Chapter 18 - Shaped in Darkness

Seraphina POV

My body was about to fail. I knew that. But what pushed me forward was not the fatigue. It was the memory of what I had to lose. I lifted my head, took a deep breath, and advanced.

The lights suddenly went out. Complete silence.

I knew what Lucian wanted. He wanted to force me to act without seeing, to respond to the chaos. He wanted to see if I could fight in the dark, not knowing where the next blow would come from. I felt fear creeping in, but I pushed it away. I knew there was no time for that.

Silence. And then, a movement. The sound of footsteps.

The figure appeared, and I attacked. Every move was marked by the need to respond to uncertainty, to control what I couldn’t see. I hit, knocked down, fought. My body was exhausted, but my mind was focused. I had no choice.

The training continued, a series of simulations, a test of physical and mental endurance. Every attack I struck, every reaction, brought me closer to the only answer I sought: Edward.

When the lights came on again, I was standing, covered in sweat, scratches, and bruises. The pain was constant, but the feeling of victory was greater. Lucian evaluated me, his expression impassive, without surprises, but something in his gaze shifted. Approval? Maybe. But he wasn’t satisfied yet.

“You didn’t break. Not today,” he said, with a slight smile. “But that’s not enough. The real world won’t be kind. You need to be more.”

I knew Lucian was pushing me to my limit, forcing me to understand that none of this was enough. Edward’s rescue would not be an easy task. But I was closer to being prepared for the rescue.

Sweat dripped down my face, mixing with the dust from the training field. I felt the pain in every muscle, in every bone of my body, but there was no space for rest. I couldn’t afford to stop. Not until Edward’s rescue was a success. The mission was far from easy, and with each exercise, Lucian pushed me beyond my limits. I knew I was being shaped, forged into a weapon. And I had to be perfect. There was no other option.

“Again,” Lucian ordered, his voice as sharp as a blade. His eyes were relentless, fixed on me, watching every movement, every breath.

I didn’t hesitate. I stood up, my muscles heavy, but the will to save Edward drove me forward. I knew every second of training brought me closer to my goal, to freeing him from the enemy’s grasp. No matter how much my body screamed for rest, I had to be strong, stronger than any adversity that might arise.

The mafia members watched in silence. They were all there to test me, to see how far I could go. They weren’t just spectators; they were instructors and potential adversaries. Each one had something crucial to teach me. They knew what was at stake as much as I did.

“You failed, Seraphina,” Lucian said, his gaze hard. “Repeat it. You’re getting closer to the goal, but there’s still much to be done.”

I knew I wasn’t doing enough. He wanted more. He wanted me to be faster, more relentless. Every movement had to be perfect. Every mistake was a failure that could cost Edward’s life. The weight of that responsibility was becoming heavier, but I couldn’t yield.

I ran through the sequence in my mind, and with the strength I had left, I advanced again. Every blow I struck seemed to take me closer to my own destruction, but also brought me closer to saving Edward. And that was the only thing that mattered.

Sweat dripped down, my fists were sore, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t allow myself to fail. Not while he was still out there, trapped, at the mercy of enemies who didn’t know the strength of his will. The strength that I carried within me, now forged by every drop of sweat, by every grueling training session.

“Now, run,” Lucian ordered, his tone impersonal, almost cold. “Run until you can’t take it anymore. And when you think you can’t continue, run a little more.”

I knew what he wanted. He didn’t just want to see how far I could go physically. He wanted to see how far my mind could resist. He wanted to break any trace of weakness, any hesitation. He wanted to know if I could endure the impossible.

I ran, my feet pounding against the ground with force, my breath growing more and more difficult. My legs burned, and my lungs felt like they were about to explode. But I knew I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t yield. Edward depended on me. It wasn’t just a matter of physical strength, but of mental endurance. Every step I took brought me closer to my mission, closer to rescuing Edward. I couldn’t afford to fail.

