CHAPTER SEVEN
Ted POV
I'm lying on something soft.
It smells sweet. Earthy. Almost floral.
For a second, I think I'm dreaming—but then the soft surface shifts, moving gently beneath me.
I blink my eyes open, squinting into the filtered green light above me.
A giant flower. A giant flower?
I'm lying on a massive, living flower, its petals as large as blankets, its pollen golden and glowing faintly in the dim dungeon air.
And it's moving.
I sit up slowly, glancing down at the curve of the petal I'm lying on, and then up—to the figure sitting near the edge, his back turned to me, black hair ruffled by the breeze generated by the movement of the flower.
Niall Alden.
Of course.
He's just sitting there like it's a regular Tuesday.
Behind us, I hear the echoes of snarling and a deep, guttural roar. I glance over my shoulder and my blood runs cold.
A field of monster corpses.
Lion-like beasts. Huge. Muscular. Fanged. All impaled through the skull, chest, and throat by jagged green thorns jutting up from the earth. Like the forest itself turned against them.
More roars ahead.
I whip my gaze forward.
Just in time to see another wave of monsters charging—only to be immediately skewered by rising walls of thorn-covered vines. Their screams are brief. Violent. Over in seconds.
I can only watch.
Niall yawns.
Actually yawns.
"Oh, you're up?" he says casually, not turning to look at me.
There's no effort in his voice. No urgency. Like we're sitting on a park bench and not in the middle of a blood-soaked dungeon.
Suddenly I feel very, very stupid.
I tried to kidnap this person?
Did I kidnap him?
I don't even know anymore.
"How long was I out for?" I ask, throat dry.
"Not long," he says, standing up with a soft stretch.
"Just let me deal with the boss."
He leaps from the flower.
I scramble to the edge of the petal, moving carefully along the soft surface to get a better view.
And there it is.
The boss monster.
A three-headed lion.
Each maw is massive, breathing waves of heat into the air. One mouth roars, one snarls, and the third exhales a thick stream of fire that sends smoke billowing in all directions.
Niall moves like he's done this a thousand times.
He jumps back effortlessly as the flames rush toward him. The vines rise in perfect unison, shielding him and absorbing the heat. The flower tilts slightly, lowering itself toward the charred battlefield as Niall lands, barely winded.
The lion charges.
More vines. Sharp. Precise.
They shoot up from the ground and pierce the beast mid-leap. A dozen. Two dozen. Through its legs. Its chests. Its throats.
It dies without even hitting the ground.
A soft, glimmering light appears.
The portal.
The dungeon is cleared.
That's it.
No dramatic struggle. No drawn-out battle. Just death and silence and blooming green.
The giant flower shifts again, gently lowering itself toward the floor. I slide off, numb.
We step through the portal together, and in a blink, we're back.
The same abandoned building.
Crumbling walls. Exposed beams. Night air seeping in through the smashed windows.
A loud thud behind me makes me jump.
I turn.
A mountain of monster corpses lies behind us, expelled through the portal like garbage tossed from another dimension.
Niall, calm as ever, pulls out his phone.
I don't want to know who he's calling.
This is too much.
Way, way too much.
I stumble out of the building, back into the street. My legs feel hollow. My hands are shaking.
I need air.
I need distance.
I don't even say goodbye.
I just walk.
I hope I never come in contact with him again.
---
Niall POV
I watch him from the shattered window.
He doesn't look back.
Just walks into the night like a man possessed. Or saved. Or scared. Probably all three.
I slip my phone back into my pocket. One of our Alden contacts in this town will clean up the mess.
Dispose of the corpses. Dissect sellable parts.Check the dungeon readings. All protocol.
My job is done.
I keep looking,watching his retreating figure.
He really tried to kidnap me. I snicker a laugh and keep watching him.
His golden hair catches the streetlight, turning him into something bright against the shadows.
A burning sun.
My burning sun.
I place my hands in my pockets, and the last glimpse of him disappears into the night.
"I'll see you again," I whisper.
And I know I will.