My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 847: Chapter 848: Casual Revelation

Evangeline looked out the window with a bleak expression. A small part of the city lay in ruin, jagged and broken, yet even now she could see people moving through the streets, gathering debris, helping one another, continuing on with life.

Life was resilient that way.

This was, after all, a universe created by the Goddess of Doom. The Mother of the Circle of Inevitability was almost cruel in her indifference. She did not weep for destruction, nor did she celebrate survival.

But those born of war were strong.

That was why, despite the deaths, the people simply went on living. They did not have the luxury of stopping. Those who stood still because of death would never be able to truly live.

Evangeline clenched her fist.

The power of a fourth-class advancement... it was even greater than the third class. How casually the warden had lifted and ruined entire buildings. How effortlessly cities could be scarred.

This was power capable of moving mountains.

Evangeline could achieve a similar level of destruction, but it would never be so easy or so casual for her. Every strike would demand focus, sacrifice, control.

But did she even want that?

No.

She did not want to unleash such ruin on civilians, on people who never chose to fight.

She had once thought her third-class Sunwarden had shown her everything she needed to know, but now she realized she still lacked answers. Too many of them.

For now, all she could do was survive.

Because she still was not powerful enough to change the world.

She was still a child of today, far from a legend of tomorrow.

Her gaze shifted inward, toward the dim corner of the house. Damon sat there on a woven mat, legs crossed, back straight, his posture unnervingly calm. Shadows clung to him naturally, as if they recognized him as their own.

Why was she so different from him?

She bit down on her lip, frustration stirring in her chest. Why did everything seem so easy for him, like he could shoulder the world without effort, like even failure wouldn’t matter?

She shook her head.

She of all people knew that wasn’t true.

Damon had it the hardest. He always had. And he beat himself up more than anyone else ever could. Still, she couldn’t help comparing them.

Comparison kills.

Yet people only compare themselves to those close to their level, to those they consider equals. It was a subconscious habit, one everyone shared.

Evangeline’s gaze stayed fixed on him, sitting there with his eyes closed.

Damon’s brows furrowed slightly.

”If you’re thinking about the kiss from earlier, it meant nothing to me, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

His casual arrogance instantly annoyed her.

”I wasn’t thinking about that. Besides, I’m not a child. It was just a kiss.”

Damon opened one eye and smirked.

”Really? Then why was your face so red?” He chuckled softly. ”I can’t believe you used the chained knights as an excuse to steal a kiss from me. I’m going to tell everyone about this.”

A low vibrating hum filled the room.

Evangeline’s fingers formed a beam of light, its radiant surface flooding the space with golden illumination.

”We take this to our graves,” she threatened, light pointed directly at him.

One wrong word, and she really would blast him.

Damon smiled, eyes still closed.

”Did you lose weight, Eva? I mean, you look a heck of a lot different.”

She glanced down at herself, briefly confused.

”No... I don’t think so.”

Damon opened his eyes fully.

”Oh. Guess it was just my imagination. Could’ve sworn your breasts shrank.”

Bang.

Light exploded, searing the wall behind him, stone blackening and cracking from the impact.

”You really want to die?”

Damon chuckled, waving his hand dismissively as if nothing had happened.

”Relax. I’ve got food here. We’ll get you back in top shape.”

He placed a hand over his chest theatrically.

”I wouldn’t want our old grandfather thinking I wasn’t looking out for you.”

Evangeline lowered her hand—then froze.

Her eyes widened. Her breath caught. She snapped her head toward him so fast her hair shifted with the movement.

”Huh... what did you just say?”

Damon raised an eyebrow, confused.

”What? I said you weren’t eating well.”

She shook her head sharply.

”No. No, after that. What you said about looking out for me.”

Damon blinked, expression unchanged.

”I said I wouldn’t want our grandfather thinking I didn’t look out for you, dumbass.”

Her hands began to shake.

Not because of the insult.

Because he said our grandfather.

Not your grandfather.

Her voice came out tight.

”You... you know.”

Damon stretched, rolling his shoulders as if easing old tension.

”Know what?”

She gritted her teeth and grabbed his collar, fingers clutching the fabric of his awakened shell armor.

”That... we... are... you know...”

Damon glanced down at her hand, then lightly tapped it.

”Spit it out. Why are you acting mysterious?”

Evangeline bit her lip in frustration. This was a huge deal in her family. A secret so deeply buried even she hadn’t been told outright. She’d had to piece it together herself.

She sat down in front of him, golden eyes locked onto his face as cold desert night air drifted through the room.

”That we are related... by blood.”

Damon narrowed his eyes, shock flashing across his face.

”We... are related by blood?” His voice stumbled. ”I—I... we... how... I can’t believe—b-but I’m a commoner...”

Evangeline’s confusion deepened.

Wait.

None of this made sense.

Did he really not know?

Or—

”Hahaha!”

Damon suddenly burst out laughing.

”You should’ve seen your face. Of course we’re related. I already figured it out.”

He crossed his arms, wearing a cool, infuriating smile.

”It’s basically an open secret at this point. Anyone who matters in Valtheron already knows. At least some of them.” He ticked them off casually. ”The Astranovas. Seras Blade. The Emperor. Oh—and you.”

He leaned back slightly.

”You’re really cute when you’re flustered, you know that?”

Evangeline felt her heart lighten, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted.

Of course.

If she had figured it out, then Damon definitely would have.

She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

”Right... what did I expect? You’d already know.”

She pulled back, then frowned.

”Then why didn’t you say anything? Grandfather and my father would’ve welcomed you and Luna back home.”

Damon shrugged.

”At first, it wasn’t a big deal. Mostly, I didn’t trust them.” He paused. ”But after looking into things related to my mother, I figured they weren’t so bad. Especially since she wanted us to find the old man.”

He crossed his arms again.

”Later, it became political. I’m the son of a commoner father. That would stain the Grand Duke’s name. His only daughter, declared dead, suddenly having a son with a nobody.”

Damon smirked.

”That’s why they tried to get the two of us married.”

He turned to her with a sly grin.

”So... wanna get married?”

She scoffed immediately.

”Screw off.”