The quiet of the forest pressed in on me. My footsteps were the only sound, crunching softly over the thick carpet of leaves and twigs. It had been two days since I'd fled Valtara, two days since I'd watched my own brother's face harden as he declared me an enemy.

I kept moving, muscles aching and my mind clouded with exhaustion. Rest wasn't an option; every time I closed my eyes, I'd see the dreams that weren’t mine. Images of war and bloodshed. What does it all mean? Am I not...?

No.

I am Luca Umbra, just Luca.

Right?

I stumbled into a clearing, a wide stretch of land where the trees broke open to reveal a darkened sky. The air was cool, the smell of damp earth mixing with the faint scent of smoke from a distant village. I let out a shaky breath, leaning against a tree as I looked up at the sky. The stars glittered coldly above, distant and unreachable. I wonder if Sacer is out there somewhere, staring up at the same stars.

I let myself sink down onto the ground, my back against the rough bark, and tried to breathe, to push down the twisting dread in my stomach. But the silence brought with it the voice I dreaded, the voice I'd been trying so hard to ignore.

You're wasting your strength, Damon's voice echoed in my mind, cold and unyielding. You'll never be able to outrun your destiny.

"I don't want to hear it," I muttered, clenching my fists. I'd fought so hard to keep him buried, to drown him out with every thought and every step, but he was always there, waiting.

Ignoring me won't change the truth, Damon continued, his voice soft and coaxing, threading through my mind like smoke. You're running from your power, Luca. But you can't run forever.

"I don't want it!" I hissed. "I don't want to be anything like you."

There was a long, heavy silence, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze. But I could feel Damon's presence lingering.

You can't fight it forever, he whispered. One day, you'll understand. You'll accept who you are. Who you're meant to be.

I took a shaky breath, and pressed my hands into the dirt, grounding myself in the cold, solid reality of the forest. I wasn't Damon. I was Luca. And no matter what he said, no matter how loud his voice grew, I wouldn't give in. I wouldn't let him turn me into the monster everyone thought I was.

But even as I clung to that thought, a nagging doubt wormed its way into my mind. What if he was right? What if I was only delaying the inevitable, refusing to accept the truth that was woven into my very blood?

No. I couldn't think like that. I couldn't let him win.

And with that thought, sleep took me.

-

I hadn't made it far from the clearing when the sound of distant cries reached my ears, faint but desperate. I stopped, straining to listen, my heart pounding as the cries grew louder, more frantic. Damon's presence stirred, as though the sound had drawn him out of his slumber.

Curious, he murmured, his voice curling through my mind, sharp with interest. Why don't we see what's causing all this commotion?

I wanted to ignore him, to keep walking, to pretend I hadn't heard anything. But the cries grew louder, more desperate, and against my better judgment, I found myself moving toward them. The forest opened up into a small road, and there, huddled by a tree, were two people- a mother and her child, their faces pale, and clothes ragged and dirty. They were surrounded by three dark shapes- bandits, judging by the tattered armor and the sharp, twisted smiles on their faces.

My stomach twisted as I watched, frozen in place, Damon's voice whispering in my mind, urging me forward.

You could help them, he said softly, his voice almost gentle. You have the power. You could end this with a single thought.

"No," I whispered, my fists clenching. That power was a curse, a darkness that would only bring pain. But as I watched, one of the bandits stepped forward, his knife glinting in the dim light, and the child let out a terrified sob, clutching at his mother's arm.

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My heart pounded, my breath coming faster as I took a step forward, then another, until I was standing at the edge of the clearing, hidden by the shadows. I could feel the power stirring within me, waiting, watching, like a dark, hungry beast that had finally caught the scent of its prey.

The bandits hadn't noticed me yet, too focused on their victims to see me standing there. But I couldn't look away, couldn't ignore the fear in their eyes, the quiet, desperate pleas they murmured, begging these animals for mercy.

"Please," the mother whispered, her voice trembling. "We don't have anything left... just let us go."

One of the bandits laughed, a cruel, twisted sound. "Oh, we're not here for gold, darling. Just looking for a bit of fun, that's all."

