Damon woke up in a lab. No machines hovered above him this time, no wires or restraints. Just silence, and Daichi sprawled across his chest in his dog form, heavy and warm.
His bones felt weighted, as if something inside them had been reforged overnight. The air tasted faintly metallic, the ghost of machines lingering even without a single device in sight.
He stroked the wolf's fur, a thought flickering soft, grateful. He's such a good dog. He thought.
Daichi stirred, eyes bright with relief. His voice pressed into Damon's mind, trembling.
"YOU'RE OKAY! I'm glad you're okay. Last night was… I didn't know what was happening. I could feel you in agony. But now you're awake!"
"I'm sorry," Damon whispered, thumb smoothing behind Daichi's ear. "I don't understand it either. But now I can... see better. I feel sharper. I can hear more."
"How?"
"I don't know," Damon admitted. "I just feel… stronger."
He lifted his right hand. Beyond it, his mother and sister dozed beside him — Queen Thessa in her royal nightwear and sleeping in a naturally regal posture, Nyra curled close with her head resting on her mothers shoulder.
Damon exhaled and asked Daichi not to wake them. Then he pressed his palm to his forehead, eyes shut tight.
Why'd I have to worry them again? Mom's a Queen. She has other things to attend to, not me. I hate worrying the people I love.
The door opened. Tolrex entered, relief loosening his shoulders. "You're awake. You gave everyone quite a scare."
Nyra startled upright at his voice. In a heartbeat she was on him, arms tight, breath shaking, tears threatening. For a moment she was only a sister hugging her brother, he hugged her back and they stayed like that for a while. Damon felt her breathing calming, as if taking a weight off her chest.
When she spoke, her voice trembled. "Last night was terrifying. Blood was coming from your mouth, your eyes looked dead and you were still breathing."
"I'm fine, it's okay." Damon said softly. "Calm down."
"I just found you," she whispered. "I don't want to lose you again."
"You won't," he said gently. "I feel fine. In fact, I feel—"
"Better," Tolrex finished.
Damon nodded. "Yes. Exactly."
Queen Thessa woke, moved to him, regal even in fear. She stroked his hair, sadness and relief fighting in her eyes.
"You should really stop scaring your mother," she murmured. "I'm sorry you have to endure so much pain."
Damon met her gaze. He didn't need words.
He sat up. His legs felt a little longer. His hands opened and closed, the grip tighter, cleaner. "What exactly am I going through?" he asked.
Tolrex hesitated. "I didn't tell your mother or sister because you should hear this first but… you are growing."
Nyra wiped her face. "What's wrong with that?"
Daichi shifted, watching.
"You are growing, Damon," Tolrex said softly. "That's the problem."
Confusion crossed the Queen's face. Tolrex wiped a few equations from a nearby board, summoned a 4D hologram splitting into two charts labelled DAMON and THALOR. The THALOR graph had a progressive upward curve that plateaued as it reached it's peak.
The DAMON graph was... different and showed red icons unlike the blue on THALOR'S.
Tolrex drew two simple graphs on the board.
"Lines solve all," he murmured. "This is the best way to make it sink in. What does anything that moves have?"
"Speed," Damon replied.
Tolrex wrote S on both graphs. "And if a thing moves far faster than it should?"
"Depends on its strength… its durability, and other factors" Damon said. "The outcome usually differs."
"Exactly." Tolrex marked drew a line and marked it "T" as he spoke. The T line had a steep normal progressive curve. "The T-line is your fathers. He built himself slowly. His body could withstand the speed of his own growth."
He drew another line he marked "D." It was the complete opposite of his father, the X and Y axis were far from equal progression.
"This is you're line. You haven't trained your body to... to match your power. Even if you did, your physical abilities, your powers, they grow faster than you do. Every time it spikes, your body scrambles to keep up. That's what happened last night. Your bones, blood, nerves, all racing to survive your own power."
Silence settled.
"D—Do you remember Her Majesty telling you that you have your fathers core?" Tolrex asked hesitantly.
Damon nodded.
"Subtracting the fact that you grow fast, the core of the strongest being to ever live on Eternum has been bonded with your own core. It'll release the power in it slowly but... we can't predict when that happens and we can't seal your own power, because..."
Tolrex paused and took in a deep breath. "Because you need to grow if you're going to up against a Black Hole negative emotions like Gamishi, remember emotions power eterna."
