The night was quiet, broken only by the faint crackle of power fading from the scroll in Adrian's hand. The assassins lay motionless around him, their bodies proof of the battle that had just taken place.
Adrian stared at the scroll, his breath heavy, his grip firm. The glow along its ancient runes dimmed slowly, but the memory of the strike—how naturally it had flowed through him—still lingered in his body.
Selena's voice broke the silence. "That power… it wasn't normal cultivation. What did you do?"
Adrian closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. Not what I did, he thought grimly, but what the scroll allowed me to do.
"I didn't do anything," he said at last, his tone steady. "The scroll… it responded."
Selena's eyes widened, her lips trembling as though she wanted to say more. Instead, she lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening at her side.
Adrian felt it again—a faint echo, a whisper brushing against his mind. It wasn't words he could understand, only a feeling: power, vast and endless, calling to him. For a heartbeat, he nearly let it in. But then he clenched his jaw and shut the scroll tightly.
"No," he muttered under his breath. "I won't be ruled by power. I'll use it—but it won't use me."
Selena looked at him in surprise. For the first time since meeting him, she saw not just defiance, but a quiet strength, the kind of will that even the heavens might not bend.
Adrian turned to her, his expression sharp. "The Rael family wants this scroll badly. That means it holds a secret they fear. And I intend to uncover it—without losing myself."
Selena hesitated, then nodded. "Then… I'll stand with you. Whatever this scroll is, whatever it awakens… you won't face it alone."
Adrian allowed himself a small, rare smile. "Good. Then let them come. No shadow, no family, no betrayal will stop me."
But even as his words echoed in the room, deep within the sealed scroll, the faintest hum pulsed again—like a heartbeat waiting to test the limits of his resolve.
---
📌 Author's Note:
Adrian stood firm this time—💪 he won't let the scroll twist him! But do you think he can keep resisting its whispers forever? Thank you again for helping me reach 2k+ views—your support pushes me to keep writing! 💙