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Chapter 34 - Chapter Thirty four

The academy bells tolled faintly in the distance, but Elena barely heard them. She sat curled on a velvet couch in Adrian's private chamber, still reeling from the night's chaos. The flames, the shadows, the sound of Damian's voice echoing like a curse—it all haunted her.

Adrian stood by the tall windows, his back to her, gazing at the moon that hung pale and heavy in the sky. The silver light outlined his figure, making him look less human, more like the dark force he truly was.

"You're too quiet," he said at last, his voice low.

Elena pressed her hands together. "I… I'm just trying to understand. Damian wasn't like that before. He—he was kind."

Adrian's shoulders stiffened. Slowly, he turned, his crimson eyes catching the moonlight. "Kindness doesn't last in this world. People either learn to fight… or they break. Damian broke."

She flinched at the coldness in his tone, but before she could reply, he crossed the room and sank to one knee before her. His hand cupped her face, tilting it up. "I won't let you break, Elena. I'd burn the world down first."

Her breath caught. The way he said it—like it was a sacred truth—made her both tremble and ache.

"Adrian…" she whispered, but her words faded as his thumb brushed her lip.

For a moment, time stilled. Shadows curled around the edges of the room, responding to his rising aura, yet his touch remained gentle. Protective. Possessive.

Meanwhile, far from the academy, Damian stumbled through the ruins of an abandoned shrine. His steps were heavy, his body aching, but his fury burned brighter than his pain.

He fell to his knees before the cracked altar, his hands digging into the dust. "Why?" he rasped, his voice breaking. "Why do you get everything, Adrian? Why does she look at you the way she used to look at me?"

His words dissolved into a hollow laugh. His eyes glowed faintly, red streaks veining across them.

A presence stirred in the shadows of the shrine. Ancient. Hungry.

"You seek strength," a voice whispered, curling around him like smoke. "You seek to take back what was stolen."

Damian froze, his heartbeat pounding. "Who's there?"

The voice laughed softly. "An ally. One who knows the Devil's Son. One who has waited for the day he would make enemies."

Damian's hands trembled. Fear should have rooted him in place. But the image of Elena clinging to Adrian—his Elena—blinded him. "Tell me what I need to do."

The shadows thickened, pressing against his skin like chains. "Then you must give what remains of your humanity. In return, you will gain the power to shatter him. To tear him from her arms."

Damian closed his eyes, the last shred of doubt flickering in him. He thought of Elena's laughter under the oak tree, her smile when she'd thanked him for helping her. He thought of how that smile now belonged to Adrian.

When he opened his eyes, they burned scarlet. "Take it. Take everything."

The shrine pulsed with darkness. Symbols ignited across the walls, glowing faintly. The voice deepened, satisfied.

"Then rise, Damian. No longer a boy. No longer her senior. But a rival to the devil himself."

As shadows surged into him, Damian screamed, his body convulsing. But through the pain, a grin split his lips. He could feel it—the strength, the hunger, the power to finally claim her.

Back in Adrian's chamber, Elena jolted, clutching her chest. A strange, cold shiver ran through her, as though someone had whispered her name in the dark.

Adrian noticed instantly. He caught her hand, pressing it against his heart. "What is it?"

Her lips trembled. "I… I don't know. It felt like… someone was calling for me."

Adrian's jaw tightened. His shadows stirred, restless. He didn't need to guess. Damian was moving again.

He kissed her palm softly, his eyes burning with a promise. "No one will take you from me. Not even fate."

Elena swallowed hard, torn between fear and the dangerous comfort of his words.

Somewhere beyond the walls, Damian's laughter echoed in the night.

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