Omega Ascension System[BL]

Lucian’s POV

*****

Later that night.

By the strike of the twenty-second hour, after dinner, Lucian and Elian walked side by side down the hallways of the Lunarian palace.

Their destination?

The war room.

Elian’s fingers were coiled between Lucian’s, his presence grounding him. The former wore a form-fitting golden and silver outfit while the latter wore a kingly golden and white robe that swept the floor behind him.

Many maids and other staff who were going around their business immediately stood still and bowed as they passed. Guards straightened, expressions stiff and reverent.

Lucian barely paid any of them heed, his mind set on what lay waiting behind the large golden doors of the war room.

Once they arrived, the two guards standing beside it immediately bowed before opening the doors. The familiar metallic round table sat waiting at the centre of the room.

The same table Lucian had watched his father discuss Evaros’ politics and border fears when the conflict between Arcadia and the Dark Lands began shifting into a war.

Now he was here as Alpha King. For one reason only.

Truth.

Gathered around the table were some of the most influential and powerful people in the Empire.

First, sitting at the end of the table was his mother—Queen Dowager Elowen.

She was dressed in a sparkling golden gown, her elbows set on the table and her hands clasped in front of her face. Her eyes flicked to Lucian the second he appeared.

Aside from her, Gamma Drax and Delta Reina were also present, their faces solemn. The four Eastern Wolves council members were also seated, expectation wrinkling their aged brows.

Aurora and Sylas sat beside Elowen.

Finally were a few figures Lucian recognised as the leaders of the most powerful and oldest noble families in Lunaria.

Pulling in a breath as the doors sealed behind him, Lucian began. "Good evening."

They all rose to their feet. Every one of them. "Good evening, Alpha King." They said in unison, more out of tradition than true respect.

Lucian and Elian sat beside each other, the former rubbing his throat.

This was it.

"Is this everyone you were expecting?" Gamma Drax questioned. "I believe—"

The doors burst open behind them just then.

Every head swung only to see Kyren striding in, his black cloak and lush white hair billowing behind him. "Sorry, I’m late. Had to make a few calls."

Gasps rippled from the Eastern Wolves council members and a couple of the noble heads.

"Why is the Rogue King present in a Lunarian royal court meeting?" Elder Mateo, speaker of the Eastern Wolves, snapped. "And why is this being held in the war room?"

"Are you trying to tell us we’ll be going to war with Arcadia?" Another council member asked.

"Preposterous!" The eldest sneered. "You’ve only been in power for a few hours at best and you want to—"

No words or exaggerated light shows were needed to silence them.

All Lucian did was let out the pressure of his celestial sovereign authority. His cold eyes scanned past the faces of all present as they stiffened simultaneously.

He was careful not to target his family or Elian, fingers drumming on the table for a few seconds. "Why don’t you let the man sit before you jump to conclusions higher than any starfish can reach?"

The lights flickered with his words.

Meanwhile, Kyren made himself comfortable, sitting beside Elian while winking at Lucian. "Phew. It was beginning to get noisy in here."

Before Lucian called for this meeting, he’d spoken with Kyren and Elian about all he was going to reveal. Both men approved and were with him on it.

Regardless of how things go tonight that’s all that mattered to the Alpha King.

"Now," Lucian cleared his throat, his aura withdrawing, "I’ll start by addressing something that’s bothered both the Eastern Wolves and Council of Fangs before I took the throne."

Some faces were disgruntled. Others kept their expressions calm, eyes shaking with fear, hesitation and curiosity all at once.

Lucian continued. "It’s about the wards being hijacked by Beta Axel Thorne. Or rather... Ex Beta." He let those last words drop like venom. "I can confirm that my family and I have gathered evidence that he’s indeed behind it."

The Eastern Wolves council members looked like they’d heard the most blasphemous thing uttered in all their centuries.

"H–How?" The only female Elder stuttered with disbelief. "Those wards have been strengthened by millennia of magic tech. How did a mere Beta who’s not lived half a century manage such a thing?"

Slowly, Lucian glanced at Elian. And then Kyren.

Time for the actual reveal.

"Axel Thorne isn’t who we think he is," Lucian heaved. "His body was snatched appropriately fifteen years ago. By Garrick."

That name made the faces of every council member contort with even more confusion.

"Garrick was a soldier exiled to the Dark Lands three hundred years ago by my grandfather for alleged theft and mutiny. But the truth?" A pause. "He was the man’s bastard son. Who went ahead to sire a hybrid."

One measured look at Kyren was all it took for everyone to catch up with what he was implying.

And when they did — it was chaos.

"S–Sickening!" One of the head nobles spat. "Is this some kind of joke? All this time the Rogue King—the dreaded usurper of the Dark Lands—has been Arian’s nephew?"

"Did the late Alpha King know about this?"

"Yes." Kyren was the one who spoke this time, his tone deadpan. Almost bored. "For centuries actually. I’m quite surprised he or his father didn’t share that dirty laundry with you old coots."

He chuckled, going back to flicking imaginary dirt off his nails.

Lucian sighed, already feeling the tension settling in the room.

Yet he still hadn’t gotten to the craziest parts.

"My father secretly assisted Garrick and his wife—Amara Redthorn with their experiments in the Dark Lands. Splurged resources into the organisation that we now know as the Dark Hand." Lucian’s fists clenched. "He probably turned a blind eye, knowing Garrick was inhabiting Axel’s body."

Delta Reina’s interjection was sharp. "With all due respect, Alpha King... But do you have proof? Any evidence at all? These are all grave accusations and we can’t just rely on—"

With a twist of his wrist, Kyren pulled out a holographic tablet from thin air. He flung it onto the table, nodding once. "There’s your evidence."

In that tablet were documents proving Arian channelled resources to the Dark Hand. And then a few clips extracted from the information box Kyren’s parents left him.

Lucian huffed as everyone watched the tablet project a plethora of information before them. Their jaws dropped, heads spinning to him.

Silence.

Several seconds and then a few minutes passed with no one even mumbling.

It was the kind of silence that made Lucian know there would be consequences for his truth.

So be it.

"Well," Elder Mateo was the first to fake a cough. "If truly Lord Kyren is your half-cousin. And his father is the true first son of your grandfather..."

His eyes met Lucian, completely neutral. "...I believe you know how threatening this would be to your rule, Alpha king."

Lucian’s jaw worked.

His chest constricted.

There it was.

Unhurriedly, his mouth parted to give a response—

BANG!

Without warning, Elian was on his feet. "I call bullishit!"

All eyes darted to him at once.