Episode 16: The Price of Power

The church on Blackwood Street stood silent, the shadows stretching long as the final preparations for the ritual were made. Raven, her eyes dark and calculating, paced back and forth near the altar. Clara stood in the center of the room, her arms slightly outstretched, her breath shallow, as the power within her swirled like a storm about to break.

Adrian watched from the shadows, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Clara—Clara—was on the verge of something he had spent centuries trying to avoid. This dark power that Raven was coaxing out of her... it would consume her if she let it.

“I should’ve stopped this,” Adrian whispered to himself, stepping out from the corner of the room, moving closer to Clara.

Raven’s sharp eyes flicked toward him instantly. “Adrian,” she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “I didn’t think you had the courage to show your face again.”

Adrian ignored her, his eyes fixed on Clara, whose expression was unreadable, her face lit by the flickering candlelight. There was something different about her now—a distance, a coldness that hadn’t been there before.

"Clara," Adrian said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "You don’t have to do this. Whatever it is Raven’s promising you—it’s not worth it. Please, come back with me. We can leave. We can leave all this behind."

Clara’s eyes flickered briefly, but she didn’t speak. Her lips were pressed tightly together, her gaze locked on the altar. It was clear to Adrian that she wasn’t hearing him—not fully. Raven had already begun weaving the dark magic around her, slowly pulling her deeper into this dangerous world, and it was all Adrian could do not to run toward her, to tear her away from the ritual.

Raven smiled, sensing Adrian’s frustration. "You’re too late. Clara has already made her choice. She understands the power she holds now. She doesn’t need you, Adrian. She doesn’t need anyone but herself."

Adrian felt a surge of anger, the feeling of helplessness burning inside him. This wasn’t Clara anymore. It couldn’t be. This was something darker, something twisted.

But he couldn't bring himself to leave her. The years they had shared, the trust they had built—it wasn’t something that could be erased by Raven’s promises or the pull of dark magic. She was still in there, somewhere, he had to believe that.

Clara finally spoke, her voice low and steady. "Adrian… I’m not the person I was when I met you. I’m not your project, your charity case. I’ve always been a part of this world. I just couldn’t see it before."

Adrian’s heart cracked at her words. She really believed that.

Raven took a step forward, placing a hand gently on Clara’s shoulder. “She’s right, Adrian. She’s no longer the girl you tried to protect. She’s the woman she was meant to be. And she doesn’t need anyone to define her.”

Adrian’s gaze flicked between the two of them. He could see it now—the subtle way Raven was twisting Clara’s perception, fueling her insecurities, making her feel that her worth lay in this dark power. He had to act quickly, before it was too late.

"Clara," Adrian said, his voice trembling with desperation. "This isn't you. This power—it’ll consume you. Raven doesn’t care about you. She just wants to use you to get what she wants. You’re not some weapon, some tool for someone else’s ambition."

For the briefest moment, Clara's expression faltered, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Adrian seized the opportunity, stepping closer. "Remember who you are. Remember the love we shared, the trust we built. You're more than this power. You’re stronger than you think."

But Raven’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Don’t listen to him, Clara. He’s manipulating you. He’s always tried to control you, always tried to make you into something you’re not. He’s afraid of the power you hold.”

Clara’s gaze turned back toward Adrian, and for a long, agonizing moment, Adrian didn’t know what she was thinking. Was she going to choose Raven? Was the bond they once shared truly gone?

"I’ve spent too long hiding from who I am," Clara said, her voice suddenly steely. "I’m done hiding, Adrian. And Raven’s right—this is who I’m meant to be."

The finality in her voice hit Adrian like a punch to the gut. She had made her choice, and there was no turning back. The woman he loved was no longer the same person. Raven had won.

Adrian felt a surge of bitterness and heartbreak that threatened to choke him. He had fought so hard, had sacrificed so much, only to see Clara walk away—walk right into Raven’s arms.

“You don’t understand,” Adrian’s voice cracked. “You’re being used, Clara. Raven doesn’t care about you. She doesn’t care about any of us. She wants power, and she’ll destroy anyone who gets in her way, including you.”

Clara looked down, her hand trembling ever so slightly as she took Raven’s. "I can handle it, Adrian. I’m not afraid anymore."

Raven’s lips curled into a knowing smile as she pulled Clara closer. "She understands now, Adrian. She knows what she is."

Adrian’s heart ached with every word, every movement they made together. He couldn’t watch this happen—not without doing something. He wasn’t just going to stand there and let them destroy her, let them destroy everything he had ever cared about.

In one fluid motion, Adrian reached for the dagger hidden in the folds of his coat, his hand steady despite the turmoil inside him. He wasn’t going to let Clara fall into Raven’s trap, not without a fight. He had spent centuries keeping his darkness in check, but now, with Clara slipping further away, the darkness inside him threatened to break free.

“No,” he muttered under his breath. “I won’t let you.”

Raven’s smile faltered as she saw the glint of the dagger in Adrian’s hand. "You think you can stop this? You think you can stop her from becoming what she was always meant to be?"

Adrian’s grip tightened around the hilt of the blade. “I’m not going to let you destroy her. Not like this.”

But even as he took a step forward, Clara’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Stop.”

Adrian’s heart stopped. She was looking at him again, but this time, there was no flicker of doubt. No hesitation. Just cold resolve.

“This is my choice, Adrian,” she said, her voice firm, unwavering. “You can’t protect me forever. I need to do this for myself.”

Adrian froze, the dagger trembling in his hand. A cold, numbing silence hung in the air as the truth of Clara’s words sank in. She had made her choice. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t change that.

He dropped the dagger to the floor, the sound of metal hitting stone echoing through the church like a death knell.

“I’ll always love you,” Adrian whispered, the words breaking free from his throat as his heart shattered.

But Clara didn’t answer. She just stood there, her hand firmly in Raven’s, as the ritual began.

And Adrian, broken and defeated, turned and walked away—knowing that he had lost the only thing that had ever truly mattered to him.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***