(Next Day)
The voice slid through the darkness like a whisper from the grave.
Her consciousness stirred slowly, pain already coiled deep within her body.
“…Leo?” she whispered hoarsely. “Is that you?”
His voice had no direction. It pressed in from everywhere.
“I can hear you,” she murmured, unease tightening her chest, “but I can’t see anything. Leo… is this a dream?”
Leo said urgently, his words sharp and breathless,
Her heart began to pound.
he warned.
Fear crept into her bones.
“What are you saying?” Eva asked. “I don’t understand.”
Leo said, desperation threading his voice.
“Not go where?” she pleaded. “Leo—please tell me—”
Silence.
Then, quietly—
“Leo—!”
“Wake up.”
Pain exploded through her head as Eva jolted awake.
A sharp, wet warmth slid down the side of her face.
Blood.
Her temple throbbed violently, each heartbeat sending fresh agony through her skull. She gasped and tried to move—only to cry out as burning pain ripped through her wrists.
Rope.
Thick, coarse rope dug into her skin, cutting deep. Her wrists were scraped raw, blood seeping where she had struggled before waking.
Darkness swallowed her vision.
Something was tied over her eyes.
She shifted again—and her legs screamed in protest. A searing pain tore through her calves and knees, muscles trembling, as if she had been dragged or thrown hard.
“You finally woke up,” a man said coldly. “Stand up. We’re leaving.”
Her breath came fast and uneven. “Who are you…?” she asked shakily. “Where are you taking me?”
She tried to push herself up—but her legs buckled immediately. Pain shot upward, stealing the strength from her body. She collapsed back onto the floor with a broken gasp.
“I can’t see,” she said, panic rising. “Why are my hands tied…?”
Her voice cracked. “Where am I…?”
Fragments of memory stabbed through her mind.
“How did I get here?” she demanded.
The man laughed.
“You were abducted,” he said flatly.
Her stomach dropped.
“Abducted…?” Eva whispered. “Why…?”
Her voice shook. “Who would do this to me?”
“You ask too many questions,” he snapped.
He turned sharply. “Grab her. We’re leaving now. His Highness is waiting.”
“His Highness…?” Eva repeated, terror flooding her veins. “Who are you talking abo—”
Hands seized her arms.
She screamed as they hauled her up, the rope biting deeper into her wounded wrists. Blood slicked her palms as she struggled. Her injured legs dragged uselessly behind her, pain tearing through her with every step.
“Stop—please!” she cried. “I can’t walk—!”
They didn’t slow.
They dragged her out of the room, her feet scraping against the floor, her breath breaking into sobs she couldn’t stop.
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(Royal Palace, Velmoria — Evening)
The palace courtyard was silent, yet the stillness carried a weight—a storm hovering just beyond the horizon.
Eyan stood alone at the center of the ground, the cool stone pressing beneath his boots. In front of him, Prince Velco waited, a smug, dangerous expression etched across his face.
“Your Majesty,” Velco began, his voice smooth, “did you bring the black marble with you? If you did… then what are you waiting for? Release him.”
“Not so fast, Velco,” Eyan replied, his voice low, controlled, but the tension in it like steel coiling. “First, I want to see Eva. Where is she?”
“She will be here any moment,” Velco said with a casual shrug. “My men are bringing her.”
At that moment, the distant sound of a carriage broke the silence.
“Oh, looks like they’ve arrived,” Velco said with a flicker of satisfaction.
The carriage doors opened, and men stepped forward.
“Your Highness, we brought her,” one said, bowing slightly.
“Good. Get her out of the carriage,” Velco ordered.
Two men dragged her out. Eva’s head was covered with cloth; her long dress torn, the hem tattered. She struggled to walk, her body trembling from exhaustion and pain—but they dragged her forward relentlessly.
She was forced to her knees before Eyan. Prince Velco stepped beside her.
“Remove the cloth from her head,” Velco commanded.
One of the men pulled the cloth away.
The moment Eva’s face was revealed, Velco froze. His eyes widened, and then, slowly, he looked at Eyan.
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Eyan’s eyes darkened.
Blood streaked Eva’s temple, matting her hair. Her wrists were cut and bruised where the rope had bitten deeply, hands bound far too tightly. Even in this state, her eyes tried to search the space, wide and fearful.
Eyan’s hands tightened around his sword, and with a growl, he surged forward.
“Stop!” Velco acted instantly, placing his own sword against Eva’s neck.
“Don’t take another step, or she will die,” Velco warned, voice sharp as steel.
Eyan’s anger erupted like wildfire. “I warned you! If you touch her, I will kill you!”
Eva froze. Her throat tightened. Hearing that voice—the voice she knew as Kyel—she whispered, barely audible, “Kyel… is that you…?”
She tried to rise, but a sudden jolt of pain tore through her leg, and she collapsed back onto the cold stone.
Eyan stepped closer, reaching for her. “Eva… are you okay?”
