Ash.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

That was all that remained of Lucian. Now, even those ashes were being eaten away by the remnant destruction energy within them.

Alex stared at where his enemy once stood, the remnants of his existence now reduced to nothing but scattered dust on the cold stone floor.

The battle had been brutal—the hardest one he had until now—and the outcome was uncertain until the very last second.

"Hah..." He exhaled slowly, his body still trembling from the exertion. No matter how much his healing abilities healed his injuries, and no matter how much mana he had, the mental toll couldn’t be lessened.

He had been close—too close—to death.

If he hadn’t instinctively tilted his body, just enough for Lucian’s claw to narrowly miss his heart... or if Lucian had been in a more stable mental state and gone directly for his head, he would be the one lying in a pool of his own blood right now.

That thought lingered, pressing heavily on his mind. The realization that he had danced on the razor’s edge of death left an unsettling feeling in his gut.

This fight made him realize that he still wasn’t strong enough to come out unscathed in a fight against someone as strong as Lucian.

’I was lucky this time,’ he thought, staring at his clenched fists and the blood flowing down his chest.

There were many factors that came into play this time, surprise being the most significant of them. If not for the surprise he gave the vampires when he revealed his abilities, maybe this fight would’ve extended for longer.

[Alex. Luck is an ability in itself. You don’t need to be so harsh on yourself.] Sophie’s voice echoed in his head, interrupting his musing and causing him to smile.

’I’m not being harsh on myself, Sophie,’ a light sigh left his lips as he closed his eyes, ’I’m just giving myself a reality check.’

[No. Don’t do that.] Sophie, however, remained unyielding. [Enjoy your victory and feel proud. You did something no one with your power could dream of doing.]

Alex froze for a moment before a smile spread across his face, his palm rubbing the back of his head as he nodded. ’Alright. I will do as you say.’

He knew why Sophie was doing this. She knew that undermining yourself too much would never give a pleasing outcome.

One needs to know when one should feel proud and accomplished.

But before he could delve further into that train of thought, something warm crashed into him.

"A-Alex...!"

Lilia’s voice trembled, thick with emotion as she wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him as if he would disappear the moment she let go. Her body trembled against his, and for the first time, Alex realized—Lilia was crying.

He had seen her angry. He had seen her hurt. He had even seen her devastated.

But never like this.

Lilia was always composed, always the one to maintain a dignified presence no matter the situation. But now? Now, her walls had crumbled, and she clung to him, unbothered by appearances or decorum.

Lilia’s fingers dug into his back, desperate to assure herself that he was real—that he was still alive.

The fear of losing him had paralyzed her. Stay updated via novelbuddy

’If I had lost him...’

The mere thought sent another wave of tears spilling from her eyes, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. She had almost lost him. She had thought—just for a moment—that he was gone.

"Idiot," she choked out, burying her face into his shoulder. "Why do you always do this? Why do you always push yourself to the edge?"

Alex blinked at her sudden outburst before exhaling with a tired smile. "You’re squishing me, you know."

The teasing remark did little to soothe Lilia’s turbulent emotions. But as if remembering something, she lowered her head again, her smile fading.

"I’m sorry, it’s all because of me—" Before she could spiral further into them, Alex cut her short, wincing dramatically.

"Ah... I think I might actually die now," he murmured, voice strained. He made it seem like her hug was the reason for his pain elevating.

Lilia’s eyes widened in horror as she immediately pulled back, panic setting in. "Are you okay?! Where does it hurt? How bad is it?"

’Again. I did it again!’ She screamed inwardly, worry and pain clear in her eyes. ’He was hurt again—’

Her thoughts were paused as Alex’s smile vanished. Sighing, he quickly flicked her forehead softly.

"Ow—!"

She blinked in surprise, her hands instinctively flying to her forehead as she looked up at Alex, confused. Tears were still brimming in her eyes, but confusion covered a majority of them.

"Relax," he said, his expression softer than usual. "I’m fine."

"But... this is all because of me," she whispered, guilt clouding her violet eyes as her fists clenched. "If I hadn’t—"

Another flick to her forehead cut her words short.

"Stop that," Alex said firmly, his blue eyes meeting hers with unwavering certainty. "None of this was your fault."

Lilia hesitated, her lips pressing together as she tried to find something—anything—to counter his words. But the way he looked at her, as if daring her to argue, made it impossible.

Instead, she sighed, rubbing the sore spot on her forehead. "…Fine."

Alex smirked before slowly lowering himself to the ground, finally allowing his battered body a moment of reprieve. He closed his eyes and focused inward, activating healing breath and breath control. Warm energy spread through his body, mending his wounds at an accelerated pace.

He didn’t really need to sit on the ground to do it, but he thought of relaxing a bit.

Breath control lets one calm their mind after all.

In just a minute, the pain subsided, his strength returning to him.

But when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Lilia lying on his lap, a serene smile gracing her lips as she stared at his face, unblinking.

It wasn’t the same forced smile she had worn earlier, the one masked with tension and burdens.

This one... was free.

It was as if she had finally let go of something—something that had weighed on her for far too long.

Alex tilted his head. "What?"

Lilia merely closed her eyes, her expression still relaxed. "Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes at her response but ultimately shrugged, choosing not to push the matter further.

Something had changed. The events that took place were the reason for it. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew one thing: it was a good change.

Soon, he shifted his attention to their surroundings, his gaze scanning the remnants of the battle. The prison had returned to its normal size.

But he furrowed. He was searching for something. The controller of the palace, to be precise. He couldn’t find it.

Thinking about it, he turned his attention back to Lilia.

"The palace’s control device," he said. "Did you take it?"

Lilia nodded, reaching into her clothes before pulling out a small, intricately carved crystal. She handed it to him without hesitation.

Alex took it, staring at it for a moment, deep in thought.

Then, without looking away, he asked, "Lilia, do you mind if I destroy this palace?"