Shadows with a Pulse

The fire sputtered low, shadows stretching like living things along the bark of ancient trees. I sat cross-legged, staring at my trembling hands. Hours had passed since I first entered the clearing, but the memory of his voice still pressed against my chest.

"You were supposed to fear me... yet I'm the one who kneels before you."

The words replayed, relentless.

I should have been sharpening my resolve, reminding myself that this creature-this Dragon Lord-was the prophecy I had been promised to destroy. But instead, every beat of my heart betrayed me, calling me traitor in my own skin.

The forest whispered, low and restless, its breath stirring my hair. I glanced up. The air shimmered faintly where he had walked earlier, as though the forest itself carried his lingering presence. I could still feel his heat against me, like phantom fire beneath my skin.

---

Suddenly, the silence cracked.

Not with words, not with movement-

But with the low, guttural growl of something that was not him.

I turned sharply. A pair of eyes gleamed from the treeline, silver and feral. My breath hitched, but before I could stand, the ground beneath me vibrated. The air thickened with a heat that was both suffocating and protective.

He emerged again.

Not with the silent grace he had before, but like a storm breaking.

The dragon's power pulsed beneath his human form. His shoulders rose and fell as if leashed fire fought to break free.

"They've already sent their hounds," he murmured, voice sharp, a growl beneath the words. "The gods don't trust me near you."

My throat tightened. "And yet, here you are."

His gaze locked with mine-amber fire and untold centuries.

"Because I don't trust them near you."

---

The creature in the shadows lunged, but before it could touch the circle of firelight, he raised a hand. Heat rippled outward, and the beast shrieked as flames coiled around it, consuming shadow and bone alike.

The clearing smelled of ash and iron. I pressed my hand to my lips, shaking.

"You're not supposed to protect me," I whispered. "You're supposed to-"

"I know," he cut in, stepping closer. His face softened, but his voice was a blade. "You're supposed to kill me. The gods forged you for it. The prophecy is stitched into your blood."

He stopped, inches from me, and in the glow of the fire I could see it-pain carved into his expression, like chains too heavy to bear.

"But every time I look at you..." His jaw tightened. "I don't see an end. I see the beginning I was never allowed to have."

---

The forest seemed to lean closer, listening.

I swallowed hard, trying to fight the warmth curling in my chest. The heat wasn't just his fire-it was mine, too. Dangerous. Damning.

Because if the gods saw me falter, if they saw my heart betray its vow... they would burn us both.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***