The cave was silent.
Well, not completely.
Mo Chen could still hear the delicate rustling of tiny insects scuttling through the dimly lit cave, a faint, almost musical sound weaving through the air.
The wind whispered softly, curling and dancing as it slipped between the rugged stone walls, carrying with it a chill that brushed against his skin.
In the stillness, these subtle sounds created an atmosphere thick with mystery, wrapping him in the cave's ancient embrace.
And yet, he was drenched in cold sweat.
Why?
Because a pair of deep, mesmerizing violet eyes were fixed on him with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. The gaze was so penetrating that Mo Chen felt as if the owner of those eyes possessed a primal hunger, eager to consume him whole, body and soul.
And he wasn't wrong.
Valkar sat motionless, watching his precious mate—his beloved treasure.
He felt an overwhelming desire to be close to him, to share an intimate connection in this very moment, but he fought against the impulse, forcing himself to hold back.
The tension in the air crackled between them, charged with unspoken longing, as he silently wrestled with his yearning while trying to maintain his composure.
Not for any noble cause, but driven by a deep yearning to create a magnificent wedding for Mo Chen—one that would be so grand that the very earth would tremble in excitement, the sky would arch overhead in a canvas of vibrant colors, and even the beasts of the wild, alongside the revered Beast God himself, would gather in awe to witness the sacred bond they were about to forge.
Yes. Without even asking the other party, Valkar had already decided to marry Mo Chen.
He also wanted to perform the sacred ritual, the Soulmate Binding, a rare form of union that ties two souls together for eternity, forbidding either of them from taking any other partner.
This particular form of union was on the brink of extinction during a time when females were known to take on as many as twenty mates, a social norm that vividly contrasted with the traditional ideals of companionship and commitment.
But then again, how could dragons keep their title as "beasts obsessed with exclusivity" if they weren't this insane?
Unaware that his future, fate, and even marriage had already been sealed just hours after arriving in this strange new world, Mo Chen sat on the wooden bed.
His eyes scanned every corner of the cave—everything, except the lizard-man sitting in front of him.
[Oh no, not a snake… He said he was a dragon, right? Yeah, a dragon… Though I still have my doubts.]
"Why won't you look at me?" Valkar finally spoke.
He tried to keep his voice gentle, to soften the frustration he felt from being ignored by his mate.
Still, his voice carried a weight of authority and danger that made Mo Chen visibly tremble.
"I won't hurt you, so... just… don't be afraid of me."
This time, Valkar managed to suppress his temper.
Not that he could've done anything—his heart shattered into pieces the moment he saw fear in his female's eyes.
His tone came out softer than it had ever been.
Finally, Mo Chen looked at his kidnapper.
To be honest, the man was stunning.
Those violet feline eyes, that long, silky hair of the same color, and flawless skin… He was nothing short of a work of art.
The only problem was... the man was terrifying—especially when he got angry earlier.
But now, as he looked again, Mo Chen saw something else in those eyes.
Sorrow?
Worry?
...
Feelings he hadn't imagined such a fearsome creature could possess.
After all, ever since they met, those eyes had expressed nothing but rage and danger.
"I..."
Gathering an unusual amount of courage—perhaps because of the gentleness shining in those violet eyes—Mo Chen almost blurted out the line again: that he wasn't a female.
But he stopped himself just in time, sparing himself a potential catastrophe.
"Do you… Want something? Are you hungry? If there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll get it for you."
Valkar's eyes lit up with joy.
Finally, the boy had looked at him—and even spoken. Just one sentence, but it was a massive step forward.
"I just… I don't know where I am. Can you tell me where this place is?"
Mo Chen asked as he nervously rubbed his fingers together—a habit he had whenever he was deeply anxious.
Though his voice was sincere, Mo Chen already knew—he wasn't in his world anymore.
But he wanted to learn more about his surroundings, gather whatever information he could about this new realm.
Who knows? Maybe he'd find a way back home... or maybe he had been pulled into a book he once read...
In any case, it's not like he had a choice.
Despite his fear of the man in front of him, his instincts told him Valkar wasn't a danger to him. So, he planned to use that to his advantage—as much as possible—before deciding whether to escape, and where.
He needed to understand the world he'd been thrown into.
Valkar, fortunately, had no idea what Mo Chen was really thinking. If he did... things might have turned terrifyingly ugly.
And Mo Chen would've learned the hard way what it meant to enrage a dragon to the point of madness.
When a dragon's emotions spiral out of control, it loses itself completely—destroying not only itself, but everything in its path. And the trigger had always been—and would always be—their chosen mates.
Many dragons had perished because of the very partners they bonded their souls to.
Valkar would not be one of them.
Still… he would come close.
But that's a story for another time.
For now, simply because Mo Chen had finally spoken to him, Valkar was elated—so much so that he began talking nonstop.
If any of Valcar's acquaintances had been there, their jaws would've dropped in shock.
Since when was their tight-lipped lord, who valued his words like precious gold, this talkative?
In any case, thanks to that, Mo Chen learned a great information about the place he was now in.