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Chapter 279: Chapter 279 Unworthy mate
"Take a deep breath, Damon," the leader’s voice cut through the fog in his mind, trying to anchor him to reality. "We’ll get her back, but we need to calm down."
Damon clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he fought to steady his breath. Clarity wouldn’t come if his mind was a storm of panic. He needed to calm down. He needed to think clearly because Kyra needed him more than ever.
Lucas stood there, frozen, as the reality of what had just happened hit him. For the first time, he truly felt weak—completely powerless. He had failed as her mate. Kyra was gone again. And it was all too familiar.
The first time he had lost her, it had torn him apart, but this...this was worse. The same situation had repeated itself. Another portal-like thing had sucked her away, and he had done nothing. He could still feel the helplessness of watching it all happen, unable to stop it, unable to save her.
His mind replayed it over and over—Kyra slipping from his grasp, disappearing into that dark hole. He couldn’t help but blame himself. He felt like a failure, unworthy of her, unworthy of being called her mate. How could he have let this happen again?
The guilt weighed heavily on his chest, suffocating him.
Lucas stood alone, his body stiff and unfeeling as the rain began to pour down, soaking his hair and clothes. He didn’t move, didn’t react to the cold droplets hitting his skin. His face was completely void of emotion, but inside, everything was dark and heavy. The weight of failure hung over him like a shadow, making the world around him seem distant and blurry.
His eyes were fixed on the spot where Kyra had disappeared, but they held no light, no life. The sound of the rain, the chill of the air—it was all meaningless. The world felt empty without her.
The one person he had promised to protect, the one he couldn’t lose again, was gone. And now, he stood there, frozen in that haunting silence, as if the rain could wash away the guilt and the pain, but it didn’t.
It just made him feel even more alone.
"Lucas!" Rowan shook him again, his grip firm, trying to snap him out of the dark trance he was in. Lucas barely blinked, his eyes still fixed on the place where Kyra had disappeared. Rowan saw the emptiness in his friend’s eyes and understood the weight of what Lucas must be feeling. The pain, the guilt—it was suffocating.
Ash, standing nearby, stared at the strange plant that had swallowed Kyra. His mind raced as he tried to remember something. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up with realization. "Wait! This is strange, but I think I’ve heard about these plants before," Ash said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence. "I remember a priest Felix talking about something like this."
Lucas finally shifted his gaze, slowly turning to Ash. Damon, standing beside him, also looked at Ash, waiting for him to explain.
"I don’t remember much," Ash admitted, "but it was a long time ago. priest Felix was reading old, thick book, and I was supposed to deliver something to an elder in our town. He mentioned plants like this—plants that appear because of some kind of dark magic, something evil that was done long ago by ancient forces. Yeah, something like that."
Hearing this, Lucas and Damon exchanged a glance. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing, their expressions shifting from despair to a glimmer of hope. Damon was the first to speak, his voice low but urgent. "World Key..."
Lucas nodded, his voice barely above a whisper as he echoed Damon’s words. "World Key."
"Could it be that dark shadows?" Lucas muttered, his voice trembling.
Damon clenched his fists, his eyes hardening with determination. "We need to find priest Felix first," he said firmly. "If he knows anything about the World Key, he might be able to help us figure out where Kyra went and how to get her back." 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Ash nodded quickly. "I’ll lead you to him," he said. "But we need to hurry. If dark magic is involved, Kyra might be in serious danger."
Lucas, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders once more, took a deep breath. His despair began to shift into determination. He couldn’t let this happen again. He couldn’t lose her—no matter what it took.
"Let’s go," Lucas said, his voice steadier now. "We don’t have time to waste."
The group wasted no time. With their collected food supplies securely packed, everyone prepared to leave Silver Peak Mountain.
Damon crouched, his wings unfurling as he prepared to take off, Lucas gripping his back tightly. Damon’s heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts a tangled mess of worry and fear. Every second they spent here was another second Kyra could be slipping further away. He couldn’t afford to waste even a moment. Not when her life hung in the balance.
His dragon jaw clenched as he muttered to himself, "Kyra... my little thing... my life... my hope." The thought of her trapped in some dark, twisted place was unbearable. He had to find her, to save her. Nothing else mattered now.
With a powerful leap, Damon shot into the sky, Lucas holding on tightly behind him. The others followed suit, flying swiftly through the misty air. The wind and rain whipped against their faces, but the chill couldn’t cool the fire burning inside Damon. His wings beat furiously, propelling them forward faster and faster.
Behind them, the peak of Silver Mountain grew smaller as they flew further away.
Lucas had never felt this weak before, never felt this powerless. But he would stop at nothing to get Kyra back, even if it meant risking his life.
They flew through the clouds, racing against time. Damon’s mind churned with thoughts of Kyra—her smile, her laugh, her kindness, her intelligence.
His wings strained as he pushed harder, desperate to close the distance between them and the priest Ash had mentioned. Every moment was precious, and he couldn’t afford to lose hope.
Damon’s thoughts circled back to one thing: Kyra was out there, waiting for him. And he would move heaven and earth to bring her back.
