CHAPTER 33: _RUN. NOW!

Elian’s POV

*****

His ears rang with a sharp ding sound that definitely didn’t come from the system. Smoke, ash and dust filled the air, causing him to cough as he glanced around him.

The laser beam had not only hit but managed to shatter the sturdy crystalline glass wall, levelling the ground where their table once was.

Wait... How’s he alive?

Axel...

Elian’s heart skipped a beat when he realised Axel had his right arm wrapped around his body while they were on the ground. People screamed and ran for their lives in the restaurant, trying to get to safety.

Axel... He’d shoved Elian and then shielded him with his body right before the blast hit.

"Axel? Axel?!" Elian patted him repeatedly, his heart pounding heavily as he struggled to crawl out of his hold.

Axel’s clothes were ripped, exposing his back which was now scarred with a black burn mark from the blast. Elian’s eyes quivered with fear but he wasn’t about to give up.

[Mate #2 is still alive but the same can’t be said about you if you don’t get up quickly.]

A shaky gasp left his lips as he looked out of the crystalline wall again. People outside were either shifting away from the restaurant or watching with confusion and worry.

But right there... On top of one of the floating platforms where Aether crafts and other hover vehicles drove, stood a man whose face was covered with a blue hoodie.

The floating platforms were about twenty meters above the ground and the vehicles on that particular platform still moved seamlessly.

The man... He held an obsidian laser gun which still pulsed with a dark blue light.

He was about to make a shot again!

"Shit!" Elian cursed breathlessly, grabbing Axel and gritting his teeth. He managed to get on his feet and pulled the Beta toward his left just when another blast was fired.

It missed them by literally a few inches, sending dust and rocks billowing every which way and making Elian lose his grip on the Beta.

Fortunately, that seemed to get Axel to regain consciousness. The Beta gasped, his chest heaving heavily as his eyes flicked around.

Meanwhile, Elian was evaluating his chances.

[The laser gun seems to take time to cool after each shot. Approximately fifteen seconds each time.]

[You have twelve seconds before the next cool off. Grab the Beta and head to the counter fifty meters behind you. You can hide behind it until the guards get a hold of that lunatic.]

Elian moved quickly, placing his right hand on Axel’s chest before helping him get on his feet, slinging his arm around his waist.

However, the Beta let out a growl, gently pushing Elian away from him.

"I’m fine. Go hide and stay down." Axel said with a firm tone, his eyes glinting with a bright light as he turned his gaze back to the gaping hole blown through the glass wall.

Elian blinked speechlessly, his gaze lingering on the black burn mark on Axel’s back. His golden shirt was literally hanging by threads at this point.

"A–Axel, you’re hurt..." He stuttered but Axel continued moving forward, his hands curling into fists.

The Beta looked over his shoulder. "And you’re not, Elian. I’d like to keep it that way. So run. Now!"

[Two seconds until cool off! If you don’t move your ass right now I can’t guarantee your safety.]

Elian jolted, turning around and running toward the large ash coloured counter at the other side of the restaurant. People were still scampering around like headless sheep, a few bumping into him as he struggled to get to the counter.

Sweat dropped down his face, sticking to his clothes and mixing with the ash and dust that already clung to his body like a second skin.

He was getting closer to the counter now. Just a few more metres.

Seeing this, he glanced back while still running just in time to spot Axel’s normal-looking golden blazer morphing into sleek golden and blue armour.

The armour glitched a bit when it got to the burn on his back, but eventually covered it, leaving the Beta fully suited.

Axel crossed his arms into an "X" shape, leaping into the air and blocking another blast that seemed like it was aimed at Elian, who was still moving.

"Watch where you’re running!" A man snapped just then, forcing Elian to bring his head back to the counter’s direction.

The man in question shoved him aside, probably intentionally or probably not, causing Elian to fall to his left, crashing on a table with food and drinks.

The content on the food and drinks spilt all over him, dripping down his blonde white hair. He groaned, rubbing his temple.

[Could’ve warned you but you’re safe at this point.]

Asshole!

Elian’s eyes trailed back to the other side of the restaurant, watching Axel land effortlessly on the ground after blocking that last blast.

Dust and ash spread around him, but he didn’t wait another second, running out of the building through the hole made in the glass wall and then leaping into the air like a missile, heading for the floating platform where the assassin was.

’Who the fuck is that guy anyway?’ Elian thought to himself as he slowly got on his feet, dusting his clothes.

His gaze landed on the fingers of his right hand— he almost got spooked out when he saw something red on them. But turns out it was just some red sauce.

He licked it off his fingers as the system ran some evaluations.

[Most likely an assassin. But based on the weapon of choice, it’s definitely a high-grade one. My calculations tell me he’s been tailing us since you got out of the palace. Probably got insider info that you were heading out.]

Insider info?

Elian’s mind reeled, his eyebrows furrowing.

Suddenly, a few royal guards all donned in golden armour began trooping into the building, helping people who were injured or struggling to head out.

Fortunately, it seemed there were no casualties.

But still...

"Who the fuck is the insider?" He asked himself with a low tone, his eyes dimming as he walked toward the gaping hole on the glass wall.

He already had a good guess on who it was and he didn’t like it one fucking bit.