Chapter 22 - His other side

Kelly felt a rush of emotions as she laid eyes on Damien, her savior, walking in through the door. His arrival sparked a mix of relief and fear in her, as if her mind couldn't decide whether to be happy or recoil from the eerie aura he now had around him at the moment. He was different from his usual self and even different from when he had saved her the first time. He looked more dangerous; the sight of smoke drifting from the very pores of his skin, sent shivers down her spine. From the moment he entered the room, a stark realization settled in - Damien was not the same person.

The transformation was profound and unsettling. His usual charisma had given way to a more sinister demeanor, as if darkness had taken a strong hold within him. But it was his eyes that held her captive, ablaze with a fiery intensity that seemed to consume any remnants of the man she thought she knew. And then there was the star on his chest, a mysterious symbol that drew her gaze like a magnet, which she could see through his black unbuttoned shirt. Its intricate design, two triangles intersecting, but with one upside down.

As she observed Damien's actions with a mix of fascination and horror, the stark reality dawned on her - this was a side of him she had never seen before, a side that was as captivating as it was terrifying. The way he toyed with Ivan, a helpless victim at his mercy, sent a chill through her soul. She could see the torment in Ivan's eyes, a silent plea for mercy that fell on deaf ears. His voice was silenced by the extremely hot pain that gripped his throat.

Kelly found herself torn between conflicting impulses, the urge to intervene conflicting with the overwhelming sense of helplessness that paralyzed her from Ivan's previous violent act. She wanted to scream, to stop Damien from inflicting more pain, but her voice failed her. The sight of Damien plunging his claws into Ivan's chest, the metallic tang of blood filling the air and yet, despite the horror before her, there was a part of her that couldn't look away, that was drawn to this man before her.

As the scene played out before her, Kelly was left to grapple with unsettling questions that lingered in the shadows of her mind. Was this the true face of Damien, the part of him that he struggled to suppress? And if so, what did it mean for her? Does it mean they were the same or connected somehow? Would she kill and torture like him?

Caught between fear and fascination, Kelly couldn't help but ask herself as she wanted to tell him to stop, but she couldn't speak. The sight was just too painful to watch even though Ivan deserved it. The moment escalated when Damien dipped his claws through the vampire's chest, blood dripping out of his mouth. Kelly tried to call him but she couldn't move her lips, but when he looked at her, she could tell that he had heard her call. But he didn't miss the chance to rip Ivan's heart right out, his body falling to the floor, lifeless.

Damien's pov

I looked to see Kelly on the floor. She looked so feeble and pale, and her eyes were the colour red. I noticed the relief in her eyes, but there was a hint of fear in them as well. What I couldn't tell was if she was scared of me or scared of death.

I rushed to her, lifting her head up.

"I'm here" I said and she managed a smile.

I looked at the witch and she looked away, her eyes showing guilt and regret. My blood still boiled and I needed to make sure they all paid for what they did.

My eyes narrowed at her expression and her racing thoughts. She had her reasons for doing what she did but it wasn't good enough to want to murder someone. I focused on the witch, ready to burn her, when I felt a pair of warm hands touch mine.

I'll deal with them later.

"Let's go," I said, ready to lift her up.

"She should stay still," the witch said, stopping me.

"I managed to stabilize her but she needs to lay still for a couple of hours" She said without lifting her head.

I sat on the dusty floor as Kelly fondled with my fingers, staring at my face. She was happy I showed up. She smiled weakly and I smiled back.

"I know about the mark on her hands," The witch suddenly said but I didn't care what she had to say.

"Not interested" I said, not ready to hear any more hogwash about prophecies.

"I wanna know," Kelly said, lifting her head up.

Kelly's pov

I was starting to feel better compared to when I struggled to keep my eyelids open. Damien's actually caring when I do think about it. He sat down, placing my head on his thigh as I lay on the ground. I noticed his fisted hands, squeezing each other. Was he angry? His eyes were still red and his hands, shaking. I managed to lift my hands gently and I touched his hand, separating them from each other. He looked at me, his eyes asking a million questions. After a while, he smiled.

"I know about the mark on her hands," The witch said, catching my attention. I really need to know if that book was just someone playing pranks.

"Not interested," Damien said indifferently.

"I wanna know," I said, trying to lift myself up.

"Stay," He said but my curiosity gave me enough strength and I sat up.

"The inverted torch means…"

"...death. Yeah, I know what it means… jump to the part where I should be worried" I said impatiently.

"The bearer of the mark according to the history of witch magic is the bringer of death and all life is not safe, not even the mere humans"