Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL)
Chapter 117 - 112: The Ticking Bomb (2)

Chapter 117: Chapter 112: The Ticking Bomb (2)

A wave of pure ether pulsed through the air, thick and suffocating. Gabriel gritted his teeth, feeling the telltale signs of magical instability reaching its peak. The young omega’s body trembled violently, her eyes wide with horror as the ether surged out of her control. The glow surrounding her flickered erratically, unstable and growing.

Gabriel braced himself, his mind racing through different scenarios. There was no time left. He had failed to get her out.

’Damn it.’

Then, the air cracked like thunder.

The air tightened, the pressure reaching an unbearable peak. Gabriel felt it in his bones: a weight, a force unlike any other. The ether surged violently, clawing at its container and threatening to rip through the omega’s fragile body. The scent of magic, raw and electric, burned in his nostrils. His vision blurred for a moment as the sheer force of the explosion-to-be pressed against the very fabric of the hall.

He grabbed the woman by the waist and drew her into his arms, pressing her head against his right shoulder. He could feel her tears falling on his robe. She sobbed, and Gabriel decided to take a chance and absorb at least the first blow of the explosion.

His body began to shake under the raw power, and the blood in his veins became so cold that he could feel the chill spreading to his bones as well.

He raised his eyes to the ceiling, trying his hardest to resist.

Then—

A presence, sharp, overwhelming, and suffocating, descended upon them like a storm, slicing through the chaos like an executioner’s blade.

Damian.

The force of his arrival sent a shiver through Gabriel’s very core. The ether was on the verge of a catastrophe one moment and then being pulled, absorbed into something darker, infinitely more powerful. The sheer weight of the Emperor’s magic flattened the air, turning the wild storm of ether into an eerie silence.

A tall figure materialized amidst the chaos, moving with an unnatural, inhuman grace. Damian’s golden eyes burned with a piercing intensity, his aura suffused with raw authority and lethal precision. He strode forward, each step commanding, his very presence forcing those behind him to submit. The nobles, still panicked and gasping, instinctively recoiled, their survival instincts recognizing a predator among them.

Gabriel barely had time to react when Damian raised a gloved hand, his fingers twitching. The ether, which had been wild and uncontrollable just moments before, coiled around him, as if it recognized its master. A slow exhale left the Emperor’s lips, and the violent energy that threatened to consume the hall began to shrink, pulled into the palm of his hand as if it had never existed in the first place.

The omega gasped, her entire body convulsing as the pressure vanished from her core. Her legs gave out, but before she could collapse, Gabriel caught her, steadying her trembling form. The moment the ether stopped surging, her body sagged, exhaustion washing over her like a broken dam.

Damian barely spared her a glance. His eyes locked onto Gabriel instead, intense and unreadable.

"You took too long," he murmured, his voice smooth but edged with something dangerous.

Gabriel’s breath hitched, still recovering from the pressure of the moment. He wanted to retaliate, but he knew he shouldn’t. Instead, he swallowed his frustration and focused on the omega in his arms, her breathing coming in rapid, shallow bursts.

Damian turned his attention back to the now-subdued ether, examining it like a beast tamed under his will. The energy swirled in his palm before dissipating entirely, absorbed into his own reserves. A feat impossible for most; only those with absolute control over their own ether could handle raw energy without consequences.

Christian approached cautiously, his posture respectful but firm. "Your Majesty, she needs treatment." His voice was steady, despite the tension still lingering in the air.

Damian inclined his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Take her to the imperial doctors. Make sure she is stabilized."

Christian nodded and signaled for the attendants. Two attendants rushed forward, carefully lifting the omega from Gabriel’s arms. She was barely conscious, but the panic had faded from her eyes, replaced with pure exhaustion.

Gabriel straightened, his muscles taut as he met Damian’s gaze. Something passed between them, something unspoken yet heavy. Gabriel noticed it then, a crack, subtle but real, in Damian’s otherwise perfect control. His breath wasn’t as steady as it should have been. His fingers twitched ever so slightly before curling back into a composed fist. The weight of what he had absorbed had taken a toll, even if no one else noticed.

Only Gabriel saw it.

And then, as if it had never happened, Damian turned away, stepping forward with effortless grace. He raised his chin, and when he turned to address the gathering, his face transformed.

A warm, reassuring smile stretched across his lips—one that never reached his eyes.

Gabriel felt something cold coil in his stomach. That smile was not for comfort. It was a mask, a perfect illusion. It was unsettling in a way he couldn’t quite name.

"My, what an eventful evening," Damian said, his voice smooth and rich with authority that could calm storms. "This was an unexpected delay." He lifted a hand, and with a mere flick of his fingers, the shattered glass, the broken lamps, the lingering evidence of destruction, all of it repaired itself in an instant. The room returned to pristine perfection, as if nothing had happened.

"We shall continue the night."

A murmur rippled through the gathered nobles. Relief. Awe. A new understanding of the man who stood before them.

Gabriel could hear their hushed whispers, the way their gazes shifted. Some saw Damian as an unbreakable leader, one who could protect them from any threat. Others looked at him with something deeper, reverence laced with fear.

Gabriel, however, saw the truth.

Damian had absorbed something dangerous tonight. And even if no one else noticed, Gabriel knew.

There had been cracks.

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