Damian sat with his head hung low, the ghostly voices numbing his senses until he felt hollow. The sky had darkened completely, the stars obscured by an oppressive gloom, yet he felt no impulse to return to the estate.
"Damian, you should go back," Liliana's voice echoed in his ears, sounding almost pitying.
"No, I don't want to," Damian murmured to the empty air. The flickers of joy he had experienced over the past few days felt like an illusion now. He was convinced that, in the end, he was destined to be left alone, forever bearing the weight of his losses.
He was so lost in his despair that he didn't even notice the galloping of horses approaching through the dark. He remained motionless until a sharp voice broke through the fog in his mind.
"Damian! Damian!"
