064 HIS SECRETS ALL REVEALED AND TOLD
Damen walked back to the interrogation room to continue the interrogation.
"See? They've found Irine," Miss Gallum said quietly, a small smile curving her lips.
Damen's eyes narrowed. "What? How do you know that?"
Before he could finish, his earpiece buzzed. Dorin's voice came through, urgent and grim.
"We've found Irine. She's dead—same condition as Sazie. Kurt's still on the loose."
Damen froze, the blood draining from his face. Slowly, he turned back to Miss Gallum.
"Is this what you mean by revolution? Killing innocent people?" he demanded.
Miss Gallum laughed softly. "Innocent? Nobody is innocent, Damen. Irine was greedy—she got what she deserved. And the missing students? If you truly knew them, you wouldn't pity them. They were bullies, exploiters… some even killers. I simply gave them what they had coming."
Damen didn't respond.
He hadn't checked who the missing students were.
But her words dug at him. He remembered the rush he'd felt when he punished the Veyran meta-human team—the thrill, the satisfaction. For a fleeting moment, he'd felt righteous.
"See?" Gallum said, her voice suddenly soft but cutting. "You're no different from us. Revenge is sweet."
Damen stiffened. Her words hit too close like she could read his mind.
"I'm not you," he snapped.
Gallum leaned forward, her eyes glinting with knowing amusement. "Oh, but you have secrets, Damen Dark. Secrets more dangerous than the Ring of Greed."
He froze, his pulse spiking. "Does she know about my mining app?" he thought, panic seeping in.
She smiled as if reading his mind again. "Relax. Everyone's entitled to their secrets. I'm not prying."
Then her tone shifted—low, almost compassionate. "But you, Damen… you need help."
He frowned. "Help? What kind of help?"
"To cleanse the tainted blood running through your veins," she said softly.
"Tell me—if those people behind that mirror knew what truly happened to you in the space rift… do you think you'd still be sitting there? Or would you be in my seat instead?"
Damen's breath caught. His heart pounded.
Dammit, he thought, "they can hear everything. It's all recorded."
Damen glanced toward the mirrored wall, unable to tell what was happening behind it.
"Dammit… did they hear her?" he thought, panic rising.
"The tainted blood," Miss Gallum said softly. "The curse of Ra."
He froze. "Please… don't say another word", he begged silently. But she wasn't merciful.
"That day at the auction," she continued, "you took the Eye of Ra, didn't you?"
Damen sank into his chair, his pulse hammering. He was finished. The SIA would arrest him the moment the interrogation ended.
"I need a plan. Now. an Escape plan."
Miss Gallum leaned forward. "Once the Eye of Ra merges with your body, you are cursed forever. Blood will strengthen you, yes—but one day, it will consume your mind."
Damen swallowed hard. "How do you know all this?"
"You have your mother's eyes," she said suddenly.
He blinked. "My… mother? You knew her?"
"Of course." She smiled faintly. "She's my sister. I'm your aunt."
Damen stared at her, stunned. "That's insane." He sank back, numb.
A loud knock-knock rattled the door. Someone outside was trying to get in, but the handle wouldn't turn.
"Are they going to arrest me?" he muttered.
"Why?" Damen asked, his voice trembling with anger. "Why tell me all this—here, in a recorded investigation? If you're really my aunt, why expose me like this?"
Miss Gallum's smile was cold and knowing. "I just wanted to see how desperate you'd become once you realized you were caught. Do you think this world—this government—will ever let you go, once they learn what you really are?"
Damen clenched his fists. "Now what?"
"Well," she said gently, "you're my nephew. I'd never harm you."
"You already did," he muttered. "You just ruined my life. The whole world knows I took the Eye of Ra now. I'll rot in a cell for it."
"No," Gallum said, shaking her head. "They won't know anything we've said here."
Damen blinked, a sliver of hope igniting. "What do you mean? You're going to erase their memories?"
She laughed lightly. "Would I really waste my psychic power on something so trivial?"
"Then… how can you possibly get me out of this?" he asked, desperately.
Her lips curved into a smirk. "If we can tamper with school CCTV to hide what the students did… do you really think we can't alter the recordings in this room?"
Before Damen could respond, the door burst open.
"What's going on here? Who locked this door?" Lander demanded, stepping inside.
"What? The door was locked?" Damen asked, feigning surprise.
"How's the interrogation going?" Lander asked, glancing between them.
"Don't you record everything?" Damen said quickly, trying to sound impatient.
Lander sighed. "Something glitched with the cameras for a few minutes. I came to check if everything was alright."
Relief washed over Damen. The entire incriminating exchange—his curse, the Eye of Ra, the family secret—was gone.
Only he and Miss Gallum knew.
"I've got nothing to say about Irine," Gallum said coolly. "Her death wasn't my doing."
Lander studied her face. Even with his sharp instincts, he couldn't read her. Still, the case was nearly closed—the last step was recovering the missing students.
"Where did you keep their bodies?" he asked.
Gallum smiled. "They're still in school. There's a shed behind the east wing—no one ever goes there. You'll find them inside."
"Did she just confess?" Dorin's voice came from the comm, astonished.
Lander immediately radioed the field team. Minutes later, confirmation came through.
"They found the bodies," he said quietly.
Gallum leaned back, looking pleased. "So, Investigator, any more questions?"
Lander shook his head. "No more. Take her back to the detention center. We're done."
Two guards entered and unshackled her from the chair. As they led her away. Miss Gallum didn't resist the arrest, her face was calm like she expected it.
As she walked away, she turned back and gave Damen a slow wink.
"I'll see you again," she said softly.
Damen had no response for her. He was terrified that she would reveal him now. in his mind, this supposed "aunt" of his was crazy.
There was no telling what she was capable of doing.
"Damnit, am I being blackmailed?" he thought.
Dorin stepped in as the door closed. "What was that all about?" she asked.
Damen rubbed his temple, forcing a sigh. "How the hell should I know? She's a little crazy don't you think?"
Dorin nodded.
Miss Gallum was indeed acting strange. For someone who started the elaborate conspiracy of abducting and murdering students, she was easy to confess everything.
-----
The case of the missing students was finally closed, and the SIA team returned to their base in Heroes' Gym. Damen got his apartment back to himself again.
After a long shower, he collapsed into bed, feeling quiet for the first time in weeks. Absentmindedly, he picked up his phone and scrolled through the app.
He wanted to check on Kurt through his Live View but reconsidered. It wasn't his responsibility to save the world and bring all evil to justice.
He's already done more than he usually would.
Damen was more interested in Miss Gallum. She mattered to him. Out of idle curiosity, he tapped her Live View.
What he saw made him sit upright.
The armored transport carrying Miss Gallum had overturned on a deserted road. The guards escorting her were sprawled unconscious, smoke curling around them. The straps binding her snapped open on their own, and she stepped out of the wreck.
Outside, chaos reigned.
Several escort vehicles lay overturned or burning, sirens blaring faintly through the crackle of fire. A truck suddenly exploded, scattering flaming debris and bodies into the air.
"Damnit, what the hell?" Damen asked.