Chapter 305 — Don’t Tell Me...

[Valcor Estate - Living Room]

Damian followed his mother through the front door, the familiar warmth of home wrapping around him.

Then he stopped.

Luna sat on the couch holding a cup of coffee, her silver eyes looking tired in ways he’d never seen before, dark circles shadowed her face and her usual energy was completely absent.

She looked up when he entered and smiled.

Just smiled.

No jumping up with excitement, no running over to hug him and no rapid-fire questions about where he’d been or how he was feeling.

Just a calm, quiet smile like she was greeting an acquaintance.

"Welcome back, Damian."

Her voice was soft and steady, completely unlike the Luna who usually fawned over him the moment he walked through the door.

Damian’s eyebrows drew together slightly.

’Something’s wrong.’

Kuro emerged from Luna’s shadow instead of his own, the raven settling on her shoulder with a possessive air. He pressed his head against her cheek affectionately, making soft cooing sounds.

Luna reached up and stroked his feathers, her movements gentle and practiced.

"Did you have a good trip with Mom?"

"Yeah. We... went shopping."

The conversation felt stilted, awkward in ways it never had before.

Lyandra moved past them toward the kitchen, glancing back once with an expression Damian couldn’t quite read.

Alaric appeared from the hallway, took one look at the scene and quietly disappeared again.

’They know something. Both of them are acting like this is normal.’

"Are you feeling better?" Luna asked, taking a sip of her coffee. "You were sleeping for a really long time."

"I’m... better. Still recovering."

"That’s good."

She smiled again, that same calm smile that felt completely wrong on her face.

Then she stood up slowly, like the movement took effort.

"I’m going to rest in my room for a bit. Lunch tired me out more than I expected."

"Luna, wait–"

"Hmm?"

She turned back, her silver eyes meeting his with quiet patience.

Damian opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He didn’t know what to say and how to ask what was wrong without sounding like he was complaining that she wasn’t being clingy enough.

’What the hell is wrong with me? I should be happy with her behaving so calmly.’

But he wasn’t happy. Something about this calm, exhausted version of Luna made his chest tight with worry.

"Never mind. Rest well."

"Thanks."

She headed upstairs, her footsteps slow and measured.

Kuro started to follow her, lifting off from her shoulder.

"Oi! Kuro!"

Damian’s voice came out sharper than intended.

The raven paused mid-flight, turning to look at him with those blood-red eyes.

"Come here... I need to talk with you."

Kuro hesitated, glancing back toward where Luna had gone, then reluctantly flew over to land on Damian’s shoulder.

They went to Damian’s room in silence.

****

Damian closed the door and sat on his bed, looking at Kuro who perched on the windowsill.

"Not happy to see me alive?"

His voice carried an edge he couldn’t quite suppress.

"You didn’t even ask how I was. Barely acknowledged I exist."

’Stupid human complaining!’

Kuro’s mental voice came through their bond, indignant and defensive.

’Kuro worried before! Kuro tried hard help stupid human! Kuro grieved when stupid human broke!’

"Then why–"

’But silver-eyed girl fixed stupid human! Made him sleep peaceful! Kuro not need worry because girl takes care of stupid human better than stupid human takes care of himself!’

Damian went completely still.

"What do you mean she... fixed me?"

Kuro ruffled his feathers, his thoughts becoming more careful like he realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have.

’Girl... girl made stupid human calm. When stupid human screamed from nightmares, girl would come. Would hold stupid human’s hand and stupid human would stop screaming.’

"When I was sleeping?"

’Every night! Girl came every night! Would sit with stupid human for hours! Would become very tired after, but kept coming back!’

Kuro’s red eyes gleamed with something like accusation.

’Kuro not know what girl does. But it fixed stupid human. Made him sleep peaceful. Girl exhausted now because she fix stupid human!’

Damian’s mind raced back to the interrogation room, to Luna holding him, to the way her presence had felt different somehow, to the calm that had washed over him when she’d touched his face, when she’d talked about their childhood, to falling asleep feeling safe...

"She was... using something. Some kind of ability."

’Girl has special eyes! Kuro can see! Special silver eyes that see something like Kuro sees death!’

"You... might be thinking too much."

’NOT much!’

Kuro’s mental voice was sharp.

’Girl DOES something! Kuro felt it! Made stupid human’s broken emotions quiet! Made chaos become calm! But it cost girl! She gets exhausted every time!’

The raven hopped closer, his tone becoming almost pleading.

’Stupid human should thank girl! Should protect girl like girl protected stupid human! Girl is good! Girl loves stupid human more than anything!’

"Fuck."

Damian was already moving, disappearing from his room and reappearing outside Luna’s door with his highest speed.

Knock Knock

He knocked, his hand trembling slightly.

"Come in."

Luna’s voice came through soft and calm.

****

Damian pushed open the door and stopped.

The room had changed since the last time he’d been in here. It used to be overwhelmingly girly, all pastels and decorations and stuffed animals arranged with meticulous care.

Now though, books lined every available surface. Texts on Aura theory, combat techniques and awakener physiology. The kind of dense academic reading that most people avoided unless they had to study it.

Luna lay on her bed, propped up on pillows, watching him with that unnervingly calm expression.

Damian grabbed the chair from her desk and dragged it over to the bed, sitting down heavily.

Then... he said nothing as he kept staring at her.

Silence filled the space between them.

Luna just looked at him, a small smile playing at her lips, waiting.

Damian opened his mouth but closed it again. His mind flashed back to the interrogation room, to breaking down in front of her, to begging her not to leave...

’Why isn’t she saying anything?! This isn’t like her at all!’

Finally, Luna spoke.

"It’s good that you’re better now, Damian."

The awkward tension broke slightly and Damian let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for..." He trailed off, not sure what words to use. "Thank you for–"

"There’s no need for thank you between us."

Luna interrupted with that same gentle smile.

And another silence fell. Damian almost forgot why he’d come here in the first place, the awkwardness of their last interaction drowning out everything else.

Then he remembered Kuro’s words about Luna exhausting herself and using something on him repeatedly.

"Luna... is there something you’re hiding from me?"

Her expression didn’t change.

"Your exhaustion seems worse than mine. And you’re behaving..." He gestured vaguely. "Unlike you."

Luna’s smile turned slightly teasing.

"Unlike me? You mean not coming at you aggressively? Not ’fawning’ over you like usual?"

Damian’s face went awkward as heat seemed to be creeping up his neck.

"I didn’t... I mean..."

Luna leaned forward, sitting up properly, her eyes glinting with mischief despite the exhaustion.

"Damian... don’t tell me... you actually LIKED it when I was clingy?"

"Luna..."

He avoided eye contact, his voice stuttering.

"T-That’s not... I just meant you’re being too calm and it’s... weird."