Chapter 143: I’m sorry I couldn’t save you...

After Rhea’s punishment, she was placed back in the hole again, in fact all her muscles and bones had been dislocated. He skin was like minced meat, she couldn’t even move a finger. It reached to the point where her nose was bleeding.

Rhea shut her eyes, her breath hollow, as always she curled up into a ball. All sensations had vanished, only the chilling sensation of the core remained. She began to drift off once more, but then she heard Draven’s deep voice in her mind once more.

"My little girl, I will be there soon. Hold on!"

His voice reminded her that she was still alive at this point. And it felt wonderful...so wonderful to hear him refer to her as "my little girl." It felt warm and intimate, as of she was truly his.

Hurry up, Draven, she thought before allowing herself to drift back to sleep.

Before long, the sun had set and the moon ascended into the night sky. Moonlight streamed into the hole, its brightness causing her closed eyelids to tremble before she opened them. In her haze, she noticed a tall, fuzzy figure standing beside her. She blinked, her mind becoming clear.

"Draven, you’re here..." Her voice was extremely hoarse and raspy, it was as if her throat had been ripped. However, the figure stiffened for a moment, he then spoke,

"Rhea, it’s me."

When she heard his voice, she was surprised. "Cal, you..."

Cal quickly knelt down before her body, he was tugging at her chains and using his magic to unseal the locks.

With great difficulties, Rhea craned her neck to see what he was doing. It was then that she saw that he was trying to unseal the chains on her ankles. "Cal, what are you doing? You_"

He cut her off, "Hush, Azure isn’t back yet. Delia has helped me put all the guards to sleep, it wasn’t that hard stealing the keys to the prison with all of them sound asleep like pigs. Once I get you out of the chains, your escape will be easy." He explained as he concentrated on unsealing the chains, he didn’t even look at her face.

Rhea felt a huge lump in her throat, her eyes burned with tears. She knew how much Cal followed the human code, he had never broken any rules, he was a good fire controller, and he listened to the Emperor more than he did to his family. He followed all of Azures orders. But now, he actually stole the key to the prison to set her free.

"Cal..."Rhea started to tear up. Azure was determined to get rid of her, even though he was called on duty he didn’t forget to get someone else to take his place. And he even asked Oriana, her enemy to supervise the punishment. But now Cal was letting her free. When Azure returned and found her gone, she couldn’t imagine what kind of punishment Cal and Delia would face.

Soon, the chains around her left ankle were unsealed. However, Rhea still couldn’t move her leg; it was heavily injured to the point where it felt disconnected from her body. The daily whipping had caused huge damage to her entire body, and she doubted if she would ever be able to walk again.

Cal continued to try to unseal her other leg, and as he struggled, he whispered, "Rhea, if I release you, leave Birhhan. Not just Birhhan, but the entire human realm as well. Return to the Dragon realm and start a new life. Never come back here, because you no longer have any family here. Move on and forget the pain and the people... including me. After today, I mean nothing to you. Think of all this as a terrible nightmare. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing his words, Rhea slightly tilted her head to prevent tears from falling. Cal, who had previously insisted on her returning to her family, was now telling her to forget about them? He wanted her to live and be happy. He had abandoned all his teachings about Dragons and simply wanted her to start fresh... even if it meant forgetting about him too.

After completing the unsealing of the other leg, Cal shifted his attention to her right hand. However, just as he did so, a figure emerged from the hole’s opening. Both Cal and Rhea glanced upwards simultaneously as the person’s shadow glided over them from above. To their surprise, the person turned out to be Oriana, dressed in her nightgown, which shimmered under the moonlight.

At this late hour, none of the fire controllers were expected to be present, as everyone had already returned home for the night. Only the guards remained on duty, but Oriana had left and returned. She had come back to address unfinished matters, but she hadn’t expected to find all the guards sound asleep and Cal in the execution hole with the prisoner.

"You imbecile! What on earth do you think you’re doing in there? Helping a criminal escape, are you?" she sneered. "Cal, come out this instant, and I’ll pretend I didn’t catch you releasing the traitor. I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone."

Cal didn’t respond, only regarding her with a furrowed brow. Why was she here when she was supposed to be in her house and in bed by now? he wondered.

Oriana clenched her teeth in frustration when he didn’t reply nor attempt to get out. "You know the consequences of setting free a traitor better than I do. By doing that, you’re digging your own grave too soon. Now, be sensible and get your ass out of that place!"

This time, Cal disregarded her completely and resumed freeing the chain.

Rhea’s heart trembled in fear for Cal, she turned to push away from him so he would listen to Oriana before he ended up in trouble because of her, "Cal, listen to her and leave, you don’t have to release me."

"Hush, relax I will take care of her after I release you. She’s not much of a treat, she was terribly injured in the mountain that night when you fought with her." He whispered to Rhea, "When all the chains are off, I’ll call Delia and she’ll take you to the safe place we prepared for you while I deal with that bitch up there, and first thing in the morning we will escort you out of Birhhan."

