Chapter 114: Chapter 114

JONEA

"I'm sorry, Jonea," Daran said suddenly, his voice soft and filled with regret. "I don’t know everything about how to live as a true lycan. I’m not fully a lycan, but I’m not a sorcerer either. I’m stuck between two worlds, and sometimes it feels like I’m losing control."

He took a deep breath before continuing, "But if I made you cry, that means I was wrong. If I can keep you alive and help you reach your goal, then I wouldn’t mind becoming an eternal monster after all this. Because for me, this relationship isn’t something I can just forget."

I felt tears slowly falling down my cheeks. His words pierced my heart like a dagger. He blamed himself for everything that happened, while I had never truly tried to understand the burden he carried all this time.

I held his hand tighter, trying to share the warmth I hoped could soothe him. "You should’ve stopped me," I said, my voice trembling. "If anyone’s going to help you, it should be me, not someone else. It has to be me—because I’m your bride!"

Daran stared at me, confused. "Jonea…"

"Take my blood!" I suddenly blurted out.

Daran froze in place. "What?"

"Isn’t it my pure blood that can break the curse of you turning into an eternal monster?" I asked quickly, looking into his eyes with unwavering determination. "Isn’t my seal supposed to fully open? Only you can see it. If it’s time, then take my blood during the red full moon! Is it this month?"

Daran stayed silent for a long time. His expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then slowly to something more serious and resolute. "I can’t do that," he replied flatly but firmly.

"Why not?" I cried out in frustration, my tears flowing harder as my heart felt like it was being torn apart. "I don’t mind! I heard my seal will fully open. You just have to—"

"It would only put you in more danger!" Daran cut me off sharply, his voice echoing in the room, silencing me. He looked at me with intense, serious eyes. "Do you even know what it means to give up your pure blood, Jonea? You think it’s like some vampire story where someone just drinks another person’s blood?"

I bit my lip, feeling foolish. "Then what does it mean?" I whispered.

"It means," Daran said slowly but firmly, "you’re giving your life and death to me as an offering."

My eyes widened at his words. "What do you mean?"

"If I take your pure blood, it’s not just about breaking the curse for me, Jonea. It means you’ll lose all your freedom. Your life will be tied to mine forever. More than that, you’ll lose the purpose you’re meant to fulfill. You want to break the seal, don’t you? You want to save Aland from the shadow world?"

I fell silent. That’s right. I always wanted to save Aland.

Daran stepped closer, holding my shoulders firmly. "Jonea, you are the great pure blood. You’re the one who will bring peace to this world and lead it. You are the hope for all creatures in this shadow world. You are meant to be a queen."

I was stunned by his words. They echoed in my mind. A queen? How could that be? I was just an ordinary girl dragged into this chaos. How could I possibly lead the entire shadow world?

"I..." my voice trembled. "I don’t understand, Daran..."

Daran shook his head. "You don’t need to understand it all right now. What you need to know is that you must stay alive, Jonea. If your seal fully opens, your power will emerge, and it’ll attract many dark creatures who want to consume you. Including me."

I looked at him with teary eyes. "But you said you wouldn’t consume me."

Daran chuckled softly, but there was sadness in his laugh. "I can make that promise as much as you want, but I’m still a lycan, Jonea. The longer I’m near you, the harder it is for me to hold back. You are the greatest temptation in my life."

I lowered my head, tears falling onto the cold floor beneath me. "Then what should I do, Daran? Should I stay away from you?"

Daran stayed silent, and I could feel his hands start to tremble on my shoulders. "I don’t want you to leave," he whispered softly. "But if that’s the only way to keep you safe, then I’ll do it."

I shook my head violently. "No! You can’t ask me to do that. I won’t leave you, Daran!"

"You don’t understand, Jonea!" he shouted, his voice filled with despair. "The closer you are to me, the more dangerous your life becomes. I can’t protect you forever, especially if I end up turning into a monster!"

I stayed quiet for a long time, trying to absorb everything he had just said. On one hand, I wanted to believe I could save him. I wanted to believe there was another way. But on the other hand, I knew Daran was right.

"I don’t care," I finally said, my voice full of determination. I lifted my face, looking into his dark yet beautiful eyes. "I don’t care if it’s dangerous. I don’t care if I have to lose my freedom. All this time, I’ve only thought about myself, about what I could do to save this world. But what if the world can be saved with you, Daran? What if we can find a way out together?"

Daran stared at me for a long time, as if he saw something in me he had never noticed before.

"You… are so stubborn," he murmured softly, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I smiled faintly, even as tears continued streaming down my face. "You’ve known that since the beginning, haven’t you?"

Daran chuckled again, this time more genuinely. "Yeah... I’ve known."

We sat in silence for a long time. Only the sound of the wind outside the window broke the stillness, as if the world was holding its breath with us. I held his hand tightly, and he didn’t pull away.

"The red full moon will come soon," I whispered softly.

"Yeah," he replied.

"What will we do?"

Daran looked deeply into my eyes. "We’ll fight. Together. If you’re willing to fight by my side, with me. But if you have a different plan, I’ll still support you."

For the first time since all this chaos began, I felt a glimmer of hope. Even though so much remained unclear, one thing was certain—I would never leave Daran. And he would never let me fall.

The red full moon might become our greatest test. But this time, we would face it together.

"One thing you might not understand yet," Daran said, his voice breaking the silence. "The reason everyone is after you. With your power awakening, you could become their source of strength. But you could also turn the tables. You could control them all!"

I didn’t understand what he meant. I demanded further explanation, but he silenced me with a kiss.