All Chapters of Bankrupting the Alpha: Crowned by the Dragon King: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Maxwell walked toward me slowly, his boots echoing against the damp stone floor.Each step sounded louder in the small cell.Closer.Closer.He crouched beside me, the scent of corruption clinging to him like rot.For a moment I felt his hand hover near my face.Then his fingers slid beneath my nose.Checking my breathing.His brow furrowed.“Her breathing is shallow,” he muttered.“Too slow.”His eyes scanned the cell, irritation flashing across his face.“And I don’t see any food here.”He straightened suddenly, turning toward the guards behind him.“Where are the medics?” he barked.The guards stiffened.“Bring one of the scientists here. Now!”His voice echoed violently through the corridor.He looked down at me again, his eyes burning with a mixture of greed and madness.“She is our ticket,” he said quietly.“Our ticket to regain our multiple-shifted forms.”Without warning, Maxwell bent down and slid his arms beneath me, lifting my body from the cold stone floor.I forced myself

The forest was not the Silver Pack lands I knew.The trees were the same species, the same twisted trunks and dark bark, but everything felt… older.Wilder.Like the land had existed long before any pack had ever claimed it.Mist drifted through the roots and branches, curling around my boots as I walked deeper into the woods.I could still feel the echo of Aella through our bond.Faint.Distant.But alive.That alone kept me moving forward.The guide had disappeared the moment I took my first step onto the path between the trees.Typical.I pushed through a curtain of hanging branches, the ground crunching softly beneath my boots.Then the forest changed.The mist thickened.The air grew heavier.And suddenly—The forest vanished.One moment I was standing between ancient trees, mist curling around my boots.The next—Darkness.Then a sharp sound.Beep.Beep.Beep.My alarm.I groaned and rolled over, slapping the device beside my bed until the noise stopped.For a moment I just lay

The path changed as soon as the guide and I stepped deeper into the woods.The trees grew thinner, their roots twisting through pale stone instead of dark soil. The mist no longer drifted lazily around our ankles. It clung low and heavy, like something alive that wanted to wrap around my legs and slow my pace. Even the air felt different here—colder, sharper, carrying the faint metallic scent of river water and old grief.The black-eyed version of myself walked ahead in complete silence, hands clasped behind his back as if we were out for a pleasant stroll instead of crossing a spirit realm built to test my soul.I didn’t trust him.I didn’t trust the path.And I certainly didn’t trust whatever waited ahead.Still, I followed.The trees parted abruptly, opening onto a ravine so deep I couldn’t see the bottom. A bridge of black wood and braided roots stretched across it, swaying slightly over a torrent of white water far below. The river was furious, crashing against jagged stone in gr

The forest changed again. The path that had guided us through the spirit woods slowly faded beneath my feet, the earth dissolving into pale mist until there was nothing left but ancient trees standing in silent rows. I stopped walking. The guide continued forward without hesitation. “Wait,” I called. He didn’t stop. Instead, he stepped off the path and disappeared between the trees. I followed. The air felt heavier here, thick with something old and watchful. Even the wind had gone quiet. The guide stopped in a small clearing. Moonlight filtered through the branches above, illuminating something that had not been there a moment ago. Three doors. They stood upright between the trees as if the forest itself had grown them. The guide smiled faintly and gestured toward them. “See,” he said. “And choose wisely.” The three doors opened. I aproached the first door. Its frame shimmered like frozen light. Cold, pale reflections danced along its surface. I stepped closer. T

The clearing was silent again. Three doors stood between the trees. Crystal. Gold. Black. Three futures. Three tragedies. Three different ways to lose everything that mattered. I looked at them one last time. Behind me, the guide waited. Patient. Watching. “Well?” he asked quietly. The wind stirred through the forest, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant rain. I exhaled slowly. Then I stepped forward. Not toward any of the doors. Instead, I walked past them. The guide’s voice followed me. “You have seen the possible futures,” he said. “Now choose.” I stopped beside the nearest tree. Its bark was thick, ancient, scarred by centuries of storms. I placed my hand against it. Then I turned back toward the guide. “No.” The word echoed through the clearing. The guide tilted his head slightly. “No?” he repeated. I gestured toward the doors. “You’re asking me to pick which disaster I’m willing to live with.” The crystal door