[Valcor Residence - Next Morning]
Damian woke up slowly with his consciousness returning in gradual stages.
He felt exhausted still, his body heavy despite hours of sleep, muscles aching in ways that suggested the portal’s effects hadn’t fully worn off.
But more than physical exhaustion, he felt... edgy and restless.
Like sothing inside him couldn’t quite settle.
And... confident. Arrogantly confident in ways that felt both natural and wrong simultaneously.
’What’s happening to ? My behavior was quite arrogant even when I stepped out through the portal... the way I spoke to that commanding officer... the casual disregard for authority and protocol...’
He’d always been confident, but this felt different and more extre.
Like his personality had been amplified, the edges sharpened and the filter between thought and action removed.
’Is it the power? Did gaining all that physical strength change how I see myself? How I interact with the world?’
The Devourer Body Art had transford his body. But had it also changed his mind in ways beyond the docunted debuffs?
’Sigh... I’m too tired for this philosophical bullshit. Let’s figure it out later.’
He looked around, recognizing his room in the Valcor residence imdiately.
He was not surprised. Sebastian had previously ntioned after the demon attack that his parents had military connections after all. Of course they’d extracted him from that facility.
Pop Pop
Damian stood and stretched, his enhanced body moving smoothly despite the exhaustion with joints popping as muscles realigned.
Then he caught his reflection in the mirror and paused.
His hair had grown significantly in the past few months. They were past his shoulders now... the crimson strands flowing down his back in ways that required cutting soon.
But more striking were the changes to his face.
Sharper and more mature. The soft edges of youth had been carved away, replaced by harder lines and defined features.
’Still as handso as ever...’
Combined with his increased height and muscled physique, he looked easily twenty years old instead of sixteen.
’Two months in hell ages you in more ways than one.’
He kept staring at his reflection, studying the stranger who wore his face.
Then... the image shifted.
Blood appeared on his skin! Covering his face, his hands and dripping from his hair. Thick and fresh like he’d just walked out of a slaughterhouse.
Damian blinked rapidly.
But the blood still remained.
He blinked again.
Only after so ti, his vision returned to normal, showing clean skin and no blood.
He stood completely still for a long mont with his expression blank as his mind processed what he’d just seen.
’Hallucinations... Fucking great! Another side effect of the Devourer Body Art? Or just trauma manifesting visually? Either way, that’s concerning.’
But he said nothing and did nothing. Just shook his head and turned away from the mirror.
’I’ll deal with it later and add it to the list of problems to solve when I have energy.’
He walked toward the living room, sensing his family gathered there.
Luna was sitting on the couch, her face haggard with dark circles under her silver eyes speaking of weeks of worry and little sleep.
She started to stand when she saw him, relief flooding her expression.
But Lyandra’s hand stopped her, pressing gently on her shoulder to keep her seated.
Both Alaric and Lyandra wore serious expressions.
They were not behaving like the worried parents rushing to check if he was okay. Nor were they behaving like the relieved family celebrating his survival.
Just serious and stern.
Damian’s confusion must have shown on his face because Lyandra spoke first with her voice carefully controlled.
"...I never questioned you. Not once in all these months since you regained your past life mories. I believed you were still my Damy. I felt it with a mother’s heart and sensed the love you have for and for all of us."
Her black eyes t his crimson ones directly.
"But the current you... you’re too different from the boy I raised. Too opposite from the gentle child who wouldn’t hurt anyone. And I.. I can’t help but have doubts now."
Silence crashed through the living room.
Luna looked like she wanted to speak, but Alaric’s subtle gesture kept her quiet.
Damian stayed silent for a long ti before putting on a helpless smile, the expression not quite reaching his eyes.
"...I understand. Last ti I ran away to the Academy early to give you both ti to co to terms with the changes. But it seems I’m still being doubted, isn’t it?"
The casual acceptance made Lyandra’s heart ache visibly.
"You know how much I love you better than anyone. But I... I can’t help it."
Her voice broke slightly.
"I heard what you did inside the portal. Your father and I were already struggling to accept when you tortured those terrorists during the Norrington attack.
That was hard enough to accept. But now... when you start eating sentient beings and consuming their flesh like so kind of m-monster..."
