Chapter 9 My first kiss with her

Leon POV

Rage exploded inside me so violently the nearby windows shattered.

“No.”“Leon—” “No.”

The Crimson power spiraled wildly around me now, filling the hallway with red light.

“They are not touching you.”Her breathing shook.

“They’ll kill people if the ritual fails.” “Then I’ll kill them first.”

The words came out deadly calm. Too calm. Seraphine stepped closer carefully.

“Leon… listen to me.” I looked at her. Her fingers slowly touched my face.

The simple contact immediately weakened the storm inside me.

“You can’t save everyone alone,” she whispered.

“Watch me.” A sad smile crossed her lips.

“That’s exactly what scares me.” For a moment, I forgot about the mansion.

All I saw was her, Tired eyes, Shaking hands. But still standing.

Even after everything. “You should’ve stayed away from me,” I murmured.

She blinked softly. “Why?” “Because everyone near me suffers.”

Her expression changed instantly. And before I realized what she intended, She kissed me, it was soft, and brief.

But enough to stop every thought in my head.The Crimson energy vanished into silence.

When she pulled away, my heartbeat felt completely out of control.

Seraphine looked just as shocked as I felt.

“I…” she started weakly. Neither of us moved.

Then another explosion rocked the mansion. Reality crashed back instantly.

Phoenix’s voice shouted through the phone, “General! They breached the eastern perimeter!”

I snapped back to focus.

“Hold positions,” I ordered immediately. “We’re moving now.”

“Yes, sir.” The call ended. Seraphine looked away quickly, cheeks flushed red.

“We should go,” she whispered. I stared at her for one dangerous second longer.

Then nodded once. “Stay close to me.”

We moved quickly through the mansion corridors while distant gunfire sounded outside.

The estate had become a battlefield. Smoke filled the air thicker now.

Bodies of guards and shattered furniture littered the floors.

The Council came prepared for war tonight.

But so did I. We reached the grand staircase overlooking the main hall.

And stopped instantly, The Heir stood below us waiting with dozens of armed councils soldiers surrounded him.

Vincent Korr stood nearby clutching his injured side. The moment he saw me, hatred twisted across his face.

“There he is,” Korr spat. “The ghost who refuses to die.”

The Heir lifted his eyes slowly toward me. Darkness seemed to move around him unnaturally.

“You’ve caused enough trouble, Leon Hawke.” I stepped forward.

“And you’ve breathed long enough.” Several soldiers immediately aimed weapons at me.

Seraphine grabbed my arm nervously. “Leon…”

The Heir’s gaze shifted toward her. His expression softened slightly, totally creepy and possessive.

“You were always meant to stand beside me,” he told her calmly. “You belong with the Council.”

“I belong nowhere near you,” she snapped. His eyes darkened.

“You will.” I felt something dangerous awaken inside me again.

“You don’t get to decide that.” The Heir smiled faintly.

“Still pretending you can protect her?”

The next words hit like poison. “You couldn’t even protect your own family.”

Everything inside me froze. Then shattered.

Crimson power exploded violently from my body. The entire staircase cracked beneath my feet.

Council soldiers staggered backward in shock.

Even the Heir’s expression changed slightly.

Good. He should finally understand.

I wasn’t the same boy who escaped Ravenport two years ago.

I jumped from the staircase. Straight into the middle of them.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Gunfire exploded around me. I moved faster than the bullets.

Crimson energy tore through the hall like a storm.

One soldier flew through a marble pillar. Another crashed through a glass table.

The Heir attacked me directly, dark energy slamming into mine violently.

The impact shattered windows across the mansion.

“You think power makes you untouchable?” he growled.

“No,” I replied, blocking another strike. “Pain did that.”

We exchanged blows fast enough to blur vision.

Darkness against crimson, shadow against fire.

Every strike shook the mansion harder.

Behind me, Seraphine fought beside Phoenix’s men as they stormed through the front entrance.

Gunfire sounded, Screams filled the hall. But my focus stayed locked on the Heir.

“You’re angry,” he sneered during the fight. “Good. Anger feeds power.”

“You know nothing about me.” “Oh, I know enough.”

He struck again. “You’re afraid.” I slammed him backward with a burst of Crimson force.

“Afraid of what?”

“That if you stop fighting…” His smile twisted. “…you’ll finally break.”

The words hit too close. For half a second, my movements slowed.

And the Heir noticed. Dark energy slammed directly into my chest.

Pain exploded through my body as I crashed across the hall into a pillar.

Stone shattered around me. “Leon!” Seraphine screamed.

I coughed blood onto the floor. The Heir approached slowly.

“You see?” he said quietly. “All that power… and still broken underneath.”

I pushed myself up slowly. Every muscle screamed in pain.

But then I heard something.

Seraphine’s voice. “Leon…”

It was weak and terrified. looked up instantly.

One of the remaining Council soldiers held a blade against her throat.