Lust System: Conquering the World Beauties

Chapter 417: Chapter 417 Power And Sacrifices

The jet touched down smoothly, its wheels screeching briefly against the runway before slowing to a controlled roll. The engines hummed low as the aircraft came to a stop, the sound echoing across the wide, empty stretch of tarmac.

Lana was the first to step out.

The cold air hit her immediately, sharp and clean, carrying that familiar Russian bite. She paused at the top of the stairs and lifted her face toward the sky. Gray clouds stretched endlessly above, heavy and unmoving.

”Russia,” she murmured.

There was something about the place that always stirred memories she never asked for. The last time she had been here, it had been chaos. Blood. Fire. Fear. But also Liam. Standing beside him again now made the weight feel lighter, even if the unease never fully left.

Liam stepped out behind her, his boots hitting the ground with a dull thud. He scanned the surroundings out of habit, eyes sharp, posture relaxed but ready. Old instincts never really faded. He stopped beside Lana without a word, close enough that she could feel his warmth despite the cold.

Irina followed moments later. The jet door closed behind her with a heavy metallic sound, sealing off the outside world. The pilots wasted no time preparing for departure, already moving with quiet efficiency. This was a drop-off, nothing more.

Irina inhaled slowly, then exhaled through her nose. ”About what we talked about on the plane,” she said, her voice calm but firm, ”there’s something I still need to show you.”

Lana turned toward her immediately, curiosity flashing across her face. ”Show us what?”

Irina didn’t answer right away. Instead, her gaze shifted to Liam. She studied him for a moment, as if weighing something in her head. Then she asked, almost casually, ”You can fly, right?”

Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. ”You already know the answer to that.”

Irina nodded once. ”Good. Then you can take us there.”

Liam stared at her for a second. ”Now?”

”Yes,” she replied without hesitation.

Lana glanced between them. ”We’re not even resting?”

Irina shook her head. ”What I need you to see can’t wait.”

Liam exhaled slowly. ”Alright. Let’s go.”

Both women stepped closer to him. That was when Liam finally realized how awkward this was about to be.

Lana was easy. Natural. Familiar.

He wrapped an arm around her waist without thinking, pulling her in against his side. She leaned into him instinctively, her hand settling lightly against his chest like it belonged there. No tension. No hesitation.

Irina, however, was different.

She stood just close enough to be within reach, watching him carefully. Liam hesitated, his hand hovering for half a second longer than he liked. He couldn’t just grab her the same way. That would be wrong. Too personal. Too intimate.

So he reached for her shoulder instead.

Irina immediately shot him a look.

”Don’t,” she said flatly.

Liam paused. ”What?”

”Grab my waist,” she said. ”It’s better that way.”

He blinked. ”You sure?”

”Yes,” she replied, already sounding annoyed. ”I won’t break.”

Liam nodded once and adjusted his grip. His hand slid to her waist, firm but controlled, pulling her in just enough to keep balance. The moment he did, Irina sucked in a sharp breath.

She hadn’t expected how strong his hold would feel. Not crushing, not rough, but solid. Secure. The kind of grip that didn’t allow doubt.

Before she could say anything, everything changed.

White light erupted behind Liam’s shoulders.

With a sudden rush of air, massive glowing wings unfolded from his back. Feathers of pure light spread wide, illuminating the runway in a soft, otherworldly glow. The ground beneath their feet cracked faintly as the pressure shifted.

Lana gasped softly, even though she had seen this before. It never stopped being breathtaking.

Irina froze.

Her eyes widened as the wings stretched fully, each slow movement sending ripples of light through the air. She had heard about them. She had been told. But seeing it this close was something else entirely.

Liam bent his knees slightly, adjusting his grip on both women.

”Hold on,” he said calmly.

The next second, they were airborne.

The ground dropped away in an instant. Wind rushed past them, cold and fierce. Lana clutched Liam instinctively, pressing closer as the city shrank beneath them. Her hair whipped wildly behind her, but she didn’t scream. She trusted him.

Irina did not scream either.

But she stiffened.

Her body tensed against his grip, every muscle coiled tight as they rose higher and higher. The sensation of leaving the ground, of being carried entirely by another, was not something she was used to. She was Alpha. She stood on her own feet. Always.

Yet here she was.

Carried.

Protected.

Supported.

She hated how steady it felt.

The wind roared in her ears as Russia stretched endlessly beneath them. Forests rolled on for miles, dark green and endless, broken only by rivers that cut through the land like scars.

Liam adjusted his wings slightly, correcting their direction with effortless control. He wasn’t rushing. He wasn’t showing off. He flew like this was second nature.

Irina glanced at him from the corner of her eye, studying his expression. Calm. Focused. Unbothered.

Dangerous.

Her jaw tightened.

This man was far more than he let on.

