Warlock Ch 229. Cruel Joke
Dawn started to break, the first rays of sunlight creeping over the horizon as Damian, Cassius, and Evelyn finally made it back to Victoria's mansion. It had been a long night—one filled with chaos, betrayal, and tension that hadn't completely faded even now. The battlefield was left in the hands of Victoria's soldiers, who were tasked with cleaning up the remaining ss. For once, Victoria herself led the charge, overseeing the cleanup while Damian and the others were sent back to rest.
It should've been a relief. No more fighting, no more tension—just food, rest, and quiet. But it wasn't, at least not for Damian. The whole situation left a bad taste in his mouth. Sure, they weren't being treated poorly; in fact, Henry, one of Victoria's trusted attendants, had been assigned to personally take care of them. He made sure they had everything they needed—food, dicine, even fresh clothes. On the surface, it was perfect hospitality.
But Damian didn't see it that way. Maybe it was paranoia, or maybe it was the ghosts of his past life whispering in his ear again, but he couldn't shake the unease that settled in his gut. He hated being watched. Hated feeling like he was under constant observation, like he was sothing dangerous that needed to be monitored. It brought back mories—mories of a ti when people didn't see him as a person but as a tool, a weapon to be used and discarded when convenient. Back then, it was all about control, about keeping him in check. And now, even though he knew Henry wasn't doing it maliciously, that old feeling crept back in, making his skin crawl.
After they'd been fed and given dicine—dicine they chose to apply themselves, because none of them were comfortable being fussed over—the three of them retreated to their respective quarters. Thankfully, the injuries they'd sustained during the battle weren't serious. A few bruises, so scratches—nothing major. Then again, considering they'd fought a vampire duke, a giant undead dragon, and an army of high-level mages and demons, it was kind of impressive that they'd gotten off so lightly.
Of course, Evelyn and Cassius being SSS-ranked mages had a lot to do with that. They were insanely powerful—far beyond most opponents they ca across. Damian, on the other hand, was ranked A. It didn't matter that his actual power exceeded that by a long shot. Without taking the magus exam, he was stuck with that label. Not that he cared much. He knew what he was capable of, and so did the people who mattered.
Still, that didn't stop the nagging thought in the back of his mind—the thought that he wasn't enough. That he was just playing catch-up in a ga he didn't fully understand.
Now, lying in bed in his quarters, Damian found himself unable to sleep. He wasn't really surprised. Even after three hours of trying, all he could do was lie there, staring at the ceiling with his mind spinning in a thousand different directions. The room was quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside the window, but inside his head, it was anything but peaceful.
He should've been exhausted. His body was fed, his wounds were treated, and he was wearing fresh clothes—comfortable ones, too, since his cloak had been torn to shreds during the battle and his trousers had sohow been reduced to shorts. He had everything he needed to rest.
Yet here he was, wide awake, unable to turn off the thoughts that kept circling in his mind.
'Victoria…'
He didn't want to admit it, but she was the main thing occupying his thoughts. The way she had looked at him during that conversation—calm, composed, but with sothing deeper underneath. Sothing vulnerable. He hated how she made him feel, how she always managed to get under his skin in a way no one else could. She claid to love him, but love wasn't supposed to feel like being used. Love wasn't supposed to feel like a ga of chess where he was just another piece on the board.
'What am I to her, really? A partner? A pawn? A backup plan?' The questions gnawed at him.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn't want to feel this way. He didn't want to keep reliving the sa old story, the sa old pain. Back when he was Kaelan, it had been the sa. Everyone wanted sothing from him—his power, his skills, his loyalty. And when he gave it to them, they took it without a second thought. When he didn't… well, things didn't end well.
And now, even in this new life, it felt like history was repeating itself.
He wasn't stupid. He knew that in this world, power was everything. People would always want to use those with power to further their own goals. He had accepted that a long ti ago. But that didn't an he liked it. That didn't an he was okay with being treated like a tool by the people he cared about.
'If she really loves … why does it still feel like I'm just a ans to an end?'
Another sigh escaped him as he turned onto his side, trying to get comfortable. It didn't help. The thoughts kept coming, relentless and unyielding. No matter how much he tried to focus on sothing else, his mind kept dragging him back to the sa thing—Victoria.
His eyes drifted to the corner of the room, and imdiately, a mory hit him. It was right there… where she had knelt before him, given him a blow job, begged him, her crimson eyes locked on his as she sealed their bond with a gesture far more intimate than re words. He could still rember the way her touch, the way her lips had whispered promises that, at the ti, felt real. That mont had been more than just passion—it was supposed to be trust, partnership, sothing deeper than a re contract.
But now? Now it felt like a cruel joke.
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