Chapter 53

VALERIA’S POV They couldn’t see it, but I had already cast an invisible protective barrier around myself. The power hummed softly beneath my skin, a shield fueled by my resolve. No matter what they tried to do to me now, their weapons would never touch me. I stood still, my chin raised, as Dimitri barked orders to the guards. The two men positioned themselves behind me, their whips in hand. I could hear the leather snapping against the air as they tested their weapons, but I didn’t flinch. “Begin!” Dimitri commanded, his voice sharp and commanding, cutting through the tense silence. The first lash came down, the whip slicing through the air with a loud crack. I braced myself out of instinct, but when it landed on my back, there was no pain. Nothing. The barrier absorbed the force completely. Another lash followed, harder this time, but again, there was no pain, no sting, no burning sensation on my skin. I stood tall, my expression calm, and my body unflinching. The murmurs began almost