Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1597 - 39 : Losing Hope

*Briella*

The ancient doors of the temple groaned as we pushed them open, our entrance a resounding echo in the cavernous hall. The scent of incense and old stone filled my nostrils. Elders draped in flowing robes turned from their contemplation, their eyes widening at our disheveled appearance.

They immediately rushed toward us when they saw me among the others. “Lady Briella,” they called.

"Briella," Kryzen gasped, his voice strained with pain and urgency. His broad-shouldered frame, usually so commanding, now trembled with exhaustion. We should have left him behind to rest. The journey was too harsh while he was still recovering from the jump between realms. I should not have let his pride win out.

The elders rushed toward us, their steps silent against the cold marble floor, and their faces etched with concern. One of the elders, a woman with silver hair cascading down her back, lifted her hand toward Kryzen.

"Bring him forth," she commanded, her tone gentle yet authoritative. “This boy needs a healer. Bring him to the healing rooms immediately.”

I was about to step forward and insist I stayed by his side, but another healer appeared beside me, her touch light on my arm. "Lady Briella," she said, her voice clear and calm, "Mathias is asking for you."

My chest tightened at the mention of his name. How long had it been since I last saw him? It had been far too long. My feet moved before I commanded them to, drawn by an invisible thread that tugged at something deep within me. It was the part that could sense the pain of others, the part that loved fiercely.

"Lead the way," I told her, my voice barely above a whisper. I cast a lingering look at Kryzen’s retreating form, willing him strength, before I was guided through the labyrinthine passages of the temple to where Mathias awaited.

I wondered how bad he was. No one had given me any information beyond the existence of an illness. I didn’t know what to expect when I walked in. My mind reeled, conjuring worst- and best-case scenarios as I followed the elders toward where the head priest rested.

The heavy door creaked open, its echo haunting the silence of the sacred space beyond. I stepped into the dim room where only flickering candlelight dared to dance across the walls, casting long shadows that seemed to reach out with ghostly fingers. The air was thick with incense, a mixture of lavender and sage that failed to mask the scent of illness.

My heart clenched as my gaze fell upon Mathias lying still on a plain white bed in the center of the room. His once robust frame was now gaunt, and his skin was pallid and slick with sweat. A shiver ran down my spine as I witnessed the unnatural dark aura that hovered around him, a murky cloud swirling with malevolent intent.

"Mathias," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion that I tried and failed to keep hidden.

At the sound of my voice, his eyelids fluttered, fighting the weight of his affliction. He mustered the remnants of his strength and lifted a trembling hand toward me. The sight of him so weak and vulnerable stole the breath from my lungs. I rushed to his bedside, clasping his cold hand between my own, trying to infuse him with the warmth he lacked.

His lips curved into a faint smile, a reassurance meant for me rather than a reflection of his state. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the effort, but it was genuine—a testament to the spirit that refused to be beaten down even by the darkest of plagues.

"Dear Briella," he murmured.

Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over and tracing paths down my cheeks. He had always been the one to comfort others, to offer hope when none seemed possible. And now, there he lay, a shadow of the man I remembered yet still trying to ease my sorrow.

"Mathias, don’t speak," I pleaded softly, pressing his hand to my cheek, letting the moisture of my tears bathe his skin. "Save your strength."

But he only squeezed my hand gently, his smile lingering despite the obvious toll it took.

"Stay strong," I whispered to him, more a vow to myself than a command. "We’ll get through this."

The soft whisper of the elders felt loud in the silence of the chamber. Mathias paid them no mind. Instead, his gaze, dim yet earnest, found mine. His voice, a frail echo of the commanding tones I remembered, cut through the hush of the room.

"How have you been, Briella?" he asked, his breaths shallow. "What news from the Light Realm? What trouble did you get up to while you were away, my dear?"

I swallowed hard, my heart straining against the weight of unshed tears. It seemed unnatural for him to inquire about me when he was the one lying pale and diminished before me.

"Better now that I am here with you," I managed to say, faking a steadiness I did not feel. I traced the outline of his hand with my thumb, focusing on the warmth of his skin—what little there was. "I’ve learned much, Mathias. The Light Realm held answers, but you are more important than all that."

“Nonsense, child. Tell me of your adventures.”

