The arena was still shaking when medics rushed to Klaven, shouting over one another.
"His ribs—check his ribs!"
"We can't fly him in that state!"
"But it's faster—!"
Damon didn't listen.
He was already crouched beside Mirea.
Her breath trembled. Her skin was blistered. Her eyes were half-closed.
Damon slid an arm under her knees, another behind her scorched back, lifting her gently.
"I… can walk…" she whispered.
"You can't," Damon murmured, voice raw. "And I'm not leaving you on the floor."
The colosseum fell into a stunned hush.
Zaro's voice cracked through the silence—low, almost reverent.
"…your prince is carrying his teammate out. That's how you end a war, folks."
A ripple of cheers followed him to the exit.
Cythera met them halfway.
"Bring her here," she said, tone firm. Damon didn't argue.
He laid Mirea on a stone table.
Cythera placed both hands above the burns—water eterna flowed from her palms like cool moonlight.
Steam hissed.
Mirea's breathing steadied.
Her red, blistered skin slowly knit itself closed.
"You did well," Damon said quietly.
Her eyes flicked to him—still shaking, still exhausted—but full of admiration.
Damon turned away, face streaked with blood.
A white blur flew across the arena.
Zaro pointed mid-sentence.
"—and now the wolf is sprinting—WHAT THE—Daichi, my MAN, look at him GO—!"
Daichi leapt straight into Damon's chest with a thump, tail thrashing, whining as he sniffed the blood.
"I'm fine," Damon said, patting his fur. "Its not my blood."
Daichi growled. "Pretty obvious."
Damon almost smiled.
They walked out of the arena.
Cythera followed.
The transport door slid shut.
Damon sank into the seat, head in his hand.
His knuckles were still trembling.
"Why didn't you stay to watch the next match?" he asked Cythera.
She shrugged.
"I only came to watch you fight."
Damon blinked at her. Then nodded slowly.
"I understand why you don't like him now."
Cythera looked away.
"Mm."
Daichi sniffed Damon again.
"You smell like victory. And iron."
Damon exhaled. "What do you think of a hot bath?"
Daichi's ears shot up immediately.
Cythera smirked.
"You two… honestly fit."
Damon shook his head. "No. I'm the lucky one." Hands running through Daichi's fur.
On Earth, the Shard of Luminaris glowed bright enough to light Natsuki's whole room.
She didn't notice until she closed her bedroom door.
When she touched it—Her heart flipped.
Damon with blood on his face, carrying a burned girl.
She gasped and ripped the shard away from her chest, hands shaking.
"What… happened…?"
Damon sank deeper into the steaming water, shoulder muscles finally relaxing, can't say the same for his hands. Daichi splashed around like a child discovering the ocean.
Damon leaned his head back against the stone, steam rising off bruises that looked like paint strokes across his ribs.
He felt her presence before he heard her. Damon straightened instinctively, hiding his hands under the water.
Natsuki's voice echoed softly in his head.
"…That's one way to say hello."
"I'm sorry," he said immediately—quiet, sincere. "I'm really… sorry you saw that."
Her voice trembled but stayed steady.
"I saw your face covered in blood… and you were carrying someone. She looked—horrible. Damon—what happened?"
Damon drew one slow breath.
"Remember the Trineum festival I told you about?"
"…yeah."
"I had to fight a guy today. Think… Pike. If he actually fought. And if someone gave him powers."
Natsuki was silent. Listening. Worried.
"And imagine if that bully threatened you," he added softly.
Her breath caught.
"He… threatened… me?"
"And he broke the bracelet you made me."
Natsuki didn't speak for a long moment.
Daichi barked, "Ask her what she thinks of my new form!"
Damon rubbed his face. "Daichi wants to know what you think of him."
Natsuki's voice cracked a small laugh.
"He looks… majestic. Like a cloud came to life."
Daichi puffed his chest.
"I like her."
Natsuki continued, quieter.
"Are you okay though?"
"…Yeah," Damon lied. "Just sore. And… I really liked that bracelet."
She blushed invisibly.
"I want you to come over. To Earth," she whispered. "Just for a day. Please?"
Damon paused.
"I'll ask my mom."
"Okay, Damon."
An hour later...
The doors opened.
Two nobles stood before Queen Thessa, faces twisted with fear, shame and somehow arrogance.
"I demand—" Klaven's father began.
Damon stepped inside, face no longer bloodstained.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'll come back later."
