Chapter 172 Five month of hell

Chapter 172: Chapter 172 Five month of hell

He hadn’t expected things to be this bad.

As Rose began explaining what had happened during his absence, his eyes widened until they were practically as round as saucers. He stared at her, struggling to comprehend how the world he had known could have changed so drastically in just five months.

Five months!

He had only been gone for five months, yet from the way Rose was describing everything, it sounded as though an entire era had come to an end.

"You know Damon was the emperor who held everything together, right?" Rose began, her expression growing serious. "Well, after he disappeared, a new leader emerged. And guess who took over?"

Noah stared at her.

"Who?"

"The West Coast Witches."

For a moment, Noah thought he had misheard her.

"What?"

"The West Coast Coven is now in control of the empire, and their rule has unleashed one disaster after another."

Noah’s stomach twisted.

He slowly lowered himself onto the bed he had just risen from, needing a moment to process what Rose had said.

The West Coast Witches?

How the hell had that happened?

Was that even allowed?

As far as he knew, the Quintorian Empire had always been governed by a Pureblood or someone whose authority had been recognized by the supernatural world. The emperor might have been a terrible person, but there had at least been a system holding the various factions together.

Now the witches had taken over?

What was next? Would demons establish their own government? Would vampires start declaring themselves kings? Or would the werewolves decide that the entire empire belonged to them?

At this point, Noah wouldn’t have been surprised if the dragons suddenly returned from extinction and demanded their own territory.

Rose noticed the confusion written all over his face and sighed.

"I know what you’re thinking, but you need to understand the history behind the throne before you can understand how everything fell apart."

She pulled a chair closer and sat down, although she didn’t remain there for long. Within seconds, she was back on her feet, pacing as she gathered her thoughts.

"According to the ancient decree, only a Pureblood could rule the Quintorian Empire. That law was established to maintain the balance between the living and the dead. For decades, the Purebloods served as the bridge between those two forces, preventing either side from gaining too much power."

Noah listened carefully.

"However, as the generations passed, the number of Purebloods began to dwindle. Eventually, the last known Pureblood refused to take the throne, leaving the empire without a suitable ruler. That’s when Damon emerged."

Noah’s eyebrows rose.

"Damon?"

"Yes. He was considered one of the five heroes who saved the land during the Great Battle against the Phoenix Witches. Because of his accomplishments, many people accepted him as their ruler, even though he wasn’t a Pureblood."

Rose paused before continuing.

"Some supernatural factions opposed his reign, but humans and many others supported him. He had earned their trust, and the empire needed someone capable of restoring order."

Noah’s expression darkened.

That part made sense.

Damon had been celebrated as a hero, someone who had supposedly protected the empire from destruction. His reputation had given him the opportunity to claim the throne, even though he wasn’t the person originally entitled to it.

But there was something Noah still couldn’t understand.

He looked at Rose.

"Wait. If only Purebloods are supposed to rule, how did Damon end up having Ashton?"

Rose stopped pacing.

For a moment, she looked as though she had been waiting for him to ask that question.

"That’s where things become complicated."

She drew a deep breath.

"The original law didn’t just restrict the throne to Purebloods. There were also rules concerning who could be born with that bloodline."

Noah frowned.

"What kind of rules?"

Rose hesitated before answering.

"Female Purebloods were considered dangerous. According to the old records, they were believed to bring disaster upon their bloodline and could become the downfall of the very people they were meant to protect."

Noah stared at her.

"What the fuck?"

"That’s what the records say!"

"That’s ridiculous!"

"I know!"

Rose threw her hands into the air.

"But apparently, the fear was so deeply rooted in their society that a decree was established requiring any female Pureblood born into the bloodline to be killed."

Noah’s mouth fell open.

For several seconds, he couldn’t find a single word to say.

Killed?

Simply because they were born female?

What kind of barbaric law was that?

He had encountered plenty of disturbing things since entering the supernatural world, but this was another level of insanity.

"And you expect me to believe that nobody questioned it?" he demanded.

