The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178: Taken

EIRLYS’ POV

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Kierygan moved faster than thought. His arm swept across me, pulling me behind him like a shield. Heat surged from his body, his dragonfire stirring beneath the surface. I watched as faint.

scales began to glint along his neck, creeping up toward his jaw.

“You’re not taking her,” he snarled. His voice rumbled through his chest, deep and raw, like thunder

breaking inside a storm.

The taller of the two stepped forward, a bearded figure draped in molten gold. His eyes glowed

like twin suns, terrible in their calm, and endless in their depth.

When he spoke, his voice carried no anger, only inevitability.

“Order was disturbed,” he said, his tone unbending, so it must be restored.”

Kierygan stood his ground. Even knowing he was hopelessly outmatched, he did not waver.

“She did not disturb anything,” he said, his voice low and steady, burning with conviction. “She-

restored what was broken.”

The other being, the one robed in heavenly blue, tilted his head, studying Kierygan with eyes that held neither malice nor mercy. When he spoke, his tone was patient, almost kind.

“Step aside, dragon,” he said. “Let this be done peacefully. Have the fae come willingly.”

Kierygan’s jaw tightened, the muscle in his neck flexing as he drew in a slow, controlled breath. Then, clear and unwavering, he spoke a single word

“No.”

The air shifted immediately. All around us came the sound of movement: the scrape of steel, the

rumble of growls rising from the crowd.

Callum and Orryx were the first to step forward, their bodies trembling as fur of black and gray rippled across their skin. The warriors behind them followed suit, the cracking of shifting bones. echoing like the prelude of a storm.

Evander and the vampires bared their fangs, eyes burning crimson in warning. The witches- Ulyanna and Scylla-remained deathly calm, their palms already glowing with power.

Ashteryn stood just behind them, hand resting on the hilt of his dagger, coiled like a spring, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “You’ll have to go through all of us,” he said.

Neither of them flinched at the display of defiance,

The one robed in pale blue lifted a hand deliberately, and I felt it long before I saw it. An invisible

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Chapter 178 Taken

weight, suffocating and relentless, pressed into my chest.

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A tremor cut through the air, sharp and biting. Magic in the witches’ hands sputtered and hissed, then died entirely. I saw the shock mirrored on every face-pain twisting their expressions, hands clawing at their heads as a sudden, unbearable ache threaded through them.

I tried to summon my own light, desperate to counter it, to make the pain stop, but it wouldn’t

answer to me.

My chest ached, seeing them all-warriors, women, children-frozen, paralyzed beneath that crushing power. I couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Please… stop,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

Kierygan’s roar shattered the air, raw and desperate. “Eirlys, don’t move!” he barked. “Stay behind

me!”

But the words were drowned out by the sharp, oppressive force that pressed on everyone. Cries of

pain echoed-ragged, human, unbearable. I had to do something.

“Make it stop,” I pleaded, my gaze darting over the kneeling figures-warriors, women, children-all writhing under the invisible hand of agony. Then to Kierygan, who was barely standing, his face twisted in the same pain. “I’ll go. Just make it stop.

Talons split through his hands; sharp teeth glinted as his control slipped. “No, Eirlys,” he growled,

his voice breaking with fury and despair. “You can’t do this. You can’t go.”

But I could see it in his eyes-he knew. He knew there was no winning. No matter how much

strength he gathered, no matter how many stood with him, the beings before us were beyond

anything we could fight.

And as much as it tore me apart, I couldn’t let them suffer for me.

I stepped out from behind him, closing the distance until I could touch his face. My hand trembled

against his jaw, warmth meeting scales. “I’m sorry,” whispered, tears blurring the world. “I… have

1. You know I have to.”

Kierygan’s voice tore through the air, a raw growl laced with frustration and heartbreak. His arms

wrapped around me with all the strength he had, trying to hold me back-but I couldn’t let him stop

1. I had made my choice.

I nodded once to the two glowing beings. Their light pulsed in acknowledgment, a silent confirmation of what was to come. Kierygan’s fingers dug into my skin, desperate, pleading.

“You don’t understand,” he rasped, his voice breaking. “If you go with them… you might never come back.”

I swallowed, the lump in my throat choking me, tears streaming unchecked, “I know,” I whispered,

Chapter 178 Taken

voice trembling but steady with resolve.

“No! I can’t let you!” Kierygan’s shout ripped through the air-raw, furious, pleading all at once.

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His arms tightened around me with such desperation I thought I might break apart. My chest burned at the sound of him, at the sight of the Dragon King unraveling before me. “Don’t do this,” he rasped. “Eirlys, please. Don’t you dare!”

I wanted to tell him I didn’t want this either-that I’d give anything to stay-but if it meant he and everyone else would live, then so be it.

I never got the chance to say it. A blinding surge of force struck him, hurling him backward.

The two glowing figures stepped in beside me, their radiance engulfing everything. A beam of light descended, swallowing us whole as they unfurled vast, birdlike wings that shimmered with celestial fire. My feet left the ground, and with it, the crushing power that had paralyzed the others

lifted.

Gasps and cries filled the air-relief, fear, awe-but heard none of it. My tear-blurred gaze stayed locked on Kierygan, struggling to rise, his face twisted in anguish.

“Eirlys!” His voice cracked the stillness, ragged, desperate. “Come back! Please… come back to

me!”

My heart lurched as Kierygan shifted before my eyes-scales rippling into place, wings unfurling with a thunderous snap. His eyes burned blue and silver, wild with desperation.

He roared, the sound tearing through the heavens, and then he took flight. Flames erupted from his jaws, scorching the very sky as he fought to reach me. But I was being lifted higher, faster. The fire he breathed was swallowed whole by the blinding light around us.

“Eirlys!”

The light surged, drowning everything in white. His figure blurred, then vanished. And as the last sound faded, the only thing left in my chest was the echo of his voice… and the unbearable certainty that I might never see him again.

I wasn’t sure when I’d fallen asleep-or if I’d fallen at all. But when I opened my eyes, I was lying on something warm and solid, yet fluid beneath my palms. It shimmered like water, reflected like

glass, and for a heartbeat, I thought I was floating.

Slowly, I pushed myself upright. The floor rippled faintly under my touch, casting waves of light

across the vast expanse around me.

Arched pillars rose in the distance, elegant and pale, but there was no roof above them-only an

endless stretch of clouds, swirling softly in a sky that had no sun.

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Chapter 178 Taken

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Everything glowed faintly here-even the horizon, brushed in gold and ivory clouds that drifted like a living canvas. A soft hum lingered in the air, the echo of a thousand distant chimes.

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