..
Kai reached the bedside, lowering himself carefully. His hands hovered just above Damian's face, his hand rached into the hood, fingers brushing against the thin strings securing the mask behind his ears.
Carefully, he grasped the straps. Damian remained still—his eyelids hadn't even twitched.
Kai swallowed and began to pull.
Halfway there.
Just a little more.
Then—
A sound.
All four froze, their breath catching in their throats.
And then—
..
---
Location: Earth - South Africa – Johannesburg. Fort Sentinel – The Last Bastion.
Year: 2026
Date: February 17th
Time: 2:54 PM
POV: Third Person
---
*Knock* *Knock*
The sharp raps against the door sent a jolt through all of them. Their bodies went rigid, their breath hitching as they slowly—almost fearfully—turned toward the entrance.
There, standing in the open doorway, was Sergeant Harry. His gaze swept over them, unimpressed but seemingly uninterested in whatever mischief they were up to.
The girls had left the door open.
Sergeant Harry "Sorry to… disturb you," the sergeant said, his voice even and calm. "But I need a word with all of you."
For a moment, no one moved. The tension hung so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Then, as if controlled by an unseen force, they all turned their heads—slowly, cautiously—toward the bed.
Damian was awake.
His sharp, dark eyes stared at them, unreadable yet piercing. His gaze moved from Marcus to Kai, then to the girls, before settling on Kai's outstretched hands, still frozen near his face.
A long, heavy silence stretched between them.
Then—
Damian Derulo "…What are you doing?"
Damian's voice was low, laced with confusion—and a hint of irritation. His sharp gaze settled on Kai and Marcus, who instantly stiffened.
Kai Renji " I uhh... He made me do it! " Kai blurted, immediately pointing at Marcus.
Marcus Hale " What?! You're throwing me under the bus?! " Marcus shot back, staring at Kai in disbelief.
The two launched into a frantic exchange of blame, their hushed voices growing more animated. Meanwhile, Sofia and Hannah stood off to the side, choosing not to get involved.
Damian watched the spectacle unfold for a moment before silently reaching for his sword. The faint shff of metal against fabric was all it took for Kai and Marcus to freeze mid-argument. Their eyes darted to Damian as he stood up, his expression unreadable.
Without acknowledging them further, Damian turned his attention to Sergeant Harry, who had remained silent the entire time.
Damian Derulo " Sir, you said you wanted to talk. "
Sergeant Harry " Yes, come with me… all of you. "
With that, the sergeant turned and walked away.
Damian followed without hesitation, never sparing the others a glance. After exchanging uncertain looks, Kai, Marcus, Sofia, and Hannah hurried after them, their curiosity outweighing their nerves.
..
.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 3:55 PM ]
--
Damian stood before the bulletin board, scanning the names with cold precision, searching for anything—or anyone—familiar.
The little meeting between Damian, the group of four and Sergeant Harry had taken fourty minutes. The debriefing had been straightforward: the sergeant wanted details about their experiences during the chaos of the Rapture. One by one, they recounted their stories.
That was when Damian learned the full extent of what the group had been through.
They had encountered a small gang—opportunistic scavengers who not only robbed them but had far worse intentions for Sofia and Hannah. Forced to flee, the group barely escaped with their lives. Then, as if fate wasn't done testing them, they crossed paths with a towering, grotesque zombie—a creature so massive that even in their combined efforts, they couldn't kill it, only barely managing to escape.
Then, they met him.
They explained how Damian had lended them a hand in their time of need, provided supplies, and followed them to safety. Throughout it all, Damian had remained mostly silent, only confirming the parts that involved him and giving a brief, vague account of his own experience.
Then came the question of his Title.
He stuck to the same explanation he'd given earlier—something to do with disintegration. It was close enough to the truth without revealing too much. The Sergeant looked a little surprised when he heard the type of Facet Damian had but only for a second before he calmed down.
That was when Damian made another discovery.
Unlike him, the others hadn't chosen their Titles; they had earned them. That fact alone gnawed at him. Why was he different? What did it mean? His desire to contact Alter only grew stronger.
He also learned about the known Title Grades:
[Mortal Grade]
[Heroic Grade]
[Mystical Grade]
[Celestial Grade]
[Absolute Grade]
Each rank signified a clear hierarchy of power.
Kai Renji was a [Phantom Striker - Mid Mystical Grade]
Marcus Hale was a [Rune Scribe - Low Mystical Grade]
Sofia Hayes was a [Pyroblade - Mid Mystical Grade]
Hannah Lee was a [Aqua Caller - High Mystical Grade]
When they turned the question to Damian, he answered smoothly—Mid Mystical Grade.
Sergeant Harry had studied him closely then, searching for any sign of deceit. But with his sword within reach, Damian remained unreadable. At least, unreadable to someone of the sergeant's level.
Now, as he stood before the bulletin board, his mind was elsewhere. The pieces were falling into place, but something was still missing.
Damian scanned the board one last time before exhaling sharply.
Damian Derulo ' As expected, they're not here '
His family's names were nowhere to be found. He had hoped—though not optimistically—that at least one of them might be at this base. But reality had once again proven unforgiving.
