"Daddy!" Rebecca screamed, her tiny voice cracking under the weight of sheer horror. Her tear-filled eyes locked onto the gruesome sight of her father—King Alfred—dangling limply in the iron grip of the Dragon King. Blood streamed from the corners of the old king's mouth, and his breath came in shallow, rattling wheezes. His body trembled like a leaf in the wind, the fire in his eyes already dimming.
King Alfred was close to death—so close that even the act of breathing seemed like agony. His once-proud posture had crumpled under the might of a being who viewed him as nothing more than a disposable pawn.
"Father, please..." Drakonix's voice cracked as he stepped forward, desperation etched deep into his face. "I beg of you—let him go. I swear on my life, I will obey. I'll abandon them, I won't ever speak to them again. Just please… let him live."
