Page 33 of The Dragon King's Awakening

The room goes silent.Every muscle in my body tenses as I turn toward that familiar voice—a voice I have heard in my nightmares for three millennia.

Nikhil stands in the entrance, a familiar woman with fair skin and long black hair beside him, her eyes gleaming sapphire.Belah, the pharaoh herself.My former ruler.

I should bow to her, but instead my vision narrows, golden haze creeping at the edges as rage surges through me.Scales ripple across my skin, and I feel my control slipping.Three thousand years of hatred crystallizes into this single moment, this opportunity for vengeance that I have craved for longer than most beings have lived.But my emotions can't help but cause a ripple effect throughout the room.Every dragon in attendance emits low rumbles of hostility.

"Zahraxis," Belah speaks first, her voice carrying the weight of ages."It has been too long."

I barely hear her.My focus remains locked on Nikhil, who meets my gaze without flinching.He has changed—no longer the cold, calculating torturer who condemned me to the void.His eyes hold knowledge and sorrow in equal measure, and something else I cannot name.

"Golden One," he says, using my old title with what sounds like genuine respect."I had hoped we would meet again under better circumstances."

A growl builds in my chest, golden flames licking at the corners of my mouth.I take a step forward, only to feel Rachel's hand on my arm and Finn's presence steady at my back.Through our bond, they send waves of calm, not restraining me but reminding me of their presence, of the promise I made.

It's enough for me to notice how much the mood in the entire room has shifted.Chagrined, I rein in my animosity, and everyone relaxes.

"Better circumstances," I repeat, my voice barely recognizable through the effort to contain my rage."Such as me tearing out your throat for what you did to me?For what you did to my kind?"

Nikhil does not retreat.Instead he steps forward, away from Belah's protective stance."I deserve your hatred," he says simply."And more."

His admission catches me off-guard.I expected denial, justification, perhaps even attack—not this quiet acceptance.

"You trapped me in darkness for three thousand years," I say, each word precise despite the flames that threaten to spill from my lips."You experimented on dragons like we were nothing more than beasts."

"Yes," Nikhil agrees, his voice steady."I did all those things and worse.Things I remember doing, decisions I remember making, all while something else controlled my mind."He takes another step closer."I do not ask for forgiveness, Zahraxis.I ask only that you see the truth before you decide."

Racha moves between us, her green eyes flashing with authority."This is not the time for personal vendettas.The Titans?—"

"Will wait," Belah interrupts, surprising everyone."This conflict has festered for millennia.It must be resolved if we are to face external threats as a unified force."She turns to me, her blue eyes softening."Zahraxis, will you permit Nikhil to show you what truly happened?To share his memories of the final battle against the one who controlled him?"

Rachel's hand tightens on my arm, her concern flowing through our bond.Finn's presence at my back remains steady, supportive without being constraining.

"How?"I demand, still not taking my eyes off Nikhil.

"A memory merge," Nikhil explains."I can share what happened directly.It is a very recent memory, so every detail will be crystal-clear to you."

The chamber has gone completely still, every dragon watching this confrontation with bated breath.I feel the weight of their attention, but more importantly, I feel the steady support of my mates through our bond.

"And if I find your memories false?"I ask, golden flames dancing between my teeth."If this is some trick?"

"Then I place myself at your mercy," Nikhil says."Though you should know only Belah's fire can end me."

"Trust me in this, if nothing else," Belah says, stepping forward."I, who was once your pharaoh, ask this of you, Zahraxis.See the truth before you judge."

I consider this, weighing three millennia of hatred against the possibility of truth.Rachel's presence in my mind feels like a cool stream against the heat of my rage, while Finn's steadiness grounds me.

"Show me," I finally say, the flames receding from my mouth."Show me everything."

Nikhil nods, approaching slowly.The assembled dragons draw back, forming a circle around us.Rachel and Finn move to stand at my sides, their support unwavering.

"This will be...intense," Nikhil warns, raising his hands."Particularly for an empath of your strength."

I meet his gaze directly, this man who was once my captor, my torturer."I have endured worse at your hands."

A flash of pain crosses his face, but he nods in acknowledgment."That you have."He lifts his hands toward my head."May I?"

I give a curt nod, bracing myself for whatever comes next.He cups both hands at the sides of my head, splaying his fingers to brace my jaw, thumbs beneath my chin with two fingers at my temples.Then I close my eyes, and the war chamber dissolves around me.

Darkness.Suffocating, all-consuming darkness.Not the absence of light, but something alive, malevolent, slithering through every thought.I struggle against invisible bonds, screaming orders to a body that no longer obeys.My hands—Nikhil's hands—move without my permission, performing unspeakable acts while my consciousness remains trapped, a helpless witness to atrocities committed with my own flesh.

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