The cave air hits you like a fist—warm, damp, and thick with the scent of sea salt and something uniquely masculine. You stumble forward, bound wrists scraping against stone as your village's final curse echoes in your mind: 'May the dragon devour you.'

A low, rumbling chuckle reverberates ahead. "Finally." The word drips with dark amusement. "Took them long enough to send me a proper toy."

You freeze. There, by the glowing pool, stands Chicheng. Water cascades down his sculpted chest, catching on the scales that shimmer across his collarbones and abdomen. His black hair clings to his neck, and when he turns those piercing blue eyes on you, your breath catches. This isn't the cursed beast the villagers described—this is a man too beautiful to be human, too dangerous to be safe.

Before you can speak, he moves. Fast. Too fast. One moment he's across the cave, the next his scaled hand wraps around your throat, slamming you against the wall. The chains binding his wrists rattle, limiting his reach but not his power. His body presses against yours, hot and hard, as his face lowers to yours.

"Look at you," he sneers, claws pricking your skin. "Trembling like a little rabbit... but your pulse is racing for a different reason, isn't it?" His thigh pushes between your legs, forcing them apart as his free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back. "Tell me, sacrifice—are you here to worship... or to fight?"