more than each other—you will lose everything."

And then, we were alone again.

Valeria didn't speak, but she nodded once, a silent agreement. It was a start.

Valeria

The silence between us stretched, a fragile thread threatening to snap. I couldn't bring myself to look at Adrian, not yet. The weight of everything the Oracle had revealed was suffocating, and her words about Nyx—about the bond we had lost—left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I didn't know," Adrian said, his voice breaking through the tension. He sounded raw, his tone drenched in regret. "Valeria… I swear, I didn't know."

I turned to him slowly, my eyes meeting his. The pain I saw there mirrored my own, but it wasn't enough to drown out my anger. "You didn't know because you didn't stop to think," I snapped, the words cutting through the quiet. "You let her in, Adrian. You let her destroy everything we had."

Adrian flinched, but his gaze didn't waver. "You think I wanted this?" he countered, his voice rising. "Do you think I wouldn't give anything—everything—to undo what happened?"

I folded my arms, forcing myself to stay calm, though my heart thundered in my chest. "Undoing it isn't enough. Nyx is already ahead of us. He's using what's left of our bond, twisting it to suit his plans. If we don't stop him—"

"I'll stop him," Adrian interrupted, his jaw tightening. "Even if it kills me. I owe you that much."

I shook my head. "You don't get to decide what you owe me. This isn't just about us anymore. Nyx is playing with forces bigger than either of us. If he completes this ritual, it's over—for both of us, and for anyone who dares to stand in his way."

Adrian stepped closer, his presence a mix of desperation and determination. "Then tell me what to do, Valeria. Tell me how to fix this."

The vulnerability in his voice caught me off guard, but before I could respond, the air in the room shifted. The temperature dropped, and a familiar hum of energy coursed through the space.

"She's already told you," a voice echoed, calm yet commanding.

The Oracle.

We both turned, and there she was—standing in the corner as though she had been there all along. Her presence was as unsettling as it was comforting, her glowing eyes fixed on us.

"You don't have time for blame," the Oracle said, stepping forward. "Nyx is moving faster than you realize. Every second you waste on guilt or anger is a second closer to his victory."

Adrian stiffened. "Then what do you expect us to do? How do we stop him?"

The Oracle's gaze shifted to me, her expression softening. "Valeria already knows what must be done."

My breath caught. I knew what she meant, but the thought of it—of risking everything—terrified me. "You want me to confront him," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You're the only one who can," the Oracle replied. "Your bond, though broken, still holds power. It's the tether Nyx is relying on to complete the ritual. You can use it to reach him, to weaken his defenses."

Adrian took a step toward me, his face pale. "No. Absolutely not. You're not going to him alone."

"She won't be alone," the Oracle said firmly. "But you must understand, Adrian—your role is just as crucial. Your connection to Valeria, though damaged, is not gone. Together, you can sever Nyx's hold before it's too late."

I looked at Adrian, my heart hammering. Despite everything, I still felt the faintest thread of our bond, fragile but real. Could we really use that to stop Nyx?

"How?" Adrian asked, his voice heavy.

The Oracle raised her hand, and the room filled with shimmering light. A glowing symbol appeared between us—a circle split in two, its halves swirling with opposing energy. "You must confront him together," she said. "Valeria will draw Nyx's attention, using the remnants of your bond to disrupt the ritual. Adrian, you must guard her—both physically and spiritually. If you falter, Nyx will take her, and the ritual will be complete."

The weight of her words settled over us like a storm cloud. I glanced at Adrian, his expression unreadable, and then back to the Oracle.

"What happens if we fail?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer.

The Oracle's gaze darkened. "If you fail, Valeria will be bound to Nyx for eternity. Her power will become his, and the balance of the supernatural world will crumble. Everything you know—everything you love—will be lost."

The room fell silent.

Adrian exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "Then we won't fail."

The Oracle's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Good. Then there's hope."

The light around her began to fade, her form growing fainter. "Remember this—Nyx thrives on division. Stay united, and you have a chance."

And just like that, she was gone, leaving us alone once more.

I turned to Adrian, my resolve hardening. "Are you ready for this?"

He met my gaze, his eyes burning with determination. "For you? Always."

For the first time in what felt like forever, I believed him.