The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 111

Bride

CH111

Tsuneo

Beautiful.

Breathtaking.

My Pyra....

Pyra... I blinked as the name, the word, rang through my mind. I had never thought about it. before, but it was an old word for light and fire, generally meaning life-giving fire. It was generally our word for true, healing fire? ad it become our word for healing because of what Tarofu called his wife? The stories said that when the phoenix died so long ago, all life went cold and nearly vanished.

Slowly, her body floated and landed on the banks. The glow began to fade. Her face was serene and peaceful. I reached out, my hand hovering between us. A wave of warmth washed over me, a comforting energy that seemed to radiate from her. My feet dragged me forward, drifting like a moth to a flame. Then, I reached her, my fingers brushing against her cheek.

I felt a jolt of energy, a connection forming between us. Morgan's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting mine, no longer that rich brown, but glowing golden and red, like red-gold and molten

gold.

*Morgan?"

"Tsuneo," she whispered. 'I hope... you've been behaving with that troublemaker in your head."

I laughed, sweeping her into my arms.

"Don't ever do that again."

"I don't plan on it... I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Much better now."

Hayato

guilt. The air was charged with something I hadn't felt

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Hope.

that maybe I could go back to that beautiful place with Haruka and stay there next

He'd loved Haruka just as fiercely as I had, and she was really the only person he'd ever openly

from the four-day coma, after all. Looking at them now, it felt even more obvious. The way he looked at her, the way Morgan's hand rested gently on his

ago. Haruka's absence felt as acute and as heart-wrenching-as painful-as the moment I'd found her body. I thought of Tsuneo's words, the confession, and tried push it down, but I couldn't. I thought of

to stay there, still

me to hear, and she smiled resting her

me wonder if they even realized or care that there was anyone or anything

them have their reunion in

hand. I had used them

needed that sanctuary

I reached the entrance to the passage, I

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CH111

regularly. No one should have been in these tunnels. Few knew of their existence, and even fewer had access to them. My

have even gotten this far into

Then, I froze in place, stunned and haunted by what I was seeing. I recognized every

had seen a ghost. As much as I wanted to run to her, I could

wasn't possible.

I'd had of

How could

a bit longer than she usually had it. It bounced with every