NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Deja Vu
Warlock Ch 51. Deja Vu
He pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at Evelyn's face, his brows knitted in confusion. "Do you ever... feel like you've done something before, even when you know it's your first time?"
Evelyn's eyes fluttered open, her expression soft and drowsy from the closeness they'd shared. She tilted her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly at the question. "What do you mean?"
Damian hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I don't know... It's just that... being here with you, like this, it feels familiar. Like I've been here before. But I know I haven't." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's weird. It's like... I've done this before. But I don't know why."
Evelyn's gaze softened as she listened to him, her fingers brushing gently against his arm. She knew what he meant.
She bit her lip, debating whether to say more, but held back. This was his journey, and he had to uncover these things on his own, at his own pace. "Maybe it's just the magic," she said softly, giving him a reassuring smile. "The way it connects us. Sometimes it makes things feel... familiar, even if they're new."
Damian nodded slowly, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. "Maybe," he murmured, his thoughts still turning over the strange sensation. But deep down, he knew it wasn't just magic. There was something else at play, something he hadn't uncovered yet. It wasn't just about their bond or the power he was beginning to unlock—this was something that felt ancient, almost like it had been written into his fate long before he even knew who Evelyn was.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, the gesture more tender than before. It wasn't driven by desire or urgency; it was an expression of comfort, of quiet understanding. "Whatever it is," he said, his voice a little lighter, "I'm glad it's with you."
Evelyn smiled. She leaned into his chest, closing her eyes. "Me too," she whispered, letting the moment linger. They stood there for a while longer.
After a few more moments, Evelyn looked up at him, her eyes soft but a little playful. "Come on," she said, her voice gentle. "You've had a long day. Let's get some sleep. You'll need to be ready for Cassius' training again tomorrow."
Damian let out a soft chuckle, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. Tomorrow's probably going to be brutal," he said, though the thought of sleep didn't excite him as much as it should have. He felt the exhaustion in his bones, but at the same time, a knot of anxiety twisted in his chest. He didn't know if he could handle another dream—another nightmare like the ones he had been having.
Still, he followed her upstairs. They slipped into bed together and cuddled beneath the blankets. Evelyn rested her head on his chest, her breathing slow and steady as she quickly began to drift off. But Damian… he lay there wide awake, his eyes staring at the ceiling as his mind refused to shut off.
He was tired, and exhausted, but his thoughts wouldn't stop racing. He was afraid—afraid of falling asleep, of slipping back into that strange dreamscape where nothing made sense and yet everything felt terrifyingly real. He didn't want to face the woman again, didn't want to feel the weight of her accusations, the pain that came with every word she hurled at him.
He closed his eyes, willing sleep to come without the nightmares. 'Just one night without it,' he thought. 'That's all I'm asking for.'
But as soon as his eyelids grew heavy, the darkness pulled him under.
Damian found himself standing in the middle of a vast, empty sky, hovering above the ground as if weightless. It was like being dropped straight into the middle of a movie series, the dream picking up right where it had left off before. Only this time, there was no artifact. No voice whispering cryptic warnings. Just go straight to the last scene.
Below him, the woman lay sprawled on the ground, dust and debris swirling around her. She was hurt, thrown back by some unseen force, his force. But she wasn't defeated. Damian could see it in the way she pushed herself up, her movements slow, her face twisted in pain and anger.
"No right to judge you?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom as she glared up at him. "Really?"
Damian's heart raced as he hovered in the sky, watching her struggle to her feet. He didn't know what to say—his mind was foggy, confused. He didn't understand what it was about, but her words cut through him like a knife, accusing him of things he didn't understand.
Before he could respond, she attacked.
Her hands moved in intricate patterns as she summoned the elements to her will. The atmosphere around them crackled with raw energy, and in an instant, flames erupted from her fingertips. The fire surged toward Damian in a blazing wave, the heat so intense he could feel it burning the air around him.
Damian's instincts kicked in. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, his hands moving in response to the attack. Without thinking, he summoned water—a surge of cool, rushing liquid that materialized from nowhere. It met the flames head-on, hissing as the two elements collided, steam rising in thick clouds. The force of it nearly knocked him off balance, but Damian held his ground, his heart racing as he realized what he'd just done.
'Water?! I'm a warlock! I shouldn't be able to control water like this!'
But there was no time to dwell on it. The woman didn't stop.
With a furious shout, she raised her arms, and the ground beneath Damian trembled. The earth cracked and split open, sharp jagged rocks shooting up toward him like spears. Damian's breath caught in his throat as he saw the attack coming—there was no way to dodge it.