In a society driven by power and greed, Damon Salvatore's humble origins make him an enemy to his wife's family. They betray him, leaving him for dead. But in despair, Damon discovers his hidden powers and a legacy that changes everything. With newfound abilities, Damon seeks vengeance, redemption, and self-discovery. Ancient secrets unfold, dark alliances form, and stakes escalate. Will Damon's transformation bring justice or unleash destruction?
Chapter 1 One
"...weakness in his heart..."
"...danger in his bed..."
"...beware the serpent's kiss..."
Damon's eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately, sweat-drenched and disoriented, as he glanced around the room. Every time he sleeps, he hears strange voices and sees new faces but recognizes none.
Damon's mind reeled from the witches' prophecy. He tried to shake off the feeling of unease, telling himself it was just a dream.
But the voices lingered.
He'd heard them before.
As a child, Damon would wake up to whispers in the dead of night. His parents dismissed it as nightmares, but he knew better.
The voices were always there, lurking in the shadows.
Damon's thoughts drifted to his childhood home, a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of town. His parents, wealthy and influential, had secrets.
Secrets that destroyed them.
Secrets that haunted him.
He recalled the strange symbols etched into his bedroom wall, glowing softly in the dark. His parents claimed it was a prank, but Damon suspected otherwise.
'' Why is this always, happening?'' Damian asked himself, and at the same time, a scream disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. Damon sprang up from the bed with widened eyes.
"Thief! Thief! Where is he? Where is that idiot?"
Damon picked up his shirt, about to put it on, when the door flung open, and Madam Nelly walked in, glaring hard at him.
"Ma... Ma'am," Damon stuttered, confused by her expression, as he stopped putting on his clothes.
"How dare you? How dare you after everything I've done for you? Where is my money? Where did you keep it?" Madam Nelly, his mother-in-law, yelled in anger.
Damon couldn't say a word, confused and surprised. Trying to grasp what she meant, Madam Nelly grabbed him by the trousers and began to drag him mercilessly.
"Bring out the money now, or else I'll show you the other side of me."
"I swear, ma'am, I didn't take your money. I've been in this room since I finished washing your clothes; I didn't take any money. Believe me." He pleaded, but unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears.
Ever since he lost his job, he's been humiliated by his wife's family countless times, even in the presence of visitors. He's done a lot for the family, even to the extent of washing his mother-in-law's underwear. That's the height of it, but Damon had no choice.
Damon tried to free himself, being careful not to hurt his mother-in-law. However, the more he tried, the tighter her grip on him became.
"What's going on here?" Emily, his wife said as he walked in alongside her cousin Lizzy and brother Lawrence.
Without giving Damon a chance, Madam Nelly quickly responded, "Your wretched husband stole my money. Five thousand dollars!"
"What!" Emily and Lizzy exclaimed with wide eyes, glancing at each other.
"Tell him to bring it out, or else. You won't like what I'll do."
Without saying a word, Lawrence left his spot and began searching the room abruptly.
Meanwhile, Emily turned to Damon and gave him a questioning look. He quickly shook his head negatively and said, "I didn't..."
Madam Nelly interrupted, her face burning in rage, "You think I'm stupid? I dropped the purse on the bed, in my room-a blue purse with the money intact. I asked you to get the dirty clothes, not to steal my money!"
While they were interrogating Liam, Lawrence had almost ruined the room, scattering things everywhere. He grabbed the bed and turned it over, and to his surprise, he found something
underneath.
Everyone's eyes glued to him as they saw the expression on his face when he turned toward them.
"What? That's my purse! Oh my God!" Nelly's hand moved to her mouth as she gasped in shock.
She released Damon and hurried towards Lawrence. However, when she grabbed the purse from Lawrence and opened it, the money wasn't there.
"The money was here! I put it here! Where did you keep it? Where is my money?"
Her eyes reddened as she turned to Damon, who stared back equally perplexed.
"I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am. I didn't take your money; I swear."
"Then how did the purse end up here?" Emily asked, with a deep frown.
Although she'd initially believed Damon, now it seemed like she was wrong.
Damon turned to her, saddened. He tried to speak, but his words got choked.
Emily strode towards him; everyone remained silent, watching. She stopped in front of him, looked directly into his eyes, and said, "Tell me the truth, Damon. I won't judge you; I won't leave you if that's what you're scared of. Did you take the money? Bring it out; let's end this, please."
Damon couldn't believe his ears. He tilted his head, stared at her for a minute, and asked, "You don't believe me?"
"Don't be scared, Damon; I understand you're trying to save yourself from embarrassment, but..."
"I'm not doing any of that, Emily. I didn't steal her money. I've been..."
A punch to his face sent him sprawling on the floor. Before he realized what was happening, blood gushed out of his nostrils.
"You're still lying, after being caught red-handed? How dare you?" Lawrence roared angrily, pouncing on him.
'' I can't believe I truly married a thief. How could you, Liam?'' Emily said, but Lizzy quickly patted her back, trying to calm her down.
Damon was too weak to defend himself, after a long day's work, and he hadn't eaten. Whenever his wife was away, he was always left with an empty belly until she returned.
The more Lawrence hit him, the more he felt his world closing in.
Suddenly, a voice called out, and he was pulled away immediately. Damon heaved a sigh of relief, but what he heard next made his eyes widen in astonishment.
"Officer, arrest him! Take him away; he's a criminal!" Madam Nelly yelled, having called the police while Lawrence was beating Damon.
Emily, who couldn't watch the scene, quickly rushed out of the room in anger and pain, feeling betrayed.
Meanwhile, Damon was handcuffed at Nelly's insistence and taken to the police station.