Time flew by. Liora threw herself into her studies, working tirelessly day and night to turn her dream of becoming a CEO into a reality. She attended her university classes as usual, completely tuning out the cruel whispers and insults from the other students. Instead of letting them break her, she used their malice as a stepping stone. Every bitter word only fueled her determination, pushing her to work even harder to prove them all wrong.
Ronan stood firmly by her side, supporting Liora with everything he had. As they studied together, Ronan found himself constantly amazed by Liora's brilliant intelligence and natural capability.
Meanwhile, the four ancient guardians of the two mystical gems, including Maya, waited with forced patience, watching over Liora until she was truly ready to take on the massive burden of saving the Mo Kingdom.
One morning, around eight o'clock, Liora was busy elsewhere in the house. Seizing the quiet moment, Maya pulled Ronan aside, her face tight with anxiety.
"We can't delay this any longer, Ron." Maya warned, her voice laced with worry. "There's no telling when Darkan will strike. He already knows that we are onto him and that we know the truth."
Ronan sighed heavily, the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. "I know, Maya. But I refuse to force Liora into this. She isn't a native of the Mo Kingdom; she's an Earthling. She has already suffered so much pain because of our world's problems. I can't just force a war upon her."
Maya shook her head sadly, letting out a resigned sigh. "Then I suppose we have no choice but to wait a bit longer, Ron."
"No, let's start. I'm ready."
A soft but firm voice echoed from behind them. Both of their heads snapped toward the hallway.
"Liora?" Ronan asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Liora offered them a reassuring smile. "I'm ready, Ron. Let's save the Mo Kingdom."
"But you have so much on your plate with university." Ronan protested gently. "And with everything else-"
"It's okay, Rony." Liora interrupted, stepping closer. "Don't you have far more responsibilities than I do? You have to run an entire corporate empire. If you can balance all of this, why can't I? I told you, I want to be just like you. I can handle my university workload and this training at the same time."
A warm, adoring smile spread across Ronan's face. He stepped forward, wrapping one arm securely around Liora's waist while his other hand gently cupped her cheek.
"If you're truly okay with this, then so am I. I never want to force anything on you, Lio. This has to be entirely your choice, hmm?"
Liora smiled softly and nodded. Reassured, Ronan turned back to face Maya.
"Alright, then. Tell the other three guardians to come over for dinner tonight. We will hold an official meeting right after we eat."
Maya smiled brightly, nodding happily at the long-awaited progress.
8:15 PM
After a long, exhausting day at the company, Ronan returned home and immediately went upstairs to clean up and change. Downstairs, Liora and the four visiting guardians were gathering, getting everything ready for dinner.
Maya had joined Liora in the kitchen to help prepare the meal. Lost in her own world, Liora was softly humming a sweet melody as she carried steaming dishes to the dining table. Just as she turned back toward the kitchen to grab another plate, a pair of strong hands suddenly seized her waist, pulling her into a dark corner.
Liora gasped, her back pressing firmly against the wall as a small, startled scream escaped her lips.
"Shh... don't cry out." Ronan murmured seductively.
He leaned his heavy frame against Liora, pinning her to the wall, while his large hands gently cradled Liora's head.
"R-Ron, you-" Liora started to protest, but her words dissolved into a breathless sigh as Ronan leaned down, rubbing his nose affectionately against Liora's jawline, neck, and cheek.
"Mmm... you smell absolutely incredible." Ronan whispered, a breathtaking smile brushing against Liora's skin.
"I missed you, baby." Ronan murmured. He began trailing wet, burning kisses down Liora's neck and up to her jawline.
"I-I missed you too, Ron... mmh..." Liora moaned softly, her head tilting back as Ronan found her sweet spot, pressing a firm, teasing suck against her sensitive skin.
"R-Ron, stop... this isn't our bedroom." Liora whispered weakly, her hands resting on Ronan's chest.
"It's my mansion anyway." Ronan countered playfully, completely unfazed as he continued to shower his lover with kisses.
Liora, completely breathless and pliant under Ronan's dominant embrace, tried to muster the strength to push him away, but her body refused to cooperate. Both of them closed their eyes, melting into the warmth of each other's touch.
"The food is going to get cold, Rony." Liora pleaded, her voice trembling. "Not right now... let's finish this later."
Ronan let out a dramatic sigh, pulling back just enough to capture Liora's lips in a brief, sweet kiss.
"Fine. We will definitely continue this later, baby girl." Ronan promised, his deep, raspy voice sending a powerful shiver straight down Liora's spine.
Ronan chuckled deeply as he watched Liora's face flush bright red, turning the color of a tomato. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to Liora's forehead and intertwined their fingers.
