Deviating from the original plot

Chapter ninety-two

Cassius paused mid-motion, then gave a faint, crooked smile. "Like I said before—I'm annoyingly persistent. Once I decide on something, I don't let go."

Damien studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "You're a fool," he muttered. "You really think your constant visits will make me forget what I'm meant to do?"

"Your so-called 'purpose' is tearing you apart," Cassius replied calmly. "Can't you see that?"

Damien's lips curled into a faint sneer. "Just give up already. Even she has. You chasing redemption for me doesn't make you noble—it makes you pathetic. You're doing this because you want to feel important again. But you're not. Your empire will crumble in two weeks, and you can't even stop it. Pathetic."

"Well, at least without your help," Cassius answered.

Damien gave a dry, bitter laugh. "Without my help? You think you can stop what's already in motion?"

Cassius straightened, his tone turning sharper. "Maybe, at least we are trying to."

"You don't know what it's like," Damien said finally, his voice quieter. "To owe everything you have to the one person who saved you, even if it means losing yourself."

Cassius's gaze softened. "Then maybe it's time to stop owing him anything. You own your own life; no one gets to decide what you do with your life."

Damien turned away, his fists trembling. "You talk as if it's that simple. As if I can just turn my back on him. You don't understand—his magic runs through me. I belong to him."

Cassius was quiet for a long moment before saying softly, "Then I'll just have to find a way to take it back. Maybe Victoria can help—she might know how to break it."

Damien let out a low, humourless chuckle that made Cassius blink. "You really are naive," he said, almost amused.

Cassius frowned. "Naive?"

Damien's eyes glimmered with faint amusement. "You really think the world bends just because you try hard enough," he said dryly. "That's not how it works, Prince."

Cassius frowned, the crease between his brows deepening.

Damien gave a quiet chuckle. "You're sulking," he said, almost teasingly.

"I'm thinking," Cassius shot back.

"Is that what they call it now?" Damien retorted, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Cassius rolled his eyes. "Hilarious," he muttered, frowning.

"It makes me wonder how you grew up," Damien said, his tone half-curious, half-taunting. "Did everyone just cater to your every whim? I bet your parents—no matter how awful they were to others—must've doted on you."

Cassius gave a humourless laugh. "Actually, they didn't. My parents were... never close. They were constantly at odds. My mother ignored me most of the time, and my father only spoke to me, but now I feel like he only did it to spite my mother; he didn't really care about me."

Damien frowned slightly. "Your parents were at odds?"

"Yeah," Cassius nodded. "They hated each other. I always wanted us to be a normal, happy family, but that never happened. The servants were the only ones who ever really paid attention to me—they praised me, gave me what I wanted, and made sure I felt important. I guess I got too used to that."

That made Damien pause. The silence that followed was thick and uneasy, stretching between them like a thread neither wanted to cut.

"That's... sad," Damien said at last, his voice low.

"Not as sad as yours," Cassius replied softly.

Damien gave a small, humourless huff. "Still, what's the point of having parents who are alive if they don't really care about you?"

Cassius leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "True," he admitted. "But some part of me still hopes things can change—if I try hard enough. That's why I need your help."

Damien didn't respond. The shed fell silent again, broken only by the faint creak of the wooden walls in the night breeze.

After a while, he murmured, almost too quietly, "I'm sorry."

Cassius gave him a faint look, half exasperated, half sympathetic. "You're really stubborn, you know that?" he said with a sigh, pushing himself to his feet.

Without another word, he turned and left the shed, the door creaking shut behind him.

✦ ✦

The next night, Cassius didn't speak much when he entered the shed. The air was cool, and the faint scent of iron still lingered. Damien looked up from where he sat against the wall, his expression guarded as always.

"You're here again," he muttered.

Cassius didn't reply. He simply uncorked the vial and knelt beside him. The silence between them was no longer tense—just tired. Cassius dipped a cloth into the shimmering liquid and began dabbing it gently over the bruises on Damien's arm.

Damien winced but didn't pull away. "You're not going to lecture me tonight?" he asked after a moment, his tone half mocking, half curious.

Cassius gave a faint smile. "No point. You've already heard everything I have to say."

"Finally," Damien said dryly. "I was starting to think you'd never shut up."

Cassius only huffed a quiet laugh and continued working. The minutes stretched on in calm silence—no questions, no arguments. Only the sound of slow breathing and the faint crackle of the lantern's flame.

When he finished, Cassius set the cloth aside and stood. "That should help for now," he said simply.

And with that, he left quietly, leaving Damien staring at the door long after it had closed.

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A/N: Hey everyone, it's been a while. I just wanted to thank you all for reading my book so far. I really appreciate it. And also... This book is almost coming to an end, guys; there are just 2 or 3 chapters left. I am excited!