"Oh, people questioned it, but the law remained in place for generations. Remember, the Pureblood bloodline was considered essential to maintaining the balance of the world. Anything believed to threaten that balance was treated as a danger."

Rose shook her head.

"However, the last female Pureblood wasn’t killed. Somehow, she survived. I don’t know exactly how Damon discovered her existence, but he found her, married her, and their union resulted in Ashton."

Noah went completely still.

Ashton.

His body.

His existence.

Everything suddenly seemed to fall into place in the most disturbing way possible.

Damon hadn’t simply become emperor and later fathered Ashton by chance.

He had married a female Pureblood, a woman whose very existence had been forbidden by the laws of the empire.

Why?

Was it love?

Noah almost laughed at the thought.

Love was the last explanation he wanted to believe, considering everything Damon had done to Ashton.

The man had tried to control him, manipulate him, and use his powers for his own ambitions. He had treated his own son as though he were a possession rather than a person.

And now Noah was learning that Damon’s path to power might have been connected to the very bloodline he had supposedly been excluded from.

"So Damon knew," Noah murmured.

Rose glanced at him.

"Knew what?"

"That Ashton was a Pureblood. He knew what his son was, and he knew what that meant for the throne."

His fingers curled into the sheets.

"That bastard didn’t just want power. He wanted to control the power that should have belonged to Ashton."

Rose’s expression grew solemn.

"That’s what we suspect."

Noah shook his head in disbelief.

Of course.

Of course, it had to be something like that.

The man who had spent years pretending to be a hero had built his position upon a system that should never have allowed him to rule in the first place. Then, when the rightful heir was finally born, he had treated that child as a tool.

Noah felt a familiar anger stirring inside him.

Damon might have disappeared, but that didn’t mean the consequences of his actions had vanished with him.

If anything, they were only beginning to surface.

Rose continued before Noah could ask another question.

"After Damon became emperor, he maintained his position for years. Eventually, we discovered that the other heroes were no longer around. The four kings who ruled the provinces—the Alphas who mastered different affinities—had their own connections to him, but nobody knew exactly how those relationships developed."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

The four kings.

The fathers of the four Moonlight Alphas.

Eugene, Killian, Marcus, and Damian.

Suddenly, the pieces began connecting in his mind.

That was how Damon had become acquainted with the families who eventually became entangled with Ashton.

But why had those men allowed themselves to become involved with him?

And what had happened to the other heroes?

There were too many unanswered questions.

"Then what happened?" Noah asked.

Rose resumed pacing.

"The next major event was the marriage alliance. Damon didn’t have another child to inherit his position, and he couldn’t afford to lose the power he had accumulated. So he announced that whoever could win the affection of his ward, Sylvia, would eventually become emperor."

Noah blinked.

"Wait. Sylvia?"

"Yes."

"Why the hell was he arranging a marriage alliance if he already had a son?"

"That’s exactly the problem. We don’t know whether he intended to keep Ashton from inheriting the throne or whether he had some other plan. But the arrangement was made, and it created a great deal of conflict."

Noah leaned back, pressing a hand against his forehead.

Every new revelation made the situation more complicated.

Damon had married a female Pureblood, fathered Ashton, concealed the truth surrounding his son’s existence, and then established a succession arrangement that could potentially bypass his own child.

What exactly had he been planning?

Unfortunately, Rose didn’t have an answer.

"And now that he’s gone," she continued, "everything has fallen apart."

Noah looked up.

"The West Coast Witches claim that their people have suffered oppression for far too long. They believe they deserve the opportunity to rule and want the rest of the supernatural world to acknowledge their power."

Rose’s voice hardened.

"But their rise has encouraged other factions to emerge from hiding. Vampires are roaming throughout the kingdom. Werewolves have begun reclaiming territories, and demons are appearing openly instead of remaining in the shadows."

She stopped pacing and looked directly at Noah.

"There is no proper law and order anymore. Different factions are fighting for control, people are being murdered in the streets, and humans are being hunted for barbaric rituals."