"Come on, let's go. I don't know what the others are up to." Ronan said, leading Liora back toward the kitchen.
However, the moment they stepped through the kitchen doorway, both of them froze, gasping in utter shock at the scene before them.
Maya was sitting casually on top of the kitchen counter, but she wasn't alone. Ethan was pressed flush against her, and the two of them were completely locked in a deeply passionate kiss.
"Oh my god." Ronan muttered under his breath.
Liora immediately slapped a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle. "I think we should slowly back out of here." she whispered, quickly dragging a stunned Ronan toward the living room.
But the moment they crossed into the living room, both of them gasped all over again.
There, stretched out on the living room couch, Michael and Sophia were completely lost in a heated kiss of their own. A massive, delighted grin broke across Liora's face. Ronan, on the other hand, stared in absolute, comedic disbelief.
"Hey!! What do you all think my mansion is?! A hotel?!" Ronan bellowed.
Startled by the booming shout, Michael and Sophia practically flew apart, jumping off the couch and looking at Ronan with wide, terrified eyes. Ronan marched directly over to them, his arms crossed.
"O-Oh... wow. We are so, so sorry." Sophia stammered, her face burning with embarrassment.
Liora nudged Ronan, giving him an amused smile before turning to the flustered couple. "It's totally fine, Sophie. We just came down to eat and talk." Liora gave Sophia a playful wink. "Congratulations, Sophie."
Sophia blushed a deep crimson, looking down at her lap.
Ronan turned his gaze toward Michael, his stern expression softening. "Huh... so this is the cute girl you're always talking about?"
Michael nodded nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Ron, I'm really sorr-"
Before Michael could finish his apology, Ronan stepped forward and pulled him into a fierce, tight hug.
"I am so incredibly happy for you, Mike." Ronan said, his voice thick with genuine emotion.
Tears of pure joy pricked the corners of Michael's eyes as he hugged Ronan back. Having grown up together, only the two of them truly understood the immense suffering and hardships they had endured since childhood. Seeing Michael finally safe, happy, and in love brought a wave of profound relief over Ronan. Liora and Sophia watched the two friends, exchanging a sweet, knowing smile.
A short while later, everyone gathered around the large dining table.
"So... just how long have you two been hiding this relationship?" Ronan asked, fixing a sharp, amused gaze on Maya and Ethan.
Ethan choked on his food, his jaw dropping. "Ah- what?"
"We saw everything in the kitchen, Maya." Liora chimed in with a mischievous grin, causing Maya's cheeks to flush pink.
Maya cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "It's been about thirty-five years now."
"Oh wow..." Liora's eyes widened in pure amazement at the duration of their secret.
The group finished their dinner quickly, the lighthearted banter fading away as they transitioned into the living room. The three couples settled onto separate couches, the air growing heavy with serious anticipation.
"Alright, I'll start." Maya took the lead, stepping into her role as the head guardian. "Ever since our visit to Liora's father's house, we have been fiercely searching for any signs or information regarding Darkan. But up until yesterday, we haven't found a single clue. I actually have a few crucial questions for Liora."
Liora nodded attentively, focusing entirely on her.
"You mentioned that on the day Sophia and Michael took you, someone had mysteriously locked you and Ronan inside an old cabin right before everything happened." Maya recalled, looking for confirmation.
"Yes, that's exactly what happened." Liora agreed.
"Okay. So Ron." Maya turned her gaze to Ronan. "You didn't call Liora to meet you there that day, did you?"
"No, I didn't." Ronan answered firmly. "During those days, I was purposely trying to stay as far away from Liora as possible. We knew Darkan desperately wanted us to bring our two gems together, so I was trying to prevent that."
Maya's brow furrowed into a deep, calculating frown. "Exactly. That is the missing link. Darkan wanted to force you two into each other's lives. When he realized that you were successfully keeping your distance, he orchestrated a situation to trap you together and force a bond."
"Are you saying Darkan himself locked us in that cabin?" Ronan asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. "But how? He's an ancient evil spirit. Can he really just manifest out in broad daylight on Earth?"
"Ron, remember what he told you?" Michael interjected, his expression grave. "He said he was waiting and watching for the two of you to unite. That didn't mean he was watching from afar, it meant he has been standing right next to you this entire time. Darkan has possessed a human body. He is walking among us."
At Michael's chilling revelation, the other three guardians nodded in grim confirmation. Ronan and Liora exchanged a look of pure shock.
"So, who is it?" Ronan demanded, a cold sweat breaking out as he realized the devil had been hiding in plain sight. "Who has he been using to watch me?"
