No prayers were heard in the North Rivan sanctuary tonight. Instead of holy words, only the sharp sound of metal striking marble and heavy, ragged gasps broke the sacred silence.
Sinhara Veylan felt as though his spine might splinter. His slender, bared back was crushed against the frigid stone of the altar, the jagged veins of the marble carving into his flesh. Yet, that physical agony paled before the inferno consuming him from within.
Eric—the Argent Knight of the Royal Guard—loomed over him like a gathering storm, a shadow cast by the divine.
"Ngh..."
Sin bit his lower lip until it bled to stop himself from making weak sounds. However, a broken moan still escaped his throat as Eric pushed deep inside. It was a brutal invasion, without any gentleness or preparation. It was the victory of a conqueror, the strike of a predator filled with too much adrenaline and rage.
Both of Sin's hands were pinned above his head by a single hand wearing a metal gauntlet. The grip was so strong that Sin felt his wrists were about to be crushed. Yet Sin's deep black eyes—the famous mark of the Veylan family, which held wisdom instead of magic—remained wide open. He stared directly at the man above him. No begging. No fear. Only a frantic analysis even as pleasure tried to drown his logic.
Heart rate: 140. Pupils fully dilated. Breath hot with the scent of mint and rusted iron. Sin repeated the numbers in his head, clinging to them to avoid getting lost in the sensation. He is losing control. Not because of a drug, but because of an internal conflict. Is he using sex to punish me, or to punish himself?
"Look at me!" Eric roared, his voice thick and rough, completely different from his usual cold arrogance.
He released one hand, roughly grabbing Sin's chin to force him to look up. Eric's golden hair fell down, sweat dripping from his temples onto Sin's burning chest. The magnificent silver armor—the pride of a Royal Knight—now clashed against Sin's naked skin. It created a cruel contrast: hard and soft, cold and hot, power and submission.
Sin exhaled sharply, his chest moving violently. He looked straight into Eric's eyes. In those eyes, as blue as the deep ocean, Sin saw no cruelty; he saw a storm screaming for a place to hide.
"You are afraid, Eric," Sin whispered. His voice trembled with pleasure, but it was still as sharp as a scholar's blade. "Your body is looking for an escape from your orders... aah!"
The sentence was cut short by a thrust deeper and more powerful than before. Eric seemed to want to use physical pleasure to silence Sin's over-intelligent mind. He leaned down and bit hard into the white curve of Sin's neck, leaving a bright red mark.
"Shut up," Eric growled in his ear, his hot breath hitting Sin's sensitive skin. "Don't use your head to analyze me right now. You are my prisoner, Veylan. And right now, you have nothing but this useless body that lacks magic."
Sin shuddered, his toes curling. Useless? Perhaps. In this world that worshipped magic, someone who could not feel "mana" was considered garbage. Yet, it was this "useless" body that was now wrapped around the most powerful man in the empire. It was the warmth inside him that made the famous Silver Knight tremble and gasp like an ordinary human.
Eric withdrew and pushed back in, the rhythm getting faster and more chaotic. The sound of skin hitting skin mixed with the clinking of metal armor, creating a sinful song of desire inside the ruined cathedral. Sin could no longer think. The numbers and the logical plans about politics or alchemy disappeared. All that remained was the feeling of being filled, the burning friction, and Eric's rough hands gripping his hips.
Sin reached out. His long fingers, usually meant for holding pens and lab tools, now gripped Eric's armored shoulders. He pulled him closer, taking the initiative to kiss the knight's tightly pressed lips.
The kiss tasted of blood.
It was blood from Sin's lip, which had been torn during the chase four hours ago. The metallic taste dissolved in both their mouths, bringing back the memory of the chaos that had brought them to this moment.