Velco pressed the sword harder against her neck. “Stop. Did you forget our deal? First, you release the dragon—only then can you have your wife.”
“Bastard!” Eyan’s voice shook with fury. “It’s you who forgot the deal! You said you wouldn’t harm her… and now she’s here—injured, bloody—and you expect me to stand still?”
Velco whirled to his men. “Why is she injured? Didn’t I tell you not to harm her?”
One man spoke, voice trembling. “Your Highness… we tried to abduct her using magic, but it didn’t work. We had to strike her head to make her unconscious… and her hands—we tied them tightly because we feared she might escape. After that the magician tried to heal her your highness… but the magic wouldn’t work,” the man admitted.
Velco’s expression darkened. “You struck her head? I never told you to do that… How dare you disobey me and harm a woman carrying a child. You disappoint me.”
The man started to speak, but Velco raised his hand and cut it clean off. Blood spattered across his face. Silence followed, broken only by the man’s scream.
Velco turned to Eyan, voice now formal but still sharp. “Your Majesty, I apologize. My man did what he shouldn’t have done, and I punished him for it. Now, you should drop your sword as well.”
Eyan slowly let his weapon fall to the stone.
“Kyel… what’s going on?” Eva croaked, her throat dry, tears brimming. “I… I can’t see anything… Kyel, tell him to remove the blindfold. I want to see your face…”
Eyan’s gaze softened as he spoke. “Velco, remove the blindfold. Untie her hands. She’s in pain.”
The blindfold was lifted. Her wrists freed. Eva blinked, wincing at the light, and then slowly studied Eyan’s face, every detail. Despite the blood, the bruises, the pain—her lips curved into a small, tearful smile.
“Honey… you look terrible,” she whispered.
Eyan chuckled softly. “Do I?”
“Yes,” she replied with a tremble, “terrible…”
Velco’s patience snapped. “Enough with the talk! Your Majesty, release the dragon.”
“I will,” Eyan replied, “but first… let me heal her. She’s injured.”
Velco scoffed. “My men already tried to heal her with magic. It didn’t work. How do you intend to do it?”
“Magic won’t work on her,” Eyan murmured. “Only I can heal her.”
Velco’s voice was clipped. “Fine. Do it quickly, then.”
Eyan lowered his voice. “Mara… come out.”
From the shadows, a wolf emerged—black as midnight, eyes glinting with loyalty.
“Go,” Eyan said, his voice firm. “Heal her wounds.”
Mara approached Eva, lowering his head to lick the bloodied temple. She flinched back instinctively.
“Eva… don’t be afraid,” Eyan whispered. “He won’t hurt you.”
She hesitated, then slowly straightened, trembling.
Mara’s tongue traced her temple, then her wrists, then the bottoms of her feet. Light and warmth spread instantly, pain and blood vanishing as if they had never existed.
“Your Majesty,” Velco said, voice smooth and dangerous, “I have waited long enough. Now… release the dragon.”
Eyan’s gaze lingered on Eva for a heartbeat, soft and unreadable. Then, with deliberate calm, he turned away and began to walk.
“Eyan… where are you going?” Eva’s voice cracked, panic rising. “Stop… don’t do it!”
Velco’s lips curved into a cold smile. “He’s not going to stop, Lady Eva. No matter what you say.”
Eva’s eyes blazed with anger. “You did all this… for the Dragon King, didn’t you? You told me the truth about him… and then you abducted me to force him to release the dragon! It was your goal from the start!”
“Yes,” Velco said, his smile widening, “it was.”
He stepped closer, voice low and taunting. “But it was his fault… to have a weakness like you. A mighty emperor like him shouldn’t have a weakness if he wanted to keep the dragon sealed.”
Eva’s heart skipped. “How… how did you find out about me? He never approached me as Eyan… How did you know I’m his wife?”
Velco chuckled, dark amusement lacing every word. “I found out because your husband… made a foolish mistake. He gave you the ring that I had given him.”
Eva froze, her blood running cold.
“The ring?” she whispered.
“Yes,” Velco said, savoring her fear. “The ring with the green gemstone.”
Her fingers twitched as tears threatened to fall.
Velco leaned in slightly, voice almost intimate in its menace. “I still don’t understand it. He tried his best to hide you… yet he made such a mistake. But it worked in my favor. Because of that ring… I found out about you. And now… to save you, he’s releasing the dragon.”
Velco’s smile lingered. “So… I suppose I should thank you, Lady Eva.”
Eva’s tears slipped silently down her cheeks as she turned to look at Eyan—her husband, the man she loved and feared all at once.
Eyan placed the black marble upon the ground.
He drew a dagger from his cloak and sliced his palm without hesitation. Blood spilled freely as he raised his trembling hand over the marble. The moment his blood touched its surface, the stone began to glow, dark veins spreading across it as if it were alive.
Eyan’s voice rang through the chamber.
“I, Eyan Lucien Therald, King of Velmoria, summon the Dragon King—Zeradros. Break free from the seal and rise once more.”
