Chapter 64 Curing them off the heat.

Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Curing them off the heat.

Noah stepped through the bathroom door, his heart weighed down by worry over the consequences of leaving the alphas alone in the middle of a deadly rut.

Only now was he beginning to wonder what they must have gone through while he hid away. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the torment raging inside them, or whether they were still mentally holding on.

The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt.

Maybe... maybe he had been selfish.

He shouldn’t have handled things that way.

If the situation had been reversed, wouldn’t all five of them have stood together to protect him without hesitation?

At that thought, Noah lowered his head.

Am I even worthy of having five alphas beside me?

He had done nothing but doubt them from the very beginning. He questioned their motives, distrusted their actions, and even pushed them away whenever they got too close.

So why...

Why were they still so loyal to him?

And after everything that had happened, he finally understood something that shook him to his core.

The person responsible for the original Ashton’s death...

The one hiding behind everything...

Was none other than the stranger from his dreams.

Silence swallowed the hallway as Noah stepped out of the room.

The first person he saw was Eugene.

His heart skipped a beat.

Eugene didn’t look like himself anymore.

His usually calm eyes were hollow, fixed on a corner where absolutely nothing existed. His face had lost every trace of emotion, almost as though his soul had drifted somewhere far away.

Noah hesitated.

Should he call his name?

Or should he leave him alone?

After a brief pause, he walked over.

"Eugene... are you alright?"

His voice came out almost like a whisper, as though he were calling someone standing on the edge between life and death.

There was no response.

Not even a blink.

The sight made Noah’s face go pale.

His eyes instinctively shifted across the room.

Damian and Marcus were sitting together, their bodies slumped against the furniture. Judging from their posture, they had probably been trying to comfort each other earlier, but even that had stopped. Now they simply stared into empty space, completely lifeless.

A chill crawled up Noah’s spine.

"Guys... what’s wrong?"

Even as he asked, he already knew the answer.

The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.

The temperature around him seemed to drop.

Then...

All four alphas snapped their heads toward him at the exact same moment.

The sudden movement sent a violent shiver racing through Noah’s body.

"Oh, fuck..."

He stumbled back a step.

"That was creepy... what got into you all? Is it just the rut?"

Even while speaking, a strange sensation spread beneath his skin.

It felt as though invisible claws were slowly tearing through his flesh, sending waves of unbearable tingles across his body.

The feeling gathered deep inside him, in places he couldn’t even bring himself to mention.

His breathing became uneven.

"Talk to me."

His voice cracked.

"Please stop scaring me. I’m already terrified enough. Just look around... whatever I might have awakened... I don’t want to keep feeling like this anymore."

A voice answered him.

"You left us."

It was Eugene’s voice.

Yet...

It didn’t belong to Eugene.

"You locked yourself away without caring what we would go through."

Every word sounded wrong.

Like something ancient was forcing itself through Eugene’s throat.

Noah instinctively shook his head.

"It’s not like that."

His voice trembled.

"I was scared... that’s all. Please don’t think I abandoned you. I just... I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t handle everything all at once."

"It doesn’t matter."

The voice grew colder.

"You watched us lose our sanity."

"You watched me lose mine."

"And what did you do?"

"Nothing."

A cruel laugh escaped Eugene’s lips.

"You’re nothing but a selfish bastard who only cares about saving his own skin."

"So stop pretending you’re some self-righteous saint."

"It’s disgusting."

Before Noah could react, Eugene grabbed him roughly by the collar and dragged him halfway across the room.

Noah gasped.

The force nearly knocked the air from his lungs.

Then...

Eugene suddenly froze.

His eyes regained their focus.

His entire body began trembling violently.

Realization crashed over him.

"Oh... fuck..."

His grip loosened immediately.

"Ashton..."

His knees slammed against the floor.

"I’m sorry..."

His hands rubbed together frantically as panic consumed him.

"I didn’t mean any of that."

"It wasn’t me."

"Please..."

His voice broke.

"Please don’t hate me."

Noah remained frozen for several seconds.

The cruel words still echoed painfully inside his chest.

But when he looked at Eugene now...

He saw nothing but fear.

He sighed softly before crouching in front of him.

"It’s okay."

He gently wrapped both hands around Eugene’s trembling ones.

"I’m not angry."

"I could tell it wasn’t really you."

"Something else was speaking through you."

"It tried so hard to sound like you..."

He smiled weakly.

"But it failed."

Relief flooded Eugene’s eyes.

Noah carefully helped him back onto his feet before glancing toward the others.

"Come on."

"Let’s check on everyone else."

Unfortunately...

Whatever had happened to Eugene had already spread.

Marcus, Damian and Killian were shaking violently, whispering words that made absolutely no sense.

Their bodies jerked unnaturally.

Almost like invisible strings were controlling every movement.

Noah clenched his fists.

"I know you’re there..."

His voice rang through the room.

"Lysander Valmont."

"Leave them alone."

Killian’s neck twisted toward him with an unnatural crack.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"So..."

"You’re finally here to save your precious sweetheart."

