Chapter 103: Chapter 103

JONEA

I couldn’t answer Aland’s question. My lips felt sealed, every word I wanted to say stuck in my throat. Something heavy weighed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

The room was suffocatingly quiet, the only sound being Aland’s ragged breaths, full of emotion. I couldn’t stay in there a second longer.

Quickly, I got up from the bed, grabbing a blanket to cover myself, and stepped out of the treehouse. The cold night air bit at my skin, but I didn’t care.

Ahead of me, a small, crystal-clear pond caught my eye. The moonlight shimmered on its surface, creating an almost calming scene. Kneeling by the edge, I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it on my face.

That’s when something strange happened.

The calm breeze around me suddenly turned wild, swirling fiercely. My hair whipped around my face, and I had to close my eyes against the sudden burst of dust. The soft rustle of leaves grew into a deafening roar, like a storm appearing out of nowhere.

“What is this...?” I whispered, panic creeping into my voice.

In the distance, I faintly heard Aland calling my name, but his voice sounded small and far away, like he was at the end of the world. I tried turning around, but the storm was too strong.

When I opened my eyes again, a massive figure emerged from the whirlwind. Black, muscular, and covered in fur, it loomed like a terrifying shadow. My heart sank as recognition dawned on me.

“Daran?” I gasped.

The giant lycan stood between me and Aland, blocking my view. His glowing, blood-red eyes locked onto Aland with a menacing glare.

“So here you are!” Daran growled, his deep voice vibrating with rage. “How dare you kidnap my bride?”

Aland flinched but didn’t back down. I saw his wolf claws extend, and majestic dragon wings unfurled from his back. Before he could charge, I stepped forward.

“Aland, don’t!” I yelled, terrified that Daran might hurt him.

I moved closer to Daran, reaching out to grab the coarse fur on his massive body. My touch made him turn his gaze to me, and the cold, frightening glow in his red eyes softened ever so slightly.

“Can you... shrink down?” I asked cautiously, trying to de-escalate the tension.

Daran let out a low growl, but his enormous body began to shrink. He returned to a human size, though still in his lycan form. Relief washed over me for a moment—until he suddenly scooped me up with one arm, like I was nothing more than a feather.

“What are you doing?!” I screamed, struggling against his grip.

Aland lunged forward, his claws poised to strike, but Daran raised a hand, stopping him cold.

“If you take another step, you’ll never see her again!” Daran declared, his voice icy and absolute.

Aland froze mid-air, hesitation flickering in his golden eyes. His wings trembled, but he didn’t move closer.

“We made a deal, didn’t we?” Daran continued, his gaze piercing.

“What deal?!” I demanded, looking between them with growing confusion.

Neither of them answered. Before I could press further, the whirlwind returned, blurring my surroundings. My body felt weightless as if I was being pulled away.

When I opened my eyes, the lush land of the blue dragons was gone. Instead, I found myself back in the Sapphire Blue territory, in the lavish bedroom I now recognized too well.

Daran dropped me onto the bed without warning. I yelped in shock, scrambling to the far corner as he loomed over me.

“You are my bride!” he snarled, his voice filled with anger and possessiveness.

I retreated further, my body trembling as he took slow, deliberate steps toward me.

Then, to my surprise, his form began to shift. The fearsome lycan melted away, revealing the man beneath. The face that emerged was achingly familiar—the strikingly handsome man I had come to know, the one who rarely showed his true face.

My cheeks burned, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Do you really think I’m... that appetizing?!”

Daran tilted his head slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His piercing gaze locked onto mine, filled with a mix of intensity and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite name.

He took another step closer, his presence overwhelming, yet strangely magnetic. I couldn’t move, couldn’t look away.

In that moment, I realized something undeniable: no matter how terrifying or powerful Daran might be, part of me didn’t want to escape.

I sat in the corner of the bed, my whole body tense, like a bowstring pulled too tight. Daran stood a short distance away, watching me with eyes that were hard to read. The room was dead silent except for my ragged breathing.

"So, you’ve realized, huh?" Daran’s voice broke the silence. It was low, almost a whisper, but every word hit me like a ripple in the air.

