End of Battle

The air inside the northern tower was dense with the hum of magic, swirling faintly through the stone walls. As they moved deeper into the corridor, Nolan could feel a growing pulse of energy in the air, erratic and unsettling. He didn't need to see the source to know that something was gravely wrong ahead and can even pin point the location but it would be suspicious if did say it. Nova led the way, his steps silent, his presence barely detectable as he moved with the grace of a trained soldier, using a compass like tool to detect the anomaly's source. Nolan struggled to match that silence being a mage, he was already regarded as a physically fit guy, but not good enough to match a trained soldier, though he managed to stay close, his senses alert to every shift in the energy around them.

As they neared the end of the hallway, Nova slowed, raising his hand in a silent signal for Nolan to stop. They had reached an old, unused part of the palace, a section Nova himself had never been in. The faint flicker of candlelight from a room ahead cast long, eerie shadows across the floor. Nova pressed against the wall, peeking around the corner before motioning for Nolan to follow.

Nolan crept up beside him, peering into the room. He was not tad bit surprised but just to put up a show for Nova, his breath hitched as he looked at what was inside.

Ten palace servants lay lifeless on the floor, their bodies arranged in a perfect circle. Each one had a thin, crimson line cut across their throats, their blood seeping out, pooling into a series of intricate grooves etched into the stone beneath them. The grooves connected to form a magic circle—a formation more complex than anything Nolan had seen on this planet, although he is a sheltered child, but being the son of a duke he got a huge and extensive library only for knowledge on magic and some rare ones that his mother collected, Nolan in the past might not have understood those things but Marduk does. Symbols and runes intertwined, pulsating with a sickly red glow. In the center of the formation, a massive magic stone, dark and jagged, hovered inches above the floor, emitting waves of chaotic energy.

Nova clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. "It's a disruption formation," he whispered, his voice laced with anger. "This is what's messing with the palace's defense system. I need to destroy it before it—"

"Wait," Nolan shouted almost too loudly, grabbing Nova's arm just as he was about to step forward. "You can't just blast it apart. If you do, it'll trigger a chain reaction. The energy from that magic stone—it'll be like a flood when the dam breaks. It'll destroy everything."

Nova shot him a sharp look, clearly not used to being stopped. "What are you talking about? I've dealt with formations like this before."

"Not like this one or to put in better words maybe not in the similar situation." Nolan's eyes locked onto the magic stone. "Look closely. The formation is designed to siphon energy from the palace's protective wards, but it's also feeding directly into that magic stone. And that stone…" His voice lowered. "It's not ordinary. It's most likely dragonstone—powerful enough to tear this entire palace apart if it overloads. It must be a reserve energy source for palace and these idiots have made tiny intrusions to source it energy, and if you break the formation those tiny intrusions will blast into huge holes."

Nova's expression shifted from irritation to concern as he studied the formation again, this time with more scrutiny. "You're sure?"

Nolan nodded. "I can see the flow of the magic. If you break the formation now, all the excess energy will surge back into the stone, which will further increase the leakage into main circuits and there will be explosions through out the palace. We'll have maybe five seconds before the entire palace goes up in flames."

Nova cursed under his breath, stepping back from the formation. "Then what do we do?"

"I'll redirect the energy," Nolan said, his mind racing. "I can create a secondary storage—a backup that'll absorb the excess energy, as well as put up the seals to keep the dragonstone stable. But I'll need time. And it has to be done carefully, or we risk triggering the reaction anyway."

Nova stared at him for a long moment, his eyes unreadable behind the mask. Then, with a curt nod, he stepped back, giving Nolan space. "Do it. I'll keep watch."

Nolan knelt at the edge of the magic formation, his fingers tracing the outermost runes as he whispered a spell under his breath. His mana surged, intertwining with the red lines of the formation, carefully probing the structure, he felt a bit of a shock like being electrocuted. The energy felt volatile, barely contained, like a storm ready to break free at any moment, 'hmm, bunch of amateurs wasting so much energy, my students would have done a better job' he rambled as he probed a bit further. He had to be precise—any mistake could cost them everything, with him here chances are as low as they could be, but with his half baked stable body of his could become a hindrance so it's better to be careful.

Slowly, methodically, Nolan began weaving his own spell, forming a secondary network of runes around the original formation. His magic coiled around the dragonstone, gently siphoning off the excess energy and redirecting it into the backup storage he was creating. The tension in the air grew as the stone resisted, letting out ominous black sparks, its energy pushing back against the containment spell, but Nolan held firm, his concentration unwavering.

