Chapter 70: Halting Steps

The freezing metal walkway under his boots was completely silent as Leo stepped in, closing the remaining inches effortlessly. He locked his body right behind the prince's rigid spine, the sharp edge of his steel broadsword resting firmly against Prince Felipe’s neck, trapping him completely against the iron railing.

"You're entirely too careless, Prince," Leo whispered with a low, relaxed rumble of a laugh right against his ear. "Honestly, it's getting kind of funny how easily you leave your back completely exposed to a commoner."

Eleanor looked up from the hard ground, her violet eyes widening with absolute joy as she watched the sudden redirection. Her face painted itself in an intense, white-hot pink blush. She scrambled up from the metal floorboards, sprinting straight toward Leo's side as her heart hammered with pure relief.

CLANG! CLANG!

The rapid sound of armored boots running up the iron stairs broke the tension as Alistair Roslav and a squad of five royal guards violently burst onto the upper platform. Alistair didn't waste a single microsecond of time. He pointed his elegant blade straight at the trembling, terrified prince. "Guards! Secure Felipe immediately! Strip him of his weapons and throw him into the palace cells for high treason!"

The soldiers grabbed the defeated prince, dragging his shaking body down the catwalk stairs.

Alistair turned his body slowly, his sharp violet eyes locking dead onto Leo's broad shoulders. The haughty, high-and-mighty royal pride was completely missing from his face. Moving with flawless, elite etiquette, the purple-haired prince took a deep step forward and bowed his head low toward the commoner. "For saving my sister's life... I deeply owe you a massive debt, Leo. In the entire history of our vanguard, no one could have pulled off what you just accomplished today."

Eleanor blushed deeply at her brother's formal declaration, her fingers twisting the fabric of her purple gown in absolute, frantic shyness. Alistair turned on his heel to oversee the remaining guards on the ground floor, leaving the two of them alone on the walkway.

Eleanor stepped closer to Leo, her eyes shimmering with fresh, happy tears as she lowered her head in a graceful bow. "Thank you... thank you so much, Leo."

"Hey, don't do that," Leo said softly, a warm, relaxed grin tracing his jawline as he gently reached out to catch her hands. "I am just genuinely glad you are completely fine, Princess."

Eleanor looked up, but the exact second her eyes locked onto his upper chest, she let out a sharp, horrified gasp. "Leo! Your shoulder... you are bleeding! You got injured because of my messy family drama!"

Leo shifted his gaze sideways, looking down at the red stain spreading across the gray fabric of his shirt. He shrugged his broad shoulders casually, a deadpan rumble of a laugh escaping his lips. "It's nothing. Just a small scratch from a broken spear shaft. Don't worry about it."

Alistair’s voice boomed from the lower entryway doors. "Leo! Eleanor! The transport vehicles are ready! Let's go!"

"Come on, let's head out," Leo murmured smoothly, turning his body toward the stairs. Eleanor offered a glowing, deeply happy smile, walking right beside his broad frame as they moved down to the exit doors together.

.....

Meanwhile, near the busy commercial port gates a mile away, a sleek yellow city taxi rolled to a heavy stop at the curb.

Stella threw a few folded bills toward the front seat, pushing the heavy passenger door open. She stepped onto the concrete sidewalk, her green eyes wide with intense anxiety as she monitored the tracking device.

Right beside her, Lunaria and Professor Julia stepped down from the vehicle, their eyes scanning the wide harbor plaza. Lunaria pointed a finger toward the distant warehouse avenue. "Look... they are right over there."

Through the fading dust of the afternoon sun, the three women looked from a bit far down the lane. Leo was cleanly visible, walking out of the iron warehouse doors surrounded by Alistair Roslav and a heavy row of armored royal soldiers. Eleanor was walking right beside him, her purple gown catching the light as she smiled cutely at his jawline.

Stella’s face went completely pale, her fingers clenching her bag strap tightly. "That's him... that is the exact same purple-haired man who kidnapped Leo from the apartment!"

