Powerless Boy is reborn as Lustful Elf
Chapter 110: Attack of the Eclipse

Chapter 110: Attack of the Eclipse

Alex blinked, his heart still racing from the almost-moment they’d been sharing. "Wait, what? Who is it?" he asked, sitting up, his hands hovering awkwardly as the mood fizzled out.

Velenda was already halfway to her wardrobe, yanking a woven tunic over her head. "It’s probably my mom," she said, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Dad’s super chill, lets me do whatever, but Mom? She’s strict, like, zero-tolerance strict. If she catches you here, we’re toast." Her gaze flicked to the window, then back to him, her expression a mix of apology and urgency. "You need to go, like, right now."

Alex’s stomach twisted, a mix of disappointment and nerves kicking in. "Seriously? I just got here," he said, trying to keep things light, but Velenda’s frantic look told him this wasn’t the time for jokes. He grabbed his soft leather boots, fumbling to pull them on as she practically pushed him toward the window.

The spark between them was gone, smothered by the threat of her mother’s disapproval. As he climbed out into the cool night air, the moonlight glinting off his pale skin, he glanced back at Velenda’s silhouette, framed in the soft glow of her room’s bioluminescent orbs. "Message me later?" he whispered.

She gave a quick nod, her attention already elsewhere, and slid the window shut. Alex sighed, his breath misting in the chilly air, and slipped into the shadows, his mind replaying the moment they’d almost had.

*****

The next morning, Alex wove through the bustling halls of Crestwood Academy, his satchel slung lazily over one shoulder. The school was a whirlwind of activity, elves darting between classes, their vibrant hair catching the light, the air filled with the clatter of lockers and the hum of enchanted lights overhead.

He was still a bit grumpy about last night’s interruption, but the energy around him was starting to lift his mood. He spotted Bastian leaning against a row of intricately carved lockers, his mischievous grin as bright as ever, his crimson hair tousled like he’d just rolled out of bed.

"Dude, you won’t believe what I pulled off last weekend," Bastian said, his voice brimming with excitement as he launched into his story. "So, I totally botched Professor Callahan’s alchemy experiment. He was working on this glow potion for the festival, right? I swapped his moonpetal extract for starvine syrup.

When he tested it, the whole lab filled with these glittery bubbles that smelled like burnt sugar. The class was howling, and Callahan’s face was redder than a firebloom. I’m basically a legend."

Alex laughed, shaking his head. "You’re gonna get expelled one day, you know that?" But he couldn’t help grinning. Bastian’s pranks were the talk of the academy, each one more outrageous than the last.

He was about to ask for more details when a shrill alarm tore through the hallway, its piercing wail rattling his senses.

The sound was overwhelming, like a warning chime amplified by magic, and the hallway erupted into chaos.

Elves froze, then scattered, some shoving toward the exits, others ducking into classrooms. Lockers slammed shut, scrolls fluttered to the ground, and a young elf nearby yelped as she dropped her enchanted tablet. Alex’s heart raced, his eyes scanning the crowd as he tried to make sense of the madness. "What in the world is that?" he shouted, turning to Bastian.

Bastian was already on his feet, his usual playful vibe replaced by a sharp, focused edge. "That’s the intruder alarm," he said, his voice low and urgent. He grabbed Alex’s sleeve, pulling him toward a nearby stairwell. "It means someone’s breached the academy’s wards. They’re inside."

Alex’s stomach lurched, his mind spinning. "Intruders? Like, who? Thieves? Rogue mages?" He stumbled after Bastian, dodging an elf who nearly crashed into him. "Who’d be crazy enough to break in here?"

Bastian shot him a grim look over his shoulder as they pushed through the panicking crowd. "Who do you think? It’s gotta be Eclipse." His tone was sharp, like he was stating the obvious, but the name sent a shiver down Alex’s spine.

"Eclipse? For real?" Alex’s voice wavered, and he cringed at how shaken he sounded. "Why would they come here?"

"No idea, man, but we need to move," Bastian said, his eyes scanning the hallway for a safe route. "There’s a storage room by the alchemy lab. We can hide there until the professors handle this."

Alex nodded, his pulse hammering as he followed Bastian’s lead. The alarm wailed on, and the air was thick with panic, shouts, hurried footsteps, the occasional sob from a younger student.

But before they could take more than a few steps, a deafening crash echoed through the hall. Glass shattered, shards glittering like starlight as they sprayed across the floor, and several figures in black jumpsuits smashed through the towering stained-glass windows lining the corridor.

The intruders moved with eerie grace, their faces hidden behind sleek, dark masks that shimmered under the enchanted lights. Their attire, tight black jumpsuits and hoods, was unlike anything Alex had seen at the academy. They fanned out, swift and silent, clutching long, jagged crystals that pulsed with a sinister purple glow. The sight sent a chill through Alex, his elven senses tingling with dread.

Chaos exploded around them. Students screamed, scrambling to escape as the masked elves attacked, their crystals slashing through the air. One elf student collapsed, clutching his arm where a crystal had grazed him, the wound hissing like it was infused with dark magic.

Another intruder hurled a glowing orb that burst against a locker, leaving a scorched rune in its wake. Alex’s mind reeled, his breath catching. Where were the professors? The academy was supposed to be a fortress, protected by ancient spells and powerful elders. Why wasn’t anyone stopping this?

He spun around, his eyes frantically searching the crowd for familiar faces. That’s when he saw her, Sylra, near a tapestry-covered wall, her hair falling over her face, her eyes strained with pain. A masked elf was closing in on her, moving with the precision of a predator, his crystal raised like a dagger. Time seemed to slow, the noise fading to a dull roar as Alex’s instincts kicked in.

"Alex, don’t!" Bastian shouted, grabbing at his arm, but Alex was already moving. His boots pounded against the polished floor, his heart thundering as he sprinted toward Sylra. He didn’t think, didn’t hesitate, just ran, his elven agility carrying him forward. The elf’s crystal gleamed as it arced downward, aimed at Sylra’s chest.

Alex threw himself in front of her, shoving her out of the way as his body collided with hers. Pain erupted in his stomach, sharp and searing, as the crystal plunged into him instead.

He gasped, stumbling back, his hands clutching the wound. Warmth spread across his fingers, sticky and wet, and the world tilted as his knees buckled.

Sylra screamed his name, her voice piercing the haze of pain, but it was drowned out by a cold, mechanical chime in his mind.

The system flashed a warning across his vision: <MOONSHADE POISON DETECTED IN YOUR BODY.> The words glowed red, pulsing ominously as his sight blurred, the edges of the world fading to black.