Blackhearts

Chapter 11: Rage of a Killer

Damien's heart raced as he approached the cottage where Yuzu was supposed to be staying. But his excitement quickly turned to horror as he saw that the door had been smashed in. Inside, he found the lifeless bodies of several council soldiers. Despite his fear, he desperately called out for his daughter, but she was nowhere to be found.

As he searched the cottage, Damien's heart sank further when he found a trail of dried blood leading to a secret bookshelf door. Trembling with fear, he opened it to find the lifeless body of his wife, Alex. Tears streamed down his face as he cradled her body, wondering what had happened to her.

Filled with rage and grief, Damien knew that he had to find Headmaster Drells, the man responsible for Alex's death. With a furious punch, he broke down the wall, vowing to avenge his wife's murder. But as he buried her, he couldn't help but feel like a failure for not being able to protect those he loved.

Determined to seek revenge, Damien disappeared into the night, vowing to bring justice to Yuzu and Alex. His anger grew as he thought of the Headmaster Drells turning against him. Fuelled by his fury, he decided to pay a visit to Zeke and his gang of aspiring do-gooders. He knew that a fight between him and Zeke would be the least of his worries. What he wanted were answers, and he knew that the very ones he was tasked to kill could provide them.

Damien was conflicted about his plan to confront Zeke and his gang. He knew that they were the enemy, but he also knew that they might be his only hope for finding out what had happened to Yuzu and who was behind the attack on his family. He gritted his teeth and made his way to their hideout.

As he approached, he heard the sound of laughter and music coming from inside. He paused for a moment, steeling himself for what was to come. Then he kicked down the door and stormed inside.

The sudden appearance of Damien left Zeke and his crew in shock. They instinctively reached for their weapons, but Damien quickly intervened by holding up his hands.

"I'm not here to fight," Damien's voice was firm, yet composed. "I need your help."

Zeke was skeptical. "Our help? You've been hunting us down for ages."

"I know," Damien admitted. "But things have changed. My wife, Alex, has been killed, and I need to find out who did it. My daughter, Yuzu, is also missing."

Zeke and his gang were taken aback by the news. "Alex was our friend," Zeke replied. "We were devastated when we heard about her death."

Damien's voice grew somber. "She was my rock. The only one who kept me sane. I did everything he asked, and he promised he'd never harm them."

Zeke realized that Damien was truly hurt by Alex's death. "Don't worry," Zeke said. "Yuzu is safe. She's with Rylie in the cottage."

Damien's eyes lit up with hope. "My daughter is safe?"

"Yes," Rylie confirmed as she walked out of the cottage with Yuzu's hand in hers.

"DAD!" Yuzu shrieked with joy as she jumped into Damien's arms. "Mommy is sleeping."

Damien knew that Yuzu didn't understand the concept of death yet, so he just smiled and said, "Yeah, she's just resting."

After a few hours, Yuzu was finally able to rest. Meanwhile, Damien and Zeke were deep in discussion, strategizing their next move. "Our next step is to return to Grale," Damien declared confidently. "We need to take down Headmaster Drells and his council guards."

Zeke looked skeptical, "But won't they be heavily guarded?"

"Yes, but we can't let that stop us," Damien replied, pulling out a map. "This is the route we'll take," he said as he pointed at Grale and then to the north exit. "We'll cut through whatever dangers lurk in the streets of Grale and then head to Vesca City where the Council is located. I'm going to make them pay for Alex's death by burning it to the ground."