All Chapters of Bankrupting the Alpha: Crowned by the Dragon King: Chapter 291 - Chapter 300

Aella POVWe were close.So close.Less than thirty steps.Thirty.After six hours of walking.Six hours of chanting.Six hours of feeding our blood into the land itself.The barrier was almost complete.The Silver Pack was almost safe.The realization gave me enough strength to keep moving despite the exhaustion clawing at my limbs.Around us, the battle continued.The commanders had somehow managed to hold the mutants back.Barely.The sounds of combat echoed through the forests.Roars.Howls.Explosions.The clash of claws and steel.But the fighting felt distant now.Muted.The ritual demanded too much attention.The land beneath my feet glowed softly.Ancient runes flickered beneath the soil.The territory was listening.Waiting.Ready.Twenty-nine steps.Twenty-eight.Twenty-seven.Then the earth exploded.The ground directly beneath me cracked apart.One second I was walking.The next—I was falling.The world vanished beneath my feet.Darkness opened below.A massive fissure t

Aella POVThe atmosphere changed completely once the battle ended.The Silver Pack had survived.The barrier stood.The people were safe.And for the first time in weeks, laughter echoed through the territory.Real laughter.The kind that came when people realized they were alive.Children ran between the warriors.Families reunited.Pack members celebrated beneath the shimmering dome of protection.The barrier glowed softly overhead, a constant reminder that someone was watching over them.Protecting them.The commanders gathered around us while Beatriz and Samantha held the babies.Or attempted to.Xander kept floating.Riot kept escaping.Althea kept judging everyone.Normal behavior, apparently.The warriors were fascinated.Several commanders had gathered around Samantha.Others around Sol.The younger warriors were openly trying to get Riot's attention.Which immediately proved to be a mistake.The little menace looked delighted.I was introducing the children to several pack el

Aella POVFor one glorious hour, everything was peaceful.No battles.No politics.No mutant invasions.No ancient monarchs trying to destroy reality.Just sleep.Beautiful, wonderful sleep.Then the children arrived.The bedroom door opened.Not quietly.Not politely.The door practically exploded inward.I groaned without opening my eyes.Beside me, Sol buried his face deeper into his pillow.A sensible decision.Unfortunately, the invaders were already inside.Chaos walked into the room carrying Riot.Order followed carrying Althea.And Xander—Xander floated in by himself.The little boy drifted through the doorway like a tiny ghost.Completely unconcerned by concepts such as walking.Or gravity.Or personal space.The three children immediately spotted us.Then smiled.The expression never meant anything good."They're hungry," Chaos announced.As if that explained why he had brought them into our room at dawn.Actually, it probably did.The children immediately stretched their a

Aella POVThe following days were quiet.Too quiet.Not peaceful.Not truly.Just... quiet.The kind of quiet that came before a storm.Sol and I spent most of our time recovering.The barrier ritual had drained us more than either of us had expected, and while our powers were returning steadily, neither of us was eager to test our limits again.Not yet.For once, we listened to Beatriz.Mostly because she threatened us.Repeatedly.And because she had several healers helping her enforce those threats.I had learned not to underestimate determined healers.They were terrifying.The children continued growing at an alarming rate.Riot had somehow learned how to open doors.Xander was still floating more than walking.And Althea had discovered maps.That had been a mistake.A terrible mistake.Because now she liked pointing at locations and demanding explanations.Fortunately, Sol became her primary victim.Unfortunately, he actually answered her.For hours.I suspected she understood f

Aella POVThe discovery of the portal should have answered questions.Instead, it created more.Far more.The four of us stood in the clearing staring at the ancient tree.Or portal.Or doorway.Or whatever impossible thing Elias had hidden between the Academy and the Silver Pack.The illusion shifted every time I looked directly at it.One moment I could see the runes.The next I saw bark.Then roots.Then a doorway.Then only a tree.The entire thing felt wrong.Like reality itself couldn't decide what it wanted to be.Beside me, Sol folded his arms."We need to decide."Chaos groaned dramatically."I hate those words."Nobody paid attention to him.The ancient being looked offended.Again.Sol pointed toward the tree."We either activate it."Then toward the surrounding forest."Or we wait."I understood immediately.If the portal was active, mutants would eventually use it.Sooner or later.The question was whether we should force the issue.Risk triggering whatever lay beyond.Or