The Final Chance

A Bloody Sacrifice

"Cale" Talking
'Cale' Thinking
"CALE" Shouting
°°Cale: Ancient powers

The picture on the top doesn't belong to me, credits to the owner of the picture

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What greeted him inside made his heart drop. Eruhaben was hunched over, his posture strained as he coughed violently-blood splattering onto the floor.

"Eruhaben?"

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Eruhaben's eyes widened in shock as he spotted Cale, his presence unnoticed until that moment. But before the ancient Dragon could say anything, another violent fit of coughing overtook him, his frail body trembling as blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the floor. The sight of the bright red against his pale skin made Cale's heart skip a beat.

Without hesitation, Cale rushed to his side, catching him before he could collapse. His arms gently supported Eruhaben's weakened form as he slowly guided him down, helping him sit on the floor. The once proud and powerful Dragon now looked so fragile, too weak to even stand on his own.

"What is it?" Cale asked, his voice tight with concern as he knelt beside him. "Are you injured?" His sharp eyes scanned Eruhaben's body, searching for any visible wounds, but there were none. He had been with Eruhaben on the battlefield-there was no way it could be an injury.

If it wasn't an injury, then what? Was Eruhaben hiding something from him?

Cale waited in tense silence, watching Eruhaben struggle to catch his breath, the fits of coughing gradually subsiding. Finally, when Eruhaben seemed able to speak, he looked at Cale with a grim expression, his golden eyes tired and heavy with resignation.

"My end is near," Eruhaben said softly, wiping the blood from his mouth with a handkerchief that his trembling hand managed to hold. "I've lived for over a thousand years... There is no escaping it, Cale. My time is running out."

Cale, still kneeling beside him, stared in stunned silence. Of all the things he had expected, this wasn't one of them. But even so, he wasn't about to accept it-not now, not ever. Eruhaben had fought beside him through countless battles, had been there when no one else was, and Cale refused to let him die without a fight.

"Tsk, as if," Cale scoffed, his stubborn nature kicking in as he pulled out a small knife, the blade glinting under the dim light of the room.
Eruhaben's eyes widened in alarm as he watched Cale slice open his palm, blood pouring from the deep cut.

"Cale, what the hell are you doing?!" Eruhaben's voice cracked in panic as he immediately erected a soundproof barrier around the room. His hands were shaking as he grabbed Cale's wrist, trying to stop him. "You can't-this isn't-what are you thinking?!" The sight of all that blood, coupled with the fragile state he was in, made Eruhaben desperate to stop whatever madness Cale was trying to pull.

He had seen that look in Cale's eyes before the kind that told him Cale would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

After what felt like an eternity, the plate was finally full. Cale, exhausted from the blood loss but still defiant, set the knife aside. He hadn't even realized he had been clutching it so tightly until now.

Before he could move to heal himself, Eruhaben grabbed his hand and quickly began to heal it using magic, his movements filled with concern. Eruhaben hadn't yet witnessed Cale's regenerative abilities, so the sight of the blood made his chest tighten in worry.

"Stubborn brat," Eruhaben muttered, his voice trembling as he kept holding Keith's hand, determined to heal it completely before letting it go

"Tsk, unlucky bastard. You're going to pay for that, I'm sure," Eruhaben muttered, glaring at Cale, who merely turned his head away, mumbling under his breath.

"As if I care," Cale scoffed quietly. Once Eruhaben finished healing his hand, Cale stretched it out again, this time holding the plate full of blood toward him. His expression was calm, but his words were anything but.

"Drink it," he commanded, as if offering a glass of water rather than a plate filled with his own blood.

Eruhaben immediately recoiled, his expression darkening. "Never. Forget it." He stood up abruptly, making his way toward the door, but Cale grabbed him by the arm, holding him from walking and getting him back on the floor. Once again, he pushed the plate toward him, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you going to waste my blood in vain?" Cale provoked, his voice cool and steady, the challenge clear in his tone.

Eruhaben's eyes flashed with frustration. "That's not my intention, but I'm not drinking blood-especially not yours! Do I look like a damn vampire to you?" he snapped, his voice dripping with irritation.

Cale raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "What's wrong with you, old man? Has age finally caught up to you in your last days?" Cale taunted with a smirk, watching as a tick mark of irritation appeared on Eruhaben's forehead. He could see his words were having the intended effect.

"Cal-" Eruhaben began, but Cale cut him off mid-sentence.

"Drink it, or I'll call Raon," Cale threatened, his voice low but firm. "You wouldn't want that, would you? He'll make sure you drink it, and I guarantee he'll nag you about it forever. You know how he gets."

For five agonizing minutes, they went back and forth, Cale pushing and prodding, while Eruhaben tried to resist. But eventually, with a heavy sigh, Eruhaben reluctantly took the plate from Cale, staring down at the thick, red liquid. This was the last thing he'd ever imagined himself doing-drinking the blood of his friend, his son.

He gulped loudly, mentally bracing himself for what was to come. The amused glint in Cale's eyes only made it worse. Clearly, Cale was enjoying this far more than he should have been.

With a deep breath, Eruhaben brought the plate to his lips and drank it all in one swift motion. As the blood slid down his throat, his face contorted into a grimace of pure disgust. He swore to himself that he would never do this again-never, under any circumstances.

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Cale commented with a smirk, flicking his fingers lazily. With that small gesture, the room was instantly cleaned of all the blood and chaos.

Eruhaben glared at him. "Easy for you to say, considering you didn't have to drink it." He stood up, brushing off his clothes as if the very act of drinking the blood had tainted them.

Just as he was about to say something else, a red light enveloped him. He paused, feeling a sudden warmth spreading through his veins. It was as if a refreshing energy was coursing through him, rejuvenating every cell in his body. His body, which had never physically aged, now felt as if it was growing younger, even more vibrant. He glanced down at his hands, stunned by the sensation.

___

The two walked out of the room in silence, the tension between them lingering in the air as they made their way down the hallway.

"Unlucky bastard," Eruhaben muttered under his breath. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Cale asked, his tone casual, though there was an edge to it.

"Don't act all clueless," Eruhaben scoffed. His voice was laced with exasperation, but there was also a glimmer of understanding behind it.

"Hmph, of course, it was for the children," Cale responded confidently, as if there was no other possible explanation. "Why else would I do it if not for them?"

Eruhaben watched the younger man's back as they walked, noticing the faint, relieved smile tugging at the corners of Cale's lips. It was subtle, but it was there.

"Tsk, unlucky bastard," Eruhaben muttered again, shaking his head. "You really should learn to show your emotions more often."

Cale snorted in response. "What the hell are you talking about?" he shot back, but there was no real heat in his voice.

And so, the two continued their light bickering, the tension from earlier easing into something more familiar as they made their way toward the garden, where the others were already waiting for them.