The Day Rey Became Damian

A young boy sat in a quiet corner of the orphanage, tinkering with scraps of metal and spare parts. His small hands moved with practiced ease, assembling and dismantling makeshift devices—not out of necessity, but simply because he found it fun.

After an hour of indulging in his hobby, he set his tools aside and ran outside to join his friends. Laughter filled the air as they played until the evening. When dinner was over, exhaustion weighed on him, and with a tired yawn, the four year old boy—Rey—crawled into bed, drifting into sleep.

But at night, the orphanage was jolted awake by a piercing scream.

Rey's scream shattered the quiet night, his voice raw with terror. He thrashed, sobbing uncontrollably, his body trembling as if trapped in a horrible nightmare. The caretakers rushed to his side, their voices soothing, their hands gentle—but nothing they did could calm him.

For twenty agonizing minutes, he wept, his cries filling the halls until, at last, he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Fearing for his health, the caretakers wasted no time. He was taken to the clinic immediately.

And when morning came, Rey's eyes flew open.

A sharp gasp tore through the stillness of the clinic's room.

"GRAGHKGHHH!"

Rey gasped for air, choking as if he had been drowning moments before. His throat burned, his chest heaved, and a sharp, splitting pain pounded in his head.

The room was cold. The scent of disinfectant and something metallic lingered in the air. A device beeped steadily beside him, its rhythmic pulse at the rate of a heartbeat.

A nurse with red hair rushed to his side, placing a hand on his back to steady him. A faint warmth spread through his body—some kind of energy.

"Child, are you alright?"

"...Huh?" His voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar.

"Are you alright?" the nurse repeated, concern etched on her face.

"...I need some water. Could you please get me some?"

"Of course. Just hold still and try not to move too much."

Rey nodded weakly, his mind still reeling. As the nurse hurried away, he clenched his fists, trying to focus.

What… language did I just speak in?

The thought sent a fresh jolt of confusion through him. He groaned, pressing his fingers against his temple as another wave of pain crashed over him—brief but intense.

Damn it… I need to rest and sort out my thoughts. But first