Relief washed over Damian as he looked at his sister, Astrid. For the first time in what felt like forever, he let himself smile—really smile. It was a small, tearful thing, but it was genuine. He hadn’t realized how much stress he’d been holding onto until this moment.

Astrid noticed his smile and returned it with a light laugh. “Now that you’re okay, are you ready to go? The hospital called me earlier. They said besides some burns and bruises, you’re good to go.”

“Yes!” Damian blurted out. He was desperate to leave this place and get back to some kind of normalcy—or at least as close as he could get. “By the way, do you have an extra phone I can borrow? Most of my stuff got turned into charcoal.”

Astrid laughed, her shoulders shaking as she reached into her bag. “Yeah, Mom figured you’d need one. She dug up one of Dad’s old smartphones and got the service reconnected. It’s not the latest model, but it works.”

“Thanks,” Damian said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

“And I brought you some clothes,” Astrid added, handing him a small duffle bag. “The front desk said you didn’t have much left. I figured as much.”

Damian sighed as he opened the bag. “I didn’t expect anything to survive, but they could’ve at least tried to recover my stuff. Sloppy work.”

After getting dressed, the two of them walked out of the hospital together. Damian made sure to thank the staff as they left, though he couldn’t help but feel relieved that the government had covered his bills. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

The drive back to their uncle’s house was quiet at first, with the low hum of the car engine filling the silence. Damian stared out the window, watching the world blur past. It looked normal—too normal, considering everything that had happened.

Finally, Astrid broke the silence. “So… what actually happened?” she asked, a sly smirk creeping onto her face.

“What do you mean?” Damian replied, feigning confusion.

“You know what I mean,” she said, glancing at him. “How did you get into this situation? You don’t just end up in a hospital with burns and bruises for no reason.”

Damian sighed, his tone shifting. “I don’t really want to get into it.”

Astrid gave him a side-eye. “You’re not getting off that easy, Damian. You’re not usually the type to let your emotions show like that. Something big must’ve happened.”

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

After a long pause, Damian relented. “It’s a long story,” he began, “but it started when these creatures began showing up near Uncle Ben’s town. One thing led to another, and I ended up getting involved. This last incident was… different. People were dying,Astrid. The whole situation spiraled out of control, and I got caught up in something way bigger than I ever imagined. Now I’ve got these weird… magicalabilities.”

Astrid slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to theside of the road. She turned to face him, her eyeswide with disbelief. “Wait, what? Magical abilities? Are you serious?”

Damian nodded, his expression somber. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s real. And I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d think it was insane.”

Astrid leaned back in her seat, trying to process what he’d just said. “Magic isn’t real, Damian,” she said, her voice tinged with both skepticism and fear. “This isn’t some movie. This is real life.”

“Exactly,” Damian said firmly. “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. But it’s the truth. Uncle Ben and Aunt Mary know a little about what’s been going on, but even they don’t know the full story.”

Astrid shook her head, her shoulders slumping. “This is insane. But… it’s also kind of amazing. Wait—what kind of magic?” Her curiosity finally got the better of her.

Damian hesitated before replying, “I know a few, but the least dangerous is probably my healing ability.”

Her eyes lit up. “Wait, you can heal people? Show me!”

Damian glanced around to make sure they were alone. “Fine, but don’t freak out.”

Closing his eyes, he muttered Heal under his breath and activated his healing skill. A faint glow enveloped his hands as he ran them over his arms and chest, the burns and bruises disappearing with each use. By the time he was done, he felt completely restored.

Astrid stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. “That… was amazing!” she shouted, bouncing in her seat. “How did you do that? Can you teach me? Do I have magic too?”

“Calm down, Astrid,” Damian said, raising his hands to stop her barrage of questions. “I’ll explain more later. For now, can you just drive me to the nearest sporting goods store? I lost my weapon back there, and I need to replace it. We’re not risking driving around without protection.”

They arrived at Richard’s Sporting Goods after a short drive. Astrid, still buzzing with excitement, followed Damian into the store.

“So, what are we getting?” she asked eagerly.

“A few combat knives, some survival blades, and any other gear we might need,” Damian replied, scanning the aisles.

Unfortunately, the shelves were mostly bare. Guns and ammunition were completely sold out, which didn’t surprise Damian. Most people hadn’t even encountered these creatures yet, but fear alone was enough to cause a panic.

Astrid frowned. “Shouldn’t we get a gun, though? Just in case?”

Damian shook his head. “Guns are useless against these things. I once emptied an entire magazine into one, and it barely left a scratch. But a sword? A bow? Those work. I don’t know why, but it’s like the rules of physics don’t apply to them the same way.”

Astrid tilted her head, processing his explanation. “So, it’s like a video game?”

“Exactly,” Damian said. “I don’t fully understand how it works, but that’s how it feels. And if I’m still alive, it’s because I’ve learned to adapt.”

They grabbed what they could—knives, camping gear, and a basic survival kit—before heading back to the car. Damian felt better knowing they were at least a little more prepared.

As they drove toward their uncle’s house, Astrid glanced at Damian. “You’re really something else, you know that you’re handling this a lot better than I would.”

Damian chuckled. “I’m just trying to survive, Astrid. That’s all we both can do.”