Chapter 147: _Daddy’s Home Now Elian’s POV
[Wake up you dramatic twink.] His eyes jolted open when he heard the system’s voice. He scanned his eyes around and realised soon that he was lying on the floor, his head throbbing with a skull-splitting headache. After a few seconds, his memories of what happened began flashing through his mind like a flood. The hooded man. Kyren teleporting him out of the bakery. And then— "Search the vicinity for anyone who was injured!" A familiar voice yelled out a command behind him just then, forcing him to sit up and turn his head around. A man with ashen hair and a full body in black armour pointed at other soldiers, directing them at a building that was up in flames. Elian’s eyes widened with realisation when he saw the smoke and red flames billowing into the sky like some burnt offering. "Kyren..." He muttered under his breath, but then the ashen-haired man whipped his head to him, squinting. Oh, that was Farrell. "Someone get the king’s mate to safety!" He barked out, and immediately, two men grabbed Elian from behind gently, helping him slowly to his feet.
[Wake up you dramatic twink.] His eyes jolted open when he heard the system’s voice. He scanned his eyes around and realised soon that he was lying on the floor, his head throbbing with a skull-splitting headache. After a few seconds, his memories of what happened began flashing through his mind like a flood. The hooded man. Kyren teleporting him out of the bakery. And then— "Search the vicinity for anyone who was injured!" A familiar voice yelled out a command behind him just then, forcing him to sit up and turn his head around. A man with ashen hair and a full body in black armour pointed at other soldiers, directing them at a building that was up in flames. Elian’s eyes widened with realisation when he saw the smoke and red flames billowing into the sky like some burnt offering. "Kyren..." He muttered under his breath, but then the ashen-haired man whipped his head to him, squinting. Oh, that was Farrell. "Someone get the king’s mate to safety!" He barked out, and immediately, two men grabbed Elian from behind gently, helping him slowly to his feet.
His heart beat was dangerously slow and breathing felt like a chore as his body fought hard against the symptoms of the bond severance.
’Kyren!’ he called out through the mate bond but there was no response yet again.
Fuck, this couldn’t be happening.
"Easy, boy." One of the soldiers slung his arm around his waist, as they guided him toward a large black aether craft, turning him away from Farrell and the burning building.
The street was almost empty of people now but he could still pick up distant murmurs and panicked yells coming from different buildings.
"K–Kyren..." Elian repeated, this time with a strained voice. "Where is he? Where’s the rogue king?"
[Fruitcake, you need to listen to the hot men in uniform and take it easy. Your heart beat is unnaturally slow.]
His breath hitched at that moment, his vision blurring at the edges as he dragged his feet on the ground.
Until—
"Get your paws off him within the next couple of seconds or I’ll melt your faces into the pavement." A domineering voice thundered from the clouds overhead, causing the men to freeze.
They immediately let go of Elian, leaving him to stand on his own. He gasped at first but then slowly raised his head, staring with parted lips at the figure descending like a god of darkness.
Kyren.
His silhouette was pitch black from that distance but his eyes glowed with a bright crimson light, his white hair floating like clouds around him.
Elian placed a hand over his eyes while the two soldiers began stuttering.
"M–My lord, forgive us." One of them began, his voice shaky. "Commander Farrell said we should take your mate to safety and we were—"
. "Save it," Kyren grunted when his legs touched the ground, landing only a few feet in front of Elian. "Daddy’s back now."
His lips curled into a smirk as Elian scrutinised him with disbelief.
Apart from a black scorch mark on his right cheek that didn’t even seem too severe... The Rogue king was completely fine.
Sure, his white hair was stained with ash and his eyes seemed like he’d fought a war, but Elian had never felt like running into his arms more than he did now.
"Kyren." His eyes stung as he rushed to him, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest when he moved.
He fell into his strong arms, feeling the cold touch of his full body armour and managing to find warmth in it.
Warmth in him.
"Goddess, I thought I lost you." Elian croaked, his breath shuddering as he looked into his eyes. "What happened in there? Is he... Is he—"
"The man wearing my father’s face?" Kyren arched a brow, wrapping his right arm around his waist before stretching out his left arm.
Suddenly, a flash of red light flickered in his fingers before something unnervingly gory appeared in his grip.
A freshly severed head with thick blood dripping out of its stump.
Elian’s nose scrunched at the pungent metallic smell but Kyren was stoic as he continued speaking.
"There he is. And just like I suspected, he’s a witch."
Elian nodded slowly, looking away from the bloody head and trying his best not to throw up.
Fuck, just how many horrors did he have to be faced with daily?
"The curse should wear off since he’s dead." Kyren continued, his eyes flaring with a deeper shade of red just then.
That caused the head to light up with red flames quickly, the popping sound of fire licking flesh and blood grating Elian’s nerves.
"But now he’s gone I only have one question... How did he know my father’s face? And why did I almost believe him for a second?"
Within seconds, the head went from fresh to baked crispier than Elian’s favourite steak meal... Before finally turning into nothing but ash that blew into the wind.
[Well... Add that to the list of red flags. Able to turn a fresh head to barbecue while casually monologuing like some MC.]
Elian’s face flushed with heat as Kyren brought his left arm back to his waist, helping him stand properly. The rogue king used his fingers to wipe off the tears that streaked his face before smiling brightly.
"You’re not saying anything," Kyren whispered, forcing Elian to get self-conscious as he glanced around.
He placed his fingers firmly on the taller man’s shoulders, blinking with hesitation.
"Uhm... I mean." Elian struggled to gather his words, swallowing hard. "You did mention that your father could be the leader of the Dark Hand. Do you think he set this witch up to come mess with you?"
[Good save, fruitcake.]
’Shut it...’
"I don’t know about that but I do know one thing." Kyren’s expression darkened all of a sudden as he slowly brought his eyes to the bakery.
The fire had stopped, but the building was reduced to nothing but soot and ash on the ground. Black armoured soldiers gathered around it and pulled out civilians from the smoke.
"The Dark Hand and Arcadia are connected somehow." Kyren continued, his jaw tightening. "If that’s the case... This, plus the attack on the border, is more than an act of war. And if it’s war they want, they’ll get it. In abundance."