The voice wasn’t Killian’s anymore.

"I told you before."

"You’re mine."

"So stop clinging to these powerless little rats and come back where you belong."

"I’m the only one capable of protecting you."

He laughed mockingly.

"These children can barely wash their own clothes."

"And you expect them to defend you?"

"They’ll fail."

"Miserably."

Noah’s stomach twisted.

It wasn’t just the words.

It was the terrifying way Lysander perfectly copied Killian’s voice.

Every pause.

Every laugh.

Every expression.

As though he truly lived inside their minds.

Aren’t you affected by the rut too...?

He couldn’t understand it.

Or... does it simply not work on creatures like you?

Almost as though hearing his thoughts, Eugene answered.

"We’re at our weakest during rut and heat."

His breathing remained uneven.

"It becomes much easier for powerful beings to invade our minds."

"And someone already took advantage of that."

Everything suddenly made sense.

Noah bit his lip.

"Lysander."

His voice became firm.

"Get out of their heads."

"This isn’t going to make me come to you."

"It’s only making me hate you even more."

Marcus suddenly burst into loud laughter.

The sound echoed throughout the room.

"Why shouldn’t I?"

"It’s entertaining."

"I enjoy watching them become my puppets."

"You have no idea how powerful I really am."

A dangerous smile curved Marcus’ lips.

"I could kill them."

"Maybe..."

"I should try."

Noah’s eyes widened in horror.

"No!"

He immediately raised both hands.

"Please don’t hurt them."

"They’ve done absolutely nothing to you."

His feet refused to move.

He didn’t dare step closer.

One wrong move could provoke Lysander.

"They’re only here to help me train."

"That’s all."

"They came to uncover the mystery surrounding me."

"So please..."

"If you’re angry..."

"Take it out on me."

"Not them."

Almost instantly every alpha collapsed onto the floor.

Their bodies pressed against the ground as though crushed beneath an invisible force.

Pure mind control.

Nothing else.

Lysander’s voice returned.

"So..."

"The way you defended them..."

"The confidence in your voice..."

"Is it because you finally realized I was the one who killed Ashton?"

Noah lowered his gaze.

He couldn’t bring himself to look into Killian’s empty eyes.

Those weren’t Killian’s eyes anymore.

His Killian smiled warmly.

His Killian teased him.

His Killian wasn’t this monster.

"I want that look again."

Lysander’s voice softened unexpectedly.

"Why won’t you look at me like you look at them?"

Noah slowly inhaled.

"Because..."

"You have to earn it."

His answer was calm.

"I can’t smile at someone who steals people’s free will."

"You invade their minds."

"You force them to hurt the people they love."

"I can’t accept that."

"I’ll never accept that."

"You don’t get to decide people’s lives for them."

"And that’s exactly what you’re doing."

"I hate it."

The room fell silent.

Then...

Lysander chuckled.

"Very well."

"I’m leaving."

"Since that’s what you want."

"But remember this."

"You’ll come back to me."

"You’ve forgotten everything."

"The alphas are powerless while those memories remain missing."

"How exactly do you plan to survive?"

"You don’t even know who you really are."

"I do."

"And one more thing..."

His voice became colder than ice.

"If you think these alphas will always stay by your side..."

"Then you’re a fool."

"The Emperor has already betrothed them to Slyvia."

"No matter how attached they seem..."

"No one abandons power..."

"For a poor omega."

"And certainly not one like you."

The pressure vanished.

Like a bomb exploding into silence.

Lysander disappeared.

The four alphas inhaled sharply, their bodies collapsing as they finally regained control.

Noah barely had time to react before all of them rushed toward him.

Killian reached him first.

Without hesitation, he wrapped both arms tightly around Noah and pulled him against his chest.

"Oh, baby..."

His voice was gentle again.

"What happened?"

"Talk to Daddy."

The warmth of the embrace shattered the wall Noah had been desperately holding together.

His tears burst free.

"I..."

He buried his face against Killian’s shoulder.

"I can’t do this anymore."

"It’s too much."

"No matter how hard I try..."

"I keep going in circles."

"I’m not strong enough."

Damian immediately took one of Noah’s hands.

"You’re Ashton."

"Our fierce little omega."

"The one who never backs down."

Marcus smiled softly.

"You’re one of a kind."

"A treasure."

"So stop underestimating yourself."

Eugene stepped closer.

"I’ve smiled more since meeting you than I ever have in my entire life."

"So believe me when I say..."

"I’m proud of you."

Finally, Killian gently lifted Noah’s chin.

"There he is..."

"My little kitten."

"What am I supposed to do if you keep crying like this?"

The others laughed softly.

One after another, they wrapped Noah in a warm embrace until he completely disappeared within their arms.

None of them noticed the change.

The sweet scent of Noah’s pheromones slowly escaped into the air, spreading silently through every corner of the academy.

Like gentle rain washing away a storm, the suffocating heat that had consumed the school began to fade.

The violent ruts.

The unbearable heats.

One by one...

They all disappeared.