Blackout Ascension: Return of Primordial Heir-Chapter 36: Awakened Power

The cacophony in the Great Hall had fallen into solemn silence. The rhythmic music had slowly faded into a soft hum, and the clinking of expensive crystal glasses had stopped. Watching the noisy palace, standing alone on the private royal balcony, the world was silent for her. Seyana Solaris leaned faintly against the smooth marble rail. The polished stone felt cold under her warm palms, a sharp contrast to the gentle warmth of the night breeze that softly brushed against her pale cheeks.

She looked slowly down. The palace gardens were shining beautifully, wholly lit by floating magical lamps that looked like golden fireflies. It was undeniably beautiful, and a romantic view of a Princess. But she never cares about the expensive view. Her shiny amber eyes stayed fixed upward on the moon, hanging solitarily in the dark sky like a lonely, watchful eye looking over a fragile world that had been saved from the brink of death today.

Seyana felt a painful ache inside her chest. It was a profound, suffocating hollowness. The deafening applause in the grand hall is for Kairos, but Kairos simply wasn’t there to hear it. He was miles away, selflessly taking care of the wounded dragons, eerily carrying the ponderous weight of the world on his bruised shoulders while everyone else drank sweet wine and danced. She slowly closed her eyes. She clenched the cold marble railing much tighter, her knuckles turning white.

"Where are you, Kairos...?" she whispered softly, shrouding the desperate words in the silence of her lonely heart.

She thought warmly about his gentle smile, the brave way he proudly stood in front of a terrifying Demon God just for her. She thought about how much she missed him, even though they had been apart for only a few short hours.

"I really want to see you," she wished silently, pouring every single ounce of her soul into the desperate thought. "Please... just come to me."

Her fragile heart, which never possessed any complex magic circles or ancient chants, now expeditiously sent its pure wish out into the silent night. It was a silent signal, yet it was undeniably stronger than any high-tier spell.

****

The Royal Hospital Gardens.

Far, far away, standing beneath the pale moonlight shadows outside the Solaris hospital, Kairos was slowly walking. He had just finished checking on Pyrix’s bruised bandages, feeling incredibly tired. His bones ached from the immense, crushing pressure of fighting inside the Time Stop. He walked slowly toward the small garden fountain just to wash the dried blood and dark soot from his pale face.

He halted completely mid-step, froze, petrified hearing a strange sound. A gentle whisper suddenly hummed directly inside his mind. It was as soft as a gentle sigh, fractiously trembling with pure pain. It felt like telepathy.

...Kairos... please come...

His tired breath vanished from his lungs. He immediately dropped the wet white towel he was holding. It hit the wet grass with a soft thud. He stood immaculately still, his racing heart rigidly hammering against his bruised ribs.

That specific voice. He knew that gentle voice much better than his own rushing heartbeat.

"Seyana...?" he whispered in shock to the empty hospital garden.

He waited patiently, holding his breath.

...I really want to see you...

It came again, but much clearer than before. It wasn’t a lingering hallucination from the brutal fight. He didn’t even stop to think, and he just moved flashily, on pure, raw instinct. It felt like destiny itself was oppressively pulling his body forward through the night. "Wind Step."

****

The murmuring air swung, brushing around his body. He launched himself high over the tall hospital wall, landing hushedly on the slanted rooftops of the wealthy noble district. He ran like a starving man desperately racing toward his very heart. He fluidly passed armed soldiers on night patrol, but he moved so fast they only felt a sudden, warm night breeze brush past their platted armor.

He quickly passed the outer, guarded corridors of the royal palace, seamlessly slipping wholly through the shadows like a silent phantom. He moved to the steep side of the imposing Royal Tower. He smoothly climbed over the marble railing with a single, flawless leap.

On the balcony, Seyana was still looking up at the shimmering moon. She slowly blinked away a stray tear she hadn’t even realized that it had fallen down on her cheek. She suddenly felt a distinct shift in the clinging air behind her back. A DEEP WARMTH.

She turned around abruptly. Then...

"Kairos?"

He was standing precisely there, five feet away from her. His chest heaving with desperate urgency. His dark hair was messy from the rushing wind, falling wildly on his face. His simple clothes were wrinkled. But his expressive eyes were full of shock and disbelief along with the pure relief. It was something deeper than teenage love.

Seyana gasped loudly, taking a shocked step back as the mundane emotions struck her like a physical wave.

"What are you doing here...?" she stammered, her voice shaking. "How did you...?"

He walked slowly to her, gently reaching his bare hand up and carefully held her soft cheek. His warm palm was slightly rough and calloused from swinging the sword, but his physical touch was impossibly soft. He carefully held her like she was made of fragile glass, like she was his precious world and he was genuinely terrified he might accidentally lose her.

"I heard you..." he rasped into the gentle breeze, his voice shaking with emotion.

"I clearly heard you," he repeated, clearing the shake in his voice, "inside my own mind."

Seyana simply stared at him, her delicate eyebrows rising up together in unadulterated confusion. "What...? I didn’t say anything out loud. I was just standing quietly here..."

