Days of Darkness: Awakening

Chapter 12: Choice and Consequence

Damien called for the nearest guard when he and Nadia returned to the base. The anger in his eyes was very clear. The nerve he felt that Dante had to show up at his home as if they were friends didn't sit right with him. At that point, Damien was now a man on a very clear mission: putting an end to Dante and his reign of terror forever.

When the guard came over, Damien gave him explicit instructions. 

"Get this bag over to Christian. Then I need you to get a message to Diamond, Cyris, and Christian to meet me in the main conference room in fifteen minutes. Let them know that it's of the utmost importance."

The guard at once went to carry out his orders. Nadia looked over to Damien and rested her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. 

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Damien turned and held her close. 

"No, babe, I'm not okay. Not one bit. He was at my parents' house sitting in my room. That's just a bit too close to home for me – literally." Damien started pacing back and forth furiously until he finally rested and banged his hand against his motorcycle. "I don't get it. Why me? What does he want from me?"

"I don't know," she answered. "But I know for a fact that you're not alone. You've got Christian, Cyris, and Diamond, and you have me. You'll figure this out - all of you will. Let's just pray that we figure it out before he decides to make his next move." 

"I think that may not be too far ahead of us," Damien said. "I'm just worried that whatever he has planned could mean the end for everyone and somehow it's gonna all be my fault."

"Whatever happens is on him, Damien. Not you," Nadia reassured him. "Always remember that." Nadia kissed him softly and held his hand. "Go take care of what you need to take care of. I need to stop by the clinic for a while. I'll come by and check on you later."

Damien agreed and they parted ways.

When he finally reached his room, Damien put up his weapons and lay on his bed to gather his thoughts. For him, everything seemed to be happening so fast and all at once. Just a few short weeks ago, he and Christian were chasing scraps in abandoned neighborhoods but living peacefully. Never for a second had he imagined that he would be caught in the center of an apparent interdimensional war. His life surely took a drastic turn. He couldn't help but think, also, about his parents. He always wondered if they would be proud of the man that he was becoming - whether he was living up to or could live up to their expectations. 

Damien got up to wash his face to cool down. His mind was racing. His latest encounter with Dante weighed heavily on his mind. What could he possibly want? What's the end game? Where does this all lead? His mind was flooded with questions. It was time to find the answers. 

A few minutes later, everyone met in the conference room. As everyone sat down, Damien came in last and stood at the head of the table.

"As you all know," Damien started, "last night, we had a major development. We finally came face to face with the enemy - an enemy we now know by the name of Dante. We don't know what his plan is yet but whatever it is, it's become pretty plain to see that whatever it is, I'm at the heart of it."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Diamond asked.

Damien sat down. "Last night when we first met, he spoke to me as if he knew me. And I mean like he knew me personally. He looked me dead in my eyes and told me that I'm not ready to face him."

Christian interrupted, "Maybe he was just trying to get under your skin, bro."

"Yeah, he did that. But then I saw him today, too," Damien said.