[Tranquil City - City Entrance]
A few days later.
Damian arrived alone, hours after the others had returned.
He’d needed ti to understand his Domain, to explore its paraters and limitations and to ensure he had control before returning to civilization.
The train deposited him at the main station, and he walked through familiar streets with his hands in his pockets, his crimson hair catching in the wind.
His mood was still low.
The weight of what had happened to Zavier’s family pressed against him despite the Domain absorbing most of the crushing despair.
But then, he actually looked at the city.
And stopped walking completely.
’What happened here?’
The Outer Region stretched before him, transford beyond recognition from the war zone he’d left months ago.
Clean streets lined with functioning streetlights. Buildings freshly painted, windows intact, no signs of gang territorial markings anywhere.
People walking without that hunched, fearful posture he rembered from his first arrival.
Damian wandered deeper into the city, his enhanced hearing picking up conversations.
"Did you know the Mafia opened another community center?"
"My daughter got a scholarship because of her talent! The Mafia sponsored it directly!"
"I heard they’re expanding the hospital partnership again. Free healthcare for children under fifteen!"
"You rember the criminals who tried to start a protection racket? They were found dead this morning with the crimson M painted beside them."
All the voices were carrying gratitude, relief and hope.
He moved through the Inner Region next, seeing the sa transformation replicated.
Businesses thriving, markets bustling and the massive black buildings with crimson M emblems standing like monunts.
Then the Core Region, where even the wealthy seed more relaxed, where Mafia mbers in their black suits walked alongside police officers without tension.
Damian had thought that the Mafia was just his selfish desire. He thought he had built it for personal power and ambition without considering the cost to those who followed him.
’But this...’
He arrived at the largest orphanage in the Outer Region, the building visible from blocks away due to its size and the sound of children playing.
Damian walked through the entrance and just stood there, watching.
Hundreds of children in the courtyard. Playing, laughing and running with no signs of malnutrition, wearing clean clothes and having toys.
Adult caretakers were supervising them with genuine smiles.
There was not a single starving face! Not one hollow-eyed child sitting alone in a corner!
"Master!"
Alessio’s shout ca from across the courtyard, the fourteen-year-old sprinting over with a massive grin that made him look even younger than his small fra suggested.
"Master, you’re here! I didn’t know you were coming back today!"
His excitent was genuine and infectious.
The little boss of the Mafia was like a puppy who found his Master again.
Damian smiled slightly, the expression foreign after days of grief.
"Alessio... The city looks different."
"It’s amazing, right?!"
The boy practically vibrated with pride.
"We’ve rescued everyone, Master! Every single child who was living on the streets, every kid being exploited, everyone who needed help! There’s about eight thousand children total across all our orphanages now!"
Eight thousand!
The number was so vast, that Damian couldn’t imagine the amount of work Alessio undertook to help them.
"And they’re all happy and fed?"
"Yes! Look!"
Alessio gestured around the courtyard where children of various ages played together.
"Big Brother Alessio! Big Brother!"
Several kids ran over, grabbing his hands, trying to pull him toward whatever ga they’d been playing.
"In a minute! I’m talking to soone important!"
But the children didn’t care about importance, just kept pulling until Alessio laughed and went with them.
Damian watched everything, his mind processing.
’I was responsible for the deaths of Brian’s family and Zavier’s family. For their suffering and loss.
But it seems... I’m also responsible for saving eight thousand children who would have died or suffered on the streets.’
The smile that crossed his face was genuine for the first ti in days, reaching his eyes, transforming his usually cold expression into sothing warr.
A little girl, maybe four years old, walked up and grabbed his pants.
When Damian looked down, she raised her arms in the universal gesture for wanting to be picked up.
He hesitated, his mind churning with conflicting thoughts.
’I’m a mass killer across two lifetis... People fear . Even my own Mafia mbers maintain distance when possible. I carry sins and violence like a second skin.
I-I don’t think I should be around these innocent souls.’
"..."
But the little girl just kept her arms raised, waiting patiently.
Damian bent down and picked her up, holding her awkwardly like soone who’d never actually carried a child before.
Looking at the cute and precious child in his arms, Damian regretted not having any candy with him.
"Alessio, you have chocolate?"
"...It’s mine though!"
The pout was imdiate and dramatic.
"Look at you. You are about to start at the Academy soon and you can’t even share chocolate with a little girl?"
"Master, that’s not fair... Don’t make feel guilty!"
But Alessio handed over the chocolate anyway, grumbling about adults taking advantage of kids.
"Num... num..."
Damian gave it to the little girl, who imdiately unwrapped it and started eating with the focused intensity only small children could manage.
Kuro materialized on Damian’s shoulder, intending to observe regally.
Instead, he was imdiately sward by children who wanted to touch the pretty bird.
’Go away, human chicks! I will eat you!’
His ntal complaint went ignored as small hands patted his feathers despite his attempts to look threatening.
’Hmph! You all are lucky I’m not hungry!’
Eventually, he just gave up and let them do whatever they wanted, suffering through the indignity with martyred patience.
Damian smiled as he looked at Kuro, who clearly enjoyed the company with the children, but instead was acting sassy.
"Young man."
A voice pulled Damian’s attention to an elderly woman approaching slowly.
She looked genuinely old – not awakener old where age was costic, but actually aged through years of hard living. She had grey hair, a weathered face and a bent posture.
But there was grace in how she moved and dignity in her bearing.
"Master, this is Grandmother Helena. She runs this orphanage and manages other orphanages in the city as well."
Alessio’s introduction was respectful.
"You’re the leader?"
Helena studied Damian with sharp eyes that saw more than her frail body suggested.
"You’re so young. I expected soone older, more..."
"Ruthless?"
Damian’s smile was slight.
"I am ruthless. Just not with children who’ve done nothing wrong."
Helena’s expression softened.
"We’re grateful for everything you’ve provided, child. The funding, the facilities and the protection, you covered it all. But... there’s a problem I need to discuss."
"Tell ."
"Orphanages are ant to facilitate adoption and to find families for children who’ve lost theirs. But nobody cos to adopt them anymore. They see the Mafia connection and stay away, afraid of getting involved in criminal activity."
She sighed heavily.
"You’re providing everything – food, shelter, education and safety. But children need more than material support. They need a family. Real family. And I don’t know how to give them that."
"..."
Damian was silent for a long mont, the little girl in his arms now sleeping against his shoulder, chocolate sared on her face.
He looked at her innocent face for a long ti.
Then he made a decision.
’Sigh... I’m gonna regret this.’
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