Chapter 482 — This Is What Life Is
6 min read ·
Damian nodded, not trusting his voice, tears still streaming down his face.
"You aren’t completely without allies in this world. Firstly, the Marshals of the military!"
The man’s eyes bored into Damian’s.
"I don’t know about all of them, but some should still remember what they owe me. Especially the Supreme Marshal. But only ask for their help if your identity is exposed, understand? Don’t reveal yourself unnecessarily."
Damian nodded again repeatedly.
"Secondly, beyond the mountain range are some noble families and people who were completely loyal to me. They should be near the demon portals, holding the line like they’ve done for decades."
The man’s expression became serious.
"If they’re still alive, you can trust them. But do some research first just to be safe, alright? People change over seventeen years."
CRACK CRACK
The fractures spread further, reality breaking apart around them.
The man’s body became even less substantial, barely more than an outline now.
"Third, and the most trustworthy... the Military Police!"
His voice carried absolute conviction.
"They’re the most loyal to me because I created them specifically to be incorruptible! Their director would never betray me, never ever!"
He paused, his fading eyes searching Damian’s face.
"And that Felix kid... I’ll only say this–"
His translucent hands came up, cupping Damian’s face gently.
"Judge a man by his actions, not by what he says... You do understand that he has always helped you, right?"
Damian nodded, unable to speak around the lump in his throat.
The man’s expression shifted, becoming darker.
"And that Murdock girl..."
His voice carried weight that made Damian’s spine straighten.
"I once trusted a Murdock as well. Trusted him with my life, with my family’s lives, with everything that mattered." His jaw clenched. "And I lost everything because of it."
He looked directly into Damian’s eyes.
"So I will only say this, and you need to understand what I mean." He paused. "Beware not of the ones who openly want to destroy humanity, but of those who seek to protect it."
Silence hung between them for a heartbeat.
"Do you understand what I’m saying?"
Damian’s tears kept pouring, but he nodded, committing every word to memory.
The man’s face softened, the darkness lifting as something gentle took its place.
"I... I wish I could have met you with my real self instead of just this remnant."
His voice became thick again, emotion bleeding through every word.
"I wish I could have been there for you from the beginning, could have been the one to carry all your burdens."
His translucent hands trembled against Damian’s face.
"I wish I could give you the love and peace you deserve, the childhood that should have been yours."
Tears fell freely down both their faces now.
"But this is what life is about, isn’t it? You don’t always get what you want. You don’t get to choose your circumstances or rewrite the past."
His smile was sad but genuine.
"You just have to learn to make the best of what you’re given, to find meaning in the hand you’re dealt instead of mourning the cards you never got to hold."
Crack Crack Crack
The world was coming apart faster now, whole sections dissolving into nothingness.
The man’s body had become almost completely transparent, his hands starting to pass through Damian’s face like he was made of smoke.
"So little Damian..."
His voice was fading, becoming quieter with each word.
"Let this be the last time you cry over me... Let this be where your grief ends and your strength begins."
His smile widened, becoming brighter despite everything.
"Send me off with that silly smile of yours, the one I saw earlier when you were happy."
"I... I..."
Damian tried to speak, his voice breaking completely.
"Grandpa!"
The word came out as a sob.
The man’s expression shifted immediately, his fading face taking on exaggerated sternness.
"Just shut up! Men of the Bloodworth family don’t cry like babies!"
The words hit Damian like a physical blow.
And suddenly, despite everything, despite the world ending and his grandfather disappearing, despite all the grief and loss and pain...
"Sa– Says the man who’s bawling his eyes out!"
The response came automatically, muscle memory from their earlier exchange, and Damian felt his lips curve upward.
A smile broke across his face, watery and broken but genuine, mixing with the tears that wouldn’t stop falling.
The man laughed, the sound echoing strangely in the fracturing space.
"There it is! That’s my grandson!"
Crack Crack Crack
The world had almost completely collapsed now, reality itself coming undone.
The man’s form was barely visible anymore, just a faint outline against the breaking sky.
Thud
Damian dropped to his knees suddenly, his hands pressing against the ground that was starting to dissolve beneath him.
"Thank you." His voice came out rough but clear. "Thank you for everything, Grandpa! For the knowledge, for the advice, for... for just being here when I needed someone!"
His cheeks flushed red as he continued.
"I will make you proud... I’ll make every Bloodworth who came before proud. I promise!"
The man’s laugh was warm, filling the space despite his nearly invisible form.
"Silly grandson~ I’m already the most proud grandfather there could ever be! Just knowing you exist, knowing our bloodline survived, knowing you’re out there fighting..."
He paused, and despite his fading state, mischief entered his voice.
"But you could do one thing to make me even prouder."
Damian looked up, confusion breaking through the tears.
The man’s face had become serious, his expression grave.
"Stop running away and accept Luna properly! Seriously, of all the people who could have survived to carry on our bloodline, it had to be a coward like you when it comes to matters of the heart! What a headache!"
"But–"
"No buts!"
The man’s voice rose, sharp and commanding.
"Man the fuck up and promise me you won’t run away anymore! Promise me you’ll let yourself be loved by someone who clearly adores you!"
Damian looked at his grandfather’s form disappearing, knowing they had seconds left at most, and the words burst out.
"I promise! I promise I won’t run anymore!"
The man’s face lit up, his smile becoming radiant.
"Such a good grandson!"
His hand waved through the air, barely visible now.
Whoosh
And Damian vanished.
The peak became empty, silent except for the sound of reality breaking apart.
Only the man remained, alone with the world about to be destroyed around him.
Time seemed to slow down as his body started disappearing from the legs upward, dissolving into nothing.
He looked around at the eternal landscape he’d inhabited for so long, memories of Damian’s story playing through his mind.
The laws of space and time being involved.
’I truly hope it isn’t what I think it is.’
His thoughts were quiet, contemplative.
’Little Damian’s story, the way events are unfolding, the connections I’m starting to see...’
He didn’t finish the thought, but the implications sat heavy in his fading consciousness.
’How will his story truly end? What future is he really walking toward?’
The dissolution reached his chest, continuing upward as his final thoughts emerged.
’Am I really dead?’
The question felt strange after accepting his fate.
’Even if I am... maybe after this, there’s a life waiting for me out there as well.’
His mind touched on Damian’s story, on reincarnation and second chances.
’Just like my dear grandson.’
The last of his form disappeared and the world shattered completely.
And Desiderius Bloodworth’s soul fragment ceased to exist, leaving behind only the knowledge he’d passed on and the love he’d given to the last surviving member of his family.