The sky above turned pitch-black. Thunder cracked violently as the ground trembled beneath their feet. A deafening roar echoed through the air as the ancient seal shattered.
Zeradros emerged.
He was colossal—his body forged of obsidian-black scales, eyes burning with an otherworldly blue. His roar alone felt capable of tearing the world apart.
Prince Velco burst into laughter, eyes shining with madness. “He’s magnificent…!”
Eva stared at Zeradros, then turned slowly toward Eyan, her breath caught in her throat.
And then—
Time froze.
Everyone stood motionless. Everyone except Eyan and Zeradros.
The Dragon King’s deep voice thundered through the stillness. “Who dares break my seal?”
His massive head lowered, eyes locking onto the lone man standing beneath him.
Zeradros moved closer. “You, mortal… was it you who freed me?”
Eyan met his gaze without flinching. “Yes. I did.”
Zeradros narrowed his eyes. “Tell me your name.”
“My name is Eyan Lucien Therald. I am the King of Velmoria.”
At the name, Zeradros laughed—a dark, knowing sound. “Therald…”
His smile widened. “I knew this day would come. I always knew someone of the Therald bloodline would grow greedy enough to release me.… not everyone is the same.”
His gaze sharpened. “You know what you have done, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“And you did it knowing the punishment?”
“Yes.”
Zeradros hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know whether to call this bravery… or utter foolishness.”
His blue eyes flared. “Prepare to pay the price. But first— I shall take back what I once gave you.”
Eyan’s shadow stirred violently. From it emerged Talon, Fen, and Mara. For a fleeting moment they stood—then vanished into nothingness. One by one, every blessing the dragon had bestowed was stripped away.
Zeradros’s gaze drifted toward the palace, lingering there like a predator savoring its prey. Then his eyes shifted—slowly, deliberately—toward Eva.
A smile curved his massive jaws.
“It seems there are three left who carry the blood of Therald…”
Eyan stiffened. “Three?” His voice sharpened. “What do you mean three? There are only two.”
Zeradros’s eyes gleamed as he looked directly at Eva.
“The child in her womb is a boy.”
The words struck like a blade.
Eyan turned to Eva, horror flooding his face. “A… boy?”
“Yes,” Zeradros replied calmly, almost amused. “That makes the Therald bloodline three.”
The dragon’s gaze returned to Eyan, cold and merciless. “Shall we begin the punishment, then?”
A pause—deliberate, cruel.
“…Now go. Kill your bloodline.”
Zeradros lifted his head, drawing in a breath powerful enough to tear the world apart, preparing to roar and awaken the curse.
“Wait!” Eyan’s voice cracked as he stumbled forward. “Dragon King—I have something to say!”
Zeradros lowered his gaze slightly. “Speak.”
Eyan dropped to his knees before the colossal beast, blood still dripping from his wounded palm. “Don’t activate the curse. Kill me instead. Punish me for my mistake.”
His voice shook. “Let my father live. Let my unborn child live.”
Zeradros laughed—a deep, echoing sound devoid of mercy. “Mortal, you are not in a position to make demands.”
His eyes burned. “You knew the consequences, yet you released me. For that, your entire bloodline will pay.”
Eyan clenched his fists, his body trembling violently. “Why?” he shouted. “Why must they suffer? They did nothing! I am the one who sinned!”
Zeradros’s voice turned cold. “Your father knew about the punishment. He knew what would happen once I was released—and still, he did not stop you.”
A pause. “He cannot escape.”
Eyan’s breathing grew ragged. “Then… what about my child?” His voice broke. “He hasn’t even been born. He’s innocent.”
“The child has done nothing,” Zeradros agreed calmly.
Then his tone darkened. “But the child’s father has.”
Zeradros’s eyes narrowed. “That child will carry your blood.” A cruel smile followed. “And your blood is something I do not wish to see continue. That is why he must die.”
Eyan’s hands shook uncontrollably.
After a long, agonizing moment, he whispered—
“Then… what about her?”
He pointed toward Eva.
“She did nothing. She has no part in this.” His voice rose, desperate, raw. “If I must end my bloodline, then I would have to kill her too. Why should she die?”
Eyan looked up at the dragon, eyes burning. “You would truly stand there and watch an innocent woman die?”
Zeradros turned his gaze to Eva. He studied her in silence, his expression unreadable.
Eyan’s thoughts screamed.
Finally—
“Fine.”
Eyan’s breath hitched.
“Five minutes,” Zeradros continued.
“After the curse is activated and after you kill your father, you will regain your senses for five minutes.”
The dragon leaned closer, his voice low and lethal. “Within those five minutes, you must end your own life.”
A pause.
“If you fail, you will lose control again… and you will kill her with your own hands.”
Eyan smiled —and bowed his head. “Thank you. Five minutes is enough.... I will not fail.”
Zeradros straightened. “Very well.”
He raised his head, blue eyes blazing with ancient malice, and roared.
The curse was activated.
