CHAPTER 268: _WELCOME HOME, MOON BLESSED

Elian’s POV

*****

’System... Details. Pronto!’

[Scanning...]

[Ooop. There’s a huge disturbance in space-time out there. Feels similar to the remnants of the space-time rift you and the others found in the forest.]

[And yeah... Huge amounts of Dark mana and Alpha aura are being used. From mate #3 and he who shall not be named.]

Shit.

"The city is under attack!" Councillor Morwen lowered her fingers from her forehead after receiving a telepathic message. "The obsidian tower’s wards are working... But the attack doesn’t seem targeted here at all."

"That’s because it’s not an attack." Elian pulled away from Lucian’s comforting hold, stepping forward.

The soldiers had all gotten to their feet now, some of them checking their communication devices.

"... It’s a battle." Elian completed, locking his gaze on the High matron herself.

The latter still had her face hidden by her hood and the light surrounding her. But for some reason, Elian could feel something wrong about her. About her reaction, even if it was hidden.

Whether she felt threatened or hesitant, he didn’t know.

"How are you sure it’s a battle?" Morwen raised a brow but then waved under the same breath. "There’s no time for this. The power I felt just now belongs to a transcendent core mage..."

She paused for a beat, her expression hardening. "... And there’s only one I know who’d want to attack the capital of Arcadia."

Elian swallowed hard.

That was a clear jab at Kyren.

[A clear fucking hit. Babes, try reaching him through the mate bond or something.]

Gods, if he were unconscious, he could just send his consciousness through the bond directly to wherever Kyren was. But that was risky. Especially now.

"Soldiers!" Morwen yelled, pointing at the parked sky crafts. "Head out. Assist the others out there in keeping the citizens safe. The tower holy mages will join you soon."

Holy? The brainwashing with these people was insane!

As the soldiers followed her instructions, boarding their sky crafts, Morwen turned to the High Matron. She bowed. "Your grace, you need to head into your chambers. We can’t risk—"

"The Rogue king won’t be able to harm me." The High Matron’s tone was confident. Almost condescending. "Reach out to Councillor Icarus. Tell him to direct thirty per cent of the Central Runic core’s energy into securing the tower."

Morwen froze.

Elian had no idea what most of that meant—but he had a feeling it wasn’t all that good.

"Your... Your grace." Morwen stuttered. "The Central Runic core is the city’s main power source. If we allocate such a large amount of energy... Many of the floating buildings could collapse."

Oh... That’s why it didn’t feel good.

Elian glanced at Lucian whose expression remained tense.

Behind them, the Arcadian soldiers had already begun flying out of the courtyard through their sky crafts. The sky above the dome still burned with red fire.

[Looks like daddy death is on demon time. The amount of magic he’s using—]

’Makes me wonder how powerful Garrick is to make Kyren expend so much.’ Elian’s chest tightened.

"The Rogue King can not be allowed to breach the tower, councillor." The High Matron’s tone was neutral. Cold. "He can’t be allowed to unravel our secrets. Do as I’ve said. Hopefully, we can apprehend Kyren before the city begins collapsing."

Morwen frowned. "Hopefully?"

"Morwen." The High Matron’s light spiked, forcing Elian to cover his eyes.

Her voice was slicing and final.

"Do not make me repeat myself."

Elian watched through squinted eyes as Morwen contacted Councillor Icarus, stepping away from them. When she was done, she stretched her right hand out.

With a swipe of her fingers in the air, a shimmering blue portal opened up in front of her.

"Icarus is working on the Core." She glanced at the High Matron. "The other councillors and I will face the Rogue King."

A shiver ran down Elian’s spine when he saw her walking through the portal which sealed up the next second.

"Come on..." He grabbed the ruby necklace. Kyren’s necklace. Closing his eyes slightly, he whispered his name. "Kyren. If you can hear me somehow, you’re in trouble. Please, get—"

"Such hubris." That ancient voice chimed through the courtyard. "Contacting your mate. Our enemy. While he’s attacking our capital."

Elian’s jaw tightened. He swerved his head to the high Matron, briefly forgetting the fact that she could possibly annihilate him with a wink.

"Haven’t you inflicted enough bloodshed?" He asked, ignoring Lucian’s stunned blinking. "Really. The rogue wolves in the Dark Lands did nothing. Yet you’ve plagued them with a war no one wanted."

The High Matron made a mocking sound. "The Dark Lands never belonged to them."

"It never belonged to anyone!" Elian snarled, his voice trembling around the edges. But still firm overall. "That’s the bloody point. It was ever only a land for mining resources until YOU witches cursed the land with your experiments. If anything, Lunaria should have claims too."

This wasn’t his anger alone talking.

He could feel it.

The bond Resonance skill was active, sharing Kyren’s emotions with him. His rage. His bloodlust. The slow descent of his mind into something dangerously close to insanity.

All of it bled through Elian right now. Too much.

"Such bold words from a young boy." The High Matron tilted her head, still sounding plain as ever. "You haven’t scratched the surface of a century, Omega. You’re clueless. This war is beyond you."

"Elian," Lucian grabbed his arm from behind. He glanced back at the Alpha Prince’s softened eyes. "Let’s go. If Kyren is truly fighting Garrick... Gods, I can’t believe I’m about to say this. But we need to help him."

[Goddess, I think I’m going to cry.]

Elian’s face lit up with a small smile. For a moment, the overwhelming emotions he felt from Kyren dissipated like smoke.

All he could feel was gratitude that Lucian could think about helping. Gratitude that—

"Gods, this is pointless." The High Matron’s voice suddenly shifted.

From ancient, sweet to the ears and almost motherly. To a cruel, demeaning, bone-chilling Eldritch horror.

[Holy descriptions, fruitcake.]

Elian whipped his head to her but before he could make any moves, she flicked her right wrist. Lucian gasped, pushed backwards by an invisible force until he was forcefully hung midair.

"Lucian!" Elian took a step but then froze.

A pressuring force descended on him, restricting his limbs and stealing the air from his lungs. Even his bones gave way, making him lower his back.

"There’s no use hiding now that we’re alone." The High Matron took slow steps forward. "Welcome home. Moon blessed."