Chapter 351: _Never Be Like You

Elian’s POV

*****

[WARNING: External energy corruption detected.]

[Host is advised to let go of core before—]

‘You think I won’t if I could?!’ Elian snapped, feeling every cell in his body simmer like he was about to explode. ‘The wards… it’s as if someone is sensing me trying to split them.’

[Garrick?]

There was only one way to find out.

Around him, he could sense how every piece of magi-tech powered by the primary core shut down. He could faintly hear Lucian yelling out his name.

Slowly, he snapped his neck to the Alpha King, reaching out with a telepathic spell. ‘I’m okay. I’m not sure yet but it appears Garrick figured out what we’re doing. And is fighting back.’

Lucian’s face paled. ‘Garrick? Elian, get out of there!’

‘But you said you believe in me. That I could do it.’

‘That’s before I found out that maniac might be aware of our move right now. Elian, please—’

“I won’t let him win this.” Elian shook his head, that divine silver light flaring in his eyes again. “And fuck, I came up with this idea to begin with. Only right that I go through with it.”

“Elian, wait—!”

Elian didn’t listen, pressing his palms harder against the core’s cold surface. Blue lightning bolts snaked out of it, making every hair across his body stand on end.

He ignored it as images of the palace wards rushed through his mind’s eyes again.

‘There they are.’ He bit his bottom lip, calling out his mana. ‘I can’t use brute force alone for this. I have to—’

‘Elian.’

His entire being stiffened instantly.

That voice wasn’t Lucian’s.

And it certainly wasn’t Kyren’s.

The familiarity that came with hearing it—that warmth in his chest. That invisible safe bubble around him. The only sense of normalcy he’d had within these same palace walls… before the bastard revealed what he truly was.

‘Garrick.’ Elian’s mental voice was pure venom. ‘You’ve got some mother fucking nerves entering my head this way. And more for thinking this is going to distract me in any way

Sure enough, the bastard son of the Stormborns responded. ‘Elian, you know you don’t mean any of that.’ A pause. ‘Deep down you know you miss me. You want what we shared before—’

‘Before you ripped my heart to shreds?’ Elian snorted. ‘No thanks, Axel, Garrick or whatever you’ve called yourself through the centuries.’

‘Look at you now,’ Garrick didn’t give up that easily. ‘Struggling. Fighting a battle that was never yours.’

‘It has ALWAYS been mine.’

‘Really?’ Garrick cooed. ‘Elian, this is all about crushing the people who cast me out. All those centuries… away from my family. My people. Thinking I was nothing but a worthless reject simply because I was a result of my father’s sin with a woman who wasn’t his mate.’

‘Save your horse shit sob story for someone who gives two fucks.’

‘A part of you wants to listen,’ Garrick chuckled. ‘You and I are so alike, Elian. It’s why I grew so fond of you. Despite knowing my true goals I let myself get distracted by YOU.’

‘… Good for you?’

‘How can you dine, sleep and stay with them? These people spat on you for years. They called you weak. Laughed at you. Pushed you to the very edge over and over again like you were nothing but a dog meant to take it all.’

‘Stop it.’

‘You’ll never be one of them. They’ll always see you as different—whether as an omega or the soul of their fallen goddess.’

‘Just fuck off already.’

‘I was the first one to ever knot you.’

‘And you’ll forever be a disgusting creep for that, by the way.’

‘I’m the first to love you. Truly love you. Not the sorry bandages to injuries that fake Alpha king has been giving you to make up for all the times he—’

Something finally snapped in Elian.

Something ugly.

Another burst of energy exploded from his chest, this time illuminating the entire room until even Lucian was forced to shield his eyes.

Suddenly his mind began racing through every rune that made up the wards. Like a supercomputer, he downloaded every vital use for each ward.

[SYSTEM SKILL ACTIVATED.]

[System possession… unlocked.]

The system took root in his brain, helping him integrate millennia of careful magi-tech coding in a few seconds. A smirk curved the corner of his lips.

He could see them now.

Weak spots in the corrupted wards.

Spots that he could attack.

Garrick seemed to notice the sudden shift. ‘W–What are you doing?’

‘Showing you why we will NEVER be the same.’ Elian gloated. ‘You hide behind the power of Amara Redthorn. I’m living, breathing divinity. With or without the divine crystal or anyone’s fucking opinion. Especially yours.’

The moment those thoughts landed, the core lit up with its former intensity. Then it magnified, blending with the silver light his body emitted.

A ward shattered.

And another.

And then another.

One by one different wards around the Lunarian palace crumbled like they never existed. It first started with the ones linking the palace ward system to the underground connections.

Then the destruction climbed higher.

‘You fool!’ Garrick sneered in his head.

The bond linking them pulsed with a pain too real for comfort. Elian bit back tears, unable to ignore the feeling anymore.

