Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL)
Chapter 116 - 111: The Ticking Bomb (1)

Chapter 116: Chapter 111: The Ticking Bomb (1)

Gabriel’s heart pounded as his mind searched for any knowledge that could help him right now. Anything would help. He could not use spells to teleport; his magic was never something he could use at will, and the palace was enchanted, so only a few people could use magic there.

’How much time do we have before she loses control?’ He had no way of knowing. It could be seconds or minutes—if they were lucky, long enough to get her out before the entire hall was destroyed.

But luck was rarely something Gabriel relied upon.

He inhaled sharply, gathering his focus. The scent of ether overload grew stronger, cutting through the perfume-laden air. Every muscle in his body tensed, instincts honed over years of survival whispering that this was the moment before the fall.

Across from him, Prince Christian shifted, clearly sensing the change in Gabriel’s demeanor. "Something wrong?" His tone was low and measured, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath the practiced indifference.

’I need help. Fuck this.’

Gabriel tilted his head slightly in the woman’s direction, barely moving his lips. "She’s losing control."

Christian’s gaze snapped to the woman, his posture going rigid. Gabriel didn’t have to explain twice. Christian’s nostrils flared a fraction of a second later, catching the distinct scent of ether bleeding into the air. His pupils narrowed, and his entire demeanor changed, not just recognition, but calculation.

"Ether overload," he murmured. No hesitation. No wasted breath. Gabriel barely had time to nod before Christian’s gaze swept the hall, assessing their best exit strategy.

He moved first, subtly signaling one of the imperial attendants with the flick of his fingers. The movement was small and practiced, like a prince’s command spoken in silence.

"How bad?" he asked, voice clipped, though Gabriel could already see the answer reflected in the hardening of his expression.

"Bad enough that if we don’t move now, we won’t have the chance to."

Christian exhaled through his nose, a breath of quiet resolve. "Then we move." He adjusted his stance, already positioning himself to block unwanted eyes.

Christian exhaled through his nose. "I assume you have a plan."

Gabriel didn’t answer immediately, becausethe truth was he didn’t. Not yet.

There was no simple way to remove the woman without causing alarm. Any overt action would attract attention, and panic would only accelerate her breakdown. If they were careless, she could detonate right here in the middle of the Emperor’s court.

Gabriel’s gaze flickered to the imperial attendants stationed discreetly throughout the hall. If he could convey a message to them—have them signal for the court physicians or one of the ether specialists—

Too slow. The air around the woman rippled. Gabriel’s pulse spiked.

’It is happening. God damn it, why now?!’

A shimmer, almost imperceptible, distorted the space around her. It was faint but clear: ether escaping, reacting violently to the excess building inside her.

Gabriel had seen this before. Too many times.

A second longer, and it wouldn’t matter what they did.

No choice.

He moved.

Gabriel moved away from Christian, taking precise but unhurried steps to avoid drawing immediate attention. The nobles continued their quiet conversations, oblivious to the brewing disaster.

He reached her just as another tremor pulsed through the air. The omega was struggling to breathe; her pupils dilated, sweat gathering at her temple despite the coolness of the hall. He could feel cold ether creeping up his arm.

"Easy," Gabriel murmured, keeping his voice low as he reached for her elbow. "Breathe. Focus on my voice."

Her gaze snapped to him, wild with barely contained panic. "I—I can’t—"

Gabriel tightened his grip. "Yes, you can. Let’s get you somewhere safe. Now."

She shuddered. Her body was desperately trying to contain the magic spiraling out of control inside her, but it was failing. She was failing.

Gabriel’s heart pounded hard, a deep, visceral rhythm that seemed to echo in his skull. His breath remained even, but inside, everything was running too fast, calculations and risks flashing through his mind at dizzying speed. He knew what was coming. He had seen what was coming.

If she detonated here, in the middle of the grand hall, the explosion would extend beyond her body. The energy would blast through the room, transforming ether-infused glass and reinforced marble into lethal shrapnel. Chandeliers would collapse. Windows would shatter, scattering razor-sharp fragments into the unsuspecting crowd. The nobles, dressed in their finest silks and velvets, would become nothing more than bodies, damaged, burned, and broken. It was not a battlefield. This was a ballroom full of people who were not prepared to die.

Gabriel’s pulse roared in his ears. The weight of it, the realization of how much could be lost in the next few seconds, pressed down on him like a crushing force.

His fingers tightened around the young omega’s arm as he fought to keep his own rising panic buried beneath years of training and control. He then released pheromones to calm her down; as a dominant omega, he could theoretically use his pheromones on other omegas. He had done it before, and fortunately for him, the woman’s breathing appeared to be slowing.

However, his mind raced ahead of him, forcing images he did not want to see.

The nobles closest to them were young, bright-eyed, and unaware of what was about to happen to them. Some were laughing, engrossed in their own political and courtship games, blissfully unaware that their lives were hanging on a fragile, unraveling thread.

A child, no older than thirteen, stands near the pillars with his father. A newly debuted omega with wide, hopeful eyes, dressed in pale blue silks, awaits her turn to meet the Emperor. A group of elderly lords deep in conversation, sipping wine, oblivious.

How many people would be caught in the explosion?

’How many would burn?’

He had seen men torn apart before. Had witnessed the brutal aftermath of an ether explosion in the past. Limbs charred beyond recognition, screams that echoed long after voices faded, and the stench of burnt flesh and magical residue.

Gabriel would not let it happen here.

The air around them rippled. The crackling hum of ether pressure built, thick and cloying, pushing against the very structure of the hall itself.

He could feel it against his skin: static, cold, and electric. The way the floor trembled just slightly beneath his boots. The lights dimmed as they struggled against the overwhelming force.

"Move," Gabriel ordered, voice low but urgent; every muscle in his body tensed as he guided the woman toward the exit.

The omega whimpered, stumbling forward. She was fighting it, but it wasn’t enough.

The force of the ether sent waves crashing through his nerves, a rising, deafening hum in his ears. He grabbed the omega and shoved forward, forcing her into motion.

They weren’t going to make it.

Then came a second wave, stronger than the first, with Gabriel barely able to keep his hands off the woman.

Glass shattered. The sharp, ear-splitting sound of an ether lamp exploding echoed through the chamber. Screams erupted.

Gabriel felt the panic surge through the crowd, a living, breathing entity that gripped them all at once. He pushed himself to produce more calming pheromones for the woman.

It wasn’t working.

The damn mark he etched into his skin was blocking him.

People moved too fast, shoving, stepping back, looking for the source of danger but not knowing where to run.

The omega screamed.

And Gabriel knew—

Knew it was happening.

The final snap.