Chapter 100 Don’t go Ashton..

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Don’t go Ashton..

The creatures around them finally collapsed, their bodies hitting the ground one after another as the threat surrounding them disappeared.

Noah didn’t waste another second. The moment the path was clear, he left Lysander behind and rushed toward Lamia.

He stopped in front of his battered friend, his expression tightening at the sight of him. Lamia’s body was covered in injuries, and the chains wrapped around him looked as though they had been fused directly into his skin.

Noah immediately reached for them, trying to pull them apart.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, putting more strength into it, but the chains refused to move.

"I don’t know why they’re not coming off. Come and check them, Lysander."

Having been summoned, Lysander slowly approached. His red eyes moved around the cave first, carefully examining their surroundings before settling on Lamia. His expression remained calm, but Noah noticed the slight narrowing of his eyes.

There was something bothering him.

He still couldn’t understand why there wasn’t a leader among the creatures. There should have been someone commanding them, especially if these monsters had been strong enough to capture Lamia and surround the area.

Lysander finally crouched beside the chains.

"That’s a spell. The chains have been locked with dark magic."

He gently pushed Noah aside and raised his hands.

"What you’ve done is enough. This is dark art, and it’s something I don’t want you learning. Dark magic like this corrupts the soul."

Noah frowned but allowed him to work.

Lysander’s fingers moved around the chains without touching them. He examined every mark carved into the metal, his interest slowly growing.

"The vocal tract is also being suppressed by the spell," he murmured. "This is ancient magic. Someone who has existed for a very long time must have created it. Spells of this style aren’t commonly practiced anymore."

Instead of immediately breaking the chains, Lysander seemed fascinated by them.

That only made Noah more impatient.

"Aren’t you the one who said we should be quick and leave? You’re wasting time. Come on, just remove them."

A cold smile slowly appeared on Lysander’s face.

Without saying another word, he waved his hand.

The chains immediately began to shake.

Sparks erupted across their surface, spreading from one link to another as if electricity were running through the metal. Cracks appeared along the ancient markings before the entire thing shattered.

Pieces of the chains fell helplessly onto the floor.

Lamia stumbled forward.

Noah quickly caught him before he could fall.

"I’ve got you."

He pulled Lamia’s arm around his shoulders and supported most of his weight.

"Can we disappear from here now?"

Before Lysander could answer, a strange noise came from outside the cave.

Then came a scream.

Noah froze.

The voice sounded familiar.

For a moment, he wondered if his exhausted mind was simply playing tricks on him. But before he could investigate, hurried footsteps echoed through the cave.

Eugene suddenly rushed inside.

"Get away from him!"

A wave of magic surged toward Lysander, powerful enough to freeze the air around them.

But Lysander didn’t even flinch.

The spell passed over him without accomplishing what Eugene intended.

Lysander turned toward him, disappointment flashing across his face.

"Eugene Haines, isn’t it? Is this all you can do?"

His gaze became colder.

"Especially when your so-called mate is in danger."

The words struck a nerve.

Eugene’s eyes narrowed.

Lysander’s smile widened.

"I told you, Noah."

He glanced at him as though sharing some private joke.

"They’re going to tear each other apart."

Lamia, now able to speak again, struggled to lift his head.

"Stop them. They’re about to tear each other apart."

But Lysander clearly had no intention of staying quiet.

"Alphas who can’t even cast a powerful spell should be embarrassed. Is this really all you can do with time affinity?"

He gave a quiet, mocking laugh.

"How laughable."

At the other side of the cave, Killan’s anger reached its limit.

His emerald eyes darkened until they became almost completely black.

He locked his gaze onto Lysander.

Mind control.

That was what he had intended to use.

But the moment his power touched Lysander’s mind, something went terribly wrong.

The force rebounded.

Killan’s head suddenly became unbearably heavy. He staggered backward, blood immediately trickling from his nose.

Lysander didn’t even look surprised.

"As I said, you’re all foolish."

His voice echoed through the cave.

"Don’t tell me someone as powerful as you wants to end up with such weaklings. With them around you, you’ll constantly be getting kidnapped."

His eyes moved between them.

"If this is what you call protecting someone, then they’re pathetic."

Killan gritted his teeth, fighting against the pressure crushing his mind.

Eugene gasped.

He tried to move forward, but the moment he took a step, something seized his legs.

His feet became rooted to the floor.

"Get away from him, Ashton!" Eugene shouted desperately. "He’s trying to use you. He’s going to turn you into a sacrifice!"

His voice cracked.

"I can’t allow that. Walk away now!"

Noah turned toward him.

Lysander’s expression changed slightly.

"Oh, please. And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

His magic suddenly intensified.

"Maybe I should simply kill all of you."

The force holding Eugene and Killan increased.

Killan dropped to his knees with a cry as the magic twisted painfully through his body.

Noah’s expression immediately changed.

"Stop!"

Lysander glanced at him.

"You’re hurting them."

Noah tightened his hold around Lamia.

"We made a deal. You promised you’d leave them alone. You promised you wouldn’t hurt a single strand of their hair."

His voice hardened.

"So enough."

It was a command.

For a moment, Lysander simply stared at him.

Their eyes met.

The demon’s expression darkened before he finally exhaled.

"I still want to end that trash for you."

He lowered his hand.

The pressure vanished.

Lysander then walked toward Noah and extended his arms.

"Let’s go back to the school."

Noah looked at the offered hand.

Then he looked behind him.

Eugene and Killan were still struggling to recover. Both of them were trembling, their bodies weakened from Lysander’s magic.

"We can’t leave them here."

Lysander’s eyes narrowed.

"I don’t know whether those creatures are truly dead. We don’t know who their master is either."

Noah swallowed.

"Please. Just do this for me."

He looked directly at Lysander.

The demon’s gaze shifted toward the two Alphas.

Eugene, still struggling to breathe properly, shook his head.

"Don’t follow him."

His voice was strained.

"What deal are you talking about? He’s a demon, Noah. He’ll destroy your soul. Don’t you understand what kind of person he is?"

Noah stared at him.

He slowly reached out and gently caressed Eugene’s chin.

The gesture immediately made Lysander growl.

"Calm down," Noah said quietly. "I’m coming."

Lamia, still leaning against Noah’s body, watched the exchange silently.

Noah couldn’t let them die.

Lysander was too powerful. If he truly decided to kill them, there was a chance none of them would survive.

And Noah couldn’t forget the deal he had made.

He couldn’t protect everyone himself.

That was the truth he had finally been forced to accept.

He turned toward Lysander.

"It’s the price I have to pay to protect them."

Killan shook his head from where he was still struggling to move.

"That’s not how this is supposed to be."

His voice trembled.

"We’re supposed to be the ones protecting you."

He looked directly at Noah.

"We’re responsible for you. We’re going to be mates. We planned for this. We were supposed to go through the mating ceremony together."

Noah’s heart tightened.

The mating ceremony.

He had almost forgotten.

Today was the day.

Killan’s hand suddenly stretched toward him.

Although his body was still unable to move properly, his fingers managed to catch Noah’s hand.

"I love you."

The words stopped Noah cold.

"Don’t do this."

Killan’s eyes were filled with desperation.

"Forget the assembly. Forget the mating festival. We don’t have to go back."

His voice broke.

"We could run away together."

He swallowed hard.

"I don’t want to be a prince anymore. I don’t want to live under the useless rule of the emperor. I don’t want any of this."

His fingers tightened around Noah’s.

"I just want you."

Noah couldn’t answer.

"I don’t care what happens to the throne. I don’t care about the title. I don’t care about the festival."

Killan looked at him desperately.

"I want you. That’s all I want."

For one painful moment, Noah wanted to give in.

He wanted to stay.

He wanted to forget the demon standing beside him, forget the emperor waiting at the academy, and forget everything else.

But he couldn’t be selfish.

Not when he knew these boys could die.

Not when he knew Lysander’s power was far beyond anything he could currently control.

And most importantly, Noah still didn’t know how to control his own power well enough to fight Lysander.

If he tried to force the demon away, he could make everything worse.

Slowly, Noah pulled his hand free.

"I’m sorry."

Killan’s expression fell.

Noah stepped toward Lysander.

The demon’s cold hand immediately reached for him.

Lamia remained supported against Noah’s side as Lysander placed a hand on his shoulder.

Then the world around them blurred.

Magic surged through the cave.

In the next instant, Noah, Lamia, and Lysander disappeared.

The force holding Eugene and Killan also vanished.

Eugene immediately dropped to the ground, gasping as feeling returned to his legs.

"I’ll kill him."

His hands shook as he pushed himself up.

"I swear I’ll kill that demon."

His voice grew louder.

"I’ll do it even if I have to sacrifice myself."

He clenched his fists.

"I won’t let him take Noah."

He looked toward the empty space where Noah had disappeared.

"Over my dead body."

Then Eugene suddenly noticed someone standing behind them.

Oliver.

He had arrived sometime during the chaos and was now watching them with a grim expression.

"Are you two coming?"

Oliver glanced around the cave.

"It seems they’ve already handled the situation, and Ashton saved Lamia."

Eugene didn’t move immediately.

Going back to the academy meant facing another problem.

The emperor was already there.

The assembly was waiting.

And Noah had followed someone else.

Killan’s expression was hollow.

"I don’t want to meet the emperor."

He looked down at his hands.

"I don’t want any of this."

His voice cracked.

"I don’t want Sylvia. I want Ashton."

He wiped at his face, but the tears continued falling.

"He’s the person I want my life to be with."

Oliver sighed quietly.

There was nothing he could say that would make the situation easier.

He raised his hand and began casting the teleportation spell.

"Come on. The emperor is already at the assembly."

The magic gathered around them.

"We can only pray that this ends well."

Oliver tried to sound encouraging.

"Stay positive."

Neither Eugene nor Killan responded.

A moment later, the three of them disappeared from the cave.

They reappeared inside the academy.

The familiar surroundings should have brought relief, but neither Eugene nor Killan felt any.

They stood there with fallen expressions, carrying the painful realization that Ashton wasn’t going to be theirs today.

And worse than that, he had willingly left with Lysander.

For the first time, both Alphas felt as though they might have already lost him.