Omega Ascension System[BL]

The Beta’s plasma sabre fell from his grip, deactivating and leaving nothing but the hilt when it landed on the marble floor. [Ooops! Warning! Kyren is leaving the 200-foot radius required to keep the Bond Resonance active. You have about thirty seconds to make a move with what you’ve got.] Elian frowned. ’Make a move like what? I don’t even have a mana core, talk less of knowing how to use Kyren’s magic.’ [Exactly, fruitcake. You don’t need a mana core because it’s not your magic you’re trying to channel. You’re channelling 10% of Kyren’s. And as for a spell...] "You’ve become a pest to the Dark Hand." The witch’s words snapped Elian from his line of thought, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He locked his gaze on the witch who had his right hand raised, his fingers twitching with a sickly green light as Axel was raised into the air by the tentacles until he hit the ceiling. "I’ve done nothing but keep my head low all this while!" Elian snapped, stepping backwards toward the nearest window. He didn’t dare shift his gaze away from the witch as he continued. "What changed? Why am I suddenly such a big ’pest’ that the Dark Hand or whatever wants to annihilate me?" His body quivered with nervousness while his fingers tingled with ten per cent of Kyren’s magic. [You might not be able to cast a spell but your instincts should guide you enough to send a blast of energy to disorient the witch... Except there’s one problem with that.] Elian glanced up at Axel, his jaw clenching when he saw the green tentacles wrapping around his face as he struggled and kicked. [Axel can’t know about you using magic, and if you’re striking this witch, he should be dead at the end of it.] Dread filled Elian as he straightened his back, snapping his neck while the witch chuckled coldly in response to his last question. "Oh, you don’t need to worry about that." The witch grinned, raising his free hand, causing the breeze in the room to pick up pace. "I’m simply following orders." Elian snapped. "Orders from who?! Who’s behind this organisation? Arcadia?" The witch sniggered. "The Dark Hand is much bigger than anything that Evaros has to offer. And apparently... So are you." Horror surged through Elian when he heard that last part. Did he... Did the Dark Hand know about the system? [Blast the bastard, gods damnit! Kyren is ten seconds away from leaving the 200 feet needed for the Bond Resonance.] Elian’s muscles snapped into gear as he clenched his fists, trying to keep himself from getting distracted by Axel’s struggles and muffled yells pressed against the ceiling. But right when he was about to prepare what should’ve been a blast of mana— A burst of red smoke filled the room, the spreading point beginning from right in front of him. Elian went into defense, raising his arms and shielding his eyes as the thick red smoke engulfed the entire room, leaving him unable to see. Crap! [ALERT! Familiar mana source detected. Bond Resonance with mate #3 strengthening.] Wait... Strengthening? Does that mean— "You must be the most unfortunate being in all of Solara to dare attack my mate while I breathe in this palace." A deep voice, reverberating with power and authority, boomed through the room just then. Elian didn’t need to think twice to realise who it was. Kyren! The sound of Kyren’s voice alone sent a shiver down Elian’s spine. It was low, rumbling, threaded with that same primal weight that had made even his kiss feel like a battle for survival. The red smoke thickened, swallowing the room in its choking haze until Elian couldn’t even see his own hands in front of him.

The witch hissed in response, his tentacles writhing like maddened serpents. "You! Rogue King." A loud crack split the air, followed by the thunderous shatter of marble. Elian flinched as the floor shook beneath his feet, but then... [Ohhh, here it comes. Boss fight cinematic mode activated.] He blinked furiously through the haze, his bond resonance sparking like a live wire in his chest. His veins felt molten, his heartbeat syncing with Kyren’s. That oppressive energy bled into him until his bones felt too small to hold it all. Elian gritted his teeth. He couldn’t afford to lose control here. Not when Axel was dangling like prey and Kyren’s presence pressed on him like a storm. Through the swirling smoke, flashes of crimson ripped like lightning. Kyren’s strikes were quick, his raw magic weaponised without hesitation. Tentacles snapped apart, their shrieks filling the air as the witch desperately threw up force shields. But Kyren was relentless, his figure a phantom in the smoke. Every movement was sharp and efficient. Like a predator toying with prey. [Well, this isn’t much of a battle, huh? More like Kyren doing his usual: ruining lives in five easy steps.] Elian’s breath hitched when the red fog finally began to thin. The shapes inside sharpened, revealing the witch slammed against the far wall, his body pinned by an invisible force. His limbs strained uselessly, pressed back so hard that the marble behind him cracked. And standing in the centre of it all was Kyren, his long white hair whipping in violent currents behind him, serpentine strands thrashing as though alive. His eyes glowed a merciless crimson, narrowed with cold authority. Elian’s stomach dropped at the sight. That look... those eyes... they weren’t just dangerous. They were perceptive. Kyren turned slowly, his gaze falling directly on him. And for the briefest moment, Elian swore that glint wasn’t just battle-rage... it was suspicion. Panic jolted through his chest. No. Heck no! If Kyren caught even a hint of what he’d just done—of the Bond resonance—if he connected that with the flicker of crimson Axel had already seen earlier... [Welp. Time to panic. Let’s rehearse your lines for: "I swear I’m not secretly leeching your power, please don’t murder me."] ’Shut up!’ Elian forced himself to look away, pretending to focus on Axel instead. The Beta was still suspended in the writhing green tentacles, his muscles straining as he tried to break free. His face was red from the lack of air, teeth clenched tight around muffled sounds. "Release him," Elian snapped, his voice shaking more than he wanted. Kyren didn’t move, though the witch groaned under his invisible grip, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "I will release no one until I have my answers," Kyren said flatly. His voice carried an ancient weight, completely unyielding. He turned back to the pinned witch despite Elian’s stunned look. "You entered Lunaria’s palace. How?" The witch spat blood, grinning despite it. Kyren’s eyes narrowed further. "Who is your leader? Who granted you access?" His tone dropped into a growl. "Did someone aid you from within these walls?" The witch only chuckled, a sound bubbling with blood and defiance. Kyren’s lip curled in disgust. "Stubborn and proud like all of your kind. No wonder I despise witches." Elian’s gaze flicked helplessly toward Axel, whose struggles weakened with each passing second. The tentacles wrapped tighter around his chest, his legs twitching with desperate jerks.

"Kyren, please!" Elian cried out, his voice cracking. Kyren’s grip on the witch didn’t falter, but his attention slid toward Axel briefly. It was then, in that split-second lapse, that the witch twitched his fingers and then made a barely audible snap. But Elian felt it... the surge of mana, cold and sharp, rushing outward like an uncoiling viper. The air warped as a sigil burned briefly into existence in the centre of the room, lines of green light crawling outward like veins. [Oh, lovely. That’s a mana bomb. Super casual, totally safe. Everyone say goodbye to your eyebrows.] Elian’s scream caught in his throat. But before the explosion could rip through them, Kyren’s arm swept upward. A translucent crimson dome erupted around them, curving into a force field that enveloped Elian, Axel, and himself. And then... the bomb detonated, sending a powerful blast that forced Elian to shut his eyes tightly, his teeth gritting. The sound was deafening, the world around him collapsing into a roar of shattering marble and rupturing air. Elian’s body was hurled backwards onto the bed, his ears ringing and his vision flashing white as air left his lungs in a strained gasp. [I guess this calls for a dramatic Cliffhanger...]