Johnathan ignited his Aura, the familiar feeling of warmth and power flooded his body. This is what he was going to lose if… He shook his head and used his ability to push on the ground beneath him, launching himself into the air. He used it again to push on the ground a little behind him, propelling through the air in arc. The cool wind of the night air brushed against his cheeks as he flew above Imperial Square, leaving Imperium behind, and heading home. He kept using his ability to push on streets, then roofs to fly higher. There was a Royal who had the actual ability of flight, but if one understood and knew the potential of their own power, one knew how to use it to achieve the same goal. Much like what Johnathan was doing by using his ability to fly, it wasn't technically flight. He landed on the roof of a building with a thud and looked up at the night sky. At Lunam. The golden moon, as it was called by most, had not shown signs of sentience since its arrival, yet many worship it as a deity in the newly formed religions around the globe. Many theories were hypothesized, mostly guesses, but Johnathan had to believe. Believe that Lunam wasn't just the Origin of Aura. He didn't call himself a religious man, but he did believe.
His thoughts of Lunam soon turned to the thoughts he'd been avoiding all day today. Tomorrow was the fateful day, and the way things had been looking, Spectre had every means to achieve their goals. The dome was going to be destroyed, and Johnathan would lose his ability. He won't be able to feel his Aura, to use his ability to travel with a freedom experienced by only those whose ability allowed it. He had to make a decision. Help Spectre, or betray Lady Ada. The latter didn't sit right with him at all, but when they last spoke, she seemed to understand… Didn't she?
Johnathan sighed. "Lunam, what do I do?" it was a question he knew he wasn't going to get an answer to. Not by the golden moon simply watched, indifferent to it all. "I don't want to lose this." He was talking about, not only his ability, but being a Royal. The Royals will be no more if Spectre succeeds tomorrow. He pushed those thoughts away again, intending to delay his decision a bit further. At least until he talks with Elsa, he decided. With that, he pushed on the roof and sent himself flying in arc again.
***
Johnathan landed gracefully on the balcony of his house, using his ability to push on it enough to slow his fall. Elsa was there, enjoying her evening with wine and listening to soft music. She greeted him with a casual "You're late." She looked like she had just finished taking a bath, evident by her hair looking like it had been dried recently. Johnathan wasn't a bad looking guy, but Elsa was just gorgeous even in her pajamas, so he had to wonder why she hadn't left him yet. He loved her, true, despite the fact she behaved like any other Royal. Where he was a Commoner sympathizer, she wasn't.
"Sorry, work." Johnathan was still in his Royal suit, the golden bracelet feeling cold on his wrist. Tomorrow it will lose its meaning. "May I join you." It wasn't really a question, and she seemed to have expected it.
"Thought you'd never ask." Elsa grabbed a second cup and poured wine into it. "Been waiting for ya. Here." She handed it to him.
Johnathan pulled over a chair next to her and thanked her, making himself comfortable beside his beautiful wife. "It's warm." He said after taking a sip of the wine.
Elsa smiled and said, "Here, give me." taking his cup and touching the liquid within with the tip of her finger. She handed it back after. Johnathan felt refreshed after feeling the cool liquid, the temperature just the way he liked it, washed down his throat. He relaxed for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the view of the stars and listening to the music.
"Elsa, can I ask you something?"
"I'm your wife John, you don't need to ask permission to ask me anything." She said, moving her blonde hair out of her face, her blue eyes looking at him. "What is it?"
"Don't go to Imperium tomorrow." Was all Johnathan was allowed to say. He wanted to tell her everything. About Spectre, about Lady Ada and the Lord Ruler. About the dark secrets the man hid from the public eye. But Johnathan was under Symvasi's contract. The Royal Knight's ability prevented him from revealing any secrets he knew and learned while he worked for Ada.
Elsa raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? Something happening tomorrow?"
"I-" Johnathan felt the ability's effect freeze his words before they left his lips. But Lunam, that's an annoying ability. "I can't tell you why, just… just trust me, please."
"Uh-huh." Elsa took another sip of her wine then looked up at the night sky. Johnathan did the same. The dome was hard to see, but if one looked close enough, one could spot the distortion in the sky. It was like watching through clean glass. "Sorry John," Elsa said at length, "But I can't do that. Heimdal told us to be on call for when Spectre attacks Imperium. None of us believed them fool enough to try, but you just confirmed it."
That caught Johnathan off guard. He looked at his wife. "They know, then." He said, "About the assault?"
Elsa nodded. "Funny too. It was one of them that came to us. Seems he betrayed his allies for a high ranking position amongst the Royal Elites."
"Who?"
"A guy named Hendrick." Elsa said. Johnathan had heard Lady Ada and the woman Claudia discuss about the man, how he was likely to betray Spectre in some matter. Apparently the man's goal in overthrowing the Lord Ruler didn't include destroying the dome. In that, Johnathan agreed with him. But to completely turn his people to the enemy, knowing what the Lord Ruler will likely to them. Johnathan was not expecting that. A part of him, the part of him that wanted to keep living his life as a Royal, was glad. But the other, the one where his loyalty and honor lies… That part still had a strong hold in his mind. "Do they know about the dome then?" He asked his wife.
"You mean how they plan to destroy it?" She nodded. "Fools. Don't they know that that'll affect them too?" She scoffed. Then after a pause, "So you see, Spectre will fail. Like I told you many times before. Their rebellion will be squashed like all the rest. I have to admit, Spectre had come farther than any rebel group. But, I heard that's because the Lord Ruler allowed those traitors to get this far." She paused again to caress her forearm. "Tomorrow, I will take part in the fight. He'll be there, and I want a rematch." Johnathan guessed she was referring to William. She had lost to him once, Johnathan remembered her arriving home that night bruised and injured. He believed she'd lose again. But he said nothing.
The silence dragged for a few minutes, both of them enjoying their drinks and music. The moon hung in the sky, longtime Lunam, that along the with cool breeze felt high in their balcony, gave a sense of relaxation and calmness. Calmness that Johnathan couldn't rightly enjoy, his head was filling with thoughts. He had yet to decide whether to help Spectre of stay out of the conflict entirely. But what Elsa had said, it seems there won't really be a conflict, but a show. A show that the Lord Ruler will use to not only stop Spectre's rebellion completely, but any future rebellion. Spectre's defeat might even discourage the people, those that hated the Royals and their system, from becoming superheroes and remaining hidden.
Johnathan finished his wine and stood up. "Going to take that shower now." He said, kissing Elsa.
"I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom then."