The Iron Dragonwing Palace was always quiet at night. Because it was the dwelling of a red dragon, nearly all mortal creatures dared not approach, and even his most loyal thralls only ventured along the outer perimeter.
In this stillness, the silver dragon could clearly hear her own faint breathing.
Only gentle moonlight poured downward into her blue-gray eyes, casting a faint, silvery sheen across her smooth scales.
She did not know how many days and nights had passed; Olivia constantly felt as though she lingered in a half-dreaming, half-waking state. Despair had almost claimed her, yet a lingering, stubborn willpower sustained her, keeping her from ever submitting.
She did not know when she might yield to the shackles of fate.
But at least, not now.
Olivia had thought this countless times.
"Ugh..."
The silver dragon strained to turn her head, trying to ease bones stiffened from lying on her side for so long. The flickering magical chains mercilessly seared her skin, but she had learned to grit her teeth through the pain, having grown quite accustomed to it.
A rustling sound drifted from a distance, catching Olivia by surprise, for such noises were rare.
*Could it be the guards bringing food?*
*No, it's midnight. It's clearly not time yet,*
Olivia thought to herself.
Along the gallery leading to the great hall, the faint noise continued.
Beneath the silver dragon's astonished gaze, a blurry silhouette appeared at the far end of the corridor—what seemed to be a humanoid figure wreathed in mist.
As the figure drew closer, she finally saw his true appearance—
Short black hair, luminous golden slit pupils, a handsome young visage, a noble robe trimmed with gold, and faintly visible pale golden scales. At that moment, he was pacing toward her—a bound silver dragon.
*How is that possible?*
Olivia could hardly believe her eyes.
Was that not the very clansman who had appeared in her dreams through countless days and nights, the gold dragon Anhel who had left her his dying charge?
In that instant, a flurry of tangled thoughts surged through her mind.
Olivia was sincerely overjoyed that he was alive, yet doubt crowded her heart. Why had following his guidance led her to become trapped here? Why had he never appeared before now?
Could the Anhel before her also be an illusion?
Was all of this just the red dragon's deceitful scheme?
Delight first surfaced in Olivia's eyes, quickly followed by nervous tension and internal turmoil, before blending into a deeply tangled knot of emotions. Countless words seemed stuck in her throat, yet she could not voice a single one.
To her surprise, he spoke first, breaking the brief silence.
"I'm sorry, Olivia."
His tone was deep and subdued, those golden eyes brimming with guilt.
Almost the moment he spoke, Olivia was certain that he was the real Anhel, and an immense sense of relief washed over her.
Whenever she was with this gold dragon, the silver dragon could always tangibly feel his personal charisma, her own emotions swayed in tune with his. That feeling could not be faked—though she had no idea it was due to literally superhuman Charisma.
A thrill of joy swept through her, as if she had finally found a pillar of support.
And following that fleeting relief, Olivia could no longer maintain her facade of strength, an overwhelming wave of grievance washing over her from everything she had suffered these past days.
Tears instantly welled in her blue-gray eyes, spilling down her cheeks like an autumn torrent. With a choked voice, she poured out the questions that had simmered for so long.
"Where have you been all this time?"
"Why did that red dragon say you were dead?"
"Why... why did he trap me here? I followed your guidance, and yet..."
"Yet why..."
Perhaps because her emotions ran too high, Olivia grew almost incoherent.
Anhel—or rather, Cassius—let out a deep sigh.
"Four years ago, before this palace had even been built, this place was nothing more than a desolate expanse of empty ground. I found the only way to defeat that red dragon: this so-called Dragon-Binding Array. It can bind dragons whose life stage is beneath that of an ancient dragon, rendering them unable to escape for eternity.
"So, I laid down the array here, and fearing my operation might fail, I left behind that final message."
He gazed intently at the silver dragon, his tone growing heavier.
"Yet the cunning and might of that 'Lord of Cinders' far exceeded my imagination. He saw through my plan and brutally slaughtered all of my followers and the righteous companions who came with me.
"I, too, should have perished in that battle. But thanks to the blessing of the elder ancient gold dragon Palarandusk, I was able to enter a semi-incorporeal state, leaving the red dragon powerless against me and allowing me to narrowly survive.
"However, in this state, it is exceedingly difficult for me to interact with the Material Plane, so I can only appear before you in this form. The red dragon had no way to harm me, but he turned the array I left behind into a trap to lure you here, and used that bizarre domain ability to sever my influence. Fortunately, his power relaxes from time to time, allowing me to finally reach you.
"My recklessness dragged you into this. I am sorry."
"Anhel" apologized earnestly once more.
Olivia did not blame him; she merely accepted it all in silence, meeting his gaze. She recalled the sense of dread that had gripped her heart when she first entered the palace—perhaps that had been his warning, one she had failed to heed.
At least for now, both she and Anhel were still alive, having narrowly escaped death at the claws of that terrible red dragon. That was already a rare fortune.
After a long pause, Olivia asked in a low voice:
"Anhel, what should I do now?"
A hint of confusion lingered in her eyes, yet it was far better than her earlier despair; Anhel's appearance had at least given her a final lifeline to cling to.
"Olivia, my current power is not enough to confront this red dragon. He is far too powerful. I might... still need more resources.
"Gold, spell scrolls, and perhaps even the aid of other metallic dragons...
"No matter what, even if it exhausts everything I have, even if I pour out every treasure in my hoard, I will rescue you from this place. That is my promise to you."
To Olivia's ears, those words sounded profoundly sincere.
Anhel stepped forward and seemed to gently stroke the silver dragon's slender neck. Yet this was merely an illusionary projection, and Olivia felt no physical touch.
For some reason, she felt no aversion to such intimate contact, even though it crossed the bounds of metallic dragon etiquette. Instead, she felt a profound sense of comfort and a deep, heartfelt contentment. To a dragon's ears, such a vow was nothing short of romantic.
*The Scales of Promise.*
In that instant, Olivia recalled the ancient epics recounted by clan elders when she was just a wyrmling. She remembered the tales of a silver dragon standing vigil at a cave entrance for a thousand years for their mate, carving an unyielding vow onto the scales of their breast until they grew into an ancient dragon, and all the legends that had once moved her to tears.
Courtship among silver dragons was always a civilized and elegant affair, and many remained devoted companions for life.
And so, Olivia chose to believe without hesitation, pouring out everything she knew and possessed to "Anhel," holding onto the hope that one day, he would rescue her...
Perhaps to soothe her emotions, Anhel lingered in the hall for a long time.
They discussed poetry and rumors from across the continent, exchanging arcane knowledge. Seeing that Olivia possessed far richer understanding of magic, Anhel playfully referred to her as his "teacher," helping her taut nerves unwind significantly.
When stillness returned to the palace hall once more, the silver dragon remained firmly bound to the ground. Yet the despair and confusion in those blue-gray eyes had vanished, replaced by gentle warmth and steady resolve.
Chapter 248