Magnus was surrounded by people during a meeting, with piles of reports and letters almost covering his presence. The light of the candles cast shadows on his tense features, highlighting the traits that seemed more hardened in recent months. His hand held a feather, but his mind was far away, wandering among the memories he was revisiting.
Lucian.
His name was a constant whisper in his mind, a burden that Magnus carried from the sacristy at the Abandoned Palace. The words of the doctor and priests echoed like a sentence: Lucian was still alive, but his recovery was uncertain.
"How can you be away from me now?" Magnus thought, clenching his fist over the table. Since the birth of the child growing in his womb, he felt a void that only Lucian could fill. He took a deep breath, trying to ward off the emotions that threatened to bring him down.
"Finally, the First Princess will be the last to be executed among the traitors, even the Emperor giving her chance to choose to live in exile she denied and..." Eugene stopped talking, looking at his brother carefully "Is something wrong, brother?"
Magnus looked at Eugene, still with an empty expression.
"No. Continue with the report."
Eugene hesitated, but he knew it was better to do what he asked rather than insist. Magnus was wrapped in an armor of coldness and determination, but even Eugene could sense the cracks that were forming. In addition, they were dealing with the last matter related to the rebellion, and this made Magnus dive into the memories of Lucian sacrificing himself.
How long had it been?
Still, there was no sign that the alpha would open his eyes again.
When the meeting ended and everyone left the office, Magnus felt a slight tremor running through his body. Rubbing his forehead, he got up from the chair and took his cane to cross the hallways. The wound on his thigh, from several battles, seemed to make it difficult for him to take a step. Or maybe it was Magnus' mind trying to blame his pain on something physical.
His dragging steps led him to a quiet room. Stopping at the door, the crimson eyes observed Argus and some servants taking care of the little baby that slept.
"How is she?"
The servant turned to the omega and smiled calmly.
"The colic finally let the milady rest. She's asleep now."
Slowly approaching, Magnus focused on the child sleeping reclined in the blankets. He just stroked her thin blonde hair and then lean back his hand before it woke her up.
"You and the doctor can make your report later."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Magnus turned around prepared to leave the room when he felt the tremor again running through his body. The leg failed, making it lean on the door. A warm sensation ran through his body, and soon the baby woke up screaming surprising everyone, forcing the stout Argus to hurry in calming her.
"Princess! it's okay..."
Magnus squeezed his chest and bowed, feeling even more agony. The child's crying, the warm sensation... The crimson eyes turned back, to the child who was crying intensely. He stopped, holding the side of his neck where he felt the pain in that region that had been sleeping since that fateful night.
"Lucian".
The faint but unmistakable pulse of his connection vibrated like a distant beat. He tried to take a step, but the leg failed him by tampering with the furniture. The mess caught the attention of the servants who came to see what happen, then divided in trying to help their master or calm the crying baby.
Without hesitation, Magnus left the room, ignoring the curious looks of the servants and knights.
"Prepare my horse" ordered as hurried down the steps.
"Brother! What's going on?" Eugene called.
"Take care of Kiana until I return."
Magnus just hurried to the entrance of the Mansion, where the stable man had just brought his horse from a walk. Riding it skillfully, Magnus wasted no time in riding regardless of his dying condition.
The night was cold, the sharp wind tore involuntary tears from his eyes, but he did not care. All that mattered was the feeling that guided him, a thin thread that connected him to the man he could not lose.
As Magnus rode, flashes of memory invaded his mind: the false smile, the sound of Lucian's voice, the determination in those crucial moments. Magnus clenched his teeth, allowing such memories to feed his haste.
"Hold tight" he murmured to himself "I'm on my way."
The arrival at the temple was marked by his abrupt entry. The priests stopped and looked at him with surprise and fear. His presence, as intense as a storm, seemed out of place in that sacred environment.
"Where is he?" Magnus demanded, his voice echoing through the stone walls.
Skyler appeared, his tired face full of worry.
"What are you doing, Grand Duke?!"
"Don't you dare stop me" Magnus growled, advancing "I feel he's waking up. Don't make me wait."
"You said that the other times and still..."
Skyler raised his hand to stop him, but Magnus pushed him aside. The priest sighed resigned, as he followed him through the corridors to the chamber of divine treasures. The place where the glass coffin kept safe the Saint.
