CHAPTER 225: _LIKE A MEMORY REBORN

Elian’s POV

*****

[Phew... Looks like we’re alive. Great quick thinking, fruitcake.]

Elian coughed, scrunching his nose when the influx of smoke and dust became too much to bear. He sat up on the floor, squinting through the aftermath of the explosion.

’Little flame...’ Kyren’s voice slipped into his mind just then, sounding distant at first.

But it soon heightened when he felt he was okay. ’Gods below, you’re alright. I’m... I’m so proud of you for making that calculated decision under so much pressure.’

Elian placed his right hand around his throat, swallowing to get rid of the aftertaste of ash on his tongue. ’The others. They must have seen me use magic. They can’t—’

’No, they saw you phase out of Garrick’s grip.’ Kyren’s voice was reassuring. ’Relax, little flame. For all they know, I was the one who cast the spell.’

Elian still felt bad for not telling the others about his abilities or the system... But this new incident brought up a new issue that made him go numb.

Trust.

He thought he could trust all his mates with his life. But then the one he trusted the most played god tonight, threatening to end that life.

Speaking of which—

’Please, clear the smoke.’ Elian’s voice was a whisper in the mind link. ’Let’s see if that bastard survived.’

He could still feel Lucian and Garrick through the mate bond.

But the connection with Garrick felt oddly fickle, amping his curiosity.

Suddenly, the air pressure increased as magic hummed through the room. The smoke dispelled in an instant, revealing the sorry state the room was in.

The floor had cracks like spiderwebs stretching all over it, forming a huge crater at the centre. The chandelier had crashed, its crystals shattered into pieces.

Everything else had been obliterated, leaving nothing but scorch marks and blackened ash on the walls and corners where they once stood.

"Argh..." Aurora grunted from the room door, sitting up with a pained expression.

Elowen had also managed to sit up, her face stained with ash and her own blood, her night robe scorched.

Lucian struggled to get on his feet—and as for Kyren? The Rogue king was the only one still standing through this ordeal, his cloak flapping around him as the crimson force bubble shielding him blinked out of existence.

His eyes landed on Elian’s face briefly before locking on the spot Garrick had been standing on a minute ago.

Empty.

He was nowhere to be found.

Wind howled through the open balcony door, but all it did was add to Elian’s frustration.

"He... He escaped?" Lucian snarled, straightening his posture when he got up.

The Alpha Prince’s fists clenched, his teeth gnashed with rage. "He couldn’t have gotten far. We’ll—"

"The man literally said he had a teleportation device on him," Kyren muttered, his voice monotonous. "I doubt searching for him will yield results."

Elian helped himself up, dusting his body and trying not to make a sarcastic remark to "thank" them for helping him get up.

[New mission for you: Stop finding new ways to make serious shit about you.]

Elian ignored the system as Lucian continued:

"There’s no way he teleported out of Lunarian soil. I’ll... I’ll have the soldiers stationed in every city searching for him."

"We’re talking about a man who kept his true identity hidden from everyone for well over a decade." Kyren let out a breath. "Trust me when I say wasting manpower to find him would be futile now."

Elian could feel the tension simmering through the air like static, the Alpha Prince and Rogue king glaring at each other for several seconds.

Until—

"Fuck!" Lucian cursed, flinging his arms with frustration. "We had him right here! Now he’s out there and we’re back at fucking square one!"

Kyren folded his arms, his crimson eyes dulling slightly. "He’s centuries old, Lucian. Garrick Ironclaw isn’t some half-trained sorcerer playing dress-up. The man’s survived more than you can imagine. He’s slipped through worse traps than this."

Lucian’s lip curled. "Spoken like someone with firsthand experience, maybe? Guess it runs in the family."

Kyren’s gaze sharpened like a blade. "Careful, Alpha prince. I’m already in a foul mood."

Before Lucian could bite back a response, the door burst open with a crash. Several palace guards rushed in, weapons drawn, eyes wide as they scanned the ruined space.

"Your Highness!" one of them blurted, lowering his laser spear slightly when he saw Lucian and the others alive. "We heard the explosion all the way from the eastern wing—"

"Stand down," Lucian ordered hoarsely, running a hand through his ash-streaked hair. "No one enters without my permission. Secure the hallway and call for palace doctors."

The guard nodded, bowing before retreating to issue orders.

The silence that followed was suffocating, filled only by the faint hum of destroyed circuitry from the walls and the distant alarms echoing through the palace.

"We all need to rest," Elowen finally murmured, pushing herself to her feet with Aurora’s help. Her voice was tired but steady. "This battle is over for now. We can’t afford to make rash decisions in this state."

Lucian clenched his jaw but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But I want the entire royal guard and every bounty hunter in Lunaria searching for him by dawn. I don’t care how far he’s gone— I want Beta Axel’s head on a stake tomorrow."

Aurora’s gaze softened, but she said nothing. The exhaustion in her eyes mirrored everyone else’s.

As they all turned to leave, Elian lingered behind. He could still feel the faint ache from where Garrick’s arm had pressed against his throat.

The phantom warmth of betrayal lingered longer than the pain.

Lucian paused by the door and turned slightly, his silver eyes sweeping over Elian like he was about to say something—perhaps even apologise.

But before either of them could speak, a familiar ping echoed in Elian’s mind.

[Congratulations! Mate #1, Lucian, has unlocked 100% of his memories. Host’s reward loading...]

Elian froze.

His heart stuttered, his breath catching in his throat.

Lucian’s head tilted, his expression changing subtly—like something deep within him had clicked. For the first time in weeks, Elian saw it clearly in those silver eyes.

Recognition.

Not the cautious curiosity or faint guilt that used to hide behind that calm mask—this was pure, unfiltered awareness.

Lucian looked at him as though he were seeing him for the first time... and at the same time, remembering everything that came before.

The silence stretched until the Alpha Prince’s lips parted slightly. "Elian..."

The way he said his name was different this time—sharper, deeper. Like a memory reborn.

And for the briefest second, Elian forgot how to breathe.