Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives-Chapter 382: I’m Trying to Build Something That Can Last

Warlock Ch 382. I'm Trying to Build Something That Can Last

He looked back up at her, eyes colder now. "You think I'm benefiting from the collapse. Maybe I am. But that's not why I'm here. I'm not trying to burn it all down. I'm trying to build something that can last. Something that doesn't sacrifice good people just because it's politically convenient."

Aria exhaled slowly. Almost like a sigh.

She didn't argue.

She didn't apologize.

But she didn't look away.

"One more question," she said, finally, voice quieter now.

"Of course."

"Is Selena staying?"

His eyes flickered, barely. "Yes."

"You're not worried that's going to make things worse?"

"I'm worried about a lot of things," he said. "But she made her choice."

"And if her father retaliates?"

Damian didn't answer.

He didn't have to.

The look on his face said everything.

'Let him try.'

Aria studied him for another long moment, like she was trying to see through all the layers—warlock, survivor, murderer, protector, liar, Kaelan. Damian.

Then she stood.

"That's all I needed to know."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"For now."

She turned to go. Her boots made almost no sound against the hardwood floor. But then, halfway to the door, she stopped.

"You've changed," she said quietly. "But the magus society hasn't."

Damian's voice was soft, tired. "Then I'll change it."

Aria gave a faint nod. "Good luck, Warlock."

Then she was gone. No teleportation. No dramatic exit. Just footsteps fading into silence.

And Damian? fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

He stayed there.

For a long moment, he didn't move. The weight of everything she'd said—what she knew—settled in his chest like an old injury flaring back to life.

She knew. And she wasn't trying to destroy him.

That should've been a relief.

So why did it feel like a countdown had just started ticking?

Finally, he stood.

Walked back into the dining room, his footsteps heavier than before.

Cassius was gone. Evelyn and Victoria too. Even Selena had slipped away. Shadow servants had cleared the plates, then returned—probably listening the whole time but wise enough not to interrupt.

He sat down again.

Same chair. Same cold food.

The plate hadn't moved. It waited for him, like it knew.

He picked up his fork. Stabbed a piece of meat.

"Can I finally eat in peace?" he muttered, half to himself, half to the room.

No one answered.

So he took a bite.

It was cold.

But it tasted like survival.

The second bite of cold meat had just made it to Damian's mouth when he felt the familiar flicker of magic stir the air behind him.

Footsteps.

Three sets.

He didn't turn around. Just sighed through his nose like a man who'd been through too much in one morning.

"You know," he said flatly, chewing as he stared at nothing in particular. "If one more person walks in on me trying to eat lunch, I'm throwing the entire city into a void rift."

Cassius's voice came first—cheerful and unbothered. "Mood."

Damian looked up to see Cassius strolling in with a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. His coat was slung lazily over one shoulder like he'd just returned from a nobleman's duel or a fashion shoot.

Evelyn followed behind him, her expression unreadable.

Victoria, of course, came last—stretching her arms overhead like she hadn't just been listening behind a door for half an hour.

"Let me guess," Damian said, stabbing another piece of cold pork. "You guys eavesdropped."

Cassius plopped into the nearest chair, setting the bottle down with a soft clink. "Kinda."

"Kinda?" Damian arched a brow.

Victoria grinned and leaned against the table. "We only listened to the dramatic parts. You know—betrayal, regret, childhood friends with unresolved tension. Real tearjerker stuff."

Damian groaned. "Unbelievable."

Evelyn didn't sit. She just stood near the edge of the room, arms crossed, eyes fixed on him with that piercing stare of hers. "She knows, doesn't she?"

He nodded once. "Yeah."

Cassius poured himself a drink. "Did she threaten to kill you?"

"No."

"Whew." Cassius raised his glass. "Progress."

Victoria looked amused. "Did she apologize?"

"No."

"Less progress."

Evelyn finally spoke again. "How did she figure it out?"

"Eyes," Damian muttered, pushing his fork around the plate. "My eyes. Apparently, I still carry that same 'regret-filled stare' that Kaelan had."

Victoria whistled low. "Oof. You've got war criminal face."

Cassius took a long sip of wine, then shrugged. "At least it's not 'tax collector face.' That's way worse."

Damian gave him a look. "Not helping."

Evelyn stepped closer. "Do you believe her?"

He hesitated. "Yes. For now."

"Dangerous words," she said softly.

"Familiar ones," Damian shot back.

She didn't argue. Just gave a slight nod.

Cassius leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs with his foot hooked under the table for stability. "So, what now? You gonna keep playing the long game? Or are we shifting to full rebellion mode?"

"I'm trying not to ignite the city overnight," Damian said. "Just… light a few fuses in the right places."

Victoria looked delighted. "That's the spirit."

Evelyn sat down finally, her hands folded neatly on the table. "If Aria's figured it out, others might too. Are you prepared for that?"

"No," Damian admitted. "But I don't think I have a choice anymore."

Victoria tossed a grape into her mouth. "Well, you did pick the whole 'masked vigilante with a tragic past' route. Comes with the territory."

"You realize I'm not trying to be mysterious and broody, right?" he said, rubbing his temples.

Cassius tilted his glass toward him. "That just makes it worse. Mystery by accident? That's elite brooding."

Damian snorted despite himself. "Gods. You're all insufferable."

Victoria winked. "We're family."

Damian looked up at that. Not sarcastically. Not bitterly.

Just… quietly.

Yeah.

They were.

"Still," Evelyn said after a moment, "we need a plan. If Aria's supporting you, that's a powerful ally. But if anyone else finds out—"

"They won't," Damian interrupted. "Not unless I want them to."

Cassius grinned. "Spoken like a true paranoid mastermind."