The silence in the room had become unbearable after my confrontation with Kaelis.So when the guards announced that the training grounds were free, I accepted without hesitation. I needed to release the fire burning inside me.
The grounds lay in the northern wing of the castle: an open courtyard surrounded by columns, its stone floor worn down by countless duels. The dawn air was cold, still mingling with mist, and the torches crackled along the walls, casting long, trembling shadows.
Selene and Kaelis followed me. It was ironic — two betrothed, as different as night and day, now standing as witnesses to what I was about to reveal.
"Are you sure about this, Nyx?" Selene asked, a trace of worry in her deep blue eyes.
"Yes." My voice was steady. "If I don't learn to control this, it will consume me."
Kaelis crossed her arms, one brow arched."Then prove you're not just a monster playing with powers she doesn't understand."
Her words cut deep, but they also ignited something in me.
I inhaled slowly, letting the mana flow through my veins. My left eye — violet with silver flecks — flared like a beacon. My right eye — crimson and pulsing — throbbed with hunger. The shadows beneath my feet stretched outward like tentacles, slithering across the ground.
Kaelis drew two black daggers from her belt. Her movements were sharp, trained."I'll attack without holding back. If you survive, maybe I'll start to believe in you."
"Kaelis!" Selene's voice rang with indignation.
"Let her," I murmured. "I need this."
The clash began.
Kaelis lunged at me with feral speed. I raised my arm, and as if answering my will, a wall of shadow surged from the ground, blocking her blades. The impact echoed through the courtyard, the stone floor trembling beneath the force.
She recoiled for an instant, startled, then spun and slashed in a swift arc.
The shadows answered again: two whips of darkness lashed out, coiling around her arms and halting her strike. But Kaelis was no weakling. With a growl of effort, she tore free, breaking the bindings with sheer physical strength.
"Interesting…" she muttered, rushing at me once more.
The hunger inside me swelled. Each time my right eye burned, I could feel Kaelis's blood pounding in her veins, calling to me. I clenched my teeth, fighting not to lose control.
"Nyx, stop!" Selene cried, stepping between us. Her eyes brimmed with anguish. "You don't need to prove anything to her. You're already stronger than they believe."
I panted, shadows writhing around me like restless beasts. Slowly, I lowered my arms, forcing them to dissolve. The courtyard fell silent, broken only by the crackle of torches.
Kaelis slid her daggers back into their sheathes, her gaze never leaving me."You don't control your power. But… you're not as weak as I thought."
It was the closest thing to a compliment I would ever get from her.
Selene, in contrast, stepped close and gently took my hand."Promise me you won't let the hunger consume you," she whispered.
I squeezed her fingers, knowing full well that promise would be the hardest one to keep.