Chapter 153: The Negotiations And The New Reality!
The silence stretched long as Neve’s heart raced faster and faster in his chest.
His entire body was trembling. His palms were sweating. His breathing was shallow and quick. He had just made a threat to one of the most powerful beastman in the entire outcast territory. He had just risked his life and the lives of those around him.
Even Popi, who could not believe someone was standing up for her, almost teared up. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her lips trembled slightly. She had not expected Neve to fight for her like this. She had not expected him to value her life so highly that he would threaten suicide.
Neve did not break eye contact with Zyreth. He kept his golden eyes locked on the snake king’s cold, calculating gaze. He refused to show fear. He refused to back down.
Wind from the small crack on the other side of the cave broke the heavy silence. The sound was soft but it seemed to echo through the stone chamber.
Zyreth looked at his brother Varek, studying him carefully.
"You heard him," Zyreth said finally, his voice carrying a strange mixture of amusement and authority.
"What?" Varek frowned, clearly confused by his brother’s response. "Are you going to listen to that pregnant thing just because he threatened you? Since when do you let prisoners threaten you? You’re the king. You should crush him for his insolence."
Zyreth smirked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, yes," he said calmly. "I am going to listen to him. It’s rare to see a female threaten me with such confidence and conviction."
"I’m a male!" Neve yelled, his voice echoing off the cave walls. He was frustrated and exhausted and terrified, and the constant misgendering was pushing him toward his breaking point.
Both Zyreth and Varek glared at Neve simultaneously.
"Yeah, we can see that," they chorused at the same time, their voices cold and dismissive.
Varek continued his argument with his brother, ignoring Neve’s correction.
"I’ve threatened you a lot of times," Varek said to Zyreth. "You should listen to me and give that female to me. I’ve been waiting for two days for her to punch me again. I deserve to have her."
But then Popi stepped forward.
"I’ll also kill myself before I give myself to you!" Popi yelled, her voice filled with absolute determination. "If you think you’re going to use me as your toy, you’re wrong. I’ll end my life first. I’ll find a way. I’ll do it."
Varek gasped and immediately went back on his knees, his eyes going wide.
"I’ve watched tons of females kill themselves just to escape me," he said, his voice carrying something that sounded like sadness or concern. "I won’t let you do that. I won’t let you kill yourself. That would ruin all my fun."
"Then stop behaving like a damn pervert!" Popi said, her voice sharp and clear. "Stop touching people. Stop trying to play with us. Stop being a threat."
Varek slowly stood up from his kneeling position. Popi’s eyes followed his face as her neck made a small pop sound.
"If that’s what you want, then I’ll do it," Varek said, his voice becoming more serious. "I’ll stop the perverted behavior. I’ll stop trying to assault you. I’ll control myself."
He paused, then added with a grin.
"But I won’t stop visiting you. That I cannot promise."
He flashed a glare at Neve and then transferred his cold gaze to his brother Zyreth.
"I’ll return later," he said and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the cave.
Zyreth sighed as he slid his fingers through his hair, clearly exhausted by the encounter.
"I won’t be able to protect you from my brother," he said to Neve and Popi, his voice carrying a strange honesty. "He’s unpredictable. He’s dangerous. He doesn’t always listen to me. But I’ve never seen him act like that toward a female before."
He paused, considering his words carefully.
"Continue to put him in control," Zyreth said, looking directly at Popi. "Continue to dominate the interactions. Continue to set boundaries and make him respect them. And maybe the outcast territory will be nicer to you than you expect. Maybe you’ll find it tolerable."
Popi gasped, leaning forward with sudden hope.
"Are you saying we’ll be able to roam around?" she asked eagerly. "We won’t have to stay in this cave all day? We’ll be allowed to see the territory? To move around freely?"
Zyreth nodded.
"This would be your new home," he said. "But yes, you can roam around the territory as you wish. You can explore. You can move about freely during the day. You can see what the outcast territory has to offer."
Popi’s face lit up with relief and something that looked like gratitude.
But then Zyreth’s expression changed. His voice became darker and more threatening.
"However," he said slowly, "if you try to escape, if you try to run away, if you try to betray me or my plans, the consequences will be severe. Very severe. More severe than anything you can imagine."
The atmosphere in the cave suddenly changed. The air became heavy and suffocating. The temperature seemed to drop despite the warmth of the underground territory.
Popi took a step back, shivering in fear from the implied threat. She did not need Zyreth to finish what he was saying. She did not need him to describe what would happen if they tried to escape.
Zyreth tilted his head to the side, looking between Neve and Popi as his lips curved into a smile that was not kind.
He did not finish his threat, but they all knew exactly what he was going to say. They all understood the implications. They all felt the weight of his warning.
"I’ll bring some fresh meat for you," Zyreth said, turning to leave. "You need to eat well. You’re both going to need your strength."
"Wait!" Popi called out. "Just fruits will do. Neve is pregnant. He can’t eat heavy meat. Please just bring fruits and vegetables."
"Hmm," Zyreth replied, acknowledging the request without committing to it.
He walked out of the cave, his footsteps echoing until they faded into silence.
.
As soon as he was gone, Popi and Neve exhaled deeply. Their bodies were shaking from the adrenaline and fear and relief.
They both slid down the cave wall until they were sitting on the cold stone floor. They were exhausted. Completely and utterly exhausted.
"Do you think we’ll be able to survive all of this?" Popi asked, her voice quiet and vulnerable.
She was scared. She was worried. She was wondering if they would make it out of this place alive.
"We just have to hope," Neve whispered, his voice carrying something fragile and desperate.
Hope? Did he even have any hope? But yes, of course he had hope. He had hope that Cael and the others would come for him. He had hope that the rescue team was on their way. He had hope that they would not be trapped here forever.
He just had to be patient.