Kelvin's chest heaved, the room closing in around him as Sebastian's ultimatum lingered in the air. Every beat of his heart seemed to echo Dave's shallow breaths, each weaker than the last.
"There… there has to be another way," Kelvin rasped, his voice raw, desperate.
The grandmother's eyes flicked to him, steady but grim. "There is… but it's dangerous. Deadly, even."
Valerian clutched Dave's limp hand tighter, his tear-streaked face snapping up. "Tell us!"
She hesitated, her old gaze heavy with the kind of knowledge that weighed down a soul. Then she spoke.
"Your beast," she said quietly, eyes settling on Kelvin. "Only it has enough power to feed two lives at once. If you release it, if you give Dave your blood, it could strengthen both him and the child. It could save them."
Kelvin froze, the words striking deep. He shook his head violently. "No. You don't understand what you're asking. If I turn… if I let it out, I won't stop. My beast doesn't know love—it only knows hunger, rage. I could kill him myself."
The grandmother's tone hardened. "If you do nothing, the baby will drain him dry. And when that happens, you'll lose them both."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Sebastian's jaw clenched. "And if you lose control, we'll all be dead anyway. This isn't a choice—it's madness."
Valerian cried, his voice shattering as he turned to Kelvin. "He means everything to you—don't just stand there and let him die! If you love him, you fight for him. You fight for them both!"
Kelvin's knees buckled. He dropped beside the bed, his trembling hand brushing Dave's face. So cold. Too cold. His eyes burned as guilt and love warred inside him.
"Dave… forgive me," he whispered, his lips trembling.
Then he looked up at the grandmother, his expression twisted with anguish but laced with unyielding resolve. "Tell me what I have to do."
The old woman nodded solemnly, her voice low, steady. "You must bleed as your beast. Only then will the energy flow. But you must control it, Kelvin. One drop too much, and the darkness will consume him instead of save him."
Valerian covered his mouth, muffling a sob. Sebastian's grip tightened on his shoulder, steadying him as his own eyes flickered with something rare—fear.
Kelvin's body began to shake as he drew a ragged breath. He could already feel it—the beast clawing, snarling, desperate to be freed.
"If I do this…" His voice cracked. "If I can't stop… promise me you'll end me."
The room went still. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
And then Kelvin let go.
His scream tore through the room, bones splintering, muscles ripping as the shift overtook him. Shadows bled from his skin, his frame twisting, cracking until the monstrous beast emerged—hulking, terrifying, eyes glowing red like blood aflame. The floor quaked under its weight, the air thick with dark energy.
Valerian clutched Sebastian's arm, trembling. Even Sebastian looked pale, his usual composure fraying.
The beast lowered its massive head, fangs glinting, and dragged a claw deep across its chest. Dark, glowing blood spilled out, thick and alive, dripping with a power that made the room tremble.
Kelvin's beast leaned down, forcing a drop past Dave's lips.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Dave convulsed violently, his body arching off the bed as the glow in his stomach flared, brighter, pulsing like fire beneath his skin. His lips parted with a choked gasp, his hand clutching at the sheets.
Kelvin's beast roared, the sound shaking the walls, as though it were pouring every ounce of itself into the fragile body before him.
The air crackled, heavy with power, life and death wrestling in the same space.
And in that moment, no one knew—would Kelvin's love save them, or destroy everything?
Dave's body arched higher, a strangled cry escaping his throat before his head fell to the side, his lips stained with the beast's dark blood. The glow beneath his skin flared violently, flooding the room in a sharp burst of light.
Valerian shielded his eyes with a gasp, clinging to Sebastian. "It's too much—he can't take it!"
"Wait," the grandmother's voice cut through, steady even as the ground shook. Her hand hovered near Dave's chest, her eyes narrowed. "No… look."
The glow pulsed, erratic at first, then steadied, slowing into a rhythm that matched Dave's heartbeat. His breaths, ragged and shallow before, began to even out. Color returned faintly to his cheeks.
Kelvin's beast crouched low, trembling violently. Its claws dug into the wooden floor, gouging deep scars as it struggled to keep control. Blood dripped from its wound, another drop sliding toward Dave's lips.
"Enough!" the grandmother barked. "One more drop, and you'll drown him!"
The beast froze, its massive body quaking, a guttural growl rumbling in its chest. Its glowing red eyes flickered wildly between feral hunger and desperate love.
"Kelvin!" Valerian's voice cracked, shrill with fear. "Stop! You'll kill him!"
The beast roared, a sound torn between rage and agony. For a heartbeat, it looked as though it would snap, that the monster would devour everything in its path. Sebastian's hand went to his sword, eyes hard, ready to strike if it lunged.
But then Dave stirred. His hand twitched weakly against the sheets, fingers trembling before brushing the back of Kelvin's massive claw.
The touch was feather-light, fragile. But it was enough.
The beast stilled. Its red eyes softened, flickering back to something almost human. A broken whimper escaped its throat as it staggered back, collapsing against the wall, shaking violently as the transformation began to recede. Flesh tore and knit back together, bones cracking as Kelvin's human form reemerged—bloodied, exhausted, drenched in sweat.
He crawled forward on shaking arms, reaching Dave's side. His voice was hoarse, broken, but filled with desperate relief.
"Dave… Dave, please… open your eyes."
A long, agonizing silence stretched. Then, faintly, Dave's lashes fluttered. His lips parted, a weak breath escaping.
"…Kelvin…?"
Kelvin's chest collapsed with a sob, his forehead pressing against Dave's hand as tears slid freely down his cheeks. "I'm here. I'm right here."
Valerian burst into quiet tears, burying his face against Sebastian's chest. Even Sebastian's jaw unclenched, a rare, silent exhale escaping him as his grip softened around Valerian.
The grandmother's gaze, though, lingered on Dave's faintly glowing belly. Her voice was soft, almost reverent, yet troubled.
"They live. Both of them."
The old woman's gaze hardened. "Pray you're strong enough to protect them. Because others will come for what you've made—and some will want it dead before it ever takes its first breath."