Pain. So much pain.

My body ached like I'd been trampled by some wild horses. Something heavy pinned me down, and the air was thick with dust and the distant crackling of flames.

I blinked, my vision swimming as I tried to make sense of the wreckage around me. My ears were still ringing, but in the haze, I caught flashes of movement—blades clashing, golden light flickering, the smell of burnt ozone in the air.

What… happened?

Then I saw them. Sacer and Edric were fighting for their lives.

Sacer moved with sharp, deliberate strikes, his broadsword glowing with his magic. His eyes burned with determination as he clashed against something—Damian?

At least, it looked like Damian.

His body had become something else entirely. Black scales covered his arms and neck, his fingers curled into claws, and his once-too-large cloak now stretched against his distorted frame. His red eyes glowed brighter than before.

He caught Edric’s sword mid-swing, claws scraping against the steel. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent Edric flying—lightning sparking uselessly as he crashed through a broken wall.

Sacer tried to push forward, but the boy was faster. He ducked under a strike, grabbed Sacer by the front of his shirt, and threw him. My brother barely had time to react before he slammed into the ground.

Move, Luca. Move!

I tried to push myself up, trying desperately to move to their aid. My limbs felt sluggish, my head heavy. Everything blurred at the edges, black spots creeped into my vision—

I woke to the same weight, but it wasn’t crushing me anymore. My whole body ached as I forced my arms to move, shoving at the debris trapping me. Fingers scrapped against rough stone, and with one final push, I managed to roll onto my back, gasping for air.

The sky above was dark with smoke, fires still burning in the distance. I sat up slowly, my movements stiff. And then, I saw it.

Buildings reduced to rubble. The marketplace, once lively, now nothing more than charred remains. People huddled in the wreckage, whispering, crying, too afraid to move.

My chest tightened. My throat felt like it was closing.

Not again.

I pushed myself to my feet, swaying slightly. I scanned the wreckage until I found them—Sacer and Edric, unconscious but still breathing. Relief washed over me.

I dropped to my knees beside Sacer first, shaking his shoulder. “Come on, wake up.”

He groaned, eyelids fluttering before he turned towards me. He looked like he wasn’t completely sure where he was.

I moved to Edric next, slapping his cheek lightly. “Wake up.”

“Mmm... five more minutes…” he mumbled, shifting.

“Now.”

That got him moving. I helped him sit up. He winced, rubbing his side. “Okay, that sucked.”

Sacer groaned as he pushed himself up. His gold eyes flickered over the destruction, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. We didn’t have to.

He clenched his jaw, hands curling into fists.

“We need to evacuate the city,” I said, standing. “Get the people out of here. I’ll talk to Damian.”

Sacer snapped his head toward me. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

“He’s too dangerous.”

“I’m the only one who has any idea what he’s going through.” I took another glance at the frightened villagers, the wounded, the people still trapped under rubble. “We don’t have time to argue, Sacer. You and Edric are much faster than me—I need you guys to get these people out.”

Edric let out a long breath, pushing himself to his feet. “I hate this plan.”

“Same,” I muttered.

Sacer looked like he wanted to argue more, but he swallowed it down and gave a sharp nod.

I turned away before either of them could say anything else, my gaze locking onto the figure in the distance.

Damian stood in the middle of the ruined marketplace, his posture relaxed, like he had all the time in the world. His body had shrunk down to something more human, but the black scales still clung to him. His claws flexed at his sides, and his eyes glowed in the smoky haze.

I exhaled and stepped forward. “Damian.”

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He tilted his head. “You’re still standing.”

“This isn’t you.”

“Oh, Luca,” he sighed, shaking his head. “You’re thinking about this the wrong way. This isn’t some sort of possession. This isn’t some dark force controlling me.” He spread his arms, almost like he was proud of what he’d become. “This is entirely just me.”

I stared at him, my heart hammering in my chest. “You—”

“I wasn’t planning on revealing my true intentions this early,” he admitted. “But, eh… What can you do?”

“Damian, you don’t have to do this.”

His grin twitched. “That so?”

I nodded, taking a step forward. “What happened with Calor—what he did to you—it wasn’t fair. None of it was. But this?” I gestured to the destruction around us, to the people still trying to claw their way out of the rubble. “This isn’t justice. This is proving them right.”

His jaw tensed.

I pushed harder. “All your life, you were told you weren’t meant to exist. That you were wrong because you carried his blood. They never saw you. And now, after everything, you’re just… letting them be right?”

For a long moment, he just stared at me. His expression was unreadable, but I swear I saw something shift—hesitation, doubt, something.

