Omega Ascension System[BL]-Chapter 299: _Fragment

Elian’s POV

*****

[Warning: Curse signature from the heart jewel detected in host.]

Elian could barely hear the system through the haze of his collapsing on the excavation crater’s edge. He grunted, falling to his knees as the flowers and grasses which had bloomed mere minutes ago shrank into blackened leaves.

He shouldn’t be here. After his conversation with Sylas, when they discovered their connection to each other through the divine crystal, Elian thought of something.

An idea—not his best one but an idea nonetheless.

Since the crystal had "activated" when Elian and Sylas were close to it, could he push that awakening to control the divine energy?

Well... He got his answer now.

"Elian! Sylas!" Lucian rushed to them, Kyren moving as well. When the Alpha Prince grabbed his shoulder, helping him to his feet, he continued. "Let’s get you out of here. Come on."

But Elian didn’t want to leave.

[Honey, I know your soul is a piece of divinity and whatever but... You do realise you aren’t suddenly immortal, right?]

Elian smirked slightly. ’I’m glad you’re back to your normal sarcastic self, system.’

[A part of me you won’t be able to experience anymore if you fucking die! Listen to Lucian and—]

A sudden strong grip on his arm made Elian gasp. He raised his head, swallowing hard when he saw Kyren staring down at him with cold crimson eyes.

The Rogue king scanned his eyes around the crater first before pulling Elian, flinging him over his shoulder like he was lighter than a feather.

"Hey!" Elian struggled, patting his back. "I’m... I’m fine, Kyren. Please. Just let me—"

"You’re clearly getting some kind of backlash from the crystal." Kyren cut sharply. "This is enough for today."

[He’s actually right. Amara’s curse from the heart jewel bracelet is still etched into your being. Except it’s now on overtime.]

He frowned. But the system didn’t leave him in the dark for long.

[Previously, it transferred any harm inflicted on Amara to you. Now... It flips the divine energy back at you. Anytime you try controlling divinity, it attacks you fiercely. My sensors pick up another layer of the curse but for now, this is diabolical enough.]

Elian’s throat tightened.

His eyes flicked to Lucian and Sylas, the former helping his brother away from the crater. For some reason, Sylas was getting affected as well.

[Not "some reason". You two are connected by the crystal, remember?]

.

.

Kyren didn’t slow down once, not even when Elian swore he could walk.

The Rogue King practically slammed him onto the bed in one of the palace’s guest chambers, muttering something about "playing with his mortality like it’s a game" under his breath before storming out to bark orders at the guards.

Then the door shut.

Silence.

Elian exhaled shakily, leaning back against the headboard as the tension slowly bled out of his limbs. His chest still tingled unpleasantly. He lifted a trembling hand to his hair.

Silver.

Actual streaks of silver glittered between the pale blond strands, catching the evening sunlight spilling through the windows.

He turned toward the wall-length mirror.

For a moment, he didn’t recognise the person staring back. His eyes glowed faintly with a lunar sheen, hair shimmering in strange celestial gradients. He looked—

[Host has acquired new aesthetic trait: "Divinity-induced Glow-Up."]

Elian blinked.

[...I mean, you look hot. That’s it. That’s the announcement.]

A weak laugh escaped him. "Thanks, I guess."

[Damn, you’re welcome. Looking like you belong on a prophecy tapestry.]

He shook his head, still dizzy. He reached toward the mirror, fingers hovering close to the reflection’s cheek.

A dead goddess’s fragment...

The door swung open.

"Elian?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lucian stepped in — hair tousled from worry and silver eyes taking in every inch of him like he needed proof he was breathing.

The moment their gazes met, Lucian crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed Elian’s hand, pressing it firmly against his chest.

"You scared me," he breathed. "You... gods, Elian, you scared me."

Elian swallowed, guilt pricking. "Sorry."

Lucian’s thumb brushed over his knuckles. But after a heartbeat, the Alpha Prince’s expression shifted — uncertainty creeping in.

Then, softly:

"What you said down there... about your soul." Lucian’s grip tightened. "About it being a fragment of the divine crystal. How... how do you feel about that?"

Elian looked away.

How did he feel?

A flash hit his mind — blood on grass, the original Elian screaming, his own soul shredding into someone else’s body. His claws slicing through the bodies of the people who should’ve been his parents.

He breathed out slowly.

"I don’t know," he whispered. "I still don’t know how to process any of it."

Lucian nodded, jaw clenching. "I can’t imagine. All of this... the divine energy, Sylas, the crystal—" He exhaled sharply. "If I were in your place, I wouldn’t know what to do either."

For a moment, silence softened between them.

Elian moved first, leaning forward. Lucian responded instantly, wrapping an arm around him, grounding him.

"I’m sorry," Elian whispered into his chest. "The heart jewel bracelet... I destroyed your gift."

Lucian cupped the back of Elian’s head, sighing deeply. "It’s fine. You hear me? It’s just a thing. If breaking it kept it from harming you, then good. I don’t care about the bracelet."

Elian’s throat tightened.

He opened his mouth. He needed to tell him. About the curse. That it wasn’t gone. That it was getting worse.

"Lucian," he murmured, lifting his head.

Before he could continue, Lucian’s communication ring pulsed with a bright flash.

He frowned and raised his hand.

"Aurora," he muttered. "She tried calling earlier but I couldn’t pick..."

He tapped the rune, the hologram shimmer beginning to form.

At the exact same moment—

[New Mission Generated!]

Elian jolted.

[Objective: Locate a permanent cure for the Heart-Jewel Curse.]

[Penalty for failure: Progressive soul-fracture.]

[Reward: Mana-core evolution catalyst — Ascendant level.]

Elian’s breath hitched.

Ascendant.

But before the shock could settle, Aurora’s voice burst through the ring panicked and sharp.

"Lucian!" she cried. "For the gods’ sake, I’ve been trying to reach you all day! You need to come back to Lunaria—like now."

Lucian’s face drained of colour.

[Sigh... the drama never ends.]