Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse-Chapter 429: Bound by Blood

Then, Lila slowly pulled away, just enough to look up at Alister. Her green eyes—once soft and innocent—now gleamed with slit dragon pupils. She blinked in confusion, her breathing still uneven.

"…What happened to me?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Alister met her gaze steadily. "I turned you into one of my dragons."

Lila's breath hitched. "I… I don't understand."

Beatrice knelt beside her, grasping her hands tightly. "You almost died, Lila. But Alister saved you… with his blood."

Lila's lips parted in shock. Her gaze flickered to Alister, searching for confirmation. He simply nodded.

"You're not… fully human anymore," he explained. "You've become a lesser dragon. My lesser dragon."

"I-I have…" She trailed off, eyes wide. "Wait, you don't mean—"

Alister nodded. "You belong to me now."

Lila's heart skipped a beat. Something about those words sent a warmth through her chest, despite the confusion swirling in her mind. She had always admired Alister—more than that, she had secretly loved him. But now… she wasn't even sure what this meant.

She swallowed hard, pushing past her emotions. "I… belong to you? I've become one of your dragons?"

Axel grinned. "Yup. You got yourself a badass pair of horns now."

"And pointy ears," Blitz added. "Kinda suits you, honestly."

"Yes. And that means I will protect you," he said as he patted her head.

Lila's face grew warm, and she lowered her gaze. It wasn't the worst thing she could hear after almost dying. In fact, a small, secret part of her felt… happy.

But before she could process it further, Alister stepped back slightly. "You should be able to stand. Try it."

Lila hesitated, then shifted to move. The moment she pushed herself up, she noticed something strange—her body felt lighter, stronger. She stood up slowly, and as she did, the others stared in shock.

"You're… taller," Blitz noted, tilting her head.

Lila blinked. She hadn't realized it until now, but her body did feel different. She was slightly taller than before, and when she looked down at her arms, she noticed her frame was a little more toned—nothing extreme, but enough to feel the difference.

And then—

Beatrice let out a small gasp. "L-Lila… you have a tail."

Lila froze. "What?"

Axel pointed. "Yup. A small green dragon tail. Kinda cute, actually."

Lila spun around in shock, only for the new tail to swish behind her, responding to her movement. She squeaked in surprise, almost tripping over herself.

Blitz snickered. "Well, that's new."

Lila turned back to Alister, flustered. "This… this is real, isn't it?"

Alister smiled. "It'll take some getting used to. But you're still you, Lila."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But before she could respond, a sudden sharp pain struck her head. She winced, clutching her temples as images flashed in her mind.

A mutated creature. Blood. Screams.

Her parents.

Her eyes widened in horror as the memories came rushing back.

"No… no, no, no," she whispered.

Beatrice immediately stepped forward. "Lila? What's wrong?"

Lila's breathing grew shaky, panic setting in. "M-My parents… They were attacked!"

Everyone tensed.

Beatrice stepped closer, concerned. "Lila? What happened?"

Lila's voice trembled. "It was my brother… He—he turned into some sort of monster."

The room went still.

Axel frowned. "Wait. Your brother attacked you?"

Lila swallowed hard and nodded. "We were outside his hospital room… My parents and I. Union officials were checking on him after what happened. Everything seemed normal, but then—" She choked back a sob. "He burst out of the room. He didn't look like himself—his body was twisted, wrong. His eyes… they were empty."

Her hands clenched into fists. "He attacked us. I tried to heal my father, but—" She shook her head. "It wasn't enough. I wasn't strong enough."

Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to Alister, desperation written all over her face. "Please, Alister… my parents are still out there. If they're still alive, I have to save them."

Axel ran a hand through his green hair. "Okay, so do you have any idea where they were taken? You're the only one who ended up here."

Lila bit her lip, shaking her head. "I… I don't know. Everything happened so fast. When I lost consciousness, I was still with them."

Blitz crossed her arms, already making calculations in her head. "The Union. Most definitely."

Alister turned to her. "You sure?"

Blitz smirked. "Where else would they take them? If the Union was already looking into her brother, then they'd want to secure anyone involved in the incident. We can talk to the Guild Master and have him request a meeting with the Union branch director. If they've got them, we'll find out."

Before Alister could respond, Anzo, who had been silent up until now, suddenly spoke up—his face flushed red as he looked away. "Y-Yeah, that's all cool and all… but am I the only one with eyes here? Like, seriously, none of you have noticed that Lila is…"

The room turned toward him, puzzled.

Anzo coughed into his fist. "Only wearing that hospital top. And considering she's grown—" his voice turned higher as he gestured vaguely at her, "—it looks, uh, a little… tight."