The moment the dark mana flooded Sora's spirit core, something inside the elf snapped into focus with terrifying intensity.
It wasn't just a cold, mechanical energy transfer. For a Moonborn elf, transferred mana wasn't merely a power source—it was the exact, signature frequency of his mate's soul. The moment Jerga's shadowy, royal-grade mana washed through Sora's veins, his spirit didn't just eagerly accept the supply.
It misconstrued the source entirely. His soul reacted as if Cassian himself had finally returned to embrace him after three agonizing years of starvation and longing for him.
Sora's breath hitched into a sharp, trembling gasp. The pale, deathly hue on his skin flushed into a sudden, deep crimson that spread down his throat and to the tips of his sensitive elf ears.
"Ah... Lucien..."
Sora whimpered, his voice dropping a pitch, thick with an overwhelming, instinctual yearning.
Before Lucien could even pull his hand back, Sora's fingers had already clamped around his wrist with surprising strength. The elf swayed forward, his body completely giving out—not from weakness, but from sheer surrender. He collapsed off the sofa, tumbling directly against Lucien's legs, as he knelt across him.
Lucien stiffened instantly, his muscles turning to solid granite as Sora buried his face into his hips, inhaling deeply, practically drinking in the thick aura of dark mana clinging to the knight.
["Oh, this is rich!"]
Jerga cackled hysterically inside Lucien's head, his dark laughter reverberating against Lucien's skull.
["You absolute fool! Did you think a Moonborn spirit runs on simple arithmetic? They thrive on affection, touch, intimacy! Your dark mana just lit a fire in a creature that has been freezing to death for three years!"]
'Shut up, Jerga! You should have told me that from the start when you explained everything else!' Lucien snarled internally, gritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
["And ruin all the fun?... I just wanted to see how the revered Holy Knight would solve this troublesome situation. So what will you do now mhm?"]
Sora's small hands clawed at Lucien's waist, pulling himself up, his eyes hazy, dilated, and glazed over with pure, unadulterated desire. His lips parted, brushing against Lucien's jawline as he let out a needy, muffled whine, desperately seeking the warmth, the heavy caresses, and the suffocating dark mana he had craved for so long.
"Please..."
Sora whispered breathlessly, his body trembling against Lucien's broad frame, writhing instinctively to get closer, to be thoroughly enveloped in his embrace and held tight while the dark mana engulfed him.
"More... give me more... wrap me in it..."
Lucien's breath hitched. The physical contact was overwhelming. Jerga's mana within him roared, practically pushing Lucien to take advantage of the situation, to yield to the dark, primal urge stirring in his own blood.
Jerga was enjoying this situation and he didn't even try to hide his excitement.
Lucien's hands hovered in the air, every muscle in his body straining to pull away—yet knowing that if he broke the link now, the sudden shock would shatter Sora's fragile core completely.
Sweat broke out across Lucien's forehead as he fought the dark impulse, staring down at the flushed, helpless elf clinging to his chest like a lifeline.
He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his dark mana to settle into a dense, protective blanket around Sora's trembling body—muffling the elf's desperate whimpers against his chest and snuggling him in a tight, unyielding grip to keep him anchored.
Struggling really hard to hold back, his voice came out raspy, low, and completely strained under the weight of his own restraint.
"Sora, do you even know what you are doing right now?"
Sora let out a wet, half-delirious gasp against Lucien's neck, his hands tightening in Lucien's silver hair as the suffocating wave of dark mana finally consumed his senses, sinking him deep into a warm, dreamlike trance.
"Yes...so please, give me more."
The dark mana settled over the study like a heavy, suffocating veil, sealing out the cold draft of the Western wind.
Sora's body was far too frail to bear any harsh energy, his breath coming in shallow, ragged hitches against Lucien's collarbone. Understanding the delicate state of the elf's spirit, Lucien forced every ounce of his usual martial harshness to melt away into a strict, agonizing gentle restraint.
He lifted Sora's light, shivering frame off the cold floor with practiced ease, cradling him against his chest as he moved toward the wide velvet sofa. Every touch had to be slow, deliberate, and soft. Lucien gathered the elf close, wrapping him in the heavy warmth of his dark mana to cushion his weak core, soothing the desperate, feverish tremors wracking Sora's body.
"Fine...I will give it to you."
"But just don't fall pregnant. We already have plenty of children to raise."
As the dark essence seeped deeper to heal the fading bond, Sora let out a quiet, muffled chuckle against Lucien's neck, his hands weakly gripping the knight's shoulders.
"Then make sure to pull out Sir Arden. My mate only has the right to impregnate me."
Sora tugged Lucien's lower lip, kissing him.
"Then, I'm glad that we are on the same page."
Lucien kissed him back as he held him firmly on to the sofa before crouching down to undress Sora his heavy robes and left him bare naked on the sofa.
Sora whimpered resting back as Lucien caressed his length into his mouth, only to milk out his semen to use for lubrication.
And through the long hours of the night, guiding the dark mana through the delicate resonance with careful, thrusting precision, ensuring Sora's fragile spirit absorbed just enough to anchor his vitality without overwhelming his exhausted form.
Amidst those heavy breaths, and muffled murmurs in between their heavy, breathless kisses. Sora and Lucien tangled their limbs all around each other's body, with every shared moan and groan vibrating against each other's ears in synchronized rythm.
And by the time the fire in the hearth burned down to glowing embers, the feverish aura in the room had finally quieted down.
Sora lay still, his breathing deep and even for the first time in years, completely enveloped in the protective shadow of the dark mana.
Lucien pulled a thick fur blanket over the sleeping elf, stepping back into the quiet room as his own chest heaved with exhaustion.
["Well, Holy Knight,"]
Jerga whispered quietly in the back of his mind, the dark mana settling back into Lucien's veins.
["It was nice wasn't it?, both of you cheating on the man you both love with each other?"]
'I was only helping him, Cassian will understand that.'
Lucien wiped the cold sweat from his brow, looking down at the peaceful elf before turning toward the window, where the first faint light of dawn was beginning to break over the Western pine forest.
["Then what about three years ago with Ruby?, will he understand that as well?...he will only think of you as a cheating liar that couldn't even bring himself to tell him the truth. And what's even worse....you have a son with her."]
'Shut up and stop bringing that up!...it weighs on me too you know?'
'For once I was having a peaceful night so please don't ruin it for me.'
["A peaceful night in another man's arms?...you never cease to amaze me Holy Knight of Edrath."]
Jegra laughed hysterically. He always enjoys teasing Lucien more than anything else.
*****