I breathed out a laugh at his attempt to redirect the conversation back to me. I wouldn’t fall for it so easy, but if it would soothe him... “There is too much to tell, but we found allies and enemies. I found solace in old friends and new ones.”

“You love deeply, child. Tell me more.”

With a sigh, I continued. “Celestial City was everything I had hoped it would be. There were so many people, so much life, and so much beauty all concentrated in one place. But there is darkness there too, Mathias. A man masquerading as a general wormed his way into the Alpha’s good graces. General Tian is wielding dark, dark magic, calling forth demon creatures of shadow and magic. I fear he may be connected to what is happening to the land and the people. But...”

He waited, and I knew he sought more than just words. I leaned closer, lowering my voice as if sharing a sacred secret.

"Thanks to him, there may be a cure," I continued, the tale unfurling from my lips like the petals of a night-blooming flower. "A vial of light distilled from my dagger may be potent enough to chase away this darkness that clings to you. It could save you, Mathias."

His eyelids fluttered, a testament to the reality of his weakened state. I pressed on when he didn’t react.

"Mathias, it’s true," I insisted, holding his gaze with all the conviction my spirit could muster. "There is a chance to undo the curse that has befallen us."

For a moment, the air between us thickened with something akin to magic. I clung to it, to him, willing the flicker to become a flame. I held Mathias’s hand, the frailty of his grip squeezing my heart with a vice-like tightness. His breath was shallow, the rise and fall of his chest alarmingly slight beneath the white linen sheets. Why hadn’t he been happier about this news?

"Your return means more than you know," he whispered, his voice a mere wisp of sound. "You carry our legacy, Briella. Your courage... your love... They are beacons in this twilight."

Tears blurred my vision, spilling onto my cheeks as I leaned over him, desperate to convey my belief in his survival. "Mathias, please, don’t speak as if..." My throat tightened around the words. "As if these are your last moments."

His smile was a flickering candle in the dark, a brave show of light against the encroaching gloom. "You’ve always been the one to see beyond the veil of shadows," he murmured. "But even your vision can’t rewrite the stars."

"Stop." My plea was a broken whisper, a prayer to the spirits that had guided us since time immemorial. "You’re going to get through this. The cure... I found it for you, for all of us."

He didn’t argue, didn’t comfort. Instead, his eyelids fluttered closed, surrendering to the exhaustion that consumed him. His chest stilled momentarily before resuming its laborious dance with life.

I wasn’t ready to let go and face a world without his light. But as his eyelids drifted closed again, surrendering to the exhaustion that claimed him, I knew my promise hung precariously in the balance.

"Mathias?" My voice trembled, but there was no response. He drifted off into a sleep that was too near to a final slumber for my peace of mind. I remained at his bedside, his hand clasped in mine, as I silently vowed to wage war against the darkness that dared to claim him.

I rose, my legs shaky but resolute, and left Mathias’s side. The room seemed to close in around me, a deep-seated urgency propelling me forward. I navigated the temple’s hallowed halls, their stones whispering ancient secrets beneath my hurried footsteps. I had to find the healers, and time was a luxury we could no longer afford.

"Please," I called out, my voice echoing against the high, arched ceilings. "The vial... I have it."

A pair of healers emerged from a chamber adorned with symbols of life and rebirth. Their eyes, reflecting decades of wisdom and sorrow, fixed on the small container I clutched in my trembling grasp.

"Is this it?" one healer asked, her tone a mix of skepticism and hope.

"Yes." I extended my hand, offering the vial as if it were the most precious jewel in the realm. "It’s a remedy from the Light Realm. It should hold the power to banish the darkness that’s consuming him."

They exchanged a look that spoke of countless battles fought against the shadows, some won but too many lost. But there was a flicker—faint yet unmistakable—that told me they were willing to cling to the possibility of victory.

"We must act quickly," the other healer said, his voice firm. "We will begin preparations for the healing ceremony at once. It is complex, requiring precision and immense magical energy."

"Tell me what to do," I insisted, my resolve steeling. "I’ll do anything to help."

"Your part is vital, Briella Black," the female healer replied, her gaze piercing through to my very soul. "Your connection to him and your love will anchor us during the ritual. Be ready to offer every ounce of your strength."

I nodded, understanding the magnitude of what was being asked of me. My heart was beating a rhythm of war and hope. With the vial now in the hands of those who wielded the art of healing, I steeled myself for the challenge ahead.