“One more thing,” he mumbled out loud. “The bond between us was never meant to exist.”

Garrick’s fear shot through him like it was his own. ‘Y–You can’t possibly be thinking about—’

“By the power of my divine soul!” Elian boomed. “I, Elian Ashford, reject you—Garrick Ironclaw—as my fated mate. The bond was a mistake. And today I break it. Forever!”

At first nothing happened.

Until an unbearable pain struck his chest, making blood spill out of the corner of his mouth. He rasped, his fingers trembling on the core as he felt one of the three bonds tug violently.

‘No!’ Garrick screamed right when the bond snapped into two.

Two cords… forever separated.

Soon relief replaced the pain, so much so that Elian’s knees wobbled.

“Fuck. Why couldn’t I do that all this time?” He asked himself weakly right when his vision began blurring at the corners.

The last of the palace wards flickered once before fading away.

“Elian!” Lucian yelled, rushing to him the second he fell backwards. The Alpha King wrapped him in his arms, cradling him until they were on the floor. “I’ve got you.”

Elian groaned, blinking at that stupidly handsome face. He subconsciously raised a hand, brushing his fingers over his jawline.

“I–I did it.”

The primary core’s light dimmed completely. Then in its place, the secondary core awakened, restoring power to the palace and all its magi-tech.

Lucian let out a laugh that sounded far too close to a relieved sob.

For several seconds he simply held Elian tighter, one hand buried in his hair while the other remained firmly around his waist like he was afraid the omega would suddenly vanish if he loosened his grip.

“You absolutely terrified me.” He muttered.

“Sorry.”

“You’re not sorry.”

“Okay, maybe I’m not.”

That earned him a light flick against the forehead.

“Ow.” Elian chuckled weakly.

Only then did Lucian finally pull back enough to properly look at him.

His relief lasted all of three seconds.

Then his brows furrowed. “Wait.”

Elian blinked. “What?”

Lucian reached forward.

His fingers brushed against the front of Elian’s hair.

The omega frowned before grabbing a loose strand and bringing it into view.

Immediately he froze.

“Oh.”

Even more streaks of silver now ran through his blonde hair. Not enough to dominate the colour. But enough to be impossible to miss.

For a beat neither of them said anything.

Then Elian groaned. “Fantastic.”

Lucian snorted. “What?”

“I survive getting mentally assaulted by Garrick, nearly explode from divine overload and somehow end up aging like a stressed father of five.”

The Alpha King barked out a laugh.

Elian joined him shortly after.

The tension that had nearly suffocated the room moments ago slowly melted away.

Eventually, Lucian’s smile softened.

His eyes lingered on the silver strands. Then on Elian himself.

“Did you really do it?”

Elian tilted his head. “Do what?”

“Break the bond.”

The amusement faded from both their faces.

Elian lowered his gaze to his chest. Even now he could still feel where the bond used to be.

Or rather… Where it wasn’t anymore.

“I think so.”

“You think so?”

“I know I did.” He corrected himself. “I just don’t really understand how.”

Lucian waited patiently as Elian swallowed.

“When I was connected to the core… I suddenly felt it.” His fingers curled slightly. “The bond between myself and Garrick.”

A pause.

“Not as something natural. But as something… created.”

Lucian stiffened.

“What are you saying?”

Elian slowly lifted his head. “I think my soul made it.”

The Alpha King stared. “What?”

“When I got reborn,” Elian explained quietly. “I think some part of me was desperately looking for familiarity. Stability. Something that connected me to my old existence.”

His voice softened.

“And Garrick aka Axel happened to be there.”

Realisation dawned across Lucian’s face. “The bond wasn’t fate.”

“Not entirely,” Elian admitted. “At least that’s what it felt like.”

His lips curved slightly. “Maybe my soul created it subconsciously.”

Lucian looked genuinely speechless.

Which was saying something.

Breaking a mate bond was already considered impossible.

Creating one?

That bordered on absurd.

And yet… This was Elian.

Somehow the impossible followed him around like a loyal puppy.

“You continue proving you’re more capable than the rest of us combined.” Lucian finally said.

Elian rolled his eyes. “Please don’t inflate my ego any more than it already is.”

“I mean it.”

Their gazes locked, neither looking away. Then Lucian leaned forward.

Elian met him halfway.

Their lips brushed together gently. Just enough to remind each other that they were still here.

Still alive.

Still together.

A sharp chime suddenly cut through the moment, drawing a sigh out of Lucian.

“Of course.”

His communication bracelet flashed urgently.

Reluctantly he activated it.

The face of a palace soldier appeared above the device. And gods above, the man looked terrified.

“My king!”

Lucian immediately straightened. “What happened?”

The soldier’s breathing came fast and uneven.

His eyes flicked somewhere off-screen.

Then back to Lucian.

“We’re under attack.”