I straightened up, trying to appear calm even though my heart was racing. "I thought it was just a dream… until Aland told me everything, about me being your… food," I said quietly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But I’m just—"

I froze when I saw Daran’s hand reaching toward me. His large claws glinted faintly in the dim light. His eyes, once dark, were now glowing red with a menacing intensity.

"Daran?" I whispered, unsure and uneasy. I stared at him, waiting for him to explain. "What are you doing?"

He didn’t answer. His hand hung mid-air, and yet, his gaze didn’t waver. The tension between us was like a blade hanging by a thread.

I took a cautious step toward him. But before I could get too close, he raised his hand, stopping me in my tracks.

"Jonea," he said coldly, "this is a memory you don’t need."

I froze in place. "What do you mean?" My voice wavered slightly.

Instead of explaining, both his palms began to glow with a faint blue light. The energy twisted and swirled like living mist, heading straight for me. That’s when it hit me—what he was doing.

"No!" I shouted, panic bubbling up inside me. I recognized the magic—it was a memory-erasing spell. He wanted to take away a part of me, the part connected to him.

I couldn’t let that happen. Without thinking, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around him. My hands clutched at his wrists, trying to push the light away from my head.

"Stop it!" I pleaded, my voice coming out more desperate than I intended.

Daran stiffened in surprise. His body went rigid, but he didn’t push me away. Beneath my palms, I could feel the strong, steady beat of his heart.

"Jonea, what are you doing?" he asked, his tone a mix of shock and confusion.

In my panic, I pushed against him harder than I meant to, and somehow, we both ended up toppling onto the bed. I landed on top of him, still clinging tightly.

"Jonea?" He said my name again, softer this time.

"Just… let me stay like this," I mumbled, hiding my face against his broad chest. His steady breathing and the warmth of his body made me feel safe, even though the situation was anything but.

"What are you doing?" he repeated, but he made no move to push me off.

I tilted my head up slightly, meeting his now-darkened eyes. They looked like the night sky—deep and endless. "I don’t want you to erase it," I said firmly, even though tears were welling up in my eyes.

"Why?" he asked, his voice low and steady.

"Because it’s a memory of someone important to me!" I nearly squeaked, my voice sounding more like a child throwing a tantrum than I intended.

Daran stilled, his expression softening into something gentler, more fragile.

"Are you saying… me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I didn’t know how to answer, so I just nodded, feeling embarrassed as I buried my face in his chest again.

Daran didn’t respond right away. He just lay there, unmoving, letting me cling to him. It felt like time had stopped for us, like the outside world didn’t exist.

Finally, he lowered his head a little, bringing his face close to my ear. His voice was deep and filled with something unspoken as he murmured, "Jonea, you… aren’t afraid of me?"

I looked up at him, meeting his gaze with confidence I didn’t know I had. "No," I said softly but firmly. "How could I be afraid of someone who’s always protected me, even if the way you do it isn’t always right?"

Daran went quiet again, and for a moment, I saw something shift in him, like he was wrestling with emotions he didn’t know how to handle. His face, usually so confident and imposing, looked vulnerable—like he was battling himself.

"Jonea," he said at last, "you really are the most confusing creature I’ve ever met."

I smiled faintly, even though my emotions were still all over the place. "Maybe that’s why you can’t stay away from me," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

For the first time since I’d met him, Daran chuckled—not the cold, mocking laugh I was used to, but a genuine, quiet laugh.

But the moment passed quickly, and his expression turned serious again. "But remember this, Jonea," he said. "There are some things you’re better off forgetting, for your own safety."

I shook my head firmly. "No," I said. "I want to remember everything. The good and the bad—it’s all a part of you, and I don’t want to lose that."

Daran studied me for a long moment, as if searching for something in my words. Then, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

"Fine," he said softly, almost in a whisper. "But don’t ever regret your choice."

I nodded silently. For the first time, I felt like something had shifted between us—something deeper than words or feelings.

Daran pulled me closer, leaning down to whisper in my ear once more, "Jonea, you’re really not afraid of me? Even after knowing what I’ve been hiding?"