My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

A year had passed.

Damon was squatting in front of a toddler who was glaring at him with surprising aggression for someone so small.

He scratched his chin and smiled awkwardly.

“I know you are angry, but think about this. You have had too much sugar. It is not good for you.”

The baby did not care about his opinion on her diet. All she cared about was the fact that he was not allowing her to do as she pleased.

She was only a year and a few months old, but she was already fierce and stubborn. She did not listen to Damon very often.

Why would she? He was a pushover who did everything she wanted. All she had to do was cry.

Just as her face began to crumple into the shape of an incoming tantrum, a white haired young woman walked in with a tired sigh.

“What are you doing, brother? You are letting her get away with it. This is the part where you are supposed to show her you are the adult.”

The moment Ranar heard that voice, she swallowed the tantrum instantly and tried to crawl away as fast as her tiny legs could manage.

She did not make it far.

The young woman stepped forward quickly and scooped her up with practiced ease.

“Got you. Ranar has been a very bad girl, bullying my big brother like that.”

This was Luna, Damon’s sister and Ranar’s aunt.

Ranar looked at Luna as she lifted her into the air and laughed. A soft giggle escaped the baby as if nothing had happened moments ago.

Damon stood to the side and watched with a faint smile while Luna played with her.

Then Luna spoke in a stern but playful tone.

“No more sweet things, okay? You just got weaned. Bad. Very bad.”

Ranar did not seem to mind at all. She simply laughed louder in Luna’s arms.

Damon sighed and shook his head.

The world truly was unfair.

He glanced at Luna.

“Well, I guess I have nothing to worry about.”

Luna raised an eyebrow and looked at him carefully.

“Why would you worry? Did something happen?”

Damon shook his head slowly.

“No. I will just be gone for a few days, maybe a week. I have some work to handle with the guild since the war is progressing smoothly.”

The moment he said that, Ranar stopped laughing.

Her expression changed completely. She turned toward Damon and began reaching her small hands out to him, making soft, urgent noises for him to carry her.

Damon did not reach out immediately even though his heart pulled him forward. He knew that if he took her now, she would refuse to let go.

Ranar was still a baby, but she understood far more than people realized. She knew he was leaving. She knew she would not see him the same way for some time.

When he still did not take her, she burst into loud, heartbroken tears.

Damon sighed and finally stretched his arms out.

Ranar practically threw herself into his chest and clung to him tightly.

He gently stroked her hair.

Luna understood at once. The moment Ranar fell asleep, Damon would be gone.

“Where are you going?” Luna asked quietly.

Damon did not answer at once. He took a slow breath.

“To the capital. There is something I have been putting off. It will not take long.”

“Is it dangerous?” Luna asked, her voice soft with concern.

Damon shook his head.

“I hope not. I am only going to take a look and come back.”

Luna glanced at the blonde haired baby resting against his shoulder.

“Then can we come along? You have work in the capital, so we can explore and do some sightseeing while you work.”

When she said we, she meant herself, Ranar, and Iris.

Damon thought for a moment. He did not see a problem with it.

Not that he would actually be doing anything in the capital.

His true goal was the Tomb of Lesser Gods. He was meant to meet Lilith there and open the path to the Lake of Tears.

Technically, he would not even be in the capital. The tomb’s true location was unknown to almost everyone, including him.

However, he had read military reports stating that Seras Blade was currently on a mission to find the tomb’s physical location. From what he heard, she was in a danger zone beneath the Sky Continent, Vuldren.

Those in the know called that place the Spiral Abyss.

“Fine. You can come along,” Damon said with a sigh.

When he said that, Ranar lifted her head slightly and looked at him as if trying to detect any falsehood in his words.

He smiled at her.

“You too, Ranar. I would never leave my Ranar behind, would I?”

She seemed satisfied and rested her head back against his shoulder.

Luna smiled and gently rubbed Ranar’s back.

“You hear that, Ranar? We are going together.”

Then Luna turned back to Damon.

“Oh, right. That reminds me. We should visit Xander and Emilia when we get there.”

Damon frowned.

“Xander? Why is he in Valerion? Should he not be on the front lines?”

Luna chuckled and covered her mouth with her hand.

“My dear brother, do you not know?”

Damon gave her a flat look.

“Know what? Did something happen that I should be aware of?”

Luna’s smile widened. She placed a hand on her waist.

“Emilia is staying in the capital at the Ravenscroft home, and Xander took a break to be with her.”

Damon still did not understand why she was dragging this out.

“Can you just tell me already, or I am leaving.”

Luna rolled her eyes.

“Xander is looking after Emilia because she is pregnant. They are about to have a baby.”

Her excited voice did not reach Damon.

Instead, he felt his heart sink.

A promise made years ago surfaced in his mind with terrifying clarity.

A contract.

One where he had demanded Xander’s first born child as payment.

He looked down at Ranar in his arms.

And for the first time, he understood exactly what he had asked Xander to give him.