Minutes passed, each one stretching into what felt like an eternity. Finally, with one last whispered command, the spell locked into place. The chaotic energy let out a huge spark out of the dragonstone before it settled, flowing smoothly into the new containment network Nolan had built.

But the spark almost reached Nolan, "careful" shouted Nova the moment he saw the energy buildup, jumping over taking Nolan in his arms and although he tried but Nova's shoulder still crashed into the wall, narrowly escaping the energy discharge from dragon stone.

He exhaled a shaky breath, his heart pounding in his chest. It had worked, but… Nolan slowly looked up and sow Nova wincing Nolan's face heated up turning red.

Nolan hurriedly stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow as he looked over at Nova throwing a healing spell on him, healing him completely. "It's done. The energy's contained. You can destroy the formation now." Turning to the other side to avoid awkwardness.

Nova didn't hesitate. Stood up and with a swift motion, he raised his hand, summoning a ball of searing fire. He hurled it at the center of the formation, and the runes erupted in a blaze of orange and red, disintegrating in a matter of seconds. The dragonstone flickered for a moment, then went dark, its power finally neutralized.

The palace trembled again, but this time the disruption was brief. The magical barriers around the palace, which had been flickering and unstable, suddenly flared back to full strength. The protective wards were back online.

Nolan looked up at Nova, who was watching him with an expression of muted intrigue. "You… know more than you let on, Anderson." Said Nova as he looked at his shoulder , there were supposed to be old scars but even those have disappeared.

Nolan shrugged, trying to mask the exhaustion in his voice, also trying not to look at those muscled arms. "Just lucky, I guess."

Nova didn't respond, but there was a glint in his eyes that told Nolan he wasn't buying the modest act. Still, he didn't press further. Instead, he turned toward the exit. "Come on. We're not done yet. The rest of the palace is still under attack."

Nolan followed Nova out of the room, the two of them moving swiftly through the palace corridors. With the magic generators back online, the palace's defenses were now fully operational, but there were still enemies within the walls. As they made their way toward the eastern wing—where the initial breach had occurred—the sounds of battle grew louder.

When they reached the courtyard of the eastern wing a hole could be seen in the wall which is now actually recovering on its own, now that the power is up, Nolan was greeted by the sight of chaos. Guards and terrorists clashed in brutal combat, spells and blades flying in every direction. Nova wasted no time, charging into the fray with a ferocity that took Nolan by surprise. He moved like a force of nature, blasting through enemies with well-aimed firebolts and precise sword strikes, and evasive maneuvers sliding through the battlefield like butter on a hot pan.

Nolan, on the other hand, hung back turning himself illusory again, using his magic more subtly. He cast shields to protect the guards whenever they were about to take a critical hit, using healing magic whenever he found some of them injured and quietly enhanced their weapons with temporary buffs, making their strikes faster and more powerful. He stayed in the shadows, not drawing attention to himself, but making sure his presence was felt by those who needed it. It's already a huge deal that Nova lot more than their first meeting should have allotted.

The tide of battle slowly turned in their favor. With the palace's defense systems back online and Nova leading the charge, the terrorists were quickly overwhelmed. One by one, they were subdued or killed, until only a handful remained, desperately trying to retreat.

Nova dispatched the last of them with a blast of fire, his chest heaving as he surveyed the now quiet battlefield. He glanced over at Nolan, who just released his illusory form, he was standing a few feet away, his hands still glowing faintly with residual magic.

"You did good," Nova said, his voice low but sincere.

Nolan blinked, surprised by the unexpected compliment. "Thanks… I guess."

Nova turned toward the palace, his gaze hardening once more. "This isn't over yet. Whoever organized this attack—there's more to it than we've seen. But for now…" He let out a slow breath. "The palace is safe."

Nolan looked towards the palace, a glint in his eyes.

He nodded to Nova in agreement, though his mind was already racing with questions. Who were these terrorists? What were they after? And why did they have to come at this point, couldn't they just wait for another function, he's hoping for a relaxed life here.

As the dust settled and the guards began securing the area, Nolan couldn't shake the feeling that tonight's events were just a small part of a much larger game being played—a game he had unwittingly stepped into, but by no means will he continue to do so, he's here to enjoy life not to be a messiah.

And Nova Bright was right at the center of it, although he's mature enough to realize his pull towards the charming guy but he need to consider if he wants to put himself through the perils alongside Nova.

Then he looked towards the palace and thought 'Looks like the trouble inside is solved as well.'