The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 33

CH33 Morgan

Pain, a dull ache throbbing behind my eyes, rippedfrom unconsciousness. Disoriented, | blinked against the

oppressive darkness, my throat parched and raw. Tentatively, | tried to move, only to find my wrists bound tightly

behind my back. Panic clawed at my throat, but I forced it

down. Any noise, any movement, might alert my captors, whoever and wherever they were.

The air was thick and damp, the stench of mildew and something metallic filling my nostrils. Blood? Metal?

Definitely stale water. Straining my ears, | picked up the murmur of voices. | recognized Keiji's voice. There were

others with him too, voices | vaguely recalled as belonging to sof the Elders. "...we can't leave her alive," a

voice, raspy and laced with fear, declared.

"But what about the veil?" another Elder, a woman with a calmer voice, countered. "She may be the key to lifting

it finally. She can pass-

"Stabilizing it or weakening it?" The first voice shot back. "We can't risk Tsuneo gaining any more favor. He is not

even awake and yet he is still favored."

A tense silence followed, broken only by the dripping of water somewhere deep within the cave. Then another

voice, older and male, spoke, his voice tight with concern.

"Perhaps... there's another way. The old texts mention a forced bond. We could..." He trailed off, leaving the

horrifying implication hanging in the air. "To Prince Keiji. Have you brought the potion?"

My stomach lurched. A bond, forced upon me, with someone like Keiji... the mere thought of it sent a fresh wave

of terror coursing through me. Escape. | needed to escape. But how?

A quick survey of my surroundings revealed nothing promising. The cave was dark beyond the soft light coming

from ahead of me. My weapon was hopelessly out of reach with my hands bound behindback. Even if | could

reach it, | had no idea how many people were out there.

Despair threatened to engulf me, but | forced it back. | refused to give up. There had to be a way out. My gaze

darted around the cave, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon, a tool, anything. A sliver of hope

flickered in the darkness. A loose rock, nestled in a shallow crevice near my bound feet, offered the faint

possibility

Focusing on the rock, | willed myself to ignore the throbbing in my head and the growing tightness in my chest. |

needed to loosen the rock first, then maybe, just maybe, | could use it to CH33

shred the ropes.

| moved slowly towards it. My bound wrists scraped against the rough cave floor, the raw skin protesting with

each tentative movement.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, the damp air clinging to my skin like a second, clammy layer. The voices -

thankfully still arguing seemed to grow louder, their urgency a constant reminder of the dwindling time. Inching

my body back, | managed to nudge the rock slightly closer. It wasn't

much, but it was a start.

Suddenly, the murmur of voices ceased. An unsettling silence settled over the cave, broken only by the dripping

of water and the frantic hammering of my heart. My breath hitched. They were coming.

With a surge of adrenaline, | threw all my remaining strength into a final, desperate push. The rock tumbled out

of the crevice, landing with a dull thud on the hard floor just within reach of my bound hands. Relief washed over

me, cold and exhilarating. Just as | stretched my arm forward, the scrape of footsteps echoed in the passage. |

froze,

every muscle coiled in anticipation. The wooden door creaked open, casting a sliver of golden light across the

damp cave floor. Two figures emerged, their faces obscured by the darkness.

"Is she still unconscious?" one of them hissed. It was a of fear and apprehension.

young guard, his voice tight with a mixtu

"Seems so," the other replied, a gruff voice | recognized as Elder Nara. "Get the potion ready. We don't have

much time."

They left again. As soon as they were gone, | grabbed the rock in my bound hands.

The rock felt heavy in my bound hands, | sawed through the ropes and pushed to my feet. | heard them coming

back and launched the rock at the them. There was a startled yelp, a sickening crack, and the guard crumpled to

the ground, clutching his head. One of the elders roared in anger, his voice echoing in the cave. But before he

could react, Keiji burst through the passageway, his face a mask of fury.

"Morgan!" he bellowed.

| drew my sword, glaring at him. More people cup behind him. The panic rose up like bile in the back of my

throat. There was no mistaking the anger in his eyes, the cold calculation.

"Explain yourself," | said. "Where am 1? How long have | been here? How did you getout of the palace?"

CH33

Keiji scoffed. "Why would | tell you that? And it hardly matters. There's only one way out of this cave."

He smirked. "Dead or at my side."

A slow, cruel smile spread across his face. "Which will it be?"

| set my jaw. "There's a third option.""

"Oh?"

"All of you dead."

| turned, aiming my blade at the oil torch nearby. The oil turned to a wall of fire between us and |

took off.

"Get her!"

| ran deeper into the darkness. A cold dread washed overas | heard them running after me. | needed a plan.

Someone lunged at me. | turned hard and sharp, slicing against something solid and giving. Someone cried out.

My heart leaped into my throat and | kept running, deeper and deeper into the darkness as the torches started

to vanish.

What could I do? Soon, | would have no light, and was pretty sure that they could see in the dark. Keiji wasn't

going to let up, and I didn't want to know what his plan was.

| rounded a corner and plowed into complete darkness. My sword started to glow a vibrant blue, lighting just

enough space ahead ofto keep going.

"You have no idea where you're going," Keiji yelled from behind me. "You will help me. You will becmy

queen. You can't be happy with a half dead vegetable!"

| ducked to one side, covering the blade of my sword. | crouched down trying to catch my breath.

*Don't make this harder on yourself, Morgan," he said.

| heard him getting closer. Just him. There was only one set of footsteps.

"See reason, Morgan," he hissed, his voice dripping with a false calm. "Becmy queen, and | will spare your

life. We could be happy... Refusingwill only make things worse in the end."

i swallowed, ready to lunge at him. Then, he stepped just in front ofand I lunged.

He turned on me. My blade hit his claws with a shriek, Sparks flew and he screamed as his robe.

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CH33

caught fire from it. | shoved him away and kept running down another passageway. | saw light up ahead. |

thought maybe it was the exit or someway out.

Then, the passageway opened up beforelike a gaping maw, its vastness swallowed by an inky blackness that

pulsed with an unnatural chill. There was only a single beam of light coming from above. | rushed towards it and

the ground gave out beneath me, plungingforward into the dark.