"You're already drowning, Noah."
You're already a monster.
Damien's words slithered through my mind like a parasite, digging inside my ear and into my brain.
He had always been like this, whispering truths I didn't want to face.
"You keep pretending you have a choice, that you can take your time, that you can play it safe. But this world isn't safe, Noah."
"You think the Author will wait for you to get strong at your own pace? That your enemies will just sit back and let you grow? No."
"They will keep coming.
Keep hunting.
Keep taking."
I knew that.
Of course I knew that.
But there was a part of me—a small, pathetic part—that still wanted to believe I could win without losing myself.
That I didn't have to consume souls.
That I didn't have to become the thing they all expected me to be.
The Fated Villain.
I clenched my fists.
Damien sighed, his tone almost disappointed.
"Fine. You want to play it your way? Then let me ask you this, Noah—what's your plan?"