Oriana didn’t hear what Cal whispered to Rhea, but she saw that he continued to struggle with the chains. Her expression hardened, "You son of bitch! I’m being nice right now by asking you to get out of there, but don’t blame me if you die along with that girl!" Saying that, she turned and walked away to the other side.

Ever since her face was disfigured, Oriana’s vicious tendencies became even stronger. And all she wanted was revenge against Rhea for ruining her face, she’d sworn to kill her tonight, and so she would. Nothing was going to stop her tonight, not even that stupid Cal, who had been getting under her nerves recently. She’d already warned him to leave, and if he didn’t leave before she did what she wanted, then he asked for it himself.

Rhea heard Oriana’s footsteps stopped not too far from the hole. She knew how evil Oriana was, and for the fact that she came here late at night only meant she wanted to do something. Rhea felt uneasy and quickly pulled at Cal’s sleeve, "You should leave. Please, Cal, go back home I will be fine."

"Silent, let me concentrate on the chains." He ignored her, he had already unsealed all the chains only one was remaining, but it was hard to get it off with the distraction. He wouldn’t leave after he’d come this far in releasing her, he had planned for this night for days, not even Oriana could stop him now.

Rhea’s push at his shoulder was no use. She was going to beg him to go when suddenly, the entire hole turned red. It started to burn like hell.

Rhea’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her, Oriana had actually left to turn on the execution spell which was used to kill outcast. Rhea was stunned speechless. Oriana had really come back to kill her!

Rhea grabbed Cal’s clothes in panic, "She...she wants to kill me with the execution spell, you should leave before the spell begins to take effect!"

However, Cal ignored her. He was almost finished, with only one chain left to remove. He couldn’t abandon his task. Before Cal could even begin to remove the final chain, the cage door above the hole suddenly slammed shut with a loud noise. Immediately after, the execution spell sprung into action. The hole began to burn intensely. It started rotating, the same spell Azure had used on Rinus’. Only he had the power to deactivate it once it was turned on, otherwise, everything and everyone in it would be consumed by the flames until nothing remained.

Rhea felt her entire body being scorched and drained by the spell. The pain was excruciating and uncomfortable.

Oriana, who stood outside above the sealed cage door, looked down at the pair in the hole. She was a bit stunned to still find Cal inside, she had thought the idiot would have left before she turned it on, but he was still inside.

Cal’s body began to shake, his eyes turned red to the extent blood began to fall out like tears. He quickly hugged Rhea’s body as if to prevent her from the spell. He used his fire barrier powers to block her from the burning in the hole.

Cal’s body didn’t have a dragon core that would protect him, he was just a human with flame magic, he wasn’t an immortal like the leaders, he could die in this spell just like anyone, his powers were just like Rinus’, they didn’t have the powers to fight Azure’s spell. But he could protect his body with his barrier.

Rhea’s worries accelerated, "Cal, protect yourself, don’t worry about me," she cried out with her hoarse voice, "Let me die, but save your body against the spell."

However, Cal didn’t listen, he was in pain. Blood started to flow out of his mouth and nose, even his ears were bleeding. Yet, Rhea’s body remainy unharmed by the spell. At first she’d thought it was the core that was protecting her, but when she saw the light around her body, she knew it was Cal.

Cal could no longer support his own body and his head dropped on Rhea’s shoulder, the last chain he was struggling to unseal slipped out of his grip.

Rhea, lacking the strength to support her own body, summoned all her energy to steady his shaking form. She felt the blood trickling from his mouth and nose cascade down her collarbone, and soaked into her clothes.

"Cal..." She sobbed, her voice trembling as she said, "Protect yourself, please." She glanced upwards and saw Oriana’s shadows through the cage door, "I beg of you Oriana, I know you can’t turn it off, but please use your powers to shield his body before Azure returns. Don’t let him die, if you protect him I promise to kill myself for you!" She begged with tears streaming down her face.

However, Oriana looked down at them from above, she saw how Cal’s body was starting to melt. Her heart began to race in panic, she actually had no intentions of killing Cal, but he had been the one acting stubborn.

Cal collapsed weakly, "Rhea..." His voice barely audible as he uttered, "I am sorry I couldn’t save you..."

Rhea shook her head repeatedly, her sobs making it difficult to breathe. The lingering effects of his powers left her feeling only a faint sensation of the burn. However, she could sense Cal’s flesh beginning to liquefy, melting under the intense heat. Overwhelmed by her own sorrow, Rhea realized he would not survive this ordeal. He would meet the same fate as Rinus.

No, she couldn’t bear to see him perish. She pleaded with the heavens, begging them not to take him away. She was willing to sacrifice herself in his stead, just as long as he would be spared. Please, not Cal, take anyone but him...

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read