Chapter 254: The Hunted

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The Hunted

Lucian stared at the screen of his communication device. He pressed dial.

BZZZT... BZZZT...

The call connected almost instantly.

"Lucian?!" Rose’s voice was frantic, raw with a mixture of relief and fear. "Oh my god, Lucian! You’re alive! I’ve been calling you for two days! I thought... I thought the worst had happened!"

Lucian smiled softly, leaning against the wall of the hotel room. "Rose, calm down. I’m alright. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I was... unconscious for a while."

"Unconscious?!" Rose’s voice cracked. "What happened? I heard about the attacks on the Knights’ bases! I went to the beach house, Lucian. It’s gone. There was nothing left but a crater and ashes. I thought you were dead!"

Lucian’s expression softened. He could hear the genuine terror in her voice, the sleepless nights she must have endured. "Rose, listen to me. I’m fine. I’m alive. The beach house is gone, but it’s just a house. I can always buy another one."

"Just a house?" Rose let out a shaky, incredulous laugh. "Lucian, you loved that beach house."

"It’s just property," Lucian said gently.

There was a long pause on the other end. Then, Rose’s voice came back, quieter, more hesitant. "Lucian... where’s Clara? Is she with you?"

Lucian’s smile vanished. His jaw tightened, and his eyes grew cold. The silence stretched for several seconds.

"Lucian?" Rose’s voice was trembling now. "Where is Clara?"

"She was taken," Lucian said, his voice flat and hollow.

"Taken?!" Rose gasped. "By who? What do you mean, taken?!"

Before Lucian could answer, another voice cut in on the line. "Who took her, Lucian?"

It was Iris.

Lucian closed his eyes, picturing the purple-haired woman and her overwhelming aura. "A purple-haired lady. She appeared out of nowhere. She had an aura that was... beyond anything I’ve ever felt. She took Clara and disappeared."

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end. Then, Iris spoke again, her voice deathly quiet.

"A purple-haired lady," Iris repeated slowly. "Lucian... a purple-haired lady came to our facility in Germany two days ago. She took Ryan. She just walked through our defenses like they were made of paper. We couldn’t stop her."

Lucian’s eyes snapped open. His mind raced, connecting the pieces. So she took Ryan too. That confirms it. This has to do with their bloodline. Their mother... their origins.

"I figured as much," Lucian muttered, his voice grim.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, her voice shaking.

"The woman didn’t seem like an enemy," Lucian explained, choosing his words carefully. "She didn’t try to kill me. She just... incapacitated me and took Clara. And now she’s taken Ryan too. This has to be connected to their bloodline. Their mother, maybe."

Iris’s voice crackled through the speaker. "Lucian, what are you talking about?"

"I don’t have all the answers yet," Lucian admitted. "But I will find her. I will bring them back."

"Lucian..." Rose’s voice was trembling. "I’m scared. What if... what if we never see them again?"

Lucian’s expression hardened. "We will. I promise you, Rose. I will tear apart the heavens if I have to. But right now, I need you both to stay calm and stay put. I’m coming to Paris. We’ll figure this out together."

There was a brief pause. Then, Rose’s voice came back. More solemn.

"Lucian... there’s something else you need to know."

"What is it?"

"You’re being hunted."

Lucian’s blood ran cold. "What?"

"It’s all over the news," Rose said, her voice heavy with dread. "Your face. They’re saying you’re the inside man. The traitor who betrayed the Knights of the Horizon to the Dark Order."

Lucian’s mind went blank. "That’s... that’s insane. I would never—"

"I know!" Rose interrupted, her voice cracking. "I know you wouldn’t! But the evidence they’ve shown... it’s damning, Lucian. Someone has gone to great lengths to frame you. They’ve released doctored footage, forged documents, everything. The World Government has issued a kill-on-sight order. The Knights, what’s left of them, are hunting you. And the Dark Order... they’re hunting you too."

Lucian’s fist clenched, the veins in his arm bulging. His aura flared unconsciously, a faint crimson haze seeping from his body.

Lemora, who had been standing quietly by the door, stepped forward. "It must be my mother. She’s using her connections within the Dark Order to frame you. She wants you isolated, hunted, with nowhere to turn."

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked, her voice small.

Lucian took a deep breath, forcing his aura to settle. "I’m coming to Paris."

"Lucian," Iris’s voice cut in, "that’s suicide. The whole world is looking for you. If you show your face in public, you’ll be swarmed."

"Then I won’t show my face," Lucian said, a dark smirk forming on his lips. "I have ways of moving unseen. Trust me."

There was a long pause. Then, Rose’s voice came back, steadier now. "Alright. We’ll wait for you in Paris. But Lucian... please be careful."

"I will. I’ll see you soon."

He ended the call and turned to Lena, who had been listening silently from the bed. Her expression was a mixture of worry and stubborn determination.

"Lena," Lucian said, his tone firm. "I need you to go back to the Church of Dawn."

"What?!" Lena’s eyes widened. "No! I’m not leaving you!"

"Lena, listen to me," Lucian said, stepping closer and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You’re injured. Your soul is still recovering. And now that I’m being hunted, staying with me is the most dangerous thing you can do. The Church of Dawn is neutral territory. You’ll be safe there."

"Safe?" Lena scoffed, pulling away. "Lucian, you’re about to walk into a warzone! That’s exactly why I should be with you! I can help!"

"You can help by staying alive," Lucian said, his voice softening. "Lena, I just found you again. I can’t lose you. Not again. Please. Go back to the Church. Get stronger. And when I’ve cleared my name and found Clara, I’ll come for you. I promise."

Lena stared at him, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. She opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. She knew he was right. She hated it, but she knew.

"Fine," she whispered, her voice thick. "But you better not die, Lucian. Or I’ll bring you back just to kill you myself."

Lucian laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "Deal."

He released her and turned to Lemora. "What about you? You could go with Lena. The Church would offer you sanctuary too."

Lemora shook her head, a determined smile on her face. "I’m not leaving you. My mother is the one who did this. I have a responsibility to help you stop her."

Lucian studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But you follow my orders. No heroics."

Lemora grinned. "No promises."

Lucian sighed, grabbing his coat. "Let’s go."