A Dragon's Love

Chapter 4

The air was cool and damp as Ryujin slowly regained consciousness. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and as she blinked her eyes open, she found herself in a dimly lit cavern that resembled a dragon's lair. The walls were lined with glittering crystals that cast a soft, ethereal glow over the surroundings.

Confusion clouded Ryujin's mind as she struggled to piece together what had happened. She remembered the chaos of battle, Yeji seizing her and taking to the skies, and then... darkness. She must have passed out while in Yeji's grasp.

Fear and adrenaline surged through her veins as she scanned the unfamiliar lair, instinctively reaching for her sword—only to find it missing. Panic clawed at her chest as she realized she was unarmed and at the mercy of her captor.

And then she saw her—Yeji, standing at the edge of the cavern, her silhouette outlined against the faint glow of the crystals. Ryujin's muscles tensed, her survival instincts kicking in as she prepared to defend herself.

"Where's my sword?" Ryujin demanded, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. She tried to keep her tone steady, masking the underlying fear.

Yeji turned slowly, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she took in Ryujin's defensive stance. A chuckle escaped her lips, low and mocking. "Humans are so petty," she remarked casually, her voice carrying an edge of superiority.

Ryujin's jaw clenched in frustration. "I'm not here to play games," she snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Give me back my sword."

Yeji's amusement only seemed to grow, her demeanor shifting as she moved closer to Ryujin with a languid grace. She pinned Ryujin against the rough stone wall with an unexpected strength, her gaze locking onto Ryujin's with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Human emotions are so intriguing," Yeji mused, her voice a whisper against Ryujin's ear. "So fragile, yet so resilient."

Ryujin's heart pounded in her chest, torn between fear and a strange fascination with this dragon hybrid who held her captive. Yeji's eyes were sharp and piercing, the kind that seemed to see straight through to Ryujin's core, stirring emotions and instincts she couldn't quite comprehend.

"Let me go," Ryujin demanded again, her voice firmer this time but betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Yeji tilted her head slightly, studying Ryujin with an unreadable expression. "Or what?" she challenged softly, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips.

Ryujin's mind raced, searching for a way out of this unsettling situation. She knew she had to find a way to regain control, to escape from this mysterious dragon hybrid who held her captive in her own lair.

But as she stared into Yeji's eyes, a part of her couldn't deny the strange allure of their encounter. Despite the fear and tension between them, there was something undeniably captivating about Yeji, something that sparked a curiosity in Ryujin's heart even amidst the perilous circumstances.

Yeji's grip tightened subtly against Ryujin's shoulders, holding her firmly against the cool stone wall of the lair. The faint light from the crystals cast shadows that danced across their faces, reflecting the tension that crackled in the air between them.

"I've always been curious about humans," Yeji began, her voice softer now, tinged with a hint of vulnerability that surprised Ryujin. "Ever since I was a child, before... before my parents were taken away."

Ryujin's brow furrowed in confusion. "Taken away? By humans?" She struggled to reconcile this revelation with the fierce dragon hybrid before her, whose presence exuded strength and defiance.

Yeji nodded, her gaze momentarily distant as she recalled memories that seemed to weigh heavily upon her. "Yes," she confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper. "They... they were taken by humans. They never came back."