With a resigned sigh, he reached for the pen, prepared to write down his name, room number, and the names of his remaining family members. If by some miracle they were somewhere there and came across this board, at least they'd know where to find him.
However, just as the tip of the pen touched the surface, his eyes caught a message scrawled nearby:
| I am safe, Dad. If you see this, please meet me. My room number is LQ-153.
To My Father, Callister Derulo — From Zayne Callister. |
Damian's grip on the pen tightened.
Damian Derulo 'Of course, this bastard is alive. '
Zayne Callister. His cousin. The son of his father's older brother. Raised solely by his father after his mother passed away shortly after childbirth. They used to be close—once. But after a particular incident that happened to Damian, everything changed.
For a brief moment, Damian considered walking away without leaving his own message.
Damian Derulo ' This bunker is massive. What are the chances we'd actually run into each other? 'Then, almost immediately, he cursed himself.
'Shit. I just raised a damn flag.'
Shaking his head, he wrote down his information, making sure to place it far from Zayne's. Once finished, he set the pen down and turned away.
One step.
Two steps.
Three—
??? "Damian?"
He stiffened for half a second before continuing forward as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Damian Derulo ' Nope. I don't know who you are. My name is not Damian. Leave me alone.'
He quickened his pace, subtly but noticeably, hoping to disappear into the crowd.
Unfortunately, fate wasn't feeling merciful today.
A firm hand gripped his shoulder from behind, halting his escape. Slowly, he turned, only to come face-to-face with a familiar figure.
??? "Damian! I knew it was you," the young man said with a grin. "Still rocking the all-black look, huh?"
Damian internally groaned.
Damian Derulo ' Oof course. Jesus Christ, I really did raise a flag.'
His lips pressed into a thin line before he finally spoke, his tone flat and just barely masking his displeasure.
Damian Derulo "Hi… Zayne."
---
-
---
Damian Derulo ' *Sigh* How did it get to this? '
Damian sighed internally, standing stiffly among a group of four—Zayne included, of course. His cousin had his arm slung around Damian's shoulder like they were long-lost best friends, which only added to his discomfort.
After Zayne had confirmed his identity, he had given Damian an unwelcome hug, then, before Damian could escape, his cousin's friends conveniently appeared. Naturally, Zayne had dragged him along for introductions.
With his usual enthusiasm, Zayne grinned and gestured toward the others.
Zayne Callister "Guys, this is Damian, my cousin from my father's side. Damian, meet my friends. This is Elise Laurent—she's my girlfriend." Zayne said with a smile.
Elise Laurent " Hi Damian " Elise gave Damian a slight smile and waved gracefully.
She was strikingly beautiful, standing at 5'11"—the shortest in the group—with a cold and distant air. Her long silver hair and icy blue eyes only enhanced the impression. Her physique was slender yet well-toned, a balance of elegance and strength.
Damian Derulo " Hi " Damian replied flatly.
Zayne continued. "This here is my best friend, Adrian Vaughn, and his girlfriend, Mira Valen."
Adrian Vaughn "Hello Damian" Adrian gave Damian a nod.
At a towering 6'8", Adrian was even taller than Damian himself. His dark bronze skin, short black hair, black eyes, and muscular build made him look imposing, but his expression was calm and friendly.
Mira Valen " Hi, Damian! Nice to meet you! " Mira greeted with a bright wave.
She had a cute face and stood at 6'1" with a lean, athletic figure. Her long red hair and golden eyes gave her a striking appearance.
Damian glanced at the group.
Damian Derulo ' What a colorful bunch.'
Still, his response was as monotone as ever. "Hi."
Zayne leaned in slightly, his tone a bit more subdued. "We were all together at my house when the Rapture took place. How have you been, Damian? How's your family?"
'I don't recall asking.' Damian thought dryly.
Outwardly, he kept his tone neutral. "I haven't seen any of them." He took the opportunity to pry Zayne's arm off his shoulder.
Zayne sighed. "I'm sorry, man… I haven't seen my dad either."
Damian Derulo ' And how is that any of my business? ' Damian rolled his eyes internally. "I'm sure he was taken by the Rapture. He was a good man" Damian said truthfully.
Zayne Callister " Maybe you're right " Zayne gave a small smile.
Sensing the slight shift in mood, Mira decided to chime in.
Mira Valen "So, Damian, we were about to head out into the city in search of supplies. Wanna come with?" she asked, her tone casual—yet unintentionally cute.
Damian Derulo ' What the? How the hell is she so cute? Shit! Focus Damian, she's not a puppy or a cat, she's a girl and they're all evil so get a grip! ' Damian thought to himself as he held back on the urge to pinch and pull her cheeks.
Zayne, naturally, jumped in. "Yeah, man, come with us."
And without waiting for Damian's reply—because of course he didn't—Zayne started pulling him along as if it were already decided.
One of the major reasons I dislike this guy—he never gives a damn about my opinion.
Damian stopped abruptly, yanking his arm free from Zayne's grasp. His patience was wearing thin.
Damian Derulo "Zayne, it's 4:15. Where exactly do you and your group plan on going at this time?" He checked his phone as he spoke, emphasizing the point.
