I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

Chapter 289: A Problem Beyond Saving

Honestly, Cherion still couldn’t believe this whole disaster was actually happening. Just a couple of hours ago, Iryna was completely fine. She was walking, talking, laughing, just a normal, vibrant person existing in the same space as him.

And now? Now she was lying there, literally freezing from the inside out just to keep herself from dying. It was incredibly shocking and, honestly, just deeply sad to see her like that.

The prince looked like he was one second away from breaking down. His helplessness was so obvious that it felt like the whole room was suffocating under the weight of it.

Even with the entire room drowning in tension, Cherion managed to keep a straight face. Internally, though, he was a walking disaster of adrenaline and frustration.

I can fix this. I know I can. I literally managed to start wiping away Zarius’s curse, so a poison like this should not be a big problem, right? I have to save her.

But one glance around the room was enough to bring him back to reality. King Alderon was practically wearing a hole into the floor from pacing, Yerel looked like he was barely holding himself together, and the rest were strangers whose names he didn’t even know.

It was a political minefield. If I just walk up there right now, let my hands glow with that healing power light, I’m as good as dead. He was desperately trying to calculate a loophole, a single blind spot in the room, but the walls were closing in too fast.

King Alderon, refusing to let a diplomatic war ignite right under his roof, slammed his fist into his palm. "We cannot waste another second. If our mages are paralyzed by a mere backlash, then we must look to the heavens." He snapped his gaze toward a high-ranking knight. "Someone, send a message to the Holy Temple immediately!"

Before the knight could even bow his head to obey, Yerel stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and his father. His posture was stiff, but his voice was steady despite the chaos.

"I already sent word to the Holy Temple, Father," Yerel intervened quietly, his dark eyes meeting the King’s. "I did it immediately after Princess Iryna collapsed, right before I came to report the situation to you in the study. They should be arriving any moment."

King Alderon paused, the tense lines of his face relaxing just a fraction as he let out a heavy breath. He gave his son a firm, approving nod. "Good. At least there is one among us who has not allowed desperation to cloud their mind."

Right on cue, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway. Several junior clerics in pure white robes entered first, carrying heavy golden holy relics that radiated a soft, ambient warmth. Following closely behind was the High Priest, whose ornate ceremonial robes brushed against the floor with every step.

As the High Priest stepped into the chamber, his eyes swept across the room to assess the damage. For a brief, incredibly heavy second, his gaze locked directly onto Cherion. It wasn’t a glare, but a deeply perceptive exchange of glances that made a cold shiver run down Cherion’s spine.

Does this old guy know something? Wait, who even is he? I’ve never officially met the High Priest. Why the hell is he looking at me like he can see right through my pockets? Panic started to creep in, and Cherion immediately looked away, forcefully fixing his eyes on the floor to break the connection.

He couldn’t afford to look suspicious, nor did he want to give the old man any reason to keep staring. Fortunately, just as quickly as the connection was made, the High Priest shifted his focus entirely to the princess resting beneath layers of shimmering ice.

Okay, good. If the High Priest is finally here, that means Iryna is going to be completely fine, right? The Grand Temple is supposed to be the absolute peak of holy magic in this kingdom. Everything should be totally under control now. They probably won’t even need me to lift a finger, let alone expose my power.

The High Priest stepped forward and inclined his head in a respectful greeting. "May the light guide you, Your Majesty," his voice carried a calm, resonant weight that temporarily anchored the chaotic room. "I came the moment the Crown Prince’s emergency message reached the gates."

"Your Holiness," King Alderon urged, stepping aside. "Please. Help her."

The High Priest approached the bed without a word. He raised his hands, his palms igniting with a dense, brilliant gold aura as he channeled a wave of standard holy purification magic over the shimmering ice. He closed his eyes, attempting to sink his mana through the barrier to scan Iryna’s internal condition.

Suddenly, the High Priest’s expression twisted into profound shock. His eyes flew open, and he violently flinches back, his hands dropping to his sides as the golden light sputtered and died. "This is..." he whispered, his breath pluming heavily in the cold.

"What is it?" Gillian demanded, lunging forward. "Tell me you can save her!"

The High Priest shook his head in absolute, grim defeat, looking at King Alderon with a pale face. "This is no ordinary poison. The poison has already taken root within Her Highness’s body. The dark mana woven into it now clings to her life force as though it belongs there."

The physician gasped, and the surrounding assistants began to whisper in terror.

"My holy purification magic is designed to isolate and filter out malicious anomalies," the High Priest explained, his voice heavy with despair. "But this dark poison is far too deeply rooted, reacting violently to any standard divine intervention. If I attempt to force my purification spells into her body now, the clashing elements will cause a massive, catastrophic magical rejection. It will shatter her frozen life force instantly. There is... nothing the Temple can do to force this out."

The room plunged into a suffocating, terrifying silence.

King Alderon stepped back, his face darkening with a shadow of pure dread. It was like a death sentence. If the High Priest, the pinnacle of holy authority in Auzelian could do nothing, then Princess Iryna’s fate was sealed. She would die on Auzelian soil, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

Gillian collapsed back against the wall, staring blankly at his sister’s face as the faint, rhythmic hum of her draining mana echoed through the room.

No one had an answer. The capital’s greatest minds had hit a complete dead end.

But Cherion tightly gripped the fabric inside his pockets. His eyes locked onto the High Priest, and then onto the fading ice covering Iryna.

If the highest religious authority in the empire couldn’t save her, then he was just going to have to do it himself. Secretly. And entirely on his own terms.