When I looked back, I saw Lucian following me, his relentless gaze fixed on me, challenging me to keep going. He didn’t feel the pain I felt. He didn’t know what it was like to fight against the very body that begged for rest. But he knew what was at stake. And he wouldn’t let me fail. Not until I was more than enough.

“Faster!” He shouted. “You’re dragging yourself, Seraphina. If this were real, he’d be dead while you drag yourself around.”

His words cut through the air, like sharp knives. He was pushing me to the limit, testing my endurance, challenging me to go beyond everything I thought I knew about my own limits. I knew I was failing, but I couldn’t let that defeat me. I knew he was right: if this were real, Edward would be dead. But that wouldn’t be the end. I would do the impossible to bring him back.

When my legs started to give out, when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, an inner strength propelled me forward. I couldn’t fail. Not now. I kept running, even when it seemed like my feet weren’t responding. I knew what was at stake was bigger than any pain or exhaustion.

Finally, when I couldn’t maintain the pace anymore, my knees buckled and I fell to the ground. My breath was ragged, my body weak, but I knew I couldn’t afford to rest. I knew Lucian was there, watching, waiting for me to surrender. But I wouldn’t surrender.

“Get up,” Lucian ordered, his voice as cold as steel. “You’re far from ready. Get up and keep going.”

With difficulty, I rose. Every movement was a battle against exhaustion, but I couldn’t stop. I knew he wouldn’t allow me to quit. He wanted to see how far my determination could take me. And I was willing to go to the end.

—

When the training intensified, Lucian placed me in a simulated battlefield. The terrain was full of obstacles and traps, all designed to test my ability to react in extreme situations. I was exhausted, my body covered in sweat and dirt, but the mission still hadn’t been completed.

“You’re here to be unbeatable,” Lucian said, his voice slicing through the air like a blade. “It’s not just about strength. It’s about control. Now, show me that you have control.”

I knew that what was at stake was more than any training I had done so far. The mission to rescue Edward wouldn’t just be a matter of physical skills, but also of mental resilience. I would have to face the unknown, the surprise, and still remain calm and precise.

The lights suddenly went out. The training field was swallowed by darkness.

Fear tried to invade my mind, but I pushed it away. I knew what Lucian wanted. He wanted to see me act in the dark, not knowing what was ahead. He wanted to test my ability to react to uncertainty.

I remained still, trying to adjust to the darkness. I knew that any movement could put me at risk. So, when I heard a quick whisper, I prepared to act. An attacker appeared in front of me, and I instinctively ducked, delivering a quick and decisive blow.

But I knew more were coming. The sound of footsteps approaching indicated that the battle had only just begun. Every movement I made was calculated, instinctive. I was at my limit, but something inside me refused to yield.

I kept going, fighting, attacking, defending, not letting fear take control. When the lights came back on, I was standing, panting, my body covered in scratches and bruises, but with one certainty: I had overcome the challenge.

Lucian appeared before me, his impenetrable gaze focused. He evaluated me for a long moment before speaking, his voice low, almost surprised.

“You... didn’t break. Not today,” he said, with a slight smile. “But don’t be mistaken, Seraphina. This is still not enough. The real world is much crueler. And you still have much to learn.”

I knew he was right. I wasn’t ready. But I also knew that he was preparing me for what was to come. And if it depended on me, I would do anything to save Edward.

\---

The next night, after an exhausting day of training, Lucian approached me. He looked at me with a deep, calculated gaze, as if measuring every word he spoke.

“You have to understand one thing, Seraphina,” he began. “Edward’s rescue will not just be physical. It will be mental. You’ll enter a minefield, with risk at every step. You can’t hesitate. There’s no room for failure. You need to be more than a fighting machine. You need to be unbeatable.”

He paused, fixing his eyes on me.

“Are you ready for what’s to come?”

I knew what he wanted to hear. I knew that for him, the right answer was always the same. I couldn’t doubt myself anymore. I had to be stronger. I had to be more than he expected.

“Yes,” I said, my voice firm, without hesitation. “I’m ready.”

At that moment my phone vibrates with a message from Isolde, I pick it up to look. "Eh... Lucian..."