The corridors of the House stretched endlessly before Adrian, walls shifting subtly as though breathing. Every step echoed against cold stone, yet the echoes carried more than sound—they carried desire, whispers of indulgence, promises of power, and threats of ruin.
Cassia's hand remained tightly clasped around his. Her warmth grounded him, though her pulse raced as fiercely as his own. "Adrian," she whispered, her voice almost trembling, "wherever this goes, I won't let them… I won't let it take you."
Selene floated beside him, her crimson gown brushing against the floor, her presence commanding, intoxicating. Her gaze never left his face, every glance a challenge, every brush of her hair a provocation. "Do you understand, Adrian?" she asked softly. "Every choice you've made is temporary. You resist now, yes—but the hunger is patient. I am patient. And I always get what I want in the end."
Adrian pressed his fingers to his chest, where the mark throbbed faintly. The shard's pulse had slowed, but it did not sleep. Its hunger whispered beneath his skin, tugging at his thoughts, twisting desire and fear into one indistinguishable thread.
He staggered, gripping the wall for support. "I… I can't let it consume me. Not completely. I… I have to stay myself. No matter what it wants."
Selene's smile curved, slow and deliberate. "Ah, defiance. So delicious, and yet so fragile."
The corridor opened into a vast chamber, circular and dimly lit by floating, ethereal lanterns. Shadows clung to the edges, writhing and coiling like living smoke. At the center, a single pedestal rose from the floor. Upon it rested a crystal chalice, glowing faintly, liquid inside shimmering like liquid fire.
Cassia gasped, eyes wide. "That… that's it? That's what it wants?"
Selene's lips parted in a smile that was more hunger than amusement. "It is not what they want. It is what it wants. The shard hungers, Adrian. And this… is your trial."
The chamber seemed to pulse with anticipation. The walls themselves whispered, soft and sibilant: Drink. Feed. Give yourself fully.
Adrian swallowed hard, sweat running down his temples. The chalice called to him, not with words, but with sensation—a tingle against his skin, a heat behind his eyes. Every nerve in his body screamed for surrender.
Cassia stepped in front of him, hands pressed to his chest. "Don't even think about it," she said, voice sharp, trembling. "You don't need this. You're stronger than this hunger. You don't have to feed it to survive."
Selene's eyes glittered. "Do you hear her, Adrian? She fears your power. But power cannot be denied forever. And you will want it. I can teach you to wield it… to let it burn through you without burning you down completely."
Adrian's heart pounded as his hands clenched into fists. Desire and fear collided inside him, tugging, twisting, making his pulse race. He wanted to resist. He wanted to cling to Cassia. He wanted… Selene's heat, her power, her fire.
The shard pulsed in answer, deeper now, stronger, feeding off every conflicting thought, every shiver of hesitation. Its voice was inside his skull now, a whisper threading through his mind: Drink. Taste. Take it. You know you want to.
Cassia pressed her forehead against his chest. "No," she whispered fiercely. "You're not theirs. Not Selene's. Not the shard's. Not anyone's. You're still yourself. Stay with me, Adrian. Stay human."
Adrian's knees shook, caught between fire and light, power and restraint, lust and love. He staggered forward, toward the pedestal, toward the chalice.
Selene's hand brushed against his arm, sending heat through him like lightning. "Yes… just a taste," she murmured, voice low and sultry. "Let it flow through you. Let me show you how intoxicating it can be."
Cassia's nails dug into his shoulder. "No! Don't listen to her!"
He froze, vision blurring, as the shard's hunger roared in his veins. His body trembled, sweat coating his skin, heat flooding his chest. He wanted to resist… and he wanted to surrender.
The pedestal seemed to pulse, responding to his hesitation. Shadows crept closer, wrapping around the edges of the chamber, curling toward him like fingers of smoke.
The shard whispered again, louder now: You are hunger. You are fire. You are the storm itself. Drink and become more than human.
Adrian's breath came in shallow gasps. His fingers hovered over the chalice. One inch, one small sip… and he could feel it. Ecstasy, power, fire coursing through him, all-consuming, making him everything at once.
Cassia's voice pierced through his haze. "Adrian! Don't! Please! Stay with me!"
Selene's whisper, brushing against his neck like silk: "Only a taste… and you'll see how magnificent it feels. You'll be unstoppable. You'll belong to no one but yourself, fully alive."
The chamber seemed to tilt, reality warping. The chalice glowed brighter. Shadows writhed, the air thickening with tension, lust, and promise. The shard's pulse beat in his chest, demanding, insistent.
Adrian stumbled back, tears streaming down his face, body quivering with the effort of restraint. "I… I won't… I can't…"
Selene's voice dropped to a murmur, low and intimate, brushing his ear. "You can. I know you can. I can feel it in you."
Cassia's grip tightened, trembling but resolute. "Then do it for you, Adrian. Not for her. Not for the shard. Do it for you."
Time seemed to stretch. His pulse, the pulse of the shard, the pulse of Selene's breath, Cassia's heartbeat — all intertwined, building toward a single, overwhelming climax of sensation and choice.
And then… Adrian pulled back. Not from weakness, but from clarity. He let the chalice fall from his trembling hands; it shattered against the floor, liquid fire hissing as it vanished.
The chamber trembled. Shadows recoiled. Selene's eyes widened in disbelief, lips parting, a flicker of something raw and furious crossing her features.
Cassia pressed herself against him, tears streaming, relief burning hot. "You did it. You're still you. You didn't let it take you."
The shard throbbed inside him, furious now, insistent, but it could not breach the line he had drawn. For a moment — brief, fleeting — he was free.
Selene's gaze softened slightly, almost awe. "Clever… but remember, Adrian. You delay the inevitable. The hunger waits. And I will not forget."
Adrian leaned into Cassia, every inch of his body trembling. The shard's hunger was still there, simmering, waiting for the moment he faltered. But for now, he had chosen. He had resisted. He had survived the Feast's Trial.
The chamber fell silent. The House exhaled. And in the distance, Adrian knew, new whispers were forming, promising that the shard's hunger was far from satisfied, that new trials would come, and that one day, even his strength might fail.
But for now… he had Cassia. He had himself. And that was enough.