The courtyard was silent now, save for the crackling of scorched stone. Smoke drifted upward in lazy curls, carrying with it the bitter stench of burned magic. Elena's legs trembled as if they no longer remembered how to hold her.
Adrian noticed. Without a word, he bent and swept her into his arms. His movements were smooth, effortless—as if she weighed nothing at all. Her hands clutched at his coat instinctively, her heartbeat fluttering like a frightened bird.
"You're shaking," Adrian murmured, his voice softer than she expected after the violence she'd just witnessed. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, his touch surprisingly tender. "Do you still doubt me, Elena?"
Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. How could she explain the storm inside her chest? He terrified her, yet his arms were the only place she felt truly untouchable.
Adrian's gaze lingered on her silence. His eyes glowed faintly, dangerous yet mesmerizing. "You saw what he's become. You saw what he'd do to you. He's no longer the boy you cherished. He's lost himself. But me…" He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I will never lose you."
The words hit her harder than any battle. She swallowed, her throat dry, unable to look away. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if her soul had already been branded with his name.
Behind them, Damian stirred. He pushed himself upright, his body shaking, his eyes wild. Blood trickled from his lip, but it was nothing compared to the fury burning in his expression.
"Elena!" His voice cracked. It wasn't the voice of her senior anymore—it was something broken, something sharp. "You'll regret this! He'll destroy you from the inside out, and when he does, I'll be the one to save you!"
Adrian didn't even glance at him. He simply shifted Elena closer to his chest and whispered in her ear, "Don't listen. His desperation is nothing but noise."
But Elena's heart twisted. She couldn't block out Damian's voice, no matter how much she wanted to. It carried the ghost of their past, of who he used to be. Her tears slipped free, unbidden.
Adrian felt them. He stiffened, then exhaled slowly, as though fighting to keep his own darkness restrained. His thumb brushed the wetness from her cheek. "Don't cry for him, Elena. He chose this path. He chose power over you."
Damian staggered back, clutching his side. His eyes, glowing faintly red now, locked onto hers with a mixture of longing and rage. "I won't give up," he vowed, his voice hoarse. "Not to him. Not ever."
With a swirl of dark energy, he vanished into the shadows, leaving behind only the echo of his words.
Elena sagged against Adrian's chest, her strength gone. "Why… why does it feel like everything I knew is slipping away?"
Adrian pressed his lips to her hair, his voice low, dangerous, but laced with an intimacy that made her shiver. "Because it is. The world you knew can't protect you anymore. Only I can." He tightened his hold, his words a vow and a warning. "You belong to me, Elena. Don't fight it."
Her pulse thudded wildly. She should have pushed him away, should have screamed that she wasn't his possession—but the truth was she didn't want to. The safety of his arms, even wrapped in shadows, was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.
For the first time, she whispered the words she had been too afraid to admit. "Adrian… don't ever let go."
His breath caught. Then, with a dark, satisfied smile, he lowered his head until his lips brushed hers—gentle at first, then demanding. The kiss tasted of fire and ash, of possession and promise. She melted into it, surrendering to the devil she should have feared.
Somewhere, far away, Damian's vow still echoed in the night.
But in that moment, Elena knew only one truth.
She was Adrian's.