Silence settled again, but it was heavier this time. Everyone, even Daichi, had their faces grow sadder the more they processed the news Tolrex had just delivered.
Damon broke the silence softly. "So each time I train… each time I grow… it'll feel like this?"
Tolrex didn't reply, he couldn't. Though the way he adjusted his glasses said it all.
He met Nyra's eyes. Hers worried though his steady. His mother stood still, swallowing fear.
"So Tolrex," Queen Thessa said tightly, "if his body can't contain the growth… this purge will happen again?" Raising her tone, slightly turning to anger.
Tolrex lowered his gaze.
Damon saw the flicker in his mother's expression. It wasn't anger, but fear wearing the shape of it. The kind a mother feels when the world reaches for her child again.
He took her hand. She softened instantly, breathed out, then bowed her head to Tolrex slightly. "Forgive my tone."
Tolrex bowed back. Lower.
Damon rose; Daichi hopped onto his head like a snowy crown. Sunlight streamed through high windows, painting Woewyn's blue waters in feathered gold.
Damon saw a fish dive up and go back down. How can I see that far?
Buildings stretched far, trees hummed under nature's breath; somewhere, a child answered his mother's call.
Damon inhaled deeply. "If I master my power, or at least fully absorb the one in my fathers core… will the growth stop?"
"I— I can't say," Tolrex said. "You're unpredictable. We don't know if you will ever stop growing. Damon, you're natural power combined with your made this inevitable. You grow very fast and that is the main source of the purge. So... I don't know. Your body's like a cup but your growths like an ocean."
He gestured at the hologram. "You now carry your father's hand to hand combat experience of ninety-six years. Your father was two hundred and ninety when he died."
Damon raised an eyebrow. "So I don't need combat training anymore. I'll grow into it naturally, with each purge."
The room's tension thinned.
"You might... but you look taller," the Queen said, palm warm on his shoulder.
He smiled. "I know."
Nyra slipped under his arm. The three of them stood together by the window, watching sunlight dance across the glass. Tolrex watched, quietly admiring how fast their sorrow bent into unity.
---
Hours later, after a burning bath cooling his muscles, greetings with generals, and a visit to Solaren in the training hall.
Solaren ruffled his own hair. "I don't like that a kid like you is carrying so much for a kingdom you barely know."
He rested a heavy yet gentle hand on Damon's shoulder. "When I look at you, I see a boy carrying a war on his back. Take the day off. Even steel needs cooling. Alright?"
Damon bowed, still unsure how a prince should respect his elders. Daichi on Damo's head, in wolf form, lowered his head too.
"Prince's shouldn't bow," Solaren said, surprised.
Damon and Daichi left calmly.
---
He climbed the tallest building he could find, it was the very peak of the castle. He sat cross-legged, let the sun rest on his skin. Quiet gathered around him.
Damon's face was one showing he had many thoughts. One of which was: I guess this is life now… But why me?
Wind lifted his coat, flapping soft.
"I've never asked life for much," he told the horizon. "Except, a happy mom, a happy father, a happy Daiki, a dog and Natsuki… and even that felt like a dream I wasn't meant to touch."
He exhaled.
"This path, it's not one I chose and yet... I'm meant to be the Chosen One. It was like... a storm that dragged me in. And death—" He laughed once, breathless. "Death's chased me more in months than most people face in their whole lives. I'm only seventeen"
He looked upward. "If the Eternal One is testing me… well you made me, so you already know I don't break. I don't run."
He lay flat, hands behind his head. "I don't want to save the world. But I won't watch it burn."
"What do you mean?" Daichi asked.
"Well, what kinda guy would watch a world his loved ones admire, burn knowing he could've stopped it Daichi?"
The silence afterward felt earned. Daichi watched him, soaking in every word. The heaviness didn't vanish, but the cool breeze helped. Damon stretched out an arm, his fingers spread out. It was as if he tried to touch the blue sky and beautiful clouds.
After a while...
Damon stood, brushing dust from his coat. "Come on. If we stay, I'll start thinking too much."
Daichi snorted. "You already think too much."
Damon smirked. Just like that, the air felt lighter.
"Do you know where you're going?" Daichi asked.
"No." Damon stepped off the ledge. "We'll find out."
