Chapter 13: Fired, and Leaving the City

Chapter 13: Fired, and Leaving the City The following morning, Damian went straight to work. He wanted to check how things were at the cafeteria. Once there, he saw everyone—his coworkers, the people he’d been working alongside every single day. The owner—or rather, ex-owner—was Burt. A middle-aged man from another country who had come to start his cafe here. He had a temper, but was a decent guy. Samantha handled the baking. For some reason, she’d always been quite friendly with Damian, and he liked her. She was the person he talked to the most at work. As soon as Damian arrived, Burt called out to him. "Damian, a word please?" Burt said. Damian had no clue what it was about. He hadn’t done anything wrong recently. What could Burt want? Burt had a paper on his desk, and his expression didn’t look good. "I’m sorry to say this, but you’re fired," Burt said. Definitely not what Damian expected. "Why? What’s the reason?" Damian asked. He wasn’t angry. He still had his night shift as a cleaner, which paid well, and he was about to start that mediator job with the demon. "I can’t say much. An anonymous buyer bought the cafe and apparently requested you be let go. That’s all I can tell you." Damian understood what was going on. "I see. Well... do I need to work today, or...?" "No. Just sign the papers and you’re good. I’m sorry, Damian. I know how much you need this job." Burt meant it. He truly felt bad. It wasn’t his choice—just orders from the new owner. "It’s okay, Burt," Damian said. "I’m sure we’ll cross paths again." He signed the papers and left. Just as he reached the door, Samantha rushed over and grabbed his arm. "Damian," she said, "where are you going? You just got here." Samantha remembered Damian hadn’t shown up the day before because of the demon attack at his building. Her first thought was that something supernatural had happened again—but it hadn’t. "Burt fired me," Damian said. "But don’t worry. I’ll see you again next week." "He fired you? Why? Is this a joke?" She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Damian didn’t want to get into details. Not that he could. He just thanked her for the concern and left. It was the first time in ages Damian had the whole day free. That felt... special. First, he called the demon—just to confirm that things were happening the way he suspected. The demon picked up the phone, which was a pleasant surprise. "I assume you just got fired," it said. "That’s correct. Is this part of your plan? I mean, it makes sense—if I’m becoming one of the owners." "Indeed. We’re selling that location and opening the cafe elsewhere. Your hunter friend knows where you work, and so do your employers from the hunter business. That’s not ideal." "That’s something I wanted to discuss. I assume the demon meetings will take place at night? If so, I’m busy—I work as a cleaner during those hours." Demons did operate during the day, but they preferred the night. And if Damian was going to earn money like he would in a normal cafe, it couldn’t be packed with demons during business hours. "Yes, mostly at night. But don’t worry—I have contacts. They’re switching your shift to mornings soon. When it happens, act surprised like you didn’t know. Please." The demon had enough connections to change Damian’s shift. Who exactly was he? A demon with ties to hunters. Impressive, to say the least. "And when’s the new cafe opening?" "In three days, I believe. You know it’s not a good idea to bring your old coworkers. Your hunter friend knows their faces—he could track the new place down." The demon wasn’t wrong. But Damian believed he could protect them. No harm would come to Samantha, Burt, or anyone else from the old cafe. "Don’t worry. He won’t find us that easily—assuming you’re doing a good job with this new place. He only drove me there once, and didn’t see anyone." "Of course I am. I’ll call when I have news. But please, don’t call me often." The demon hung up. Damian didn’t know what to expect now. Everything was changing—his shift, his workplace, and his role among powerful demons who wanted a neutral zone to speak freely. "Can I even do this? Will they see I’m just a weak man, not someone strong enough?" he wondered, heartbeat quickening. Still, he had the day free. But before doing anything, he needed to check if Troy was following him. Back in his apartment, nestled into his usual spot, Damian activated his demon eyes. They let him see more clearly. He scanned the streets through the windows. No sign of Troy, his car, or his aura. "If I’m right, he usually works during the day. So I need to be alert tonight," Damian muttered. By day, Troy hunted demons and investigated their crimes. At night, he drove Damian and a few others from the company—working double duty. Damian figured he must need the money. Before heading out, Damian absorbed the severed demon part he’d cut from that rat. If someone broke in and found it, it’d mean trouble. [+2 points in agility] The demon rat was weak, so it didn’t grant him any new skill—active or passive. Still, two points in an attribute was better than nothing. After cleaning everything and erasing any trace of the rat, Damian left the apartment. Not just the apartment—he called a driver and left the city entirely. He wanted to hunt demons in the outskirts, in quiet neighborhoods far from the center—far from where Troy might find him. The driver didn’t speak during the ride—and that was perfect. Damian couldn’t stand drivers who kept talking, asking questions about his life. He just wanted peace for the journey. A quiet moment to think and let his mind settle. They stopped on a lonely stretch of road outside the city. The driver double-checked. "Are you sure this is the right place? There’s nothing but woods around here," he said. "Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks for the ride." After the car pulled away, Damian looked for a path that led deeper into the forest. He found one—and headed in.