Chapter 128: Hospital III

"He likes you."

Damian smiled slightly, surprised himself.

"Kuro doesn’t usually trust strangers this quickly. You must have made a good impression despite the slapping."

Luna slowly reached up and touched Kuro’s feathers tentatively.

The raven allowed it, even leaning slightly into her touch.

"He’s beautiful. And he feels... different from the birds I see. More aware somehow."

"He is different. I’m still figuring out exactly what he is, honestly."

Brian had been watching this entire exchange with fascination.

"That’s the raven everyone’s been reporting about? The one that appears and disappears from shadows?"

Damian noticed how Brian seemed to have the information about Kuro. It seemed SFD’s surveillance was still going on.

"That’s him. He’s also C- rank now, just broke through recently."

"A C- rank bonded creature... How fascinating. I haven’t seen any beast forming bonds with humans at all."

Damian shrugged slightly, then winced as the movement pulled at healing injuries.

Brian set the food bags on the nearby table.

"Brought you some real food. Hospital food is terrible, and you need nutrients for healing. There’s enough for everyone if your family is hungry."

Luna immediately started pulling out containers, Kuro hopping to the bedside table to give her room to work.

She began opening food and preparing it for Damian without asking, her movements automatic, clearly intending to feed him herself.

"Luna, I can feed myself."

"Shut up and let me do this."

Her tone left no room for argument.

Alaric and Lyandra exchanged a glance, something passing between them that went unspoken.

They’d both noticed that Luna had called Damian by his name when she first entered, not "brother" as she always had before.

A small shift that was barely perceptible. But significant to parents who knew their children well.

Nobody commented on it directly, but the awareness hung in the air.

Brian cleared his throat, drawing attention.

"Damian, there’s something I should tell you. The SFD Director issued orders to cease all investigation and surveillance on you. Complete stop on everything. I don’t know what happened, but someone very powerful made it clear that you’re off-limits."

Under the confused gazes of his family members, Damian simply nodded.

"I see. Thank you for letting me know."

He already suspected Kaiser’s involvement, but didn’t explain that to the room.

"So what have you decided, Brian? Are you staying with the SFD or taking a different path?"

Brian smiled slightly.

"You already know my answer, don’t you?"

Damian returned the smile.

"I have a suspicion. But I want to hear you say it."

"I’m in. Whatever you’re building, whatever you’re trying to accomplish, I want to be part of it. I’ve spent fifteen years serving a corrupt system. Time to serve something worth believing in."

"Good. But you don’t need to leave the SFD yet. Having someone on the inside could be useful later. Stay in your position for now. When the time comes for you to join openly, I’ll let you know."

Brian nodded, understanding the strategic value of maintaining his current position.

Luna was holding a spoon of food up to Damian’s mouth expectantly.

He sighed and opened his mouth, accepting the food, which made her smile despite her still-puffy eyes.

"He’s always been terrible at taking care of himself properly."

She spoke to the room at large while continuing to feed him.

"Even when we were younger, I’d have to remind him to eat and rest. Always studying or doing something that seemed more important than basic self-care."

Damian didn’t argue, just accepted another spoonful.

Alaric finally spoke again, his stern face thoughtful.

"We should move you to Sebastian’s house. Your uncle can provide better treatment than this hospital, and it will be more private for recovery and discussion."

Sebastian Valcor. Alaric’s estranged younger brother. A medical genius who’d pioneered several breakthrough treatments in the field.

He’d treated Damian after the Norrington incident.

If anyone could accelerate his recovery, it would be Sebastian.

"That’s a good idea. The media attention is going to be intense once they figure out which hospital I’m in. Better to be somewhere secure."

Brian and Alaric moved to help Damian stand, supporting him on either side despite his protests that he could walk.

Lyandra gathered his belongings in her space ring while Luna kept Kuro occupied, the raven seeming surprisingly content to stay on her shoulder.

As they prepared to leave, Damian caught his father’s eye.

"Thank you for coming. I know the timing was supposed to be better, arriving for my birthday properly instead of... this."

Alaric’s hand rested briefly on Damian’s shoulder, the gesture carrying more emotion than words ever could.

"You’re our son. Where else would we be?"

The simple statement held absolute certainty and love.

They made their way out of the hospital through back corridors Brian had arranged, avoiding the media presence gathering at the main entrance.

A private vehicle was waiting, arranged by Alaric’s mysterious contacts.

As they drove through Norrington City toward Sebastian’s residence, Damian stared out the window at the familiar streets of his childhood.

’Home... I’m actually home. Even if the circumstances aren’t what I’d planned.’

Luna was pressed against his side, her head on his shoulder, still refusing to let him out of arm’s reach.

Kuro had moved from her shoulder to Damian’s lap, the raven’s eyes half-closed but still alert.

His family surrounded him. His friend turned ally was driving and his injuries were healing.

He’d survived the impossible and gained something valuable in the process.

The world had seen what he could do. Seen what commoners could become given proper opportunity and determination.

’Now the real challenges begin. Let’s see if the military is going to reach out as I think they might.’

But that could wait until after he’d recovered and spent time with the family who’d dropped everything to rush to his side when he needed them.

For now, he’d just let himself be cared for and protected, surrounded by people who loved him without agenda or condition.

It was a rare moment of peace in an increasingly complicated life.

He intended to appreciate it while it lasted.