The wolf followed.
Rooftops blurred beneath his boots. He jumped down a couple rooftops with Daichi leaping beside him, walked on some and then stopped at the edge of one, hundreds of feet of sheer air.
"Don't," Daichi warned.
"It's only a hundred," Damon said. "I can land it."
"Damon. No its two-hundreds."
"Daichi. Yes, lets fly."
He grabbed the wolf and jumped. Wind punched into him, coat snapping upward. His shirt rose revealing his stomach, even his stomach seemed to rise. Not from fear but thrill, as the world blurred into sky, a beautiful blue see far from him, and a few birds. Then stone as he got closer to land.
He bent his knees at impact. Shock rippled through his legs, cracking the ground in a spiderweb.
Daichi froze, stunned. "Snap out of it," Damon said, walking. "Let's go."
"You're going to get us killed," Daichi muttered, climbing on his shoulder.
Damon smirked. They walked for a while, then suddenly, a scent hit them — savory, sweet, rich. Daichi drooled instantly, following it like a trance. Damon followed him.
Whispers rose as the market opened around them:
"It's the prince."
"Has he come to look for a hand?"
"What's he doing with no guards?"
The whispers brushed his ears lightly. Damon didn't stiffen or boast, he simply nodded to the ones who waved, as if greeting neighbours rather than subjects. They weren't just humans, there were fairies, people's bonds and birds gliding around in beautiful peace.
Damon's eye caught a grey looking fox creature, it seemed to be taunting Daichi. Damon simply held him back "C'mon lets go find what that smells about," He said. As if dismissing Daichi's territorial play.
He and Daichi shared a look and kept moving. They reached a hall with its name carved boldly across the rooftop: THE COREHOUSE OF PLENTY.
Its walls were etched with glyphs that pulsed softly. Inside, three sections glowed with their own life.
At the entrance, The Flameout Section roared with open pits blazing, ember-meats sizzling under molten spice.
To the left, The Harvest Section steamed with dumplings, roasted roots, and warm breads.
To the right, The Fruit Stand shimmered with crystal pears and shard-berries glowing like sky-plucked stars. This one seemed to be run by fairies.
Daichi stared unblinking at the Flameout Section.
"You always loved meat this much?" Damon asked.
"I'm a wolf now," Daichi said dryly. "My cravings for flesh have spiked."
"That's terrifying," Damon muttered. "We'll get some of all of them."
"You didn't take any money," Daichi reminded him.
"There's no such thing as a broke prince," Damon said, whipping out Varnex's wallet.
"How do you still have that?"
Damon smiled without answering.
He walked towards The Flameout Section. The stall master, a big man with gloves on, hairy forearms and a gold-toothed grin — bowed. Damon returned it. "How's your day?"
"Fantastic my prince!" the man boomed, putting on a toque and preparing something special for them.
"Why's everyone so cheerful?" Damon asked.
"Trineum's match is in a week," the man said. "It's a very great event."
"Trineum's match? Must be important if people feel it early." Damon asked.
"It is. There's a thrill in seeing youngsters go at it. This just the centre of the capital. Woewyn has many countries, you should see the bliss and joyful chaos at the others." the man said, handing over a basket of sizzling wonders.
Countries? I should ask mom about that later. Damon thought "Thank You. How much?"
"For the prince? Nothing."
"If I'm the prince, shouldn't you extort me." Damon asked with true curiosity.
The man simply laughed.
"Thank you," Damon said again, bowing deeper. The mans lips widened in a glad smile as he bowed. His moustache stretching with it.
Daichi hopped up, nose twitching. His eyes locked on the Dragonfire Jerky, colourful meat cured with volcanic salt and something secret. Drool dripped.
"Stop," Damon hissed, wiping the counter.
The man only laughed. Again.
They left the Corehouse after buying from its other sections, weaving toward the market's edge. Damon carried the basket too. Daichi paced close, captivated by the smell.
They walked through a patch of beautiful trees, too pretty to call a bush or forest, searching for quiet. Then they heard it:
A swirling, rhythmic sound. Like water stirred by an unseen hand. A heartbeat beneath it, steady, alive. They both froze. Damon pushed aside the bushes. Leaves brushed his fingers. The sound sharpened, ripples folding over themselves.
His breath caught. "Cythera," he whispered.