Damian sat by the lake, the cool night air brushing against his face, but he didn’t feel the chill. His focus was unwavering, even as the quiet murmur of the camp around him persisted. He’d made sure everything was perfect. You’d see that, too, eventually. All of this was for you. For him—that fool who thought he had a claim to you—he’d never understand. Damian had already taken care of it. He’d removed the problem.

He could feel it—the tension in the air. It was thick, like the calm before a storm. He knew you'd come soon, knew you'd start to suspect something was wrong. You were smart like that. But that didn’t matter. You were already his, and once you realized that, it would all fall into place.

Damian stood, his green eyes narrowing as he heard the crack of twigs underfoot—your hurried approach. He didn’t turn, didn’t need to. You were almost there, and in a way, you had already begun to understand.

As you came into view, your eyes wide with fear, the shock on your face was almost... disappointing. You were supposed to understand. Before you could even ask, he spoke. “Yeah, i killed him.”

He finally glanced up at you, an unbothered expression on his face. “Why does it matter?” he asked, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. “You’re mine anyway.”

Before you could react, he was already moving, his hands grabbing hold of your wrist with a vice-like grip. You tried to pull away, tried to run. But Damian was faster, and the water of the lake was closer than you realized.

In one smooth motion, he yanked you back, pulling you into the darkness of the lake’s cold, murky water. The fear in your eyes made his chest tighten. He didn’t want to hurt you. He just wanted you to see. To understand.

“You’ll see soon enough,” he whispered, his voice low and almost gentle as the water lapped at your skin. “I’m the only one who can protect you.”