Zayne waved off Damian's concern with a carefree grin. "Oh, don't worry about that. We're only going into the city, within a kilometer radius of the base."
Before Damian could respond, Elise calmly walked up to Zayne. Without hesitation, she reached up and grabbed his ear, tugging hard.
Zayne Callister "Aghh! Ouu ouu ouu! Babe, please stop! You're gonna pull off my ear!" Zayne yelped in pain, flailing slightly.
Elise's expression remained unimpressed. "I intend to," she said coldly. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop dragging people into things without their permission."
Zayne winced. "Ahh, right, sorry! Please stop pulling my ear!"
After a moment, Elise finally let go. Then, she turned to Damian with a graceful nod.
Elise Laurent "I apologize for his inappropriate behavior" she said.
Damian exhaled, a small smirk creeping onto his face. 'Finally! Someone who can put this piece of shit in his place.'
Damian Derulo "It's okay, thanks" he replied, keeping his tone neutral.
Adrian, who had remained mostly silent until now, finally spoke up.
Adrian Vaughn "So, Damian, are you coming with us?" His voice was calm, steady—exactly what Damian had gathered about him so far. Silent but strong.
Damian thought for a moment. ' Hmm, I do need more practice. My sword swings are still too amateurish. I need real experience... '
As his mind ran through the possibilities, he could feel tension rising within him. Instinctively, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Almost immediately, the tension faded, replaced by a quiet calm.
Taking a deep breath, he finally answered. "Alright. But when will we be back?"
Zayne, still rubbing his sore ear, responded, "We should be back before seven."
Damian gave a small nod. "When are you leaving?"
Zayne glanced at the bulletin board. "Right now. But we wanna check if anything changed with what we wrote. What about you? You good to go?"
Damian Derulo 'Phone, airpods, sword, mask...' Damian mentally ran through his essentials, patting himself down. "Yeah, I'm good."
ZayZayne Callister "Cool, just give us a few minutes," Zayne said before he and the others turned toward the board.
Left alone for the moment, Damian's eyes narrowed as he studied Zayne. 'Why are his eyes red?' He clearly remembered his cousin having black eyes. The red hair made sense—it was from his mother, a Spaniard—but the eye color change?
'Must be related to his Title...' His gaze flickered to Adrian. Like him. His body looks like it's made of metal. 'That can't be normal either.'
Damian crossed his arms, silently scrutinizing them.
--
-
After checking the board, the group headed outside. As they walked, Damian couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He turned around a few times but saw nothing unusual—just people going about their business.
Damian Derulo 'Must be my imagination...' Damian shrugged it off and kept walking.
However, he soon noticed something else—people were staring. Not at him, though. At Zayne.
Now, Damian had always considered himself average in the looks department. But part of the reason he thought that—aside from the bigger, more personal reason—was because of Zayne. The guy was a walking ten out of ten. Both in body and face. He was the kind of person that made "love at first sight" seem real.
Zayne had a face so sculpted it was like he'd been looks-maxing since birth. And while Damian didn't have an inferiority complex, it was hard not to compare.
As they walked, Damian watched as Zayne casually ran a hand through his hair and threw a wink at the staring women. Predictably, they started gushing over him.
Elise, however, didn't even spare him a glance, continuing forward without reaction. She was clearly used to this.
Zayne wasn't flirting—not really. He treated the attention like a celebrity acknowledging their fans, which often led to misunderstandings.
Zayne sighed dramatically. "I'm too handsome for my own good," he lamented, shaking his head helplessly.
The group collectively ignored him. They had long since built an immunity to his narcissism.
Damian, on the other hand, rolled his beneath his hood. 'What an egotist. Nice to see people never change…'
At least, he thought, it was better than before—back when Zayne used to carry around a mirror as a kid.
..
.
--
[ February 17th ]
[ 4:25 PM ]
--
Damian Derulo looked at the massive, rugged vehicle before him. "Is this your car?" he asked, eyeing the beast of a machine with mild curiosity.
Before them stood a GMC Hummer EV, though calling it a car felt like an understatement. The massive off-road vehicle had clearly been through hell—its once-pristine body now bore scratches, dents, and faded patches of paint. Reinforced steel pipes ran along the sides and roof, giving it a more battle-hardened, almost post-apocalyptic look. The front grille was slightly dented, and the left side mirror had clearly been replaced with a mismatched one. The thick, mud-streaked tires looked built to crush anything in their path.
Zayne Callister grinned. "Yeah, it was a lot more banged up when we found it, but the soldiers here had a mechanic who helped fix it up. They even reinforced it with steel pipes. Now it looks like this," he said proudly, patting the hood.
Without waiting for further conversation, Zayne climbed into the driver's seat, acting like he owned the place.
Elise slipped into the front passenger seat, her movements graceful and effortless.
Damian climbed into the back, taking his seat next to Adrian, while Mira slid in between them, effectively placing herself in the middle.
As the doors shut and the vehicle hummed to life.
Damian Derulo ' At least if we get ambushed, we're driving a damn tank.'
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To Be Continued.....