Chapter 362: _Ending The Fear That Has Ruled Evaros

Elian’s POV

*****

“Here we are, boys.” Lucian breathed, head swerving to Elian as their sky craft breached past cloudy night skies. “Welcome to Veilastra. Again.”

Elian didn’t know when he held his breath, his fingers curling tightly against his knees. It’s been two days since Lunaria and the Dark Lands officially joined forces for one massive attack on Arcadia.

After much arguing, Elian got Lucian and Kyren to let him follow the troops infiltrating Arcadia’s capital. He and Lucian had been to the Obsidian Tower.

They’ve FELT the ancient magic coursing through its expensively polished walls and impossibly high ceiling.

Together they’d be perfect in leading the strike to capture the Central Runic Core as discreetly as possible.

Of course, at first, Lucian thought it was madness allowing Elian anywhere near the frontlines of this war. But… well—

“The sky craft’s exterior is still cloaked.” Elian rose to his feet, spinning around to face the high-tier soldiers sitting quietly behind them. “Remember—we have one shot at doing this. If they get even a fraction of suspicion of our presence, the plan goes to smoke, and we give Arcadia an avenue to tighten security.”

He paused, drawing in a deep breath when his pulse quickened at the thought. “We HAVE to make this work. The capital has to crumble to its fucking feet tonight.”

[Okayyy, war general.]

Ignoring the system, Elian shot Lucian a look. The Alpha king neither did nor said anything, simply gazing at his omega with nothing but pure pride.

With reddened cheeks, Elian pulled his attention back to the soldiers. “Soldiers of Lunaria… ready your weapons. Tonight we’re not just freeing the Dark Lands.” He pivoted back to the screens showing the view outside. “We’re ending the fear that’s ruled Evaros for centuries.”

The soldiers answered with grim cheers, gripping their weapons tighter.

Elian’s gaze shifted to Lucian. “Alright, so remember the plan—”

“Look at you.” Lucian interrupted with a cheesy grin. “Taking charge of my soldiers far better than I could when I was Alpha Prince. You even got them riled up.”

Those words made Elian lower his head, the back of his ears heating up. “Lucian, can you not—”

“Heck, you’ve got me riled up.” The Alpha King king got up, the lights in the craft bouncing off his golden and silver full-body armour. He fondled Elian’s face, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I want to kiss you so badly right now.”

Elian stood petrified, torn between lust and embarrassment when Lucian began leaning closer. Just when their lips were inches away from each other… the Alpha King pulled back.

“If I kiss you now, I’ll be distracted for the rest of the mission.” He chuckled despite himself, eyes struggling to look anywhere else but Elian’s lips. “So you owe me once this is over, sweet buns.”

The omega smirked through his violent blush. “Looking forward to it… King Douchebag.”

“Hey! I thought we were way past that horrid nickname?”

“Nah. It’s got an upgrade instead.”

Both men eventually pulled away, Elian clearing his throat. He caught a few of the soldiers either grinning or pretending not to notice the shameless display between the two.

After a while, the craft landed on a suspended dock for Arcadian crafts responsible for transporting weapons and arcane materials to the Holy mages of the Obsidian tower.

Elian remembered the spot from the last time he and Lucian were here. It was one of the places he witnessed Kyren’s attacks obliterating.

The system had helped collect those memories and explained perfectly what the place was.

A minute later, a hidden hatch beneath the craft opened. The soldiers, Elian and Lucian, rolled out one by one, taking cover within the craft’s large shadow.

The docks had soldiers patrolling, already rebuilt so perfectly that no trace of Kyren’s previous assault remained.

Three Arcadian soldiers approached the Lunarian craft just then, one of them whispering.

“What section of the Obsidian tower is this craft designated to?”

‘Now’s our cue.’ Elian told Lucian and the others telepathically, his eyes igniting with a vicious light. ‘Remember… make sure they don’t scream.’

He darted out first, a blade made of silver light appearing between his fingers.

.

.

Aurora’s POV

*****

While Elian and her brother attacked the heart of the witches’ kingdom, an army led by the Lunarian Princess, Seraphyne and Delta Reina infiltrated a major city through the seas.

Thessan—the Kingdom’s prized hub of arcane knowledge and known to house some of the most ancient covens on the continent.

While Seraphyne and Delta Reina led the ground troops, capturing civilians and battling the Arcadian soldiers, Aurora led an aerial attack on the city.

The princess wore a black and gold full-body armour, runic lines running from her limbs to her chest. Her silver hair was tied up, her expression stern as she rose from her seat in a battleship’s command centre.

“Your Highness.” A soldier yelled from the ship’s controls. “We’re over the city’s main portal gate now.”

“Fire.” Aurora’s command rang through the command centre without the slightest hesitation.

The soldier at the controls slammed both palms onto a glowing runic console.

“Plasma cannons charging!”

Outside the battleship, massive compartments beneath its hull shifted open with a deafening mechanical groan. Blue-white energy gathered within enormous cannon barrels, humming louder and louder until the entire ship vibrated.

“Target locked!”

Aurora’s silver eyes never left the projection screen. “Now!”

BOOM!

Three concentrated beams of plasma erupted through the night, streaking across the skies before crashing directly into Thessan’s colossal portal gate.

The explosion swallowed half the district.

Ancient runes shattered like glass, sending fragments of glowing stone raining over the city while the gate itself buckled before collapsing completely into molten rubble.

“Direct hit!” Another soldier shouted. “Portal signatures are disappearing one after another!”

Before Aurora could respond, her communication necklace lit up.

“Aurora.” Seraphyne’s voice crackled through it between distant explosions. “Ground forces reporting in. We’ve secured the eastern districts… and we’ve destroyed every communication centre we could locate.”

Aurora released the breath she’d been holding. “Excellent. Keep pressing forward.”

She ended the transmission before climbing the staircase leading onto the battleship’s upper deck.

Cold wind greeted her immediately.

From here, the entirety of Thessan stretched beneath her.

Smoke curled into the heavens from burning towers. Soldiers clashed in the streets while terrified civilians fled in every direction, their screams echoing through the night.

For one fleeting heartbeat… she almost felt guilty.

Then her father’s murder, Farrell’s death. Garrick’s attack, Elian dying in the sacred pool… Every one of those memories hardened her heart.

The communication necklace flashed again.

Aurora answered instantly. “Lucian?”

Static.

Then her brother’s voice came through. “Aurora. We’ve just completed the first stage of our mission here. Any updates?”

Aurora slowly closed her eyes. “Thessan has been taken. The first city has fallen.” A pause. “And we’re already marching on to the next.”