[BL] Guardians of Fate Chapter 52 - 16: Before The Storm [4]

What the hell am I doing right now?

I must have a frigging death wish or sothing!

Adrien Lowell, do you really want to die again so badly?! Fuck!

These were the thoughts that raced through Ardyn’s mind as he ran for his life, hoping that no one would notice his escape. In a way, the beastspawn attacks were a blessing in disguise; they helped distract the soldiers and civilians long enough for him to run back.

The distant sounds of battle echoed behind him, and he felt guilty only for the briefest of monts.

It’s not like I can do anything over there anyway!

Ardyn gasped loudly as he felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His legs began to burn from the exertion.

He wasn’t used to running this fast! Or for this long, either. He had never even tried out for the track team in high school because he hated sports!

Still, what the hell is wrong with ? he cried out in his mind. Such an idiot!

Why did you turn back?!

He couldn’t explain it, but the mont that priest ntioned the young man in the Church...

And when he ntioned locking him up there...

It was as if a switch had instantly flipped in his mind. Even though his brain was screaming at him that this action was illogical and completely groundless, his body and heart were not listening.

Before he could even think about it twice, he had already made his decision. His body turned against his will and his legs carried him in the direction of the city.

Ardyn quickly looked up at the sky and felt the fear pooling in his stomach. The clouds were forming sothing above them, swirling rapidly, as if a tornado was about to form.

He didn’t dare stop running, even though his lungs were screaming for him to breathe.

Then, right in front of his eyes, a multitude of butterflies sward down from the sky, as if they were desperately flying away from sothing.

Wait, no. Those aren’t butterflies.

Those are...

Ardyn stopped in his tracks as several of them flew past him. He saw the black left wing and the pale-blue, almost transparent right wing. He saw the almost spherical glow that surrounded each one, and then it clicked.

These butterflies. They looked exactly the sa as the butterfly that he had seen back in his world, just monts before his death.

What did this an?

Panting loudly, Ardyn bent down and grabbed his knees, trying to catch his breath. He could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could still feel that strong pull telling him to go to the castle, to go and save that young man imdiately.

That man... The one that that priest kept mumbling about earlier.

He was probably trapped in there right now.

But why would that priest do such a thing? It didn’t make any sense.

Hold on... Ardyn belatedly realized that the location of the Church was on the left side of the White Castle, which ant that it was the second furthest building in the city.

He had to move fast. Ti was running out.

I—I have to get there, he thought frantically. I have to go!

I need to go!

He needs !

With newfound determination, Ardyn ran again, this ti faster than before. The Lingers continued to fly past him, escaping the sinister aura that enveloped the sky. It was undoubtedly a terrible sign.

When he was about twenty ters from the city gates, the worst thing happened.

A burst of energy exploded from above, a pressure so imnse that Ardyn had to stop in his tracks and cover his face with his arms.

The skies cracked open, and sothing fell towards the sea. It couldn’t have been a big one, because there wasn’t much of a splash.

He imdiately felt a shiver run down his spine. The temperature seed to drop considerably this ti, and he wrapped his cloak around himself even tighter.

Damn it! I gotta set this down!

He looked around and found a large tree nearby that resembled a willow. He placed his bag under the tree, resting it against the base of the trunk. He couldn’t afford to let it get destroyed. After all, Evan’s instructions were still in there.

I got a bad feeling about this... he thought, swallowing visibly as he approached the city. I’m... probably gonna die.

He shook his head vehently.

No ti for thinking, Adrien. Let’s just run!

With that, he bolted off, wishing desperately in his heart that nothing bad would happen.

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anwhile...

-

When Luke opened his eyes, he couldn’t hold back the groan that escaped his lips.

Where am I?

He tried to sit up, but his back hurt in a way that made him pause. It was as if he had taken a bad fall, and now his limbs were silently screaming in pain. He also felt dizzy and light-headed.

His vision slowly adjusted to his surroundings, but he could barely make out anything. It was pitch black.

He could feel the rough surface of the stone floor beneath his fingers, as well as the soft material of a worn carpet. It must have been the one that cushioned the impact.

His head throbbed from the fall, but he knew he had to gather his wits quickly. He must have been unconscious for hours.

What the hell happened?

He took a deep breath.

I can’t move like this. I need to use it.

Within seconds, a faint blue glow ca from the mark on Luke’s forehead, pulsing with internal energy. It slowly expanded, casting a halo around him and illuminating his features.

He opened his right palm and laboriously raised it to his eyes, watching as a soft azure glow wrapped around it like a transparent, pale-blue sphere.

He had used this magic many tis before, especially when he was seriously injured, so the action was effortless for him.

He pressed the palm of his hand to his left arm and sighed softly as the pain began to fade. The magic penetrated deep into his skin, nding strained muscles and easing the ache in his bones.

He then pressed it to the back of his head, sighing softly as the tension left his shoulders. The subtle warmth seeped through him, and the pain gradually subsided, replaced by a feeling of rejuvenation.

He then pulled his arm back, feeling a slight sticky sensation on his palm.

He knew without looking that it was blood.

I’d be dead by now if I were a normal person.

Luke finally rose from the ground, his movents smoother. The pain in his body was gone, but it was replaced by a slight ntal exhaustion. It always felt that way whenever he healed himself, especially when the injuries were severe. He must have been in pretty bad shape when he fell.

He lifted his palm and conjured an orb of white light as his guide in this darkness.

Let’s just get out of here first.