Noah’s blood ran cold.

Humans.

Being hunted.

He remembered what it had been like to return to his original world. He remembered Evelyn, the hospital, Dr. Whitmore, and the life he had barely begun to understand.

Now he was back in a world where human beings were being treated as sacrifices.

He couldn’t imagine how many people had already died.

"And how long have you known all this?" he asked quietly.

Rose gave him a tired look.

"Long enough to know that things are getting worse."

Noah studied her face.

She looked exhausted, but beneath that exhaustion was determination. She had clearly spent a considerable amount of time researching the empire’s history and trying to understand the political changes that had occurred during his absence.

He could only imagine how difficult that had been.

Rose wasn’t a powerful Phoenix Witch or a member of the West Coast Coven. She was an ordinary witch trying to make sense of a world being torn apart by forces far beyond her control.

Yet she had continued searching for answers.

Noah appreciated that more than he could say.

But he couldn’t allow her to continue without addressing the most obvious problem.

"All right," he said slowly. "I understand the situation. But what exactly do you expect me to do about it?"

Rose looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious.

"You’re Ashton Lane. You’re a Pureblood. You are the rightful heir to the throne, and now that you’re back, you need to take your place as the new ruler."

Noah stared at her.

Rose stepped closer, her eyes brightening with conviction.

"This is what you were born for, Ashton. You have the power to restore balance to the empire, drive out the factions that are destroying it, and give the people a chance to live without fear. We need to make Quintorian better, and you’re the only person who can—"

"Stop."

Noah’s voice cut through her words.

Rose fell silent.

He looked at her, his expression growing increasingly frustrated.

"Quintorian Empire. The throne. The Pureblood bloodline. Saving the world. That’s all I keep hearing."

He gestured toward himself.

"What about me?"

Rose blinked.

Noah shook his head.

"Don’t get me wrong. I understand that the empire is in trouble, and I’m not saying I don’t care about the people suffering out there. But I just woke up after being gone for five months. I don’t even know what’s happened to everyone I love!"

His voice cracked slightly.

"You’re telling me about laws and politics, but what about my companions? Let me guess. Lamia still hasn’t returned. Marcus and Killian are still trapped in that magical sleep, aren’t they?"

Rose’s expression softened.

Noah swallowed hard.

"I need to see them. I need to know they’re alive. And where the hell are Lysander and Damian? Why aren’t they here?"

The room fell silent.

Eugene’s hands clenched at his sides.

Rose lowered her gaze.

And Noah immediately knew that whatever answer came next wasn’t going to be good.

"Lysander..." Eugene began.

He stopped, his jaw tightening.

Noah looked at him.

"What about him?"

Eugene forced himself to continue.

"After you disappeared, Lysander lost control. He went into a blood rage, and nothing anyone said could convince him to stop searching for you."

Noah’s chest tightened.

"Then where is he?"

"He’s in Hell."

Noah froze.

"What?"

"He believes Lucifer betrayed him by revealing information about you to the people who attacked you. He left to confront his father, and according to what he told us before he went, he intended to kill him."

Noah stared at Eugene in disbelief.

Lysander had gone to Hell?

To confront Lucifer?

His own father?

For a moment, Noah couldn’t even begin to process it.

He knew Lysander was dangerous. He knew that the demon prince was capable of terrible things when someone threatened the people he loved.

But Lucifer wasn’t an ordinary enemy.

He was the ruler of Hell.

And Lysander had gone after him alone.

"How long has he been gone?" Noah asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Five months."

Noah felt as though someone had punched him in the chest.

Five months.

Lysander had spent five months searching for him, fighting demons, and preparing to confront his own father.

And Noah hadn’t been there.

He pressed his lips together, trying to suppress the panic threatening to rise inside him.

But before he could ask anything else, Eugene spoke again.

"There’s something else you need to know."

Noah slowly turned toward him.

Eugene looked as though he would rather endure a thousand battles than say what he was about to say.

"It’s Damian."

Noah’s heart skipped a beat.

