Chapter 106 A proposal

Chapter 106: Chapter 106 A proposal

This was a cultural setting and a major event that the empire held once every year. And this was that time. The entire hall had been prepared for the annual festival, a tradition deeply rooted in the empire’s history. It was supposed to be a celebration of bloodlines, power, unity, and, most importantly, the sacred mating ceremony. But none of that explained what the emperor was doing at the academy. Why had he come here? Was it really because of Noah? Or was there something much bigger happening behind the scenes?

Eyes remained locked on Noah, following his every movement. It felt as though the entire world was waiting for him to make one tiny mistake.

Noah’s gaze moved across the seats before him, now occupied by the students who had finally stopped kneeling after Emperor Damon took his own seat. But even while everyone was watching him, Noah couldn’t stop himself from glancing toward the entrance. Some irrational part of him was still expecting Lysander to walk through those doors.

He needed someone to tell him what to do. Someone who could look at this situation and say, Noah, don’t go with him. Because Noah didn’t want to go anywhere with the emperor. That man was supposedly his father. His father. Then where had he been all this time? Why had he never come for him? Why had Noah spent his entire life struggling through one miserable situation after another if he had supposedly been born into such a powerful bloodline?

He couldn’t simply accept everything that had been thrown at him and force it down his throat as though it were perfectly normal. One moment, he had been a doomed omega trying to survive. The next, he was apparently the emperor’s son, the heir to an empire, and somehow the center of a mating ceremony. Although, perhaps calling himself a normal omega wasn’t exactly accurate. Noah had never been normal since arriving in this world. Still, a better life wouldn’t hurt. If he really had to leave everything behind, maybe he could at least find a place where he didn’t have to constantly fight for survival.

"Alphas before me!" Emperor Damon’s commanding voice rang through the hall. The Moonlight Alphas immediately stepped forward. The festival had officially reached its most important stage. The mating ceremony.

Noah watched them carefully. This was his first time witnessing something like this. He knew about the marking of mates, of course, but he had no idea what else was involved in the actual ceremony. Was someone supposed to mark him publicly? The thought alone made his face burn. If they were going to do something like that in front of everyone, he might actually die of embarrassment.

Damon watched him for a moment. Noah noticed. Of course he did. "Do you know how it’s done?" Damon asked.

Noah turned toward him. He still wasn’t comfortable calling him Father. Absolutely not. Just thinking about it made him cringe. The man had appeared out of nowhere, announced that Noah was his son, and then immediately started treating him like the most precious person in the empire. It was too much. Especially when Noah couldn’t shake the suspicion that his newly discovered father might be the kind of powerful villain who could become the biggest problem in his life.

"Isn’t this my first time?" Noah replied. "I don’t have a clue. The tradition is completely foreign to me." He didn’t elaborate, but he hoped Damon understood what he was trying to say.

The emperor did. A small smile appeared on his face. Before Noah could say anything else, Warwold approached the group of Moonlight Alphas. He carried a ceremonial bowl in both hands. Noah had no idea what was inside it. Whatever it was, judging by the way Warwold handled it, it was clearly part of the ritual.

The old mage raised the bowl and prepared to speak. But before he could say a single word, Damon’s voice cut through the hall. "And you’re?" The coldness in his voice was terrifying. It wasn’t merely the words. His presence alone seemed to weigh down the entire room.

Warwold’s expression stiffened. He lowered his head. "I am the oldest mage present and a practitioner of magic. I have come to bless the alphas and guide them before the Moon Goddess."

Damon frowned. "Mrs. Danielle." The woman immediately looked up. "Send this old hag away." Warwold’s face changed. "Azriel and Hezznine will be in charge of this ceremony." Damon’s gaze returned to the mage. "So get lost."

The humiliation was immediate. Warwold stood frozen. For someone who had spent years believing his position was untouchable, being dismissed so casually in front of the entire academy was devastating. And Noah couldn’t help noticing something else. There were students watching with barely concealed satisfaction. Some of them clearly hated Warwold. Seeing someone who had always looked down on them finally being humiliated by someone far more powerful was almost satisfying enough to cheer for.

Warwold swallowed his pride. "I’m sorry, Your Eminence, but what have I done wrong?" He bowed slightly. "Please educate me." The hall became silent. Everyone wanted to hear the answer.

But Damon simply stared at him. There was nothing readable in the emperor’s expression. It was like trying to read a stone. His actions were unpredictable. His emotions even more so. Warwold looked increasingly nervous. Then Damon moved his fingers. Something snapped through the air. Warwold’s body suddenly lifted from the ground.

"What—?" His feet kicked helplessly as an invisible force tightened around his body. His chest constricted. He struggled to breathe. Then, with another terrifying burst of dark power, his body was slammed backward. His spine struck one of the pillars. "Ah!" His scream echoed through the hall. The ceremonial bowl slipped from his hands and crashed against the floor.