Julia let out a deeply amused chuckle, her form-fitting travel clothes shifting as a dark smirk traced her lips. "A highly interesting gathering."

Moving with effortless, absolute fluid grace, Julia raised her slender right hand, her fingers giving a sharp, crisp SNAP.

BZZZZT!

An absolute, crushing wave of quietness instantly detonated across the entire harbor. In a fraction of a second, the rolling ocean waves frozen into solid crystal sheets. Alistair’s stride locked into place mid-step, and Eleanor’s happy smile froze perfectly on her face, turning everyone around them into completely rigid, lifeless statues.

Leo stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes violently contracting in total confusion. He looked left and right, his jaw tightening as he tracked the frozen bodies of the royal guards. A cold wave of heavy anxiety hit his chest. ... Is Julia here?!

He turned his head around, his breath catching in his throat. Walking smoothly through the frozen crowd, their distinct profiles cutting through the mist, were Stella, Lunaria, and a smirking Julia.

"Stella?! Lunaria?!" Leo gasped out in absolute, reality-shattering shock, taking a rapid step forward to close the distance. He stared at Stella, then at Lunaria, before his gaze locked onto the professor with deep suspicion. "What the hell are the two of you doing traveling with her? And you... Julia, is this another one of your creepy tricks?!"

Stella quickly reached out, her green eyes full of intense, genuine worry as she looked at his bleeding shoulder. "Leo, it's a remarkably long story! We tracked your system arrow all the way across the big ocean! We came here to rescue you from these kidnappers!"

Leo shifted his gaze back to Julia, his dark eyes narrowing into a cold glare. "Rescue me? Looking at her face, I highly, deeply doubt it."

Julia let out a low, velvety laugh, stepping deep into Leo's personal space until she was standing mere inches away from his chest. She slowly raised her slender index finger, placing the tip of it firmly against the center of his chest, right over his heart. Her smoky-grey eyes flashed with an unyielding, dangerous hunger. "Don't be so cold, cutie. I simply want that System inside your body... so of course, I absolutely cannot allow anyone else in the universe to have you."

Leo backed off a step, breaking the contact as his jaw locked tight. He turned his face straight toward Stella, forcing his voice into a serious, flat rumble. "Listen to me, Stella. I appreciate the rescue run... but I can't leave this island right now. I can't go back to the city with you yet."

Stella and Lunaria froze, their faces completely full of absolute, jaw-dropping shock.

"What?!" Stella screamed out frantically, her voice cracking with pure panic. "Leo, what on earth are you saying?! They literally dragged you here! You are in massive danger here!"

"I am completely safe, I swear," Leo insisted seriously, his dark eyes looking back at the frozen statue of Eleanor before locking onto his friends. "I just... I have some critical stuff that I need to fully complete here before I can return to the city. So stop worrying. I will explain the details to you when I get back. For now... the two of you need to go."

He turned his chin sideways, glaring coldly into Julia's smoky-grey eyes. "And you... keep your cheap, disgusting tricks away from them."

Julia didn't look angry. Instead, a slow, deeply amused smirk traced her lips. She leaned her beautiful face closer to his profile, giving Leo a playful, highly attractive wink. "My, my... you truly are such an absolute cutie when you look aggressive, Leo."

Stella and Lunaria hesitated heavily, their green and violet eyes full of intense reluctance as they looked at his bleeding shoulder. But they realized his decision was final. Stella bit her lower lip, slowly lowering her device, before the two women turned on their heels and rapidly melted back into the shadows of the harbor.

Julia offered a final, lingering smirk over her shoulder before her figure vanished into thin air alongside them.

SNAP.

The sudden echo initialized the normal timeline in a fraction of a microsecond. The ocean waves aggressively splashed against the concrete, the wind rushed back into Leo's ears, and Alistair’s boot firmly hit the ground as if nothing had ever happened.

"Leo? What are you staring at?" Eleanor asked cutely, completely unaware that a single second had been altered as she looked at him.

Leo let out a long, heavy, and deeply exhausted sigh and said "It's nothing."