The explosion echoed in my ears long after the light faded. Damien's demonic fire—red and black, wild and furious—swallowed him whole. One moment he was there, shoving me to safety with that cold glare. The next, he was gone. Vanished in the blast, body lost to the crumbling chamber. I screamed his name until my throat burned, but only dust and water answered.
I collapsed to my knees on the wet stone, the curse in my chest raging like a storm. Black veins spread up my arms, pain shooting through me like knives. Why? He hated me. From the day I stepped into Noctos, he made it clear—I was weak, a curse, an omega not worth his time. His words cut deep every time: "Stay back." "You're a liability." So why save me? Why risk everything for someone he claimed to despise? My mind spun, tears mixing with the salt water on my face. The curse flared harder, pulling a vision from the darkness.