Before the guardians could voice their heavy thoughts, Ethan leaned forward, turning to Liora. "Liora, think back. Why exactly did you go to that cabin to meet Ronan that day?"
"Because Mia told me to." Liora answered innocently. "She told me that Ronan was waiting for me and wanted me to meet him at the cabin."
The room went dead silent. Everyone's eyes widened in absolute horror.
"Wait... so, Mia is Darkan?" Liora whispered, her voice trembling as the pieces fell into place.
"It makes perfect sense." Ethan muttered, looking around the room. "Is there any other person who has a logical reason to constantly be around the two of you?"
Maya nodded grimly. "This complicates everything. It means the enemy is far closer to the Red gem than we ever dared to imagine. He's right inside your company, Ron."
"What do we do now?" Liora asked, her anxiety rising.
Ronan's expression hardened, his eyes flashing dangerous crimson. "I'll kill him. I'll get rid of him tomorrow. It will be easy."
Michael immediately shook his head, stopping him. "I don't think that's a smart move, Ron. Darkan is currently occupying Mia's body, but Mia herself is not the monster. Even if you destroy her body and eliminate her, Darkan is a spirit, he will simply leave her corpse and possess someone else close to you. It won't solve anything."
Ronan let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Mia has always been acting a bit strange lately." Ethan noted, addressing the group. "For now, our best strategy is to act completely normal, as if we know absolutely nothing. Darkan's entire plan relies on watching Ronan every day. Ron, you just need to behave exactly as you always do."
Ronan nodded reluctantly, absorbing the plan.
"But how do we actually defeat him for good?" asked Sophia, speaking up for the first time. She looked around anxiously. "We can't just let him roam free forever. We have no idea when he'll choose to attack us, and honestly, I can't even fathom what kind of sinister trap he is plotting right now."
"Sophia is absolutely right." Maya sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "Darkan cannot be underestimated. He possesses a brilliant, ancient mind and executes his plans with absolute perfection. And the worst part... even if we manage to fight him off, we don't actually have the power to destroy his spirit. Not even the individual powers of the Red Gem and the Blue Gem can kill him."
Liora frowned. "Then what can?"
"Only the Main Power can obliterate him." Maya explained with a defeated sigh. "But that absolute power is only formed when the two gems perfectly unite... and frankly, we have absolutely no idea how to trigger that bond. Right now, we are completely helpless."
Ronan awkwardly cleared his throat, a deep blush creeping up his neck. "A-Ah... well, Maya. The truth is... something intimate already happened between Liora and me. But just like you said, we didn't feel any sudden surge of mystical power or cosmic difference back then."
At the blunt mention of their first night together, Liora turned entirely red, burning like a ripe tomato as memories of their intimacy flooded her mind. She quickly looked down at her hands.
"Oh... is that so?" Maya muttered, letting out another long sigh. "Then I suppose we are even more helpless than I thought."
A heavy, suffocating silence descended over the living room. No one could figure out a way out of the dead end. Finally, Ronan broke the quiet, his eyes shining with sudden thought.
"Um... what if we approach this from a different angle for now?" Ronan proposed. Everyone turned to look at him. "We might not know how to unlock the ultimate power to destroy Darkan yet, but we can still prepare. He won't try to kill us right now because our deaths would ruin his own plans. Liora and I already have incredible magic sleeping inside our bodies. What if we focus on drawing that power out? We can treat this as combat training."
Ethan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! Exactly! That is brilliant. Maya, we need to train these two immediately. We have to prepare them for any ambush. The moment we get a single clue about how to unlock the Main Power, we need to be physically and magically ready to strike."
Maya smiled, nodding in agreement. "Alright, then that is our immediate plan. We will officially begin training Ronan and Liora. You two just need to decide on a time that works for you."
Ronan turned to look at Liora. "Mmm... I don't think daytime will work. Liora has her university classes, and I have to run the company. We are both only free at night. Isn't that right, love?"
"Yeah," Liora agreed, turning to Maya. "Looking at it that way, Maya, would a training session of about two or three hours each night be enough for now?"
Maya smiled reassuringly. "Yes, that will be plenty. Honestly, given how powerful your raw gems are, I don't think it will be too difficult to train the two of you."
"Perfect. When do we start?" Ethan asked, rubbing his hands together.
"Starting tomorrow night." Ronan stated firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "This is something we cannot afford to postpone."
Everyone murmured their agreement. After iron-clad details were finalized, Ronan invited the guardians to stay the night at the Brown mansion since it was already incredibly late.
With the plans set, the three couples headed off to their respective bedrooms. Curling deep into Ronan's protective arms, Liora closed her eyes, mentally mapping out her busy schedule as she prepared to face the grueling days of university work and intense magical training ahead.