Chapter 5: The Emissaries

The hotel room felt smaller now, the walls seeming to close in on Damien as he tried to process what had just happened. He sat by the window, the noise of Kyoto's busy streets a distant hum in the background. The ancient city, with its blend of modernity and tradition, seemed to be the perfect backdrop for the strange new reality unfolding around him.

They were watching him. They had been watching for some time, apparently. And now, they were making their move.

It began with a knock at the door that morning. A man in a sharp, dark suit stood there, his smile just a little too perfect. His eyes gleamed with a strange, unnatural light—something about him was off.

"Damien," the man said smoothly. "My name is Malcolm, and I represent a faction that could be… very beneficial to someone like you."

Damien had immediately felt the tension rise. Was this another one of Coach Brookes' men? But Malcolm didn't seem like one of the usual enforcers sent to keep him in line. There was something different about him—something that made Damien's skin crawl.

"I'm not interested," Damien said bluntly, attempting to close the door, but Malcolm raised his hand, the movement unnaturally quick, almost as if time had slowed for a moment.

"You haven't heard my offer yet," Malcolm replied, his voice smooth as silk. "I represent the Order of the Abyss. We deal in power, real power—the kind you've barely begun to understand. We know about what happened with the yokai, Damien. You've got something inside you, something that could change the world. We can help you unlock that."

Damien's grip tightened on the door. How did they know about the yokai? And more importantly, what was this "Order" he was talking about?

"I'm not interested in being controlled by anyone," Damien said, his voice low and steady.

Malcolm chuckled softly. "Controlled? No, no, we're not talking about control. We're talking about guidance. We can help you explore the full extent of your powers—powers that tie you to something far older than you realize." His smile widened. "The Order of the Abyss is led by those who have ruled for millennia, beings like Hades of the Greek Underworld and Anubis of Egyptian myth. They understand darkness, death, and what lies beyond."

The names sent a shiver down Damien's spine. Hades? Anubis? These weren't just stories from books—they were real. And now, they were involved in whatever this was.

Before Damien could respond, a second knock came from behind Malcolm. A tall, regal woman entered, her long, flowing robes of crimson and gold moving as if carried by an unseen breeze. Her silver hair glinted in the light, and her eyes seemed to glow with an ethereal power.

Malcolm's face twisted in irritation. "What are you doing here?"

The woman ignored him, her gaze resting solely on Damien. "My name is Seraphina," she said, her voice like music, soft yet commanding. "I represent the Circle of Light. We, too, have been watching you, Damien. You have great potential, but your path is clouded by darkness. We offer you a way to purify that darkness and use your abilities for a higher purpose."

Damien's mind reeled. This was too much, too fast.

Seraphina stepped forward, her presence filling the room with a golden warmth that momentarily eased the tension. "We serve beings who seek balance, who fight against the forces that wish to corrupt the world. Beings like Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Japan, and Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, watch over our order. They offer light in the face of the dark powers that would twist your gift for their own selfish ends."

"Peace?" Malcolm scoffed, clearly irritated. "Peace is for the weak. The Circle of Light would have you deny your true nature, pretend that the darkness inside you doesn't exist. But we both know that's a lie, don't we, Damien? The power you possess, it wants to be used."

Damien opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, another voice cut through the tension, casual and carefree.

"Come on, you two. Can't we just let the guy breathe?"

A third figure entered the room, this one younger, with messy brown hair and a laid-back grin. He wore a leather jacket and jeans, and his entire demeanor screamed casual indifference. But his eyes—there was something in them, something that suggested he knew far more than he was letting on.

"Luca," he introduced himself with a wink, "I represent the Wanderers. We're not big on the whole structure thing. No gods demanding loyalty, no heavy burdens. We're all about freedom—exploration. You've got potential, Damien, and we can show you the worlds beyond this one. You ever hear of Loki? Trickster god, shapeshifter, one of the originals in our group. Or perhaps you've heard of Coyote from Native American legends? We follow those gods—ones who value freedom, cleverness, and doing things on your own terms."

Damien's head spun. First the Order of the Abyss, then the Circle of Light, and now these Wanderers—each faction with their own philosophy, their own gods and mythologies, and they all wanted him for something. And then it hit him—this wasn't just about his abilities as a fighter. It wasn't just about the underground ring. It was about whatever was inside him, something that linked him to these ancient powers.

"What… what is this all about?" Damien finally asked, his voice hoarse. "What do you all want from me?"

Seraphina was the first to respond, her voice soft but firm. "You are more than you know, Damien. The power inside you is a legacy from the gods, passed down through ancient bloodlines. But that power is dangerous. If left unchecked, it will consume you. The Circle of Light wants to help you control it, purify it, and use it for good."

Malcolm smirked. "Good is subjective, don't you think? The Order of the Abyss offers something more practical—power, real power. We can train you to embrace the darkness, to wield it like a weapon. You could stand beside beings like Lucifer himself, or the demon Asmodeus—those who understand the true potential of what lies within you."

At the mention of Asmodeus, Damien felt a chill run through him. The name echoed in his mind, pulling at something deep inside, something tied to his past. Asmodeus had been part of the experiment that created him, hadn't he? That demon had been responsible for the massacre at the orphanage, for the lives lost, for his cursed existence.

Luca leaned against the wall, his grin fading slightly. "Look, man, I get it. This is all heavy stuff. You've got gods, demons, and factions fighting for your attention, but we don't play like that. We Wanderers—followers of gods like Hermes, the Greek messenger, or the Morrígan from Celtic myth—we're about learning, exploring, and surviving. You want to get away from all this? We can help. No strings attached."

Damien stood frozen, his mind racing. On one hand, there was the allure of power—of understanding the darkness inside him and using it to shape his destiny. On the other, there was the offer of freedom, to escape the weight of these ancient forces and chart his own course. And then there was Seraphina, who promised peace and redemption, a way to rid himself of the darkness forever.

He felt a surge of frustration rise in his chest. "What if I don't want any of this? What if I just want to live my life without being pulled into your world?"

Seraphina's gaze softened. "I understand, Damien. But the truth is, you are already part of this world. Whether you accept it or not, the powers that be are watching, and they won't wait for long."

Malcolm stepped closer, his eyes gleaming. "You're at a crossroads, Damien. The power inside you is calling. You'll have to decide sooner or later."

Luca pushed off the wall, tossing a small card onto the table. "Whenever you're ready, give me a call. We'll show you the other side of things."

As the three emissaries left the room, the silence that followed was deafening. Damien sank onto the bed, his head in his hands. Gods, demons, ancient powers—they all wanted something from him, but none of them seemed to offer a clear path forward.

And yet, deep down, Damien knew he couldn't run from this. The surge of power he felt during the yokai encounter, the memories of the demon that had attacked the orphanage, the whispers of Asmodeus—they were all connected. His past and his future were tied to these forces, and no matter how much he wanted to deny it, the pull of the supernatural was too strong to ignore.

He would have to make a choice. But for now, all he could do was try to keep his head above water and figure out which path—if any—was the right one.