Three months had passed.
Long enough for Damian to regroup and recharge, but not long enough to raise any eyebrows.
Behind a web of fake names in shell companies, he'd quietly rebuilt his empire, reclaiming his resources and influence in weeks. Thanks to allies like Thorne, modern kings ruling from behind screens."
But Damian remained in the shadows, as he always had. That was where power sat in the shadows, watching unseen.
And he was watching her.
Elian.
He hadn't approached her since that night, three months ago.
"He wouldn't go himself. Not yet, the Order was on high alert, and Elian was too volatile. Instead, he sent a proxy."
Calista.
She was young, around Elian's age, with soft gray eyes and a warm smile. trained for stealth, and loyal to him not just because she feared him but because she understood what it meant to be chosen for something great.
"Her name is Calista," Nyra said. "Smart, discreet, and calculated. She'll get close to Elian without pushing her over the edge."
Damian had simply nodded.
Calista was already set up before the fall semester began.
****
Saint Valent's Academy had never felt colder.
"It wasn't the chill of winter, but a chill of routine, a monotony of bells, uniforms, and empty voices that Elian found oddly comforting. It made her feel safe.
She had returned to school because pretending to be normal was better than sitting still. Because silence only ever grew heavier when left alone.
She smiled when she had to. She spoke when she needed to. But there was a distance in her like she was always half-listening to something no one else could hear.
Then Calista arrived.
"Sorry, I got lost," the girl said with a sheepish smile as she stepped into the classroom one Monday morning. "Transfer student."
Her dark hair curled slightly, her blazer was neat, and her eyes sparkled, warming up when she saw Elian. She slid into the empty seat beside her like it was hers all along.
"Elian didn't look up right away, but she sensed a subtle shift in the air."
After class, Calista tapped her shoulder and held out a pen. "Is this yours?"
Elian blinked. "Oh yeah, Thanks."
"I'm Calista, I Just moved here."
"I'm Elian."
"Mind if I join you at lunch? Everyone else looks terrifying."Calista said.
"Elian hesitated, the word 'no' lingering unspoken."
"Sure."
Calista fit in smoothly, listening more than she spoke, with a gentle presence that didn't pry or push.
And Elian didn't push her away.
But she was watching, too.
"Calista's words were polished, but her observations felt too sharp like she'd been paying attention for a reason." She noticed things she shouldn't have, how Elian rubbed her shoulder when nervous, how she flinched at sudden sirens.
"Still, Elian didn't confront her, partly because she sensed she was being watched, and partly because known eyes felt safer than unknown ones."
*******
From his hidden residence above the city, Damian stood quietly.
"Night fell heavy, the city lights flickering like dying embers as storm clouds gathered, darkness brewing on the horizon."
"She's stable and withdrawn," Calista's voice reported over the secure line. "She's holding it together, and people are drawn to her. She seems a bit... seasoned."
"She has always been older than she should be," Damian murmured.
"Total silence from her side, she hasn't breathed a word to anyone, not even her cousin. It's like she erased it."Calista said.
"She didn't bury it. She's carrying it."
"You want me to stay close?" She asked.
"Yes. But don't persuade her. Let her come to you."
There was a pause.
"She's stronger than I thought," Calista said.
Damian let the silence stretch a moment longer before replying.
"She has to be. Something inside of her has awaken."
Another silence followed.
"She will call to me again," he added, voice low. "Even if she doesn't know it yet, she and then more memories would awake."
"And the world would follow". He thought to himself.