Chapter 82 — Meeting Brian Again III

Brian’s question seemed to come from nowhere.

Damian went very still, his hand tightening slightly around the bottle.

"I remember."

"You said that officer started out idealistic, wanting to make a difference. But eventually became just another dog for the higher-ups, following orders without question even when he knew those orders were wrong."

"That’s right."

"What happened to him in the end? You never finished that part of the story."

Damian was silent for several long moments, his mind drifting back to memories that belonged to a different life entirely.

He could see it so clearly even now. That final confrontation on the skyscraper’s roof. Officer Brian’s face twisted with regret and self-loathing as his last words hit his consciousness.

Him standing at the edge, wind whipping around him, knowing there was no escape left.

The horror in Brian’s eyes as he smiled and stepped backward into empty air.

"That officer..."

Damian’s voice was quiet, almost distant.

"He probably received tons of medals and commendations for his service. Awards for being the best dog his masters could ask for. Loyal, obedient and efficient."

He took another drink, the alcohol burning down his throat.

"But in the end, I think he regretted all of it. Every compromise he made. Every order he followed that he knew was wrong. Every time he chose his career over his conscience."

Damian turned to look directly at Brian, his crimson eyes reflecting the moonlight.

"He spent his whole life becoming exactly what he swore he’d never be, thinking everything he was doing was in the name of justice. He was the righteous one.

And when he finally realized it, when he finally understood what he’d become, it was too late to change anything. But I’m not sure what he really thought... this is just my interpretation."

Brian held his gaze for a moment, then looked away, his jaw working.

The silence stretched between them, heavy with implications neither wanted to name directly.

"Sometimes I wish I’d been born in different times. Your times, maybe."

Brian’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"I saw those commoner students earlier today. The ones kneeling before you with genuine devotion. The ones who’d follow you anywhere because they believe you’ll actually protect them and give them something worth fighting for."

He laughed bitterly.

"And I thought, maybe if I’d met someone like you when I was younger, before I got so tangled up in the system...

Maybe I could’ve been one of them. Maybe I could’ve found something worth being a dog for, instead of just blindly serving people who see me as nothing more than a convenient tool."

Damian didn’t respond immediately.

He finished his bottle of Phoenix and set it down carefully on the bench between them.

Then he stood up, looking down at Brian with an expression that was impossible to read.

"I’ll be coming to Norrington City in a few weeks to meet with my family. I can leave the Academy for some time thanks to my connections."

His voice was calm, measured.

"If you really want to escape being the wrong kind of dog, if you genuinely want to find something worth serving instead of just serving blindly..."

He paused, letting the implication hang in the air.

"You should have an answer ready for me when I arrive. Think about it carefully between now and then. Take your time but be completely certain."

Brian looked up at him, understanding dawning in his eyes.

This was a recruitment pitch.

Damian was offering him a way out, a different path, a chance to become the kind of person he’d always wanted to be even if it meant abandoning the official system entirely.

"And if I say yes? If I decide to take whatever you’re offering?"

"Then you become part of something that’s actually trying to change things instead of maintaining them. You help build something new instead of protecting something rotten."

Damian’s voice carried absolute conviction.

"But understand this clearly. The people I work with, the people who follow me, they’re not just employees or subordinates.

They’re family. And family means loyalty goes both ways. I protect them, support them, help them grow stronger. But in return, I expect complete honesty and commitment."

"And if I say no?"

"Then we finish our drinks, say goodbye like civilized people, and never speak about this conversation again.

You go back to Norrington City, continue your career with the SFD, and live whatever life you choose."

Damian’s expression softened slightly.

"I’m not going to threaten you or pressure you, Brian. You’ve been decent to me when you had no reason to be.

You tried to be fair even when your orders were to find something to use against me. That counts for something."

He started walking away, his footsteps quiet on the garden path.

"Think about what kind of person you want to be. Not what kind of officer, not what kind of subordinate... Just what kind of person."

Brian watched him go, sitting alone on that bench beneath the ancient tree with the empty bottles beside him.

The moon continued its slow journey across the sky.

And Officer Brian Oleaf sat in silence, his mind churning with possibilities and fears and hopes he’d thought were long dead.

He understood exactly what Damian was offering.

A chance to change. A chance to actually help people instead of just maintaining order. A chance to be the kind of law enforcement he’d dreamed about when he was younger and more idealistic.

But it would mean betraying the SFD. Abandoning his career and becoming a criminal in the eyes of the very system he’d dedicated his life to serving.

Could he do that?

Should he do that?

Did the potential to actually make a difference justify turning his back on everything he’d built?

Brian pulled out his watch and stared at the SFD badge displayed on the screen.

Then he looked up at the stars scattered across the night sky, searching for answers they couldn’t provide.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?"

The question hung in the empty garden, unanswered.

Somewhere in the distance, Damian walked back toward his dormitory, his mind already moving to the next problems he needed to solve.

But part of him wondered if Brian would take the offer.

And part of him hoped he would.

Because people like Brian, people who still cared about doing the right thing even when the system made it almost impossible, were exactly the kind of allies Damian needed most.

The kind who wouldn’t just follow orders.

The kind who would question, challenge, and push back when necessary.

The kind who had principles worth fighting for.

The garden remained silent and empty as the night deepened.

Two men with their own paths... their futures hanging in the balance.

And only time would tell which direction Officer Brian Oleaf would ultimately choose.