Upon entering that room, Magnus stopped, the world around him silencing itself.
Another false signal?
Lucian was still lying in that glass coffin, his face pale. Magnus approached slowly, feeling the anguish increase even more by being frustrated once again. Clenching his teeth, Magnus fell to his knees while punching the glass.
"Lucian..." Magnus' voice whispered carrying his emotions through the camera.
For a moment, nothing happened. Magnus squinted, feeling the panic growing in his chest. Fury took him when he pushed the lid with all his strength, causing the glass to shatter on the ground and alarm the priests.
"What the hell are you doing?!!"
"Lucian!!!" Magnus cried exasperated, coming to the limit of his waiting.
The Temple's knights entered the chamber to contain the omega that lost its head. The place that used to be silent was filled with growls and choking tears of the Grand Duke who had already lost his reason.
It was then that a current of soft and gentle wind passed through the room carrying the flowers that were asleep next to the Saint. The flowers floated stealing attention and calming everyone like a touch of magic, until they rested again next to the one who was asleep.
The chest began to move smoothly, going up and down almost imperceptibly. Small muscle movements began to appear, so that then those eyes finally opened slowly.
Everyone looked at that vision with surprise. Skyler and the other priests ran to meet the Saint who finally woke from his deep sleep. Were to check your state, your health or just to prove to yourself that it was real. But there was one person who seemed to have lost the strength of his body as he looked unbelieving while held captive among the knights.
That's when he finally realized.
Magnus gathered forces to push the knights and run to him. Ignoring all the priests, Magnus just jumped into that bed and hugged the Saint with all his strength. Wrapping his arms around Lucian and squeezing it against himself, it was like a dream that eluded him once again.
"Magnus..." heard Lucian whisper in his weak but familiar voice.
The relief that Magnus felt was overwhelming. He dipped his fingers in the long blond hair and pressed it against his chest, afraid that it would disappear again.
"You are here..." whispered the omega "Finally... you came back to me."
Lucian tried to smile, but he was too weak. He blinked slowly, his eyes focused on Magnus. Lucian felt something dripping on his shoulder, but no one dared to prove the fact that Magnus Grimwood was crying. Just waited for Magnus to calm down, watching him lean their heads.
"Never leave me again, understand?" Magnus whispered trembling and firm "Never again."
Lucian closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the intensity of Magnus' words.
"I promise."
After that, Lucian needed to rest more to recover his energies after so much sleepless time.
The world seemed a distant dream as Lucian struggled to open his eyes. Everything around him was wrapped in a golden mist, the sounds muffled as if they came from far away. There was a comforting warmth, like the embrace of a blanket on a cold night, but also an overwhelming weight, as if time itself were holding him in place.
With effort, he blinked, his eyes adjusting to the soft light that filled the environment. He recognized the large temple's window, where the moonlight entered and illuminated the space with a serene glow. The smell of incense and medicinal herbs was familiar, bringing back memories of other times when he was there.
But this was not an ordinary moment.
"Finally."
Magnus' deep and sharp voice brought him to reality. He was sitting in a chair next to Lucian's bed, his crimson eyes fixed on him with an intensity that was both frightening and comforting.
"Magnus..." Lucian's voice came out weak, but the omega's name was loaded with emotions he could barely control.
"Don't even try." Magnus leaned forward, his face hardened by worry. "You... you almost left me."
Lucian tried to move, but his body was still heavy, as if the divine energy that had healed him had not finished rebuilding it. He felt Magnus's hand hold his, firm and warm, anchoring him at that moment.
"What happened?" Lucian asked, his voice little more than a whisper.
Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before answering.
"You saved me, Lucian. Once again." Your voice was hoarse, and there was something broken in your tone. "But almost at the cost of your life."
The memory came like a bolt of lightning: Geledel's emissary, the gun pointed at Magnus, the dark light coming towards him... and the decision to stand between him and the omega he loved.
Lucian sighed, feeling the guilt and relief mixed in his chest.
"I couldn't let you..."
"Don't say anything." Magnus squeezed his hand harder, his gaze hardening. "You've done enough. Now it's my turn to protect you."
The silence that followed was heavy, but full of mutual understanding. Magnus was not a man who expressed his emotions easily, but at that moment, his actions spoke louder than any word.