novelraw Chapter 195: Escape and Pursuit
Chapter 195: Escape and Pursuit
Iseul’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching.
The rules of survival, lineage, and magic left no room for excuses, but the thought that it wasn’t him who had been chosen burned in his chest like fire.
The only option left was humans, but the problem was that few of them had magic, and the fragile ones would panic at the sight of a dragon.
They would be crying and screaming in terror.
Just as he was struggling with this dilemma, he appeared—the perfect candidate, meeting all the conditions. Then—
"I’ll bring him. Raon, you need to get ready too," Iseul said.
"Iseul! Iseul, stop!!"
Ignoring his brother’s protests, he took off into the air and yet—
"I will not bear your child!"
"No! I don’t want to give birth!"
"I don’t love you. You don’t love me either, right?"
Being rejected in the most impossible way, being told that he was unloved despite how much he had shown his care, anger immediately boiled inside him until his vision turned red.
"You just do as you’re told and bear our dragon children!"
It didn’t matter anymore.
Whether the boy loved him or not, it made no difference.
He was already in his hands and unable to escape.
He would bear their children and becoming the mother of a new generation of dragons.
The companions who had been hunted.
The parents who are brutally killed.
Those lost family members could be replaced.
Not the same ones, but something equivalent would do.
A family reduced to just two.
But it could be rebuilt.
Laughter and happiness could return, like before with family and friends living together in peace.
"It’s fine. This is fine. This... this works."
He was no longer alone.
He refused to be alone.
He didn’t want to be alone.
"...This is fine."
"Yes, this will be works! I will make it work."
...
Qiong Xing had been brought to an unfamiliar room and though he stayed quiet at first, that wouldn’t last forever.
He was no fragile princess in captivity.
Since he had been napping, he had left his bag behind, which made him feel vulnerable, but now, with no enemies around, it was the moment to act.
He borrowed a piece of cloth from the room and quickly fashioned a simple carrying strap as he tying Lian securely to his chest.
After checking that he wouldn’t fall, he realized the door wouldn’t work, so he opened a window and surveyed the surroundings.
"No enemies in sight... but this is pretty high."
He wondered how many floors the building had.
The height was intimidating, it’s roughly five stories building tall, but if he was going to escape, this was the only chance.
Elias and the others would definitely come to help.
So all he had to do now was escape until then.
"Let’s go."
He took a step off the window frame, his feet leaving solid ground and his body trembled at the sensation of nothing beneath him.
He had checked over and over, confident that he could do it, but fear was still fear.
Using wind magic, he slowed his fall, forcing his heavy eyelids open and just before touching the ground, he floated lightly and landed gently.
"...That was... terrifying."
The fear far exceeded what he had imagined and his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
But there was no time to stay still, so he gathered his strength and moved quietly, careful not to make a sound.
"What he said was true... it really is like a ruin."
The buildings must have been grand long ago, but left abandoned for so long, they had crumbled.
As he touches a nearby wall, dust scattered at his fingers and cracks that had existed before had grown even wider.
"I should move away quickly. Still... everything looks the same, how do I even know where to go..."
Most of the buildings were white and weathered and Qiong Xing who is lack strong sense of direction didn’t know which way to go.
"Albe will notice me. I just need to put some distance while staying hidden."
If Albe who could sense magic was nearby he would detect him.
As he reassuring himself that it was okay, he quickened his pace and moving away from the buildings to avoid being caught.
"Where? Where did he go!!"
Iseul who had left the room to look for his brother find the place empty when he return.
He ran to the wide-open window that was blown open by the wind panicking and in the distance, he spotted a glimmer of silver shimmering.
"Damn it!"
He hadn’t expected them to escape while carrying the baby.
Even though he could use magic, he was human and he had assumed he wouldn’t risk himself in such a dangerous situation.
Iseul quickly jumped from the window himself and chased after the silver figure he had seen earlier.
"Do you hate me that much? Do you really hate me that much?"
He knew how cruel his words sounded. Yet, he couldn’t help reaching for the hope right in front of him.
He had forced him to come along despite his protests.
Every time they met, he was met with a scowl or a sigh, but beneath it all, there had always been a warmth, like someone quietly guiding a child.
In truth, the other spoke harshly but never struck.
He warned him to stay away but never attacked with his hands or came at him.
On the contrary, his behavior almost suggested that he was a troublesome child he wanted to fuss over and that only made him want to approaching him even more.
"I finally... finally found you."
He didn’t ask to be loved.
He didn’t demand affection.
He only wanted to be accepted.
The other’s constant careless laughter and indifferent attitude were a shield against reality.
With only him and his brother left, he couldn’t add more burden to his older brother who is trying to be strong as the eldest and there was almost nothing he could accomplish alone.