Warlock Ch 143. Like A Sister
The voice was smooth and confident, laced with a familiarity that made his chest tighten. Damian froze mid-step, his head snapping toward the source of the voice. There she was, trailing behind him—Aria.
Her striking features hadn't changed at all, at least from what he rembered. High cheekbones, piercing eyes that seed to see right through him, and a presence that demanded attention.
Damian's mind raced. 'Aria.' She had been a sister—or sothing close to it—when he was Kaelan. But now, he couldn't afford to acknowledge that connection. He was Damian Blackthorn, a newly minted rank B warlock, not the infamous Kaelan Voidweaver.
He forced a smile, playing the part. "Yes?" he said, his tone light but guarded.
Aria's eyes narrowed slightly as she approached, her movents fluid and purposeful. "You look like you've had a long day," she observed, her voice carrying a hint of amusent.
Damian chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, you could say that. My ntor's a bit… sadistic."
Aria tilted her head, studying him intently. "Cassius, right?" she said, her tone laced with curiosity. "I heard he took a new apprentice recently. That's why I'm here. I was curious."
Damian chuckled again, his mind working overti to keep his facade intact. "Never knew my ntor was that famous for it. Does he have a fan club or sothing?"
Aria's lips twitched into a faint smile, though her eyes remained sharp. "Sothing like that. Cassius has a reputation, you know. Taking on an apprentice isn't sothing he does lightly."
"Lucky , I guess," Damian said, shrugging. "Though I'm not sure if it's luck or a curse."
Her gaze flicked briefly to Fenrith, who growled low, his middle head baring teeth. She didn't flinch, eting the wolf's stare with the sa unwavering confidence she directed at Damian. "And you," she said, her voice soft but commanding, "must be one of his servants."
"Fenrith," Damian supplied quickly, giving the wolf a calming pat. "He's been with for a while now. Good company. Mostly."
Fenrith huffed, his right head snapping at the air as if to protest the insult. Damian grinned, but his focus never wavered from Aria. She was watching him too closely, and he needed to tread carefully.
"You don't look like a typical apprentice," she said after a mont, her tone probing. "There's sothing… different about you."
Damian raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "Different how? I'm just a guy trying to survive Cassius's sadistic training sessions."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile remained. "If you say so. But I can't help wondering… what makes you worth his ti?"
Damian felt his pulse quicken, though he kept his expression calm. "No idea. Maybe I'm just persistent. Or maybe he got bored and decided to pick the first warlock he saw."
Aria laughed softly, though the sound lacked warmth. "Perhaps. Or perhaps there's more to you than you let on."
Damian shrugged again, maintaining his relaxed façade. "You're giving too much credit."
"Maybe," she said, her tone thoughtful. She took a step closer, her eyes locked onto his. "But I've learned that Cassius doesn't do anything without a reason."
Damian held her gaze, refusing to flinch under her scrutiny. 'She knows sothing,' he thought, his mind racing. 'But how much?'
"So," he said, forcing a casual tone, "was your curiosity satisfied, or do you plan to interrogate all night?"
Aria smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I think I've seen enough for now. But I'll be keeping an eye on you, warlock."
"Great," Damian said, flashing her a lopsided grin. "Nothing like a little extra pressure to keep motivated."
She chuckled, stepping back into the shadows. "Until next ti."
And just like that, she was gone, disappearing as quickly and silently as she had arrived.
Damian stood there for a mont, staring at the spot where Aria had gone. Fenrith growled softly beside him, the wolf's agitation mirroring his own. Damian's mind raced, and a deep frown tugged at his lips.
"She's got her attention on …" he muttered under his breath. "This is bad."
The rest of the walk ho was quiet, but his thoughts were anything but. Aria's appearance had thrown him off balance. Her probing gaze, the way she seed to be testing him—it all felt too deliberate. Too much like she was looking for cracks in his disguise.
'Does she know?' he wondered. 'No… she doesn't. Not yet. But she's suspicious.'
His thoughts drifted back to the mories he'd managed to recover—fragnts of a ti when he and Aria had been close. Back then, life had been simpler. They were like siblings, inseparable in their youth. He could almost hear the echoes of their laughter in his mind, feeling the closeness they had shared.
He rembered the days when he was just an ambitious warlock apprentice, and she was a gifted young sorcerer. People had whispered about them back then, the way they complented each other so perfectly. So admired them, while others envied them.
A faint smile tugged at Damian's lips as he recalled those days. The way she had always managed to surprise him with her raw talent, her sharp wit. For a mont, the mory felt like a balm to the chaos in his mind.
But then his smile faded, replaced by a shadow of uncertainty. His thoughts turned darker, twisting as they often did when he tried to piece together the fragnts of his past. The dreams ca rushing back, vivid and unrelenting. His own voice echoed around him.
"You have no right to judge !"
He had roared, his tone a volatile mix of anger, sadness, and bitterness. He had felt a searing rage, the kind that made his blood boil. But beneath that rage was sothing far more painful—disappointnt. Not just in others, but in himself. He couldn't place the context, but the feelings lingered like a stain on his soul.
Damian stopped in his tracks, his hand brushing Fenrith's fur for comfort. The wolf's middle head nudged him gently, sensing his unease. "Was I in denial?" Damian whispered to himself. "Was I… evil?"
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