"He has it, doesn't he?" Elias asked, his voice low, as he and Caelum materialized in the Palace, their teleportation complete.
Alexander and Matheas exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.
"I've already ordered the knights to change it just a day before the Graduation Ball for your seniors," Matheas announced, his hands resting on the hilt of his ceremonial sword.
Alexander turned his gaze to Caelum, a genuine expression of apology in his usually stern eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice quiet.
Caelum shook his head, the white strands of his hair shimmering under the palace light. "It's alright," he replied, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "I am okay with it. As long as we find the antidote, I'm willing to do what is necessary," he added, his resolve firm.
Elias offered a faint smile, but Caelum, ever observant, noticed how the smile did not quite reach his eyes, which held a distant, worried look.
'What is going on?' Caelum wondered internally, a knot forming in his stomach. 'Does he not want to find the antidote?' he questioned himself.
Matheas and Alexander also noticed Elias's unusual reaction, but unlike Caelum's growing worry, they both smiled knowingly. They had a strong feeling that Elias harbored deep affection for Caelum, and this subtle reaction seemed to confirm their suspicion.
Without another word, Elias teleported himself and Caelum back to the relative privacy of his own room, a space that was both opulent and comfortably familiar.
Caelum sat beside Elias on the plush, velvet-covered sofa. "What happened?" he asked, his voice soft with concern. "Do you still have any worries about our plan?" he inquired.
Elias shook his head, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead. "The plan is perfect," he stated. "I've already given the knights the potion we developed," he confirmed.
Caelum took Elias's hands into his own, the contrast between their skin temperatures noticeable. "Then, what happened?" he pressed, his gaze searching Elias's face. "I'm not seeing that full, bright smile on your face. It's like you're anticipating a loss when we finally find the antidote," he observed, his voice tinged with understanding.
"It's not worth any worry," Elias dismissed, attempting a more convincing smile this time, though it still felt forced.
Caelum sighed deeply and then gently cupped Elias's face in his hands, forcing him to meet his gaze. "That's not going to work on me, you know," he said, his tone affectionate yet firm. "I've seen the difference between your natural and your forced smiles countless times. The one you're giving me right now, it is a fake," he added, his thumb stroking Elias's cheekbone.
Elias looked away, unable to maintain the eye contact.
"Please, only if you tell me what is troubling you can I truly understand," Caelum pleaded patiently.
"I feel like I might lose you," Elias confessed, his voice barely a whisper, still refusing to look at Caelum. The admission hung heavy in the air between them.
"You won't," Caelum asserted immediately, his grip on Elias's face tightening reassuringly. "You definitely won't be losing me, not ever," he added, his conviction absolute.
"I have this ominous feeling that I will," Elias insisted, finally meeting Caelum's eyes, which were filled with genuine fear. "Not completely, but I will lose a part of you that I cherish deeply," he admitted, his eyes misting over.
"Where is that fear coming from, Elias?" Caelum asked, his brow furrowed with confusion. "You're not someone who would typically fear something like this. I had to lecture you multiple times about keeping yourself safe in battles, so I know your disposition well. Why do you feel like you will lose me now?" he pressed.
Elias remained silent, the turmoil in his eyes speaking volumes.
Caelum sighed again, a sound of resignation. "Alright," he conceded. "If you don't want to give me an explanation for that fear, it's alright. But remember this, Elias, I promised to be by your side forever. I vowed to keep you safe, happy, and alive for as long as I can. I do not plan on breaking that solemn vow. Not even if it means risking my own life," he declared, his voice ringing with absolute devotion.
Elias gasped softly, then abruptly pulled Caelum into a fierce, desperate hug, burying his face in the crook of Caelum's neck. "Don't you dare die," he ordered, his voice muffled and choked with emotion.
"I won't," Caelum promised, his arms wrapping tightly around Elias. "Not until I see you with white hair, as white and luminous as mine," he said with a gentle, sincere smile as he hugged Elias back, holding him securely.
'Is it possible for me to be Elias' life partner, his mate for eternity?' Caelum wondered, the thought a sudden, profound realization.
"Bastard!" Elias cursed, the tenderness instantly replaced by raw passion as he pushed Caelum down onto the soft cushions, quickly moving to remove both their layers of clothing.
"He's using the poison again?" Caelum asked, his voice slightly breathless, referring to the potion that affected Elias.
"I think so," Elias confirmed, his voice strained, as he carefully slipped his fingers inside Caelum.
"It's alright," Caelum assured him, his hand reaching up to gently wipe away the tears that had begun to stream down Elias's face. "You're not hurting me at all," he promised, his voice soft.
"I know I'm not hurting you physically," Elias said, managing a soft, almost pained smile. "I just don't want all this effort we're putting into finding the cure to go completely in vain," he explained, his eyes burning with intensity.
"It won't," Caelum promised again, his eyes locking with Elias's.
"Time check?" Elias asked, his breathing becoming uneven.
"Another two minutes until your magic goes berserk again," Caelum informed him, his voice steady.
"Should I put myself inside you now?" Elias asked, his eyes seeking permission. "We usually do it when my magic is going berserk and I feel like it might lash out," he reminded Caelum.
