Elian’s POV
*****
[Warning! Survival probability: 45%... 42%... The Umbra beast is close, fruitcake. Really close.]
Elian swallowed hard, his fists curling beside him as he watched Lucian lift Aurora off the ground.
The princess kept on sobbing, her face buried in her palms.
anwhile, people in the bar began gossiping, as expected.
"You heard what she said? Her mate died." A woman whispered with pity.
"She looks like she’s in so much pain."
"That’s how it is for the Lunarian royals. Their bloodline prevents them from rejecting their mate unlike the rest of us. And if they die... The pain can’t be compared." A man who sounded like he’d had too much to drink chid with a belch.
Elian swallowed hard, his eyes falling on his right ankle which was still covered by his pants. But underneath it, the phantom ache still swelled with a bone-chilling cold that made him numb.
He couldn’t take it anymore...
"A–Axel?" Elian swerved his head to Axel, who was still sitting, staring at Aurora with worry. The Beta shook his head, his golden eyes flicking to him.
Seeing this, Elian drew in a breath before continuing. "I think the Umbra beast left sothing behind on my body when it... When it wrapped its tentacle around my ankle earlier."
The more he spoke, the more slurry his words felt.
Suddenly, his eyes beca hazy, his head swirling like he was going to pass out.
[Crap... That’s not good...]
"Elian?" Axel instantly noticed sothing was wrong and got to his feet, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You don’t look so good."
He didn’t feel so good either!
Elian leaned close to Axel’s body, trying to avoid a scene bigger than what Aurora had already done.
"P–Please, take back to our room." Elian pleaded, resting his head on Axel’s shoulder at the sa mont that Lucian finally got to them with Aurora.
"She’s had too much to drink," Lucian explained, blinking at Aurora with a frustrated expression mixed with worry in his eyes.
"I didn’t drink much!" Aurora snapped, her face still streaked with tears as she pulled away from Lucian’s hold. Her right hand was over her mouth as she croaked. "I... I just want my Magnus back. I want my mate back."
She took a step back but then her face twisted with pain as she gasped, clutching her chest again.
The loss of the bond was really doing a number on her.
Seeing her like that made Elian subconsciously glance at Lucian who tried holding her again.
Would he feel the sa pain if Prince Douchebag died?
Or would it be even worse?
Or would Lucian be the one most affected?
[Yes... Maybe... And yes! Focus, fruitcake! That mark on your ankle is ssing with your bodily function which shouldn’t be the case. Unless...]
Elian’s brows furrowed.
Unless? Unless what?
"Elian." Axel placed his right hand on his waist just then, bringing his mind back to reality. "You said the Umbra beast left what on your body?"
Lucian overheard that and frowned. "The Umbra Beast?"
Elian parted his lips, about to say sothing... But the words died in his throat when a cold shiver ran down his spine like a bad on.
[Warning: Survival probability at 20%. Goddess, I finally get what’s happening. The mark isn’t just a beacon. Rember, I said it’s also a—]
"Tether," Elian whispered, his jaw clenching.
Suddenly, the lights in the bar flickered once, causing everyone to glance around wearily, a tense silence stretching out.
Elian just stood there with pure dread, staring shakily at a confused Axel and Lucian.
"It’s here." Was the last thing he said before five darkness tendrils sprouted from the ground around him, acting like a cage of sorts.
Darkness spread around a ten-ter radius of Elian before the darkness tendrils plunged downward at him.
"Elian!" Lucian yelled out, but just when he took a step forward, Axel had already drawn out his golden plasma sabre, the weapon lighting up with a blinding light.
[Warning: Survival probability is at 5%! And that’s an extrely shaky five per cent.]
Elian closed his eyes, not just out of fear... But out of overwhelming acceptance.
Maybe this was how he’d die in his second life.
He didn’t know if the moon goddess would give him a third chance but at least he—
Those words were cut short when a strong force hit him from the side, forcing him to open his eyes.
He was pushed away from the darkness tendrils which pierced the ground he was standing on barely a second ago like blades.
Ti seemingly froze as he caught a whiff of that familiar scent, his gaze landing on Axel, who was already attacking the dark tendrils with his plasma sabre.
It was a musky scent with pine and... Incense.
The mont his eyes widened with realisation and he felt the strong arms wrapped around his body like an armour, he landed on the ground several ters away from the darkness tendrils with a heavy thud.
A pained groan left his lips, his eyes focusing on the "strong force" that had pushed him out of the way.
Lucian.
"You okay?" Lucian asked with a rasp, his hot breath hitting Elian’s face as he scanned his body with his eyes, his body hovering over him.
When Elian saw the worry in the Alpha Prince’s silver eyes, his heart swelled with warmth... But that was for only a mont.
"Goddess have rcy!" A custor scread, finally breaking the terrified silence of the crowd in the bar.
Like a domino effect, people didn’t think twice before scrambling for safety, screaming, shoving each other by accident or intentionally... While all were trying their hardest to avoid the dark tendrils surrounding Axel.
One woman fell so hard on a table that it crashed, the wine bottle on it shattering with a nerve-wracking sound.
Elian watched all this with dread, snapping back to his senses. He shifted from underneath Lucian, bringing his hands to his right ankle.
"What are you—" before Lucian could complete those words, Elian pulled up his pants, revealing a symbol in the shape of a small black claw which was throbbing with a black light.
"Bloody..." Lucian cursed under his breath, stiffening. "Is that...?"
"I’m guessing the Dark Hand!" Elian said in a panic, bringing his hand to Lucian’s face. "And that’s not all. This mark is a tether for the umbra beast. As long as it’s on it’ll always be able to appear through ."
No sooner had he said that than the mark on his ankle throbbed once... then black veins shot up his leg, crawling toward his chest.
Elian’s face twisted with horror, his scream tearing through the chaos in the bar.
[Warning: Survival probability... ZERO.]
The system’s voice cut out, leaving only the hiss of shadows closing in.
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