As Damien sat alone in his dimly lit study, he felt a familiar sense of unease gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. Despite the mask of cold indifference he wore for the world, there was a tumultuous storm raging within him—a battle between the darkness that consumed his soul and the faint glimmer of humanity that still lingered within.

With a heavy sigh, he reached for the antique phone sitting atop his desk and dialed the number of his trusted assistant, the only one he trusted implicitly.

"Hey..." He said softly, a hint of vulnerability that he rarely allowed himself to show.

"I need you to do something for me..."