Liam flew silently under Irina’s guidance, following the direction she had pointed out earlier. At this height, the air was sharp and cold, cutting against his skin as the wind rushed past them. Lana’s hair whipped freely, strands constantly blowing into his face, and Irina’s wasn’t any better. Their hair brushed his cheeks, his lips, his nose, and without meaning to, he inhaled.

Their shampoo hit his senses at the same time.

Clean. Warm. Faintly sweet.

It was strange how noticeable it was up here, surrounded by freezing air and endless sky. Their bodies were warm against him, solid and real, a contrast to the cold that wrapped around them like a living thing. He adjusted his grip slightly, not tightening, just making sure they were steady as he kept flying.

Irina leaned forward suddenly and pointed downward.

”There,” she said sharply.

Liam followed her finger and frowned. From this height, it looked like nothing at first. Just a break in the trees. Then his eyes adjusted, and his brows furrowed deeply.

”What the hell...” he muttered.

He dove.

The air screamed around them as the ground rushed up fast. Lana gasped, grabbing onto him instinctively, while Irina stiffened, her body tense but controlled. Just before they hit the ground, Liam spread his wings wide, powerful muscles flexing as he slowed their descent. The impact softened instantly. He landed on his feet with barely a sound, wings folding behind him in a smooth motion.

The silence hit them next.

He loosened his grip and gently unwrapped his hands from their waists.

Irina stepped away first. She coughed lightly, clearing her throat, her boots crunching against something brittle beneath her feet. Even though the cold had already numbed her face, she didn’t bother hiding the truth from herself.

Those arms had been comfortable.

Too comfortable.

She shook the thought away immediately and straightened her posture, Alpha instincts snapping back into place.

Lana, on the other hand, barely noticed the change. Her eyes were already scanning the area, confusion and shock spreading across her face as she slowly turned in a circle.

”What the hell happened here?” she whispered.

Liam looked around too, his expression darkening with every second.

This was an abandoned town.

Or what used to be one.

Broken wooden structures leaned at unnatural angles, roofs collapsed, walls torn apart as if something violent had ripped through them without mercy. The ground was stained dark in places, patches of dried blood soaking into the earth like it had been there for decades.

And then there were the skulls.

Too many.

They were scattered everywhere. Half-buried in dirt. Cracked. Bleached by time. Bones lay tangled together, ribs and spines mixed like discarded remains from a nightmare. This wasn’t a battlefield.

This was slaughter.

”It looks like a massacre,” Liam said quietly.

Irina nodded. ”It was.”

She walked forward slowly, her steps deliberate, careful not to disturb what remained. ”One hundred years ago, this was a town. Population just over two thousand.”

Lana froze. ”Two thousand?”

Liam turned toward Irina. ”So what happened?”

Irina stopped walking.

”They were used,” she said flatly. ”As a sacrifice.”

Lana snapped her head toward her. ”What do you mean, sacrifice?”

Irina looked at her, her expression unreadable. ”Just like I told you earlier. The vampires didn’t gain their power for free. The dark magic that strengthened them demanded payment.”

She gestured around them.

”This was that payment.”

Liam crouched down slowly, his jaw tight. He reached into the dirt and lifted something carefully. A skull. Small. Too small. His fingers curled slightly as he examined it, his throat tightening.

”Human sacrifice,” he said quietly.

His voice dropped further as realization hit. ”This one couldn’t have been older than seven.”

Lana covered her mouth instantly, tears burning behind her eyes. ”They killed a whole town,” she whispered, horror seeping into every word.

Irina shook her head slowly.

”No,” she said. ”They did worse.”

Lana looked at her, confused and afraid. ”Worse than this?”

Irina’s gaze swept across the ruins, across the bones, across the blood that had long since dried but never faded. ”They didn’t just kill them. They drained them. Slowly. Ritualistically. Men. Women. Children. Every single one.”

Liam stood up slowly, the small skull still in his hand. His wings twitched once behind him, reacting to the anger rolling through his chest. ”This wasn’t hunger,” he said. ”This was deliberate.”

”Yes,” Irina replied. ”The ritual required suffering. Fear. Desperation. The more intense the emotions, the stronger the magic.”

Lana felt sick. She turned away, bending slightly as if she might throw up. ”How could anyone allow this?”

Irina’s lips pressed into a thin line. ”No one allowed it. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was already done. Entire regions were wiped out like this before the witches intervened.”

Liam stared down at the ground, at the place where a town had once stood, full of life, laughter, arguments, ordinary problems. All gone. Reduced to bones and silence.

”And now the curse is gone,” he said quietly.

Irina nodded. ”Which means this can happen again.”

The wind shifted, passing through the ruins with a low, hollow sound, like a distant wail. Lana hugged herself, trying to block out the cold that suddenly felt much deeper.

Liam slowly set the skull back where he found it and straightened, his expression unreadable.

Whatever Irina wanted him to see, he saw it now.

And whatever she planned to ask of him next, he already knew one thing for sure.

Walking away was no longer an option.