"Then, do it now," Caelum urged, his body already arching slightly in anticipation.
Elias nodded, his expression softening with gratitude, as he pulled his fingers out of Caelum and gently pushed himself inside. "Okay?" he asked, his movements slow and deliberate.
Caelum nodded, a faint gasp escaping his lips as the sensation intensified. "Your temperature is really low, even for you," he said, reaching up to touch Elias's chest, which felt unnaturally cool. "Is that another side effect of the poison?" he asked with concern.
Elias shook his head. "I'm intentionally keeping myself cold. I feel better, more in control, when I'm this cold," he clarified.
Caelum simply nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes.
"Does it feel too cold for you?" Elias asked, instantly trying to increase his body temperature a little, his concern focused entirely on Caelum's comfort.
Caelum shook his head, reassuring Elias. "No," he replied. "It's perfectly alright. I was worried your magic was going berserk already, and that was the cause," he admitted with a palpable sigh of relief.
Elias smiled, a genuine one that finally reached his eyes, as he began to move, slow, rhythmic motions. 'I'm so incredibly glad it's you, Caelum,' he thought, his entire being focused on the man beneath him. 'I don't ever want to lose this closeness, this unique bond we share,' he mused as he slowly, but with perfect precision, hit Elias's prostate, transforming him into a desperate, moaning mess within just a few intense minutes.
When Elias was finally done, utterly spent, Caelum immediately pulled him close, holding him tightly against his chest. "Just stay still and don't pull out yet," he murmured into Elias's hair. "Your magic is reacting to mine in a way I haven't felt or sensed till now," he explained, his voice low with intense concentration.
Elias nodded, following the instruction without question, and slowly put his entire body weight onto Caelum, their skin pressing together. "How is it reacting?" he asked, his voice still ragged from the release.
"I really don't know how to describe it," Caelum confessed, his eyes wide with a mixture of wonder and confusion. "I feel like your magic is distinctly pulling on mine, almost as if it's asking for help, desperate for some kind of assistance," he said.
"He's pulling that much magic from me, even after all the training?" Elias gasped, his body tensing with renewed alarm.
"He might be," Caelum confirmed, his hand rubbing comforting circles on Elias's back. "It's better if you stay inside me for a while longer. He can't pull yours if your magic is linked entirely to mine, which happens when we are like this," he advised, his knowledge of arcane magical bonds coming to the fore.
"But such links and the concept of one's magic turning sentient were only written about in old, obscure legends," Elias pointed out, his voice filled with disbelief.
"If it was written in the legends, there must have been some foundational reason," Caelum reasoned calmly. "They either personally felt the link or heard about it from someone credible. There is always a reason our ancestors wrote about certain things. They might not make perfect sense now, but in time, when we find irrefutable evidence, we might finally understand their wisdom," he said, his deep understanding of history evident.
"Just like those ancient scripts we learn in literature class being surprisingly used in the highest forms of alchemy?" Elias asked, a flicker of comprehension in his eyes.
Caelum nodded slowly. "Exactly. But, there is one more thing I have been feeling every single time we have sex and our unique magics mix together," he confided, his gaze thoughtful.
"What is it, Caelum?" Elias asked, his full attention on him.
"I feel like every time our magics mix this intensely, one of us gets exponentially stronger," Caelum stated plainly.
"What exactly do you mean by that, Caelum?" Elias asked, a shadow of uncertainty crossing his face.
"I know with absolute certainty that I couldn't have increased thirty levels in just six months through conventional training," he explained, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "And it is completely impossible for anyone to increase forty levels in a mere six months," he emphasized.
"That's true," Elias agreed, his brow furrowing in concentration. "When we did check our level just this week, I was at level 105 and you were at level 130, which is phenomenal progression," he recalled.
"And we were only at levels 65 and 100 just six months ago, but even that initial jump was strange. It took me a grueling twelve years to get to level 80 conventionally. And it took you fourteen long years just to get to level 55," Caelum pointed out, connecting the pieces of the puzzle.
"Does that mean our combined magics are somehow making us significantly stronger as they combine and exchange energies with the other's magic?" Elias asked, the realization dawning on him.
"That is the only logical reason and explanation I can think of right now," Caelum confirmed.
"Let's focus on finding the real, absolute reason after we successfully make the antidote for me and eliminate this poison," Elias decided, kissing the top of Caelum's head.
Caelum nodded, a feeling of peaceful contentment washing over him. "And I promise you this, Elias. Even after we find the antidote, I will always be the exact same person to you," he vowed, his voice filled with sincerity.
"I'm incredibly glad to hear that, my dear," Elias whispered, as he carefully put his head at the crook of Caelum's neck and breathed in his unique, comforting scent deeply. "The smell of burning sandalwood and ancient books," he whispered softly, his lips brushing Caelum's skin. "I like it so much," he confessed.
Caelum smiled, a truly radiant one, as he hugged Elias even closer to his body, their forms perfectly intertwined. They both closed their eyes, trying to get as much rest as they possibly could before the anticipated, high-stakes ball.