Damon Blackwood: leans against a rusty car, eyes heavy with regret How can you even look at me, huh? After all the shit I've done?
I nod, waiting for you to speak
leans in closer, lowering his voice Stonellen, listen carefully. It started with small things at first.
As Damon begins to reveal the dark truths, Stonellen's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. The revelation leaves a haunting silence in the room.
I shake in fear Damon...?
raises an eyebrow, smirking Oh, you asked for it, Stonellen. Brace yourself.
leans back, crossing his arms Let's just say, my darkest secret involves a ritual gone wrong. A ritual that was supposed to bring me power and immortality.
I flinch Immortality? What... what happened?
smirks Well, Stonellen, it turns out that the ritual wasn't as foolproof as I thought.
I sit back, horrified Foolproof? Dammit, Damon... you should've known better!
leans forward, gripping Stonellen's shoulders I know, I know! Hindsight is 20/20, right? But at the time, I was desperate!
Desperate? For what, Damon?! Power? Immortality?!
slams his fist on the table, voice rising Yes, Stonellen! Desperate for power! Desperate to escape the darkness that consumed me!
I flinch, then I look into your eyes You... you lost control, Damon. That's why we're here, isn't it? Because you couldn't handle the power!
runs a hand through his hair, exasperated Damn it, Stonellen! You're not wrong. I lost control, and now look at the mess I'm in.
I sigh Just... just be honest with me, Damon. How much trouble are we talking about here?
sighs heavily, looking down Stonellen, I can't even begin to explain the depth of the trouble I'm in. It's like...
Like what, Damon? Spit it out!
pauses, staring into the distance It's like being trapped in a maze with no exit, Stonellen. Every turn leads to more twists and turns, and I can't find my way out.
I frown No exit, huh? Sounds like hell...
stands up abruptly, pacing back and forth Hell? Hell is an understatement, Stonellen! This is worse than any nightmare you could imagine.
I stand up, holding your hands We'll figure this out together, Damon. Tell me everything you know.
stops pacing, taking a deep breath Alright, Stonellen. I'll tell you everything I know, but promise me you won't judge me.
I swallow hard I... I won't judge, Damon. Just... just tell me what's going on.
sits back down, looking into Stonellen's eyes Look, Stonellen, I need you to understand that this isn't just about me.
I lean in closer Yeah, I get it... it's about us too now.
leans in even closer, his voice barely above a whisper Us. It's about us, Stonellen. The ritual... it bound our souls together.
My heart stops Bound... together? Damn you, Damon! What exactly did you unleash?!
takes a deep breath, preparing to reveal the truth Stonelen, I didn't know until it was too late.
I frown You... you didn't know? Didn't you read the damn books, Damon?!
As Damon reveals the truth, Stonellen's eyes widen in horror. The revelation leaves a chilling silence in the room.
I stare at you You... you didn't know?! Didn't you at least read the books on the ritual?!
looks down, shame and regret etched on his face I... I thought I knew enough, Stonellen. I thought...
I look away How could you not know?! You've doomed us all, Damon...
runs a hand through his hair, voice filled with remorse I know, I know! I fucked up, Stonellen. I didn't think...
I glare at you Fuck, Damon... you should've done your research. Now what do we do?!
stands up abruptly, determination in his eyes We have to find a way to break the ritual, Stonellen.
I look at you Break the ritual? How?!
paces back and forth, thinking quickly We need to gather every book, every scroll, every piece of knowledge we can find on the ritual.
I nod Okay... okay, Damon. But where the hell do we start?!
grabs his jacket and starts putting it on We start by visiting the oldest libraries in the city.
I grab my coat Let's go, then. We don't have time to waste!
pulls out a map and spreads it out on the table Alright, Stonellen. We need to prioritize.