Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1653 - 95 : The Aftermath

*Kryzen*

I thrashed against the shadows that held me, but they clung to me like chains of midnight, unbreakable and cold. My muscles screamed in protest, my heart hammering against my chest. I was supposed to be there beside her fighting and protecting. But Briella stood there alone, her bright green eyes fierce and resolute as she faced down Tian.

"Kryzen!" Her voice sliced through the thick air, a mixture of determination and fear.

"Hold on, Briella! I’m trying!" I shouted back, my voice hoarse with desperation. The shadows didn’t even quiver at my struggle.

She squared her shoulders, her petite form almost swallowed by the looming figure of Tian. His face was now twisted into something dark and unrecognizable. I saw the flash of her blade, a glint of silver in the dim light, and my heart leaped to my throat.

"Please, Tian," Briella pleaded.

But he lunged, his movements unnaturally swift, driven by the darkness that had claimed him. He continued to taunt her, but she kept on fighting.

When she stepped back and began to sing, it was a thing of beauty and wonder. She was truly amazing.

I watched as the shadows were ripped from Tian’s body until his screams were silenced, and he lay motionless on the ground. Briella’s chest was heaving as she stood over him. The moment the shadows released me, I was at her side.

I had almost lost her.

"This... this isn’t who he was," she murmured, her voice trembling. "He was..." Her words trailed off into a whisper, lost in the oppressive silence of the temple.

I kneeled beside Briella, who was still trembling from the aftershock of her grim deed. The air around us felt thick with unspoken truths and the remnants of dark energy. I pulled her into my chest and just held her tightly.

"He was good, Kryzen," she whispered, a haunted look in her emerald eyes. "In my mind, as I reached out to him, I saw... I saw a kind man, someone warm and full of light."

"Then who–" My words caught in my throat, but she understood.

"Someone else did this." Her voice was firm yet laced with pain. "A dark figure that wormed its way into Tian, corrupting him. It wasn’t just him. It possessed all the others too."

"Someone else?" I echoed, my mind racing to grasp the implications. The realization that our foe might not have fallen with Tian sent a chill down my spine.

"Out there, somewhere," she said, her gaze shifting toward the shadowy corners of the temple. Maybe it’s this ‘they’ that are after me.”

"Shh," I urged her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We’re safe for now, Briella. But we need to leave this place. We must check on the others. They might need our help."

Her shoulders slumped in acknowledgment, a silent testament to the weight of what had transpired. Together, we rose to our feet.

Briella nodded, a silent agreement to my urging. I slipped my arm around her waist, feeling the tremor of exhaustion vibrating through her slender frame. Her head bowed slightly, her breaths coming in shallow heaves. I could tell she was struggling to maintain her strength.

"Lean on me," I murmured, guiding her forward with gentle insistence. The shadows seemed to press in around us, eager to claim any remnants of warmth that lingered in the air. Each step we took away from the fallen form of Tian felt like an eternity. I kept my gaze fixed ahead, willing the exit to come into view.

"Kryzen," Briella’s voice was a mere whisper, her energy waning. "I’m sorry, I thought I could–"

"Save your apologies for later," I cut in, my own voice more terse than I intended. "You did what you had to do."

Her steps began to falter, her legs threatening to give way beneath her. A knot formed in my stomach at the sight of her so drained and diminished by the battle she had just endured. It wasn’t fair that such a burden should fall on her shoulders, that her magic demanded such a heavy toll.

"Hey, stay with me," I encouraged, but her eyelids fluttered like delicate wings against the weight of an impending darkness.

Without another word, I swept her up into my arms, cradling her close against my chest. She was lighter than I expected, a stark reminder of how much of herself she gave in every fight. With Briella secure in my hold, I hastened toward the exit, stepping carefully over the debris and shattered remnants of what had once been a place of worship.

"Almost there," I promised her, though I wasn’t certain she could hear me anymore. The temple’s oppressive atmosphere lifted gradually as we approached the threshold. I breathed a sigh of relief when the first faint hints of daylight brushed against my face.

"Thank you, Kryzen," she mumbled against my shoulder, her words slurring together as the grip of unconsciousness tugged at her consciousness.

"Shh, save your strength," I replied softly, adjusting my grip to ensure her safety. "We’re leaving this darkness behind. Just hold on a little longer."

