Chapter 364: _Almost Too Easy

Kyren’s POV

*****

“We’re here, my lord.”

Kyren stepped forward, the soldiers standing before the back doors of the sleek black ship of the Dark Lands making way.

As the doors opened, the night wind outside caught his black cape and long white hair, whipping them around him.

Hundreds of meters below was the Arcadian city of Heka—home to the highest number of ancient temples in not just the witch Kingdom but all of Evaros.

The city lights were like little fireflies. From up here, he could clearly see every street, picking up a variety of sounds from children laughing to chants being made close to the temples.

For the briefest second, an overwhelming bloodlust consumed him, making him practically blind. In that moment, every civilian down there was an enemy, regardless of whether they could defend themselves or not.

But then he remembered Elian and took in a light breath.

He’d try his very best to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

At least for tonight.

“Their city wards should’ve detected us by now,” he turned back to the soldiers waiting for his orders inside. “They should be waging an attack any mom—”

BOOM!

A powerful explosion, way more than what he expected, rocked the ship just then, nearly blowing it completely out of the sky. His soldiers grunted, grabbing onto something as the battleship tilted sideways hard.

Kyren was barely fazed, head snapping to his left as his senses spread out.

As expected.

Tens of Arcadian ships had them surrounded, laser cannons charging up for another hit.

“Perfect.” With a wicked grin, he teleported.

The Rogue King reappeared hovering tens of meters away from his battle ship, eyes flaring with a fiery light. He spread out his hands, claws unsheathing.

Then he lunged.

SLASH!

BOOM!

Two Arcadian battle ships were ripped to shreds in a heartbeat, reduced to flaming balls of metal. The vengeful king was far from done, grabbing both with telekinesis.

With a flick of a wrist, he sent tonnes of blazing metal scraps and the screaming soldiers hurtling toward a few more ships.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The skies of Heka ignited like the bowels of hell itself. Those below noticed, their terrified shouts and the thunderous sound of them fleeing acting like fuel to Kyren’s rampage.

Soon, more Dark Land ships breached into the city’s skies, aiding their king. The sky became a battlefield, plasma cannons and spells hissing through the clouds for hundreds of miles.

“Ahh,” Kyren sighed when he landed on the dark wind screen of one of Arcadia’s ships. “Almost,” he punched through the glass, pulling out a soldier within, “too easy.”

He gripped the poor guy by his neck, watching him kick and hit his arm uselessly.

“N-No… no, pleaseeee!”

Kyren flung him aside without another glance, a concentrated blast of crimson energy reducing the ship to smithereens. The old him would’ve relished burning him to a crisp and hearing those screams echo until he breathed his last.

The current him, however, knew time was of the essence.

They had to take this city as quickly and quietly as possible before neighbouring cities could be alerted. Before Amara could be alerted.

Kyren didn’t waste another second.

He tore through the remaining fleet like a crimson comet, teleporting from one battleship to another. Every slash of his claws split enchanted steel apart. Every pulse of telekinesis crushed magi-tech engines before they could recharge.

Within minutes, the once orderly Arcadian formation had dissolved into burning wreckage raining from the skies.

“All hostile aerial forces eliminated!” One of his commanders shouted over the comms.

“Secure the city,” Kyren ordered without slowing down. “No unnecessary casualties.”

His boots finally touched the cobbled streets of Heka.

.

.

Silence was what welcomed the Lord of the Dark Lands when he descended onto the city.

His crimson eyes narrowed.

The streets that should’ve been overflowing with panicked civilians were… empty.

Abandoned mere moments ago.

Shop stalls remained open. Fresh bread still rested on wooden counters. Blue lanterns continued swaying outside homes while steaming bowls of food sat forgotten on tables visible through open windows.

A child’s stuffed toy lay in the middle of the road.

Kyren slowly bent down, picking it up before his gaze swept across the unnaturally quiet city.

“Strange.”

Footsteps echoed behind him as several Dark Land soldiers approached.

“My lord,” one of them saluted. “We’ve secured the western district.”

“Resistance?”

“Minimal.”

“Civilians?”

The soldier hesitated. “None, sir.”

Before Kyren could reply, his communication bracelet lit up.

“The northern district has been secured, my lord. No civilians.”

A second voice immediately followed. “The eastern temples are empty.”

Then another. “Southern district clear.”

One report after another.

Every single section of the city was declared empty.

Kyren’s grip around the toy tightened until it blackened.

“They left us this city.” A cold feeling crawled down his spine.

This wasn’t a retreat born from panic. It had been organised.

Almost inviting.

Without another word, he crouched, palm pressing flat against the ancient stone streets.

Closing his eyes, he allowed his senses to sink beneath the earth, hoping to find traces of a mass teleportation spell.

Still, he got nothing.

No lingering spatial distortions. No residue from moving hundreds of thousands of people.

What he sensed instead was an impossible amount of mana.

His eyes snapped open.

Thin silver lines pulsed faintly beneath the cracks between each stone, barely visible. If he hadn’t been actively searching, he never would’ve noticed.

Kyren followed one glowing line with his eyes.

They stretched beneath buildings. Curved around temples. Wove beneath roads… connecting district after district until—

His pupils constricted.

“…No.”

The city wasn’t built on top of a runic formation.

The city itself… Was the runic formation.

Every street, temple, district and building was one colossal spell engraved across the land itself.

His heartbeat thundered.

“Contact Lucian,” he barked, activating his communication bracelet.

Unfortunately, only static answered.

The Obsidian Tower.

Its barriers were blocking every transmission.

“Damn it.” Before frustration could settle, another communication request flashed to life.

Aurora.

Kyren accepted immediately.

“Kyren,” Aurora’s voice came through, unusually tense. “Something’s wrong.”

His expression hardened. “You noticed it too.”

“This battle…” she breathed. “It’s far too easy.”

Kyren slowly rose to his feet, crimson eyes sweeping over the eerily silent city one last time.

“I have to go.” He ended the call before Aurora could respond.

If he couldn’t reach Lucian and Elian through technology… There was only one connection left.

Closing his eyes, Kyren reached toward the mate bond linking him to Elian.

‘Little flame…’ His mental voice was soft. ‘Please tell me I’m not already too late.’