DAMIAN'S POV
The taxi pulled up in front of my house. I paid the driver and stepped out, rubbing my temples. My head throbbed, and all I wanted was to collapse into bed and forget this entire night.
But then—I saw it.
A figure sat motionless on my porch, right beside the door. A statue?
I hesitated, glancing around the empty street before slowly stepping forward. The figure shifted. Raised its head.
I froze.
Silver hair cascaded down its back, glinting under the porch light. Its face was unreal—too perfect, too still. My pulse kicked up.
"What... what are you?" My voice came out hoarse. I took a cautious step back.
The figure rose to its feet in one smooth motion, watching me with those empty, silver eyes.
I swallowed hard. "What the hell are you doing on my property? This is trespassing!"
No response. Just eerie, unsettling silence.
A cold sweat prickled at my skin. My hands clenched into fists.
"Quit staring like that!" My voice wavered, frustration bleeding through the fear. "I've had a shitty day, and I am not in the mood to deal with whatever sick joke this is!"
The figure remained still, like it was studying me—measuring something unseen.
And for some reason… that was more terrifying than if it had actually spoken.
The statue-like creature took a step forward—I stepped back. My breath hitched. My heart slammed against my ribs.
"This is a nightmare."
I groaned, dropping to my knees, fingers tangled in my hair.
A sharp, acrid scent burned my nostrils—something foul, like skunk spray. Then—
HISSSSSSSS—
The sound cut through the air, sharp and violent, like gas escaping a ruptured pipe.
I barely had time to flinch before—
BOOM.
The ground shook. Dirt and debris exploded into the air, dust clinging to my tongue. A propane tank lay embedded in the lawn, still hissing, rolling slightly from the impact. It had missed me by inches.
I staggered back, gasping. My mind raced, my pulse hammering in my ears. The statue creature—forgotten.
Then I saw it.
The same statue demon from the park.
Its stone body cracked and crumbled with each step, jagged pieces raining to the ground. Hollow eyes locked onto me.
What the fuck?!
Before I could react, something grabbed me—tight, unyielding.
And then I was gone.
---
I landed hard.
The world spun, my stomach lurching as my body crashed onto damp grass. The scent of wet earth mixed with the bitter burn of alcohol in my throat. I blinked, disoriented.
I was in Heather's garden. The small hill outstretched toward a lake, its surface glistening under the moonlight.
Everything felt off. Too fast. Too quiet. Too unreal.
I barely had time to process before nausea took over.
I turned to the side and vomited. The entire drink.
I heaved, groaning, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. My head pounded. The teleportation, the booze—everything felt ten times worse.
A presence loomed near me. I turned—and flinched.
The stone creature crouched just a few feet away, watching me.
My body reacted before my brain did—I jerked back and landed straight in my own puke.
"Ugh! Disgusting!" I groaned, scrambling away from the mess, wiping my hand against my pants in disgust. "Never scare me like that again!"
The creature didn't move.
"Shoo! Go away, whatever you are," I grumbled, still dizzy, still unsteady. I dropped onto my back, staring at the lake.
Silence stretched between us.
For the first time all night, everything slowed. The quiet pressed in around me—the rhythmic hum of crickets, the soft rustle of wind, the gentle ripple of the lake.
It was… beautiful.
A strange sort of peace settled over me, despite the pounding in my head.
Then—
"Noe."
The voice was quiet. Deep. Almost... sorrowful.
I turned. The creature—no, the angel—was now sitting beside me.
My breath caught. How the fuck had he moved without me noticing?
"Who's that?" I asked, my voice low.
Silence.
I turned to him fully, this time taking him in.
His skin, pale and smooth, no longer looked like stone. His long, straight silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, the strands catching the dim glow. His eyes—also silver—were piercing, unreadable. And beautiful.
He didn't look human.
But he didn't look like a monster, either.
He radiated something… distant. Melancholy. A quiet sorrow pressed against him, heavy, like a ghost of something long lost.
"He… was my everything."
His voice was soft, yet it carried. Like a whisper laced with the weight of centuries. It sent a shiver down my spine.
I looked back at the lake, heart beating fast.
The dark sky reflected against the water's surface, the moonlight stretching across the ripples. Everything felt surreal—too real, even. I didn't know if it was the alcohol, the adrenaline, or the presence beside me, but something about this moment lodged itself deep in my chest.
A thought crossed my mind.
If I could still see beauty—maybe my soul wasn't as bleak as I thought.
And beauty…
Was sitting right beside me.
"What is your name?"
His voice was gentle, yet it wrapped around me like a command.
I hesitated.
A name is personal. It's a tether. A piece of you that binds. I could still hear my parents' warnings from childhood—never tell your name to strangers.
And he was the strangest of all.
Yet… I answered.
"Damian."