"What happened to Damian?"

Eugene lowered his head.

"After you disappeared, he was cursed. He became trapped in his monstrous form, and we haven’t been able to find a way to reverse it."

Noah stared at him.

"What do you mean, trapped?"

"His transformation won’t end on its own. We need to break the curse, but every attempt we’ve made has failed."

Eugene swallowed.

"And now the blood moon is approaching."

The words seemed to echo through the room.

Noah’s expression changed.

He remembered the warnings surrounding the coming full moon. He remembered the danger associated with the blood moon and the rituals that powerful supernatural factions performed during that period.

Eugene continued, his voice heavy with dread.

"If we can’t find a solution before it arrives, Damian might remain in that form permanently."

For one terrible moment, Noah couldn’t move.

Damian.

His mate.

The man who had once stood beside him, who had fought for him, who had been part of the life he desperately wanted to return to.

He might never become human again?

No.

Absolutely not.

Noah’s hands began trembling.

He had barely returned, and already the people he loved were suffering.

Lamia was missing.

Marcus and Killian remained trapped in their magical sleep.

Lysander was somewhere in Hell, hunting his own father.

And Damian was on the verge of losing himself forever.

Something inside Noah snapped.

"No."

The word emerged quietly, but there was something terrifying beneath it.

Eugene looked up.

"Noah—"

"No!"

This time, Noah’s voice thundered through the room.

The air suddenly changed.

A strange pressure swept through the cottage, forcing Rose to stagger backward. The glass enclosure began vibrating violently, and a thin layer of shimmering light spread across its surface.

Noah barely noticed.

His entire attention was fixed on the thought of Damian being lost to him.

"He won’t remain like that," Noah declared, his silver eyes beginning to glow. "I won’t allow it!"

The light around him intensified.

Rose’s eyes widened.

"Wait, Ashton! Calm down!"

But Noah couldn’t hear her.

His power was rising too quickly, responding to his emotions before he could control it.

The glass walls groaned.

Cracks spread across the enclosure, branching in every direction like lightning racing across a stormy sky.

Eugene immediately reached toward him.

"Noah, stop! You’re going to—"

The enclosure exploded.

A blinding flash of light erupted from Noah’s body, shattering the glass into countless fragments. The shock wave swept through the room, throwing Eugene and Rose backward.

They slammed into a pillar on the opposite side of the cottage.

"Ah!"

Rose cried out as she struggled to regain her balance.

Eugene gritted his teeth, barely managing to brace himself against the impact.

Meanwhile, Noah stepped out of the ruined enclosure.

Glass fragments crunched beneath his feet, but he didn’t even glance down.

His silver eyes blazed with an intensity neither Eugene nor Rose had ever seen before.

"Noah!" Eugene shouted, trying to push himself away from the pillar.

But Noah was already moving.

He raised his head, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Damian won’t be lost to me!" he roared. "Do you hear me? I will save him!"

The cottage shook violently.

A deep rumble rolled through the ground, and the windows rattled in their frames. Red light began seeping through the gaps in the curtains, staining the walls and floor with an ominous glow.

Rose’s face drained of color.

She turned toward the nearest window.

Outside, the sky was changing.

The darkness above the forest had taken on a deep, unnatural crimson, as though an enormous wound had opened across the heavens.

The magical wards surrounding the cottage flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then they began to fail.

Rose stared at the sky in horror.

"No..." she whispered.

Eugene followed her gaze.

The color drained from his face.

It couldn’t be.

Not now.

Not when Noah had only just returned.

The red light grew stronger, spreading across the landscape as the ground trembled beneath their feet. Somewhere in the distance, a creature let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

Noah stood in the center of the trembling cottage, his power still surging around him.

He didn’t know what was happening.

He didn’t know why the sky had turned red.

All he knew was that he would not lose another person he loved.

Not Damian, Lysander.

Nor any of them.

But as the first crimson rays of the blood moon rose above the horizon, the supernatural world began to stir.

And none of them realized that the blood moon had already begun its ascent.