38. Bound by Blood, Bound by Choice

Chapter 38: Bound by Blood, Bound by Choice

The passage was narrow, carved roughly into the earth, with jagged walls that scraped at my knuckles whenever I veered too close. The faint glow of the crystals embedded in the rock was the only thing keeping us from wandering blindly into the dark. They pulsed in slow, rhythmic waves, their dim light stretching just far enough ahead to show the uneven ground beneath our feet.

The air was thick, carrying the damp scent of stone and something else—something ancient. This place had been here for a long time, untouched, forgotten.

Neralia walked just ahead of me, her fingers occasionally grazing the walls as if feeling for something hidden beneath the surface. Despite our earlier banter, she had gone silent, her focus entirely on finding a way up.

I wasn't as concerned. We'd get out one way or another. But there was something else on my mind.

Something I'd been thinking about since I woke up.

"Neralia," I said.

She hummed absentmindedly in response, still studying the rock formations.

I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Would you do it again?"

She stopped walking.

Slowly, she turned to face me, her eyes already narrowing. "You—" She inhaled sharply, bracing for another teasing remark. "If you're going to joke about last night *again*, I swear—"

"I'm not joking."

Her expression faltered.

I wasn't smirking. I wasn't laughing. I was looking directly at her, waiting for a real answer.

For a moment, she just stared at me, processing my words. Then, finally, she let out a slow breath. "…You're serious."

I nodded.

Her fingers curled slightly against the stone wall. "Kaizen…" She shook her head, her voice quiet but firm. "You *do* understand what last night meant, right?"

"I understand."

"No, I don't think you do." She folded her arms, her voice steady but carrying a weight I hadn't heard before. "I am a noble. I don't *own* my body the way you do yours."

I frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means," she said, voice sharper now, "that my life isn't just *mine*. Everything I do reflects on my family—on my *bloodline*. I don't get to make careless decisions the way you do."

I let out a short, dry laugh. "Careless? Is that what you think this was?"

She opened her mouth, then stopped herself. Instead of answering, she exhaled through her nose, turning away. "My brother would never let you get away with this."

I knew that. Of course I knew that. There was also her father. A veteran adventurer and a fucking power house.

Lord Lucian wasn't just a noble. He was *the* noble. The kind of man who could wipe out an entire village with a word if it suited him. The kind of man who had spent his life ensuring his family's power remained untouchable.

And his little children? They were an extension of that power.

He would never tolerate a commoner—especially not *me*—laying a hand on her.

I took a step closer. "I know exactly what your brother would do if he found out. I know exactly how dangerous this is. And I don't care."

She turned sharply. "You *should* care."

"I don't."

"Kaizen."

I held her gaze. "I enjoyed it. And I want to do it again."

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She looked at me like I had just said something impossible.

I took another step forward, closing the space between us. "You said it yourself—I'm a commoner. I don't have a title to protect. I don't have some grand legacy to uphold. My life is my own, and I do what I want with it." I tilted my head slightly. "Can you say the same?"

She swallowed, her fingers twitching slightly against her arm. "That's not the point."

"It is *exactly* the point," I said. "You're standing here talking about what your *brother* would do, about what's expected of you, about what your *bloodline* allows. But what about *you*?"

She clenched her jaw. "It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is," I countered. "If you didn't want it, you wouldn't have let it happen in the first place."

Her eyes flashed with something—anger, maybe. Or something else.

"Let it happen?" she echoed, her voice low. "You think I *let* it happen?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

A bitter laugh escaped her. "You're an idiot."

"Maybe."

She exhaled sharply, turning her gaze to the passage ahead. "This isn't a game, Kaizen. This isn't some casual thing we can just keep doing. There are *consequences* for me."

"I know."

"No, you *don't*—"

"I know," I repeated, cutting her off. "And I'm still saying I want to do it again."

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if gathering herself. When she opened them again, her voice was quieter. "You don't understand what you're asking me."

I took another step, and this time, she didn't move away. "Then explain it to me."

She hesitated.