Damon didn’t even blink. "Don’t ever ask me that question again," he said, his voice frighteningly calm. "You worthless object." The meaning was obvious. To Damon, Warwold was no longer useful. And something useless had no place standing before him.

Warwold remained motionless against the pillar, barely able to move. The two remaining mages immediately stepped forward. They bowed deeply. Neither of them dared question the emperor. "Before we continue," Azriel said carefully, "there is one matter that must be decided." He looked toward Noah. "You must choose now."

The entire hall held its breath. "Who will be your mate?" Silence. Absolute silence. Then the whispers began. Some students had previously been wondering whether the emperor would somehow save them from the academy. After all, Damon had once been considered one of the empire’s greatest heroes. But there had been no confirmation of such a thing. Instead, the only thing that had become certain was that Noah had suddenly become the center of the ceremony.

Slyvia was no longer the favored omega. No longer the emperor’s ward. No longer the person everyone expected to become the center of attention. That position now belonged to Noah. And everyone knew it.

Noah lowered his gaze. He had thought about this. He had thought about it hard ever since Damon had announced the ceremony. He knew choosing one Alpha would hurt the others. And more importantly, Noah didn’t want to watch them destroy themselves over him. If he really was going to leave the empire, then perhaps it would be better to leave with people he already knew. People he trusted. People who, despite all their flaws, had shown that they were obsessed with keeping him alive. Maybe they could start over somewhere. It wasn’t the future Noah had imagined. But perhaps it was better than facing everything alone.

There was also something else. The spirit guide had warned him about the empire. It had told him to leave. So what could be sweeter than leaving with the men who had already become so deeply attached to him?

Noah slowly stood. His robe swept across the floor as he walked toward the Moonlight Alphas. Every eye followed him. He stopped before Killian. Killian’s expression immediately changed. His eyes widened, and his face went pale. For one terrible moment, hope and fear battled inside him. Was Noah going to choose him? Noah didn’t say anything. He simply continued forward.

Then he reached Marcus. Noah lifted his hand. His fingers gently touched Marcus’s face. He caressed his jaw before brushing his fingertips across his cheek. Marcus’s heart nearly stopped. His entire body went rigid. He wanted to say something. Anything. But he knew better. If he spoke now, he might ruin whatever Noah was planning. So he remained silent.

Noah moved on. Then he reached Eugene. Eugene looked terrified. Yet despite his fear, a yearning smile appeared on his lips. He was waiting. Waiting for Noah to touch him the way he had touched Marcus. Maybe his hair. Maybe his forehead. Anything. But Noah simply stood there. His gaze moved between Eugene and Damian. Then he turned his back on all four Alphas.

The hall became deathly quiet. "I’m not going to choose," Noah announced. The words struck everyone like lightning. The Moonlight Alphas stared at him. They had expected one of them to be rejected. They had expected heartbreak. They had expected Noah to make a decision that would change all of their lives. But this? No one had expected this.

Noah turned around. "Because I don’t have to choose," he said, his voice steady. "And that’s because I’m taking all of them." The hall erupted in gasps. Noah looked directly at the four Alphas. "These are my mates," he declared. "All four of them."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a heavy surge of power erupted from Noah’s chest. It traveled outward, straight toward the four Alphas. Noah’s eyes widened. There. For the first time, he could see it. Red threads. Four crimson threads extending from him toward the four men. They were invisible to everyone else, but Noah could see them clearly. The threads pulsed with a strange warmth. His heart suddenly filled with relief. It had worked. He wasn’t choosing one. He wasn’t abandoning the others. They were all connected.

His happiness lasted only a few seconds. Because suddenly—BOOM! The doors of the great hall were thrown open. Everyone turned. A heavy footstep landed against the stone floor. Cracks spread beneath the person’s feet. Another step. The atmosphere changed. Noah’s smile disappeared. The person walked forward through the entrance. And then a familiar voice echoed across the hall.

"I am not going to force you again, Noah, love." Noah froze. His eyes widened. He knew that voice. The footsteps continued. The figure finally emerged from the shadows. "I heard your decision," the man said, walking toward them slowly. "Would you be my mate too?" The entire hall went silent. "I want to join your harem."

Noah’s mouth fell slightly open. The man’s gaze remained fixed on him. "I want to protect you." He continued walking until he stood before Noah. Then, without hesitation, he lowered himself. The man bowed deeply. His head touched the ground. At his feet, he placed an enormous bouquet of flowers. "I ask you to grant me this order," his voice remained steady. "Let me guide you toward your happiness."

Noah couldn’t breathe. The Moonlight Alphas stared in disbelief. Damon’s eyes narrowed. The mages stood frozen. Even Irene, who had spent the entire ceremony enjoying the unfolding chaos, had lost her playful expression. Everyone was staring at the man kneeling before Noah. And Noah could only stare back.