Chapter 101 A familiar feeling.

Chapter 101: Chapter 101 A familiar feeling.

At once, they appeared inside his room, thanks to Lysander’s magic. Noah immediately helped Lamia onto the bed, supporting him as he staggered across the room. He looked exhausted from everything that had happened, but even in his weakened state, Lamia couldn’t shake the discomfort of having Lysander staring at them.

"Okay, can you tell him to stop looking at me like that? He’s giving me the creeps," Lamia complained.

Noah turned around and met Lysander’s eyes. The demon stared right back at him without the slightest intention of looking away.

"Come on. I have eyes. At least I can use them to look around my surroundings," Lysander said, folding his arms.

His dominating aura suddenly flooded the room, pressing against the walls and making the atmosphere feel heavier. Noah’s body tensed, and before he could stop himself, his senses were once again assaulted by that damn lemon-like pheromone.

That scent...

It was so hypnotic.

It felt as though it was crawling through his senses, slowly pulling at his mind and making him lose his sense of direction. Noah clenched his fists, trying to push the strange sensation away.

"Just tell him to leave us alone. I would like to speak with my friend privately," Lamia declared.

Lysander didn’t move.

Once again, Noah had to look in his direction.

"Please, just go, Lysander. I’m right here. I’m not going to run away. If I do, aren’t you going to find me anyway?"

Noah thought those words would be enough to put the demon at ease, but Lysander’s expression didn’t change.

"He is a witch, and I don’t trust witches."

His voice was cold.

"If not for the fact that he’s your friend, I would have killed him. You should avoid his kind. They might claim that they dedicate their lives to protecting your people, but you should know that it was witches who caused your extinction."

The revelation struck Noah like a blow to the chest.

His people?

Lysander had spoken about the purebloods as though they were his own people. Yet Harold had told Noah something completely different. According to him, the demon standing before Noah had been responsible for the extinction of the purebloods.

Noah’s head throbbed harder.

He couldn’t make sense of any of it.

"You people keep telling me different things. Who am I supposed to believe?"

He brought a hand to his head as another wave of pain struck him. Before he could steady himself, he felt a hand wrap around his palm.

"Can you leave, Lysander? This is private."

At Noah’s words, Lysander finally stopped.

He glared at Lamia for a long moment before turning away.

"I’m at the door. Any funny business, and I won’t hesitate to end you."

His words carried a deadly edge.

But before leaving, he paused.

His expression softened for only a fraction of a second as he looked at Noah.

"Follow your instincts, Noah. The reason we turned out this way is because we kept listening to other people’s advice. Purebloods have the best nudge, so don’t let anyone deceive you."

With that, Lysander walked out and shut the door behind him.

Noah’s eyes widened.

That word.

Nudge.

Something about it struck a place deep inside him.

His head suddenly began to ache again, and for a moment, he felt as though he had known Lysander before. Not simply as someone he had recently met. There was something else between them.

Something deeper.

Something Noah couldn’t remember.

No.

It was impossible.

Wasn’t Lysander the devil’s son?

"Are you okay?" Lamia asked.

Noah barely had time to respond before Lamia continued.

"Don’t listen to him. Remember what we found out. He’s the devil’s son. He’s going to destroy you eventually. He’s only trying to use you to increase his power and help him rule the world in Hell."

Lamia’s hands wrapped around Noah’s.

Noah stared down at them before slowly shaking his head.

"Maybe it’s up to me this time."

His voice was quieter than before.

"I’m tired, Lamia. Ever since I’ve been here, everyone keeps telling me what to do. They tell me to do this, don’t do that, avoid this person, trust that person. I’m exhausted."

He took a deep breath.

"This isn’t how I’m going to survive. If something is wrong, I want to find it out for myself. If someone is lying to me, I want to discover that myself. I don’t want everyone else’s voices deciding what I should and shouldn’t do."

Noah looked directly at Lamia.

"It’s my life. I want to figure things out on my own."

Lamia fell silent.

For once, he didn’t immediately argue.

Instead, he slowly nodded.

"You’re right."

His voice softened.

"This is your journey. You’re the one who has to figure everything out. But things don’t always go the way we expect."

He shifted slightly on the bed, wincing from the pain in his body.

"Just look at what’s happening now. The emperor is in the school, isn’t he? And he’s obviously going to hear about everything that’s happening here."

Noah’s expression became serious.

"The monsters in the forest—the ones you destroyed—they were preparing for a sacrifice. Their master is coming."

Lamia swallowed.

"What if that master is the emperor?"

The thought made the room feel colder.

"I know you want to figure everything out yourself, but I don’t think this empire is safe for you anymore. We have to leave."

Lamia’s fear was obvious in his eyes.

"I don’t think staying here is going to do us any good. People we love are going to die if we stay, so wouldn’t it be better to leave before that happens?"

Noah lowered his gaze.

This wasn’t the first time someone had told him to leave.

But no one had ever told him where he was supposed to go.

And if he really had a past with Lysander...

What had happened between them?

Why did Lysander look at him like that?

Why did his words feel familiar?

Why did Noah’s body react every time he was near him?

Fuck.

Why did the mysteries never seem to end?

At this point, maybe he should have simply died in peace.

At least then he wouldn’t have to deal with any of this.

"Again, Rose."

Lamia’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"We have to help her."

Noah looked at him.

