[BL] Guardians of Fate Chapter 90 - 21: An Unexpected Savior [4]

Luke couldn’t quite believe his eyes.

It was an impossible thing, but the man seed to be holding the debris at bay all on his own, protecting them both from an imminent collapse. However, his arms were shaking violently with the effort, which was honestly a worrying sight.

The man clenched his teeth and pushed back against the towering pile. Luke didn’t even know how long he had been doing this. Had five minutes already passed?

The space was so small that they both found it hard to breathe. Luke could hear their heavy breathing all too clearly, his heart continuing to pound in his ears. Their faces were inches apart and their breaths seed to intermingle, probably one of the reasons why it felt warr in here.

What... in the world is going on?

He couldn’t understand it.

How were they not dead yet?

Did this man sohow manage to get to him just before he was completely buried under the rubble? He couldn’t rember. Everything had been a blur before.

Luke blinked to clear his vision, as if he thought he was hallucinating. But the image before him was real, so real that it only added to his disbelief. How could this be possible? They should have been buried alive by now. Did this man have so kind of magic that prevented the debris from crushing them both?

But if it were superhuman strength, why would he seem so visibly strained? It should be effortless for him instead, right?

Also, as Luke looked closely, it seed like... the stones were floating a little? Or were his eyes simply playing a trick on him?

He continued to stare in amazent, and now it all began to sink in, slowly, in his mind.

The face of this man looked familiar.

Oh.

It was the sa man that he had t in this city the night before, during the festivities. The man he had unconsciously longed for all these years.

The sa man who was the reason for all of this.

Now that he examined the face up close, the man was handso, with delicate yet masculine features. He had cat-like eyes and a tall nose, with fair skin and enchanting gray eyes. Strands of dark hair fell over his eyebrows, giving him an air of elegance and mystery.

But what caught Luke’s attention the most was the symbol on the man’s forehead.

A crescent moon symbol that was currently glowing a bright blue.

It was unmistakable.

This was the Otherworlder.

The man was staring at him, and there was sothing fierce and protective in his gaze, sothing that made Luke’s breath catch in his throat. The man’s eyes glowed a shade of blue, sweat dripping down his forehead as his entire body shook with exertion.

"You..." Luke said, swallowing visibly in shock. "You’re..."

"Guardian," the man breathed out, panting harshly. "I’m your Guardian."

The air in this cramped, dark space beca increasingly oppressive. Dust choked Luke’s lungs with every breath he took, his pulse pounding in his ears. It felt as if the oxygen in this room was slowly diminishing, which only added to his panic.

He shifted gingerly, wincing as jagged edges dug into his back. Blood, slick and warm, oozed from the fresh wounds.

"Are you okay?" the man asked in a shaky voice.

"I’m fine. I’m fine," Luke breathed out, restraining the urge to cough violently. God, it was so uncomfortable.

His survival instinct was going haywire. He wanted to escape from here. He didn’t want to be here any longer.

But looking at the man now, Luke knew that he was feeling much worse.

"Are you sure?" the man prodded.

Luke shook his head weakly. "I really am fine. I’m more worried about you."

"I’m worried about myself too," the man grunted in a low voice.

Luke blinked. "...What?"

"Nothing..." The man sighed. "I just feel funny."

"You do...?"

The man took a deep, shuddering breath. "I—I feel like I’m doing sothing, but... I’m still in shock that I’m not feeling much pain. I an, more than I imagine I’m feeling right now," he rambled on. "I can’t understand it. I’m protecting you, but still—"

"You’re using your magic right now," Luke told him softly.

The man swallowed. "I know, but... I—I don’t know how to control it. I don’t even know what I’m doing, I—"

"Calm down," Luke said soothingly. "It’s okay. I’ll help you through it."

It beca difficult to speak. The oxygen was dwindling rapidly. There didn’t seem to be much hope for them to survive this.

But if this Guardian had a magic power that had the potential to get them out of here...

There’s still hope, Luke decided.

The man stared at him, and relief seed to flood his expression the next mont.

"What’s your na?" Luke asked.

"Ardyn," the man breathed out. "My na’s Ardyn."

"Luke."

Ardyn did not speak anymore. In fact, he couldn’t. He was now shaking violently, and the glow on his forehead was brighter than before.

"It’s getting hard to hold on," he grunted. He looked more uncomfortable now, and much more panicked. He didn’t seem so easygoing anymore.

Luke cursed inwardly and wished he still had a decent amount of magic left. But he couldn’t do anything, and it was killing him inside.

Ardyn continued to breathe heavily, and their body heat mixed in the small space, making Luke feel even more claustrophobic.

Blood trickled from Ardyn’s head, dripping down to Luke’s chin.

"You... You should stop," Luke suddenly found himself saying in a whisper. "You’re hurt now."

It was ridiculous and stupid, he knew. It just slipped out without him thinking twice. He couldn’t help it.

This was his Guardian, so it made sense that Ardyn would go this far. It also made sense that he would do anything to survive and protect Luke from harm. Especially in a situation like this where they would die if Ardyn decided to stop.

But still...

Seeing him like this broke Luke’s heart into pieces.

His words seed to have snapped sothing in Ardyn, because in the next mont, sothing fierce shone in his expression.

"Stop? Why should I?" he said, his breath harsh in the cramped space. "Don’t you realize that we’d be done for if I do? This... I... You know, the mont I saw that tower collapsing, my legs had a mind of their own. In my head, all I could think about was saving you. So hell no, I am not letting you die here!"