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Chapter 430
~Zara’s POV~
The mont we crossed the boundary of the Forbidden Fog, the shift in air was instant.
The heavy, suffocating mist was gone, replaced by a sharp, crisp breeze. The cold dampness that clung to my skin dissipated, and the weight of the lingering spirits fell away like broken chains.
I gasped for air, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I collapsed onto my knees, exhaustion finally catching up to .
Beside , Kaid stumbled forward, bracing himself against a large boulder. His breathing was labored, sweat dripping from his brow. Neither of us spoke for a long mont, letting the silence settle between us.
We both had different thoughts in ur heads, swirling in our minds as our breathing raced but one thing was clear.
We had made it. We had escaped.
But that place... it would probably haunt forever.
My fingers curled into the dirt, grounding myself. My heartbeat was still too fast, my entire body trembling from the ordeal.
Kaid exhaled sharply and turned his head slightly in my direction. "We’re alive," he muttered, as if needing to hear it out loud to believe it.
I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. "Barely."
Kaid pushed himself off the boulder and staggered toward before dropping down beside on the ground. His clothes were torn, dirt sared across his arms, and I knew I probably looked just as bad—if not worse.
A few feet ahead of us, the terrain stretched into a vast, barren plain. Jagged rocks jutted out of the dry earth, and in the distance, I could make out the towering silhouette of the mountain range that guarded the entrance to the Dragon’s Realm.
We still had a long way to go.
But at least we were out of that hellish fog.
Kaid handed a water flask. "Drink."
I took it without argunt and greedily gulped down the cool liquid, relishing the way it soothed my parched throat. When I was done, I handed it back to him.
He took a slow sip before exhaling deeply and leaning back against a smaller rock. "That place was worse than I imagined," he admitted.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them close to my chest. "I heard my great-grandmother’s voice."
Kaid turned his head toward , more like snapped. "In the fog?"
I nodded slowly.
"Are you sure? It could just have been the fog and..."
"It wasn’t," I cut in and he looked unsettled.
"Zara, are you okay?"
I gave a firm nod. "If not for her, we’d probably still be stuck tehre, looking for a way out. She told to look within myself. That’s how I found the power to break through."
I glanced down at my hands, flexing my fingers as if expecting to see the glow of the white fla still there. "I think she was guiding ."
Kaid was quiet for a mont before saying, "And what else did she say?"
I hesitated, chewing on the inside of my cheek. I hadn’t told him everything.
Like how the ghosts had tried to lure in. How the fog had whispered secrets I wasn’t sure were even real. How, for a brief mont, I had felt sothing—soone—reach into my mind, deeper than ever before.
But I wasn’t ready to speak about that yet.
"Nothing else," I lied.
Kaid studied , his eyes sharp, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he leaned his head back against the rock and exhaled. "Well, remind to never take a vacation to the Forbidden Fog," he muttered.
A small, tired chuckle escaped . "I’ll make sure of it."
For a while, we sat in comfortable silence.
The adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving only exhaustion behind. My body ached, my limbs heavy, but I couldn’t afford to rest for long.
Kaid must have sensed my thoughts because he sighed. "Zara, we need to sleep. Even if it’s just an hour or two."
I stiffened. "We don’t have ti—"
"We make ti," he cut in, his tone leaving no room for argunt. "You nearly collapsed back there. And if we’re going to face dragons, we can’t be half-dead when we do."
He was right. I knew he was right.
I glanced at the sky. The sun was about to co up any ti soon as dawn was breaking, casting little light over the barren landscape.
I bit my lip before nodding. "Fine. But just an hour."
Kaid smirked. "I’ll take what I can get anyti."
I shifted closer to the rock for support, resting my head against it. Kaid sat beside , his presence oddly reassuring.
As I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally pulled under.
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~Alpha Storm’s POV~
The phone refused to connect as it kept repeating the sa automated ssage.
The number you’re trying to reach is currently switched off, please try again later.
And still, nothing.
"This is fucked up," I growled, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I sped down the road.
Draven sat beside , his own frustration evident as he repeatedly tried Snow’s number, then Zara’s, but no matter what he did, the lines weren’t connecting.
The more silence I was t with, the worse the unease in my chest grew.
Snow wasn’t just ignoring my calls. Sothing was wrong.
"Damn it," Draven cursed under his breath, rubbing his temple. "I’ve tried mind-linking him. Nothing."
I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening even more. "Call her again. Call anyone at his mansion. I need information—and now."
Draven nodded and imdiately dialed another number. But as expected, nothing.
I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my growing rage in check. This wasn’t normal. Snow never ignored my calls, and Zara? I had never known her to disappear without a trace.
Sothing had happened.
And I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I found when we arrived at her apartnt.
Draven hesitated for a brief mont before speaking. "Alpha, if I may ask... do you think sothing has happened to him?"
I didn’t answer right away.
Because deep down, I already knew the answer.
"Call Dare Devil," I finally said, my voice sharper than I intended. "Send word to Jupiter and Xavier—Golden God. I need all information on Snow’s last whereabouts. I don’t care how they do it, but I want answers."
Draven nodded imdiately. "Yes, Alpha."
As he worked on making the calls, I focused on the road, pushing the car even faster.
The second I got my hands on my son, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.
I just hoped...
That there would be sothing left to explain.
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