For the first time, she actually looked… uncertain. Like she wasn't just reciting the noble obligations drilled into her head, but actually considering what *she* wanted.

Her fingers twitched at her sides. "If I keep doing this with you… if anyone finds out…" She swallowed. "It won't end well."

"For who?"

"For *both* of us."

I smiled faintly. "You care what happens to me?"

She scowled. "Obviously."

That made me chuckle. "Well, now I *have* to keep doing it."

Her face turned red. "That is *not* what I meant."

"I know." I grinned. "But you should have known better than to give me an opening."

She groaned, rubbing her temples. "You are *so* infuriating."

"And yet," I said, leaning in just slightly, "you still haven't said no."

Her breath hitched just a little.

Then she turned away. "We need to focus on getting out of here."

I watched her for a moment, then let the conversation drop.

For now.

Because the way she avoided my eyes, the way she tried so hard to shift the focus—

I already knew her answer.

The passageway narrowed as we walked, the jagged stone walls pressing in on either side. The dim glow of the crystals embedded in the rock pulsed faintly, casting eerie shadows that flickered with every step. The damp air thickened, carrying the faint scent of rust and something ancient—something untouched for centuries.

Then, just as I was about to comment on how much deeper this damn tunnel went, the walls widened abruptly, giving way to a vast, open chamber.

I stopped in my tracks.

The chamber was massive, easily the size of a grand cathedral. The ceiling stretched high above us, shrouded in darkness, with faint slivers of light spilling from unseen cracks in the rock. The walls were lined with **statues**—but not the kind you'd expect in a noble's courtyard.

These were grotesque.

Perched on pedestals, they loomed over us like silent sentinels. Their twisted, hunched forms bore **sharp, angular wings**, **elongated fangs**, and **piercing, hollow eyes** that seemed to watch our every move. I recognized them immediately.

Gargoyles.

I had seen similar ones before—perched on the rooftops of ancient temples, looming over castles like stone protectors. But these? These looked **too detailed**. Too *lifelike*.

And that made me uneasy.

Neralia walked forward cautiously, her eyes scanning the chamber. "This place…" she murmured.

I barely heard her. My focus had already shifted to the far end of the chamber.

Where the **dragon** sat.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen.

A massive **metallic** beast, easily **ten feet tall**, crouched at the end of the room, its gleaming silver body covered in **intricate overlapping plates** that looked like they had been forged by a master craftsman. Its **clawed feet** rested on the stone floor, and its **serpentine tail** coiled around the base of the pedestal it sat upon.

And in its mouth—

A **glowing orb**.

My breath caught in my throat.

"The **Philosopher's Stone**," Neralia whispered, her voice filled with awe.

Her words confirmed what I already knew.

That was *it*.

The **mission objective**.

As soon as my eyes locked onto the orb, a notification flashed before my vision.

***

**Philosopher's Stone detected.**

**Mission 3 pending.**

**Start or Skip?**

***

There was no hesitation.

I immediately *thought* of **Start**—and just like that, the notification changed.

***

**99 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds…**

**58… 57… 56…**

***

A countdown.

I barely had time to process what it meant before my mind started racing.

**Three hours.**

I had to hold onto the **Philosopher's Stone** for three hours for the mission to count. But that wasn't the real problem.

The real problem was **Neralia**.

She had no idea about my system. She had no idea about my *real* mission. To her, this was the Duchess's quest. The entire reason we came down here.

If she got the Stone first—if she handed it over before my three hours were up—

**Mission failed.**

I glanced at her. She looked *thrilled*, clearly relieved that our search hadn't been for nothing. "We actually found it," she said, her expression one of triumph. "Once we bring this back, the Duchess—"

Her words cut off.

Because the **dragon moved**.

The metallic beast lifted its head, the sound of grinding metal echoing through the chamber. Its eyes, once lifeless, flared with a deep **blue glow**, like energy surging through them for the first time in centuries.

Then, it stood up.

I took a slow step back, every instinct in my body screaming at me.

This thing was not a statue.

It was a **guardian**.

And if the way it was staring at us was any indication—

We weren't leaving here without a fight.