"Your pure heart did!" Kairos replied quickly, his eyes shining.

She froze, the cool night breeze seemed to be a soft hum around them.

"I clearly heard you call my name," he said, his voice low. "I was standing far away at the hospital fountain and then... I clearly heard you desperately asking for me. It sounded like you were standing right next to my ear."

Her soft lips parted with shock.

"I... I honestly didn’t know," she whispered, her amber eyes wide. "I didn’t try to cast a communication spell. I just... I really missed you."

Kairos smiled sublimely, it was a soft, amazed smile.

"It doesn’t matter how it happened," he said gently.

He slowly leaned much closer to her, his warm breath wavering gently through her hair. "But it truly means we can easily speak to each other anytime," he murmured, "and anywhere. As long as you want me. I will always hear you calling."

He slowly closed his tired eyes, gently resting his forehead against hers. "Seyana."

She was astounded, the sound of her name echoing inside her soul, resonating in her warm chest. It was a very soft, beautiful sound. A pleasant mixture of astonishment and pure, pristine joy. Her dry throat narrowed painfully with an emotion she could no longer hide behind a royal mask.

She slowly reached forward. She gently placed both of her soft palms flat on his sprawling chest. She clearly felt the very steady, strong heartbeat thumping beneath his kimono. It was racing incredibly fast, just like hers.

"Please, say it again..." she whispered, truly craving to hear it, needing to know this magical connection was actually real.

He smiled faintly, his eyes still closed. "Seyana."

She trembled, her knees suddenly felt weak. Her amber eyes watered heavily with relief. He was completely hers, and she was completely his.

Kairos stepped back very slightly, gently taking her soft hand in his. He slowly led her toward the beautiful white wooden swing that sat in the far corner of the large balcony, wrapped slightly in unfurling green vines. He sat down first, looking up at her, his gaze inviting and warm. Seyana moved slowly to him, almost shyly. She felt like a nervous village girl on her first date, afraid the fragile moment would shudder if she rushed it.

She sat gently sideways on his lap. His strong arms wrapped tightly around her slim waist instantly. He drew her close, and closer, calmly sank his tired face deeply in the soft niche of her warm neck. He held her tightly as if she was the only thing keeping him safely anchored to the world.

Her delicate hands happily hugged him over his broad shoulders, her slim fingers smoothly tangling in his messy dark hair.

"Are you real...?" she whispered softly against his warm skin, "or am I just happily dreaming about you? Did I accidentally fall asleep out here waiting for you to return?"

He gently wrenched her soft chin with his calloused fingertips. He looked into her bright eyes, which beautifully reflected from the pale moonlight above.

"If this is just a dream," he murmured, leaning closer, "Then let’s never wake up."

He leaned in, their soft lips met.

It wasn’t a messy kiss. It was the steady, lingering kiss of two young people fully planning to live a long life together. It was a beautiful kiss full of devotion, composed of unbreakable promises spoken without words.

The bright moon shimmered much brighter high above them, blessing the union. The cool night breeze gently carried the sweet, intoxicating scent of jasmine from the royal gardens below.

Somewhere far below them, night-flowers slowly opened their delicate petals, beautifully under the same moon that witnessed two different hearts perfectly entwining into one.

Seyana gently rested her forehead on his shoulder, her eyes closing.

"I was scared today," she admitted, her gentle voice trembling with remembered trauma. "When you fought him. When you stood completely alone in the brutal arena against that demon. I was so scared that you’d suddenly leave me behind."

Kairos gently rubbed away a wet tear on her pale cheek with his thumb.

"I was scared today, too," he confessed into the night air.

Seyana opened her eyes in surprise. "You? You were actually scared?"

Kairos nodded his head slowly. "I was terrified that I wasn’t enough," he whispered, his voice rattling with vulnerability. "That no matter how strong I got... I simply wouldn’t be able to safely protect you. I was terrified that I was just a filthy peasant boy foolishly playing strong in a world of monsters."

Seyana laughed. She gently touched his handsome face with both hands.

"You are enough," she said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. "You are more than enough for me, for the kingdom, and for everyone else. Always."

He looked at her, with a disbelieving look. He leaned in and kissed her again. In that beautiful silence everything became known between them. Two wandering souls that the cruel world had tried to separate them, but they found each other anyway.

Two beating hearts that were never, ever meant to meet across, consciously chose to align under the pale moon. The brutal, unforgiving ’Great War’ was patiently waiting for tomorrow.

The newly crowned, exhausted generals were anxiously waiting for the bloody dawn.

The terrifying legends were waiting in the dark shadows of the world for the right time.

But tonight... This peaceful tonight belonged to Kairos and Seyana.

Volume 1 ends here.

Thank you so much for reading until the very end. Let’s dive deep into this journey together. The grand story now unravels around the Zephyros Kingdom and Kairos’ training, and to follow our lazy genius Luna Zephyros’ brutal struggle to become strong, so he can be helpful to his best friend Kairos in the coming, apocalyptic war!