Chapter 15: Crisis Point

Eleanor awoke with a gasp, her chest burning as if filled with fire. Darkness enveloped her, thick and suffocating, and the air was heavy with the unmistakable scent of blood magic. Panic seized her as she tried to move, only to find herself immobilized, icy chains binding her wrists and ankles. Her heart raced, dread coursing through her veins as she realized she was trapped.

A voice, smooth and laced with malice, cut through the oppressive silence from the shadows. "Finally awake, I see."

Morgana emerged, her green eyes glinting with sinister delight as she stepped into the dim light of the dungeon. Eleanor's blood turned to ice. How had she been so foolish? She had let Morgana's servant slip past her defenses and now paid the price.

"You won't get away with this," Eleanor hissed through gritted teeth, her voice betraying a mixture of defiance and fear.

Morgana's laughter echoed eerily around the dungeon. "And who's going to stop me? Your precious Drakon is in a deep slumber, unaware of your plight." She circled Eleanor, each step deliberate, predatory. "You are mine now."

Eleanor jerked away as Morgana trailed a cold finger down her cheek, revulsion mingling with the fear in her heart. "I'll never submit to you," she vowed, her voice trembling with defiance despite the chains that tightened around her, cutting into her skin.

Morgana's laughter rang out again, chilling and mocking. "Oh, my dear Eleanor," she murmured, her tone dripping with contempt. "You underestimate the power of blood magic. Resistance is futile."

Desperation clawed at Eleanor's chest as she strained against the chains, her mind racing for a way out of this nightmare. She had to keep Morgana talking, buy time until Drakon realized she was gone. The fate of their kingdom depended on it.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, locking eyes with her captor, a flicker of hope burning despite the darkness that threatened to engulf her.

Morgana's lips curled into a cruel smile as she circled Eleanor, her gaze filled with malice. "Isn't it obvious?" she sneered. "For power. With you under my control, I can finally ascend to my rightful place as ruler of Avalon."

The weight of Morgana's words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over Eleanor's heart. But even as doubt threatened to overwhelm her, a spark of defiance flickered within, a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching darkness.

"I'll never bow to you," Eleanor vowed, her voice filled with fierce determination. She met Morgana's gaze with unwavering resolve, refusing to be cowed by the darkness that surrounded her. "I will fight you with every breath in my body, for the sake of my kingdom."

Morgana's eyes narrowed at Eleanor's defiance, her smile twisting into a grimace of frustration and rage. "We'll see about that," she spat, her voice a venomous hiss that echoed off the stone walls of the dungeon.

But even as Morgana's words filled the air with dread, Eleanor clung to the hope that Drakon would come for her. She trusted in their love, in their bond, and knew that together they would find a way to overcome this darkness. As she stared into the abyss of uncertainty, Eleanor vowed to hold on, to endure, until the moment she was reunited with Drakon once more.