Chapter 22: Recovering from the Battle

Chapter 22: Recovering from the Battle Samantha helped him out of the sewers. Once outside, she wanted to take Damian to a hospital to treat his wounds—or maybe to his place first. Damian didn’t want either. "No, we can’t go to my house," he said. "And not the hospital, either. Can we go to your place?" After everything that had happened, Samantha wasn’t sure it was a good idea to bring Damian to her home. But there was no denying it—he had saved her. She knew that clearly. If it weren’t for him, she would’ve died down there. So she agreed. "I’ll call a driver for us." Samantha used her phone to call a ride. Meanwhile, Damian tried his best to hide his wounds and act normal. The last thing he wanted was the driver thinking he needed medical attention. They arrived at Samantha’s place about thirty minutes after the fight. She lived in a tiny house in one of the city’s poorer neighborhoods. It wasn’t the safest area to live, but it was all she could afford. She lived alone, too—which was better for her. Damian felt safer there. "Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?" Samantha asked again, eyeing his injuries. "They look nasty." Damian wasn’t a normal human anymore. With his endurance stats increasing, his healing speed and pain tolerance had grown a lot. He was confident he’d be fine in a day or two. Of course, cleaning the wounds and using a bandage was still necessary. Samantha helped him with that. "Don’t worry. I’ll be fine," Damian said. "I’m sorry this happened to you." Deep down, Damian felt responsible for everything that had happened to Samantha. "Was that demon after you?" she asked. Damian was sure of it, based on the things the demon had said. "Yes, it was. I’m sorry you got dragged into this..." Samantha didn’t want him to feel responsible. "It wasn’t your fault, alright? You were the one who saved me. Thank you. But Damian, I didn’t know you were a hunter." Well, he wasn’t a hunter. Hunters were humans who awakened mana through natural means. Damian’s mana came from the system—and his power grew with every demon part he absorbed. No hunter could do that. And it was something he couldn’t explain to anyone. That was why Damian worked so hard to keep his powers hidden. The source was too strange, too dangerous. If word got out, both demons and hunters would come after him. He’d be hunted by both sides. "I’m not a hunter... officially," Damian said. "Can you keep that a secret? I really don’t want to get involved with either hunters or demons." "But with your powers, you could have a better life," she said. "I wish I had that chance." She meant money. And she wasn’t wrong. But Damian already had a plan—a project with that demon that could earn him some cash. "Yes, but there’s risk too. I don’t want to die fighting demons. I’ll find another way to build a better life." Samantha’s mind returned to that awful moment in the sewer—tied up, convinced she was about to die. It made her realize how much she valued her life. How deeply she wanted to keep it. She understood now why Damian didn’t want to be part of that world. "I see..." she said softly. "Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone." Damian sighed in relief. Somehow, he trusted her. Samantha had always seemed like a good person, and she’d been a kind friend during his time working at the café. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked. Before all of this had happened, Samantha had come to his apartment with something on her mind. Damian hadn’t known what it was, and he’d avoided inviting her in—his place was being monitored by Troy. "Oh right, I almost forgot," she said. "Well, the café closed. Crazy, right? Maybe that’s why they fired you." Damian acted surprised, even though he already knew. "Are you serious? But what about your job?" Seeing the house she lived in, Damian was sure she needed that job. "The café didn’t actually shut down," Samantha explained. "It got a new owner, apparently, and they want to move it to another part of the city. We still have our jobs—and they’re offering double the pay! Like, literally twice what we made before," she said, a faint smile forming on her face. Damian had no idea how Samantha would react when she saw him in the new café—as one of the owners. He hadn’t told her yet. Her surprise would be priceless. "This is really good," Damian said. "For a moment, I was scared you’d end up like me." Samantha was bandaging his wounds while they spoke. "The opening of the new café is coming up soon. I’ll try to talk to the owner about you—maybe get you your job back." It was kind of her. But Damian didn’t need it. "Thanks, but I already have a job. I’m working as a cleaner for a hunter company now, and they’re paying me really well. Full shift, from morning to afternoon." "Really? That’s awesome. But I could never handle what you probably have to see in a job like that." "Sometimes, I don’t know how I can handle it either," Damian replied. They went silent. After she finished wrapping the bandages, they ordered pizza. That had been their plan all along: have dinner together. But then everything had gotten in the way. At least now, they were both alive—and things were looking up. Samantha was especially excited about her new job, or rather, the bigger paycheck she’d be earning for doing the same work she used to do. They celebrated quietly: pizza, a few cold beers, and the calm after the storm. "Will you visit the café one day?" Samantha asked him. "I know you’re busy with your new job, but it’d be nice." Damian had no idea if he would sign the papers during the night or the day, but he still would try to check on her sometime. "I’ll try to go when I have the chance." "I know you’ll." They enjoyed the night, and eventually Damian had to return to his apartment. On the way back, he noticed a black car following him.