The Alpha King's Shadow のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

The staircase wasn't just narrow; it was a claustrophobic squeeze, far tighter than Selene had braced herself for. It felt like the fortress looming above had completely forgotten about this forgotten passage. The stone steps were worn smooth by countless feet from a time long, long before the fortress was even an idea. Down here, the air was like a damp, heavy blanket – cold and absolutely still. Every footstep echoed way too much, booming up the stairwell as if the darkness itself was copying their every move, whispering their presence back to them in a mocking tone.Aurek's grip on her shoulder tightened, not on purpose, but like a reflex. He was losing steam fast, and she could feel it.Aurek, she said softly, tell me we're almost there.His breathing was rough, like he'd been running a marathon uphill. Lower levels… three more flights.Her stomach dropped, turning into a cold, hard knot.He wasn't going to make it. Not three more flights.Hang on to me, she told him gently.I am

My whole world had shrunk to this awful place, a never-ending nightmare of two things: this awful light and never-ending pain.The light was cold, not nice at all. It made me feel alone. The pain was always there, like bits of glass cutting me up, hurting my bones all the time.Each breath I took hurt so much, like fire in my chest. The chains weren't just metal; they felt alive, digging into my skin, messing with my heartbeat.A weird humming sound came from below, like something really bad was about to happen, like screams turned into words.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stay strong, and then opened them again.At first, everything was blurry, moving around. Then, slowly, I could see again.There was a circle glowing in a creepy way on the floor. White lines, like snakes, were all over the stone, moving with my heartbeat. Each beat made me feel sick.But right then, only one thing mattered.Aurek was there.His hands were burned, with skin falling off, showing how much he'd suf

The light didn't just touch me; it slammed into me, hard. It wasn't a gentle embrace or a soft glow, but a brutal, crushing force.Imagine being thrown right into the heart of a star. That's what it felt like. The heat was intense, the pressure unbearable, and a white-hot noise tore through my senses. I couldn't breathe, my lungs locked up, and my vision dissolved into pure, blinding light.I tried to move, to fight back, but my body wouldn't listen. Even my thoughts felt sluggish and unresponsive. Then, something else began stirring inside me, pushing its way to the surface.A low rumble started deep in my spine, like a second heartbeat awakening. It spread quickly, climbing up my ribs, coiling around my throat. My fingers twisted and contorted, forming claws driven by raw instinct. The taste of iron and ozone filled my mouth.Then, a voice, not spoken but injected directly into my mind, echoed in my skull: Guardian. Do what you are told.My jaw clenched so hard it hurt—pain shot thr

The darkness enveloped me, not just surrounding, but inhaling me. It was thick and heavy, like being submerged in something alive, something with its own pulse.I didn't plummet immediately; instead, I sank, drawn down by an unseen force that felt like icy hands clutching at the very fabric of existence. My body floated, agonizingly weightless, suspended in the void. I was trapped, unable to breathe or move. Even my thoughts seemed to slow, sluggish, like thick syrup being stretched and pulled apart.Then, the bottom dropped out of the world.The air rushed past my face, whipping my hair around my head, stinging my eyes. A scream, silent and desperate, erupted from me, only to be swallowed by the vast emptiness. My stomach lurched, rising to slam against my throat.Suddenly, a hand wrapped around my waist.Aurek.I knew the possessive way he held me. It was desperate, protective, as if his fingers were the only things tethering him to reality.I struggled to speak to Aurek; I started,

Aurek's revelation landed on me harder than any physical blow I'd suffered in this cursed place.It... It wants to be born? I managed to convey the words 'thin' and 'reedy'. Through me?The cavern responded, a deep, sickening throb that seemed to come from the earth's very core. The sound slithered along my spine, a cold, invasive thing. My breath hitched. I tried to inhale, but my lungs felt like they were filled with cement. My throat constricted, panic rising. The air tasted wrong, acrid, like old blood and burnt offerings.Aurek stood firm. Yes.His gaze was unwavering, intense. I saw, in the set of his jaw and the rigid line of his shoulders, that he'd been holding back. Not just for the last few hours, but for hours, maybe weeks.Aurek, I whispered, a knot forming in my stomach, what aren't you telling me?His eyes flashed, a disturbing, gold-tinged black. An unspoken admission, a silent confirmation of my fears.He'd been lying.Not out of malice, I sensed. Not to control me. B