Then, he exhaled sharply and shook his head. “You really are predictable.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you always do this.” He let out a chuckle, tilting his head. “The pleading, the whining, the running from the inevitable. You did it with yourself, didn’t you? All that time spent trying to prove to the world that you’re not Damon.”

I clenched my fists.

“And where did that get you?” he continued. “You’re still the same coward you’ve always been. The world still sees you as a monster. No matter what you do, they’ll never forget what’s inside you. They’ll always be afraid of the demon who burned Draemoore to the ground.”

I couldn’t lie, his words struck deep. “I don’t care what the world thinks of me anymore,” I said. “I just don’t want you to become what they say you are.”

Instead of responding, he took a step forward, his body flickering at the edges like a shadow caught in the wind.

“Damian,” I tried again. “Please, it doesn’t have to be this way. Don’t be what they say you are.”

‘“What they said I am?” he repeated, shaking his head. “Luca, I’m exactly that.”

I opened my mouth, but I didn’t get the chance to respond.

Because in the next second, Damian moved.

I barely had time to react. His claws sliced through the air, and I threw myself back just in the knick of time, his strike missing my throat by inches. The wind from the force of it whipped past me, cold and sharp. I had to stay light on my feet. Any hesitation and he’d tear me apart.

He lunged again and I barely managed to twist out of the way, but even then, his claws grazed my side, tearing through the fabric of my tunic. Pain flared hot, but I couldn’t stop.

I retaliated with a burst of black fire, aiming straight for his chest. He dodged so fast it was like he saw it coming before I even released it. Before I could blink, he was in my face.

I threw up my arms in a desperate block, but it didn’t matter. His strength sent me flying, my back slamming into the remains of a cart. The air rushed from my lungs in a pained gasp.

No time to think.

I rolled, just in time for his claws to bury themselves in the wood where my head had just been. With all the force I could muster, I kicked upward, aiming for his jaw. He jerked back just in time, my foot barely grazing him, but it gave me the second I needed to scramble back to my feet.

Damian wasn’t just strong—he was fast. Way too fast. He came at me again, wilder this time. I ducked under his swipe and reared my arm back, bringing my fist—coated in fire—straight into his ribs. The impact sent a shockwave through my arm, but I felt his body shift from the impact.

Then his foot lashed out, way faster than I could react.

The kick caught me in the ribs, and I swore I heard something crack. Pain exploded through my side as I crashed into the dirt.

I barely had time to think before his hand wrapped around my throat and lifted me into the air like I weighed nothing.

I choked, clawing at his grip, my legs kicking uselessly beneath me. My vision blurred at the edges as I struggled, my lungs desperately screaming for air. His claws dug in deeper.

I had seconds.

I did the only thing I could—I pumped mana into my hands, my fingers burning red hot around his scales.

Damian’s grip loosened slightly, and that was all I needed.

I let my fire explode outward in a violent burst. He let go immediately, leaping back. I hit the ground on my hands and knees, coughing, my throat burning—but I forced myself to push through.

I spun, black fire roaring to life around me, and sent another blast at him.

This time, it hit.

The force sent Damian skidding back, smoke curling from where the fire had scorched him. His scales dark like burnt steel.

He rushed me, faster than before, and I barely managed to bring my arm up before his claws raked against my forearm.

I bit down on a cry as blood seeped through the torn leather of my glove, staining my sleeve.

But Damian didn’t stop.

A kick to my stomach. A punch to my jaw. A swipe across my shoulder.

I felt everything. Every hit, every impact, felt like I was being crushed under a landslide. I staggered, barely standing on my feet. He was relentless. He wanted to break me.

One last hit. I slammed into the ground, my body screamed at me to stop moving.

Damian loomed over me, his body still shifting, he barely looked human anymore. “It’s over,” he said simply.

I slowly forced myself to my feet, blood pouring from my face onto the ground. “I..” I rasped, raising my fists. “I’m still standing.”

Damian moved so fast I barely comprehended it. One second, I was standing. The next, his claws were buried deep in my gut. I gasped, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp, silent cry. My body seized up, pain detonating outward from the point of impact.

I barely registered his expression as he twisted his claws inside me, carving through flesh. My vision blurred, black at the edges, my knees buckling.

He said something, but I couldn't hear him.

My legs gave out and I hit the ground hard, my mind drowning in a haze of pain and exhaustion.

Above me, Damian shuddered, his form distorting even further. With a sickening crack, massive wings burst from his back, unfurling into the air like a shadow blotting out stars.

The wind howled as he took to the sky.

I tried to move. Tried to call out. But the pain dragged me down, and before I could fight it—