She couldn’t finish, tears forming despite her attempt to maintain composure.
"I-I couldn’t help but wonder if my Damy d-died and sothing else took his place."
Luna’s face went completely pale, her hands trembling as she processed what her mother had just said.
Damian’s hands clenched at his sides as soon as he heard what his mother had to say, with his knuckles going completely white.
But he said nothing.
’So they do see as a monster as well. My own family. The people who are supposed to accept unconditionally.
I was worried about this... I knew it might happen... But hearing it from them is still...’
Before his thoughts could finish, his eyes moved towarss Luna, expecting to see fear there too.
But... All he saw was worry, care and concern for him... not fear of him.
His eyes widened slightly, caught off-guard by her expression.
But he looked away quickly, not wanting to acknowledge the emotions that response stirred.
"I only did what was necessary to survive–"
"I understand your capabilities well enough."
Lyandra interrupted, her voice stronger now.
"You fought seven elite Demons alone and won. Surely you could have survived a C grade portal easily as well without resorting to such extre asures."
"Then the others would have died without my help–"
Damian’s response was imdiate.
Alaric spoke for the first ti, his stern voice cutting through the tension.
"I don’t understand much of how you are now. But even the previous Damian, the gentle boy we raised, wouldn’t put other people’s lives above his own.
So... was it really for them that you did such things? Or was there another reason?"
Damian didn’t answer, his jaw tightening.
After several seconds of silence, he looked at Lyandra with cold eyes.
"So what now? What do you want from ?"
The coldness in his voice made Lyandra’s heart feel like it was being stabbed, but she forced herself to continue.
"I have a Hypnosis skill. I used it extensively on Monsters during my military service for interrogation and control..."
She didn’t continue, but the implication was clear.
Damian understood imdiately what his mother was asking.
’She wants to probe my mind. Make sure I’m really her son and not so entity wearing his face.’
Without saying anything, he sat down on the sofa and gestured casually.
"Go ahead."
His tone was flat, empty and carrying no emotion at all.
"NO!"
Luna’s shout startled everyone.
She stood up, her face flushed with anger and tears, her voice shaking.
"This is enough! He IS Damian! Our own Damian! Can’t you see it?!"
Her silver eyes blazed as she looked at her parents.
"Do you need proof for this? So what if he did so ssed up things and doesn’t behave like his older self! What do you expect from soone who regained past life mories?! Have any of us ever gone through sothing like that?!"
Her voice grew louder, more desperate.
"How will we understand his dilemma?! How many changes does it bring to a person?! This is ridiculous! I never say anything to all of you, but now my whole family is treating each other like enemies!"
She pointed at herself, tears streaming down her face.
"You want proof?! My innate skill lets see emotions! You all know this! If he wasn’t Damian – our Damian – I would have been the first to know! Hell, I don’t even need any proof!"
Luna looked directly at Damian, her voice dropping but losing none of its intensity.
"Just look at him! There are still glimpses of the previous Damian even now! The way he treats us! The way he looks at us! It’s all similar! The love is still there beneath everything else!"
She turned back to her parents, her voice breaking completely.
"Please stop all this! I don’t want my family behaving this way! I... I..."
She couldn’t continue, overco by sobs, her body shaking with the force of her emotions.
Damian’s cold expression softened slightly, a genuine smile crossing his face – the first real one since the conversation started.
"It’s alright, Luna. Even I don’t understand what I am now. Calm down. It’s alright. It’s just a simple probe... no worries."
His voice was gentle, soothing and showing glimpses of the boy who’d comforted her countless tis over the years.
Luna forced herself to stop speaking but couldn’t stop the tears flowing down her face.
She sat down heavily, hugging herself, her silver eyes never leaving Damian’s face.
The room fell into heavy silence.
Alaric and Lyandra exchanged a long look, entire conversations happening in that single glance between two people who’d shared decades together.
Damian sat there waiting with his expression completely neutral, his body language relaxed despite the tension.
Whatever they decided, he would accept.
Because what choice did he have?
They were his family. The people he’d chosen to protect above all others.
If they needed proof he was still their son, he’d give it.
Even if it hurts! Even if it felt like betrayal!
He’d do whatever was necessary to maintain the bonds that mattered most.
Just like always.
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