The golden light of the afternoon sun spilled over us as we stepped out into the cavern. My heart lifted as I saw familiar faces amid the chaos, all of them alive and moving. Alyna was already busy, her hands glowing with a soft blue light as she tended to the wounded. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her movements precise and practiced.

"Everyone’s okay," I whispered more to myself than Briella, but she stirred in my arms, her eyes fluttering open just enough to take in the scene.

"Kellan... Roy..." she breathed out, her voice faint but filled with warmth.

As if summoned by her words, Roy and Kellan rushed toward us, their expressions tight with concern. Roy’s blue eyes searched Briella’s face for any sign of injury, his hands hovering as if unsure where to help. Kellan, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to place a gentle hand on her arm.

"Briella, are you alright?" he asked urgently.

A small smile played on her lips despite the pallor of her skin. "I’m okay, Kellan. Just tired," she replied, her voice steadier than I expected.

"What happened in there?" Her green eyes, usually so bright, now held depths of fatigue as she looked up at him, searching for answers.

Kellan shared a glance with Roy before responding, "It’s over now, Briella. Let’s focus on getting you back to full strength."

Roy’s solemn voice cut through the thick silence that had settled over us. "The shadows have left the bodies," he said with a grimace. His gaze wandered over the still forms scattered around the clearing, and his shoulders slumped slightly. "But those who were possessed... they’re gone, including the animals." He met Briella’s weary green eyes. "It seems to be over though."

"Over, but at what cost?" Briella murmured, her voice a ghost of its usual vibrancy. She tried to push herself up and stand on her own, but her strength waned. I tightened my grip on her.

"We need to get you back to the valley," I insisted. The concern must have been evident in my gray eyes because she offered a weak nod in agreement. "There is a healing center there. They’ll know how to help."

Briella’s eyelids drooped, heavy with exhaustion. "I’m fine," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips as if each one was a battle.

"Stubborn as always," I muttered with a hint of a smile, trying to infuse some lightness into the bleak situation. I hoisted her up more securely in my arms, ready to carry her the distance if needed. "Let’s get you home, Briella."

"Home..." she breathed out, her head resting against my chest, the fight to stay conscious slowly slipping away. But even in her weakened state, the fierce spirit that defined her refused to dim completely.

"Shh, save your strength," I whispered, pressing a finger to Briella’s lips as she tried to argue again. She was always so determined, but her pallor now spoke of the dire need for rest and healing.

"Kryzen, I can–" Her protest was cut short by my gentle shushing.

"Please, Briella. Let us take care of you for once," I urged, my voice soft but firm, carrying the weight of my worry.

I ran my fingers across her cheekbone and down the line of her jaw before burying them in her hair and pulling her closer. I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and pressed my own against her temple.

“Just let me take care of you, mate.”

“Okay,” she sighed.

We hurried through the dimly lit corridors of the dark temple. Our footsteps echoed, quick and rhythmic against the stone floor as we moved toward the surface. The only light was from the flickering torches held by Roy and Kellan, casting shadows that danced ominously on the walls.

"Almost there," I reassured her, though it was as much for myself as it was for her. The entrance loomed ahead, the promise of fresh air and the warmth of sunlight beyond its gaping maw.

But then her body went limp in my arms, her head lolling onto my shoulder with the finality of exhaustion claiming its due. My heart clenched. I adjusted my grip, securing her closer to me. "Briella?" I called out softly, hoping for a response, a sign that she was still with me.

I received no answer. Only the steady, shallow rise and fall of her chest assured me that she was merely asleep, not lost to me entirely.

"Kryzen, is she–" Kellan’s question trailed off, his concern evident in his wide eyes.

"Passed out." The words felt heavy on my tongue, tasting of fear and relief intertwined. "Just passed out."

"Let’s move," Roy commanded, his voice low. His face was etched with the lines of recent battle and sorrow for those they couldn’t save, but his resolve remained unshaken.

We broke into a quicker pace, almost a run now, the urgency mounting with each step that took us closer to the surface. The temple’s threshold approached and with it the hope for safety and recovery.

"Stay with us, Briella," I murmured into her hair as we emerged into the light of dawn, the first rays of sun spilling over the horizon like liquid gold. "Just hold on a little longer."

As we left the darkness behind, I clung to the belief that with the new day, we could begin to mend what had been broken. But for now, all that mattered was getting Briella the help she needed before the cost of her bravery became too great to bear.