I felt a surge of raw, animalistic anger filling my chest with a heat that burned hotter than anything I'd ever felt before. My hands clenched, my nails digging into my palms. I could feel the flames stirring, the dark fire pulsing beneath my skin, begging to be released.

Do it, Damon whispered, his voice soft and insistent. You know you want to. They deserve it, don't they? You have the power to make them pay.

"No," I muttered, fighting to keep the fire down, to hold it back. But as I watched the bandit reach for the woman, a dark, cold certainty settled over me. They wouldn't stop. They wouldn't listen to reason. They wouldn't leave these people alone- not unless someone made them. Not unless I made them.

I took a deep breath, feeling the fire rise within me, filling every corner of my mind, every inch of my body with a terrible, unstoppable power. And before I could even think about stopping myself, the flames surged to the surface, swirling around my hands, dark and fierce, casting an eerie glow across the clearing.

The bandits froze, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of me, standing at the edge of the woods, wreathed in black, demonic fire.

For a moment, no one moved, the air thick with shock and fear. Then, one of the bandits let out a low, nervous laugh.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a little magician," he sneered, though I could see the fear in his eyes. "You think you can scare us, boy?"

The flames flared, twisting around my hands, and I took a step forward, the ground beneath me scorching as the fire spilled out, leaving charred marks in my wake. The bandits flinched, their bravado fading, replaced by a fear that filled me with a strange, almost dark satisfaction.

"You don't want to do this," I said, my voice low, the words carrying an edge I hadn't intended. "Leave them alone. Now."

The bandits exchanged nervous glances, their eyes darting from me to the flames that licked at my hands, flickering with a dark, hungry light. One of them lunged, his knife gleaming as he charged toward me, a snarl twisting his face.

I reacted without thinking, my hand shot out, the flames surging forward in a dark, searing wave. The bandit let out a scream, stumbling back as the fire wrapped around him, consuming him in seconds. The smell of burnt cloth and flesh filled the air, sharp and sickening, and the other bandits froze, their faces pale with terror.

I shuddered, the dark satisfaction fading, replaced by a sickening dread as I looked down at the charred remains of the man at my feet. This isn't what I'd wanted. This isn't what I'd meant to do.

But Damon's voice filled my mind, like a cat purring after a meal. See? Isn't it better this way?

The remaining bandits backed away, their faces twisted with horror, and I could see the fear in their eyes, the same fear I'd seen in Valtara, in Sacer's gaze, in my father's horrified stare. They looked at me as though I were something unholy, a monster brought to life.

"Leave," I said, my voice shaking, though I did my best to keep it steady. "Leave, or I won't stop."

They didn't need any more convincing. They turned tail and ran, disappearing into the trees, their footsteps fading into the silence. I stood there, the flames flickering around me, casting eerie shadows over the clearing, as the family huddled by the tree, their eyes wide with terror.

I forced the fire down, clenching my fists as I willed it to disappear. Slowly, the flames faded, leaving only a faint warmth, a lingering reminder of the otherworldly power I'd unleashed.

The mother looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude and fear, and I felt a pang of guilt twist in my chest. She opened her mouth, as if to thank me, but I quickly held up a hand to stop her.

"Don't," I said, my voice hollow. "Just... don't."

I turned, forcing myself to walk away, each step heavier than the last. I could feel their eyes on my back, the weight of their gratitude and their fear pressing down on me like a shroud. And as I walked, Damon's voice filled my mind.

You saved them, he murmured. You used your power for good. Isn't that what you wanted?

But it didn't feel good. The image of the charred bandit lingered in my mind, haunting me, filling me with a sickening dread.

"You did that," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Not me."

But Damon only laughed, his voice a low, mocking echo in my mind. Oh, Luca, he purred, his voice curling around me like smoke. You can tell yourself that all you want. But we both know the truth.

I kept walking, the darkness pressing in around me, Damon's voice filling my mind, his presence growing stronger with every step. I wanted to scream, to tell him to leave, to tear him out of my mind and banish him back to whatever dark corner he'd come from.

But he was everywhere, filling every thought, every corner of my mind, blurring the line between us until I couldn't tell where he ended and I began. I could feel his power, dark and cold, pulsing beneath my skin, waiting, watching, like a shadow lurking at the edge of my mind.