Queen Thessa raised a hand.
"No. You stay. Explain why Klaven is in his state."
Damon walked to the front, tired eyes hardening.
"I'll be blunt," he said. "I'm exhausted."
Nyra snorted.
Thessa hid a smile behind her hand.
"Sir Voren," Damon continued. "There are two possibilities. Either your son inherited a personality that's…trash—"
Nyra covered her mouth instantly.
"—or you're just bad at being parents... Do you love your wife?"
Klaven's father exploded.
"How DARE—!"
Queen Thessa didn't raise her voice. Her tone alone crushed him.
"You will answer your prince."
He swallowed. "I—I love my wife."
"Good," Damon said. "Then imagine someone destroying something she gave you. Threatening her. Insulting her. How would you feel?"
Silence.
"That's how I felt today."
He turned.
"We're done."
Klaven's mother left the room bowing to the Queen, without looking at her husband.
A second later, her voice rang through the hall:
"I told you not to pamper that boy!"
"My love, wait—"
"NO."
Inside the room, Nyra cackled.
Queen Thessa covered a smile.
Damon exhaled.
He sensed it. Then froze.
Bravira, Varnex, Thorpax, and Draven approached him slowly.
Like four walking earthquakes.
"Oh great…" Damon thought. "Lecture time. Shit... I still have Varnex's wallet, in my pocket."
Bravira placed a hand on his hair. Warm.
"You did well."
Damon blinked hard."Huh?"
Varnex smirked. "How'd you do that thing?"
Thorpax added, "Boy, you're too fast. Tolrex will need to put restraints on your bones so they don't explode."
Draven slapped Damon's back. "You're insane. Good job."
Cythera stood behind them, arms crossed, watching the chaos with a flat stare.
Bravira rested her palm against Damon's cheek.
"You've won their hearts," she said softly. "You're no longer a stranger to your kingdom."
"…Really?" Damon asked.
Draven laughed. "They want to meet you tomorrow."
Thorpax nodded. "Learn their prince."
"And potential chief," Varnex added casually.
Damon's eyes widened.
"Chief? I thought you said thief."
Cythera wheezed.
Nyra pointed. "He's trying to be humble!"
Queen Thessa smiled. "My son is a gentleman."
Thorpax elbowed Bravira. "Learn something from him."
He flew into a pillar.
Later, Damon walked beside his mother in the quiet royal courtyard.
"Mom…" he said carefully. "Can I go to Earth? Just for tonight?"
"You want to see her," she said gently.
Damon swallowed.
"She was scared. I just… want her mind at peace."
The Queen stopped walking. Turned. Held his face in her hands.
"I'm proud of you," she whispered. "Your father would be too. He would've done the same."
Damon felt his chest tighten.
He leaned into her hands like a boy again.
She kissed his forehead softly.
"You may go see her. And… Damon?"
"Yes?"
"Bring her back with you."
His eyes widened. Then he hugged her. Tightly.
She froze—then hugged him back.
"You should do that more often," she murmured.
"Heh… okay."
She handed him a small, metal device.
"Imbue eterna in it to open a portal. Then go."
A portal opened.
Daichi came sprinting.
"You were gonna leave without me—!"
He dove in. Damon followed.
On earth...
Damon and Daichi climbed her roof silently.
"It's midnight here," Damon muttered. "She's probably asleep."
He peeked into her window.
Natsuki sat on her bed—pen in her mouth, reading, legs crossed. Her hair tied up loosely.
Damon didn't understand but he loved the sight of the pen leaving her mouth and then her hair.
Daichi whispered, "She's adorable."
Damon elbowed him. "Quiet."
"You think I'm wrong?" Daichi said flatly.
Damon sighed. "Please fall in love with a dog," he muttered.
Daichi rolled his eyes.
Damon knocked lightly on her window.
Natsuki turned—startled—then her face lit up with the brightest smile he'd ever seen.
She opened the window.
"Damon!"
"Did you miss me?"
"Yes...a lot" she hugged him.
A pause.
"Natsuki...I can take you to Woewyn," Damon said. "If you want."
She stood, glowing.
"You always seem to have perfect timing. My parents and Haruto just left for a week but... I want to."
He lifted her easily, spinning her around.
She laughed—the sound soft and free.
"Do I need to bring anything?"
"No. Just yourself" he replied smiling.
Damon pressed eterna into the device.
A portal shimmered to life and they stepped through together.