"Maria is inside her body, and that spirit from this place is using her. She’s about to do something heinous, and they might kill Rose while believing that she was the one who committed the crime."

Lamia’s expression became desperate.

"We have to do something."

For a moment, Noah simply stared at him before letting out a tired groan.

"Rest first."

He gestured toward the bed.

"You look terrible. I just rescued you, and I wasn’t there when you needed me."

Noah’s voice cracked slightly.

"I didn’t even get the chance to apologize. I allowed myself to get distracted, and while I wasn’t around, this happened to you."

He lowered his head.

"I’m sorry, Lamia. Please forgive me."

Before Lamia could answer, Noah suddenly pulled him into a tight hug.

Lamia froze.

"Um... Ashton, calm down."

Noah didn’t listen.

"My friend was there for me, and I left him for the Moonlight Alphas. That’s not fair."

Lamia sighed before raising a finger and pressing it against Noah’s lips.

"One of the Moonlight Alphas risked his life to escape that deadly spell you were under."

Noah fell silent.

"You were right to go check on him because he saved your life. You don’t have to blame yourself for that."

"But I should be angry with them," Noah muttered. "They’re the reason I’ve been suffering all this time, aren’t they?"

Lamia shook his head.

"No. Don’t be angry with them."

He gave Noah a serious look.

"The alphas aren’t the same people I once knew. They’re different now."

Noah frowned.

"And maybe you’re the reason they changed."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Lamia leaned back against the bed.

"Maybe abandoning them now isn’t the right choice. And what about Damian?"

Noah’s expression changed immediately.

"I’m still angry that you knew about the curse and didn’t tell us," Lamia continued. "I haven’t even had the chance to properly address that with you."

He sighed.

"But I discovered something important."

Noah waited.

"Damian only becomes like that when you two separate for some reason. When you’re around him, he doesn’t turn into that monster."

Noah’s eyes widened.

"So don’t let Slyvia win."

Lamia’s expression hardened.

"If you’re not at the mating ceremony, the emperor will make the four of them official with Slyvia."

Noah stared at him.

"All four of them."

His heart skipped.

"Exactly."

Lamia pointed at him.

"So make things right."

The words struck Noah harder than he expected.

Because deep down, that was exactly what he wanted.

And that realization irritated him.

"I thought you didn’t like them."

Lamia raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to you and Rose? Weren’t both of you against them?"

Lamia suddenly laughed.

"I’m not stupid."

Noah blinked.

"So what are you saying?"

"I’m saying we should go to the assembly."

Lamia pushed himself upright, though his body clearly protested.

"I’ll find a way to get the spirit away from Rose, and you’re going to tell those four men—and that bitch Slyvia—to stay away from your men."

Noah couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face.

Because somewhere inside him, he knew those were exactly the words he wanted to hear.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry about Lamia.

"I still think you need to rest. Casting spells takes energy. I’m not exactly an expert, but even I know that."

Lamia shrugged.

"Help me get to the assembly."

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"And stop lecturing me, or I’ll crawl there myself."

Noah sighed.

"Fine."

He immediately moved to help Lamia up.

But before either of them could take a step, the door suddenly exploded open.

Noah froze.

Lysander stood there.

His red eyes shimmered dangerously, his expression twisted with anger.

"You two aren’t going anywhere."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

His gaze immediately locked onto Noah.

"You too."

His voice trembled with barely contained rage.

"I can’t believe you’re leaving me for them."

Lysander stepped forward.

"I went through hell just to make sure you were here. Why don’t you want to remember me?"

Noah stared at him helplessly.

He didn’t understand.

Why was Lysander acting as though they had known each other for years?

Why did the demon look so hurt?

"I’m sorry, Lysander."

Noah tightened his grip around Lamia.

"But I don’t understand you. I have to go."

Lysander’s eyes flashed.

He raised his hand, preparing to cast a spell.

But Lamia reacted immediately.

A burst of magic erupted from his palm and slammed into the floor.

The ground beneath Lysander’s feet cracked apart as a glowing circle formed around him, trapping him inside.

Lysander looked down.

Then his expression darkened.

Lamia exhaled heavily.

"Okay."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That should stop him."

Noah looked at the circle, then back at Lysander.

"He won’t be able to escape anytime soon."

But Lysander simply raised his head.

His red eyes met Noah’s.

And despite being trapped, there was something in that gaze that made Noah’s chest tighten.

Pain.

Anger.

And something that felt painfully close to desperation.

"Noah..."

Lysander’s voice was quieter this time.

Not threatening.

Almost pleading.

"How could you forget me?"

Noah’s heart skipped.

For one brief second, the room disappeared.

A strange image flashed through his mind.

A hand reaching for his.

Red eyes staring down at him.

A familiar voice calling his name.

Then it vanished.

Noah staggered.

"Ah..."

He grabbed his head.

The headache returned with such force that his knees nearly buckled.

"Noah!"

Lamia quickly grabbed him.

"What happened?"

Noah couldn’t answer.

His eyes remained fixed on Lysander.

For some reason, the demon’s words no longer sounded like the ramblings of someone trying to manipulate him.

They sounded like the words of someone who had been waiting.

Waiting for Noah to remember something he had forgotten.

Something that might explain why the purebloods went extinct.

Why Lysander hated witches.

Why Harold had accused him of destroying Noah’s people.

And most importantly...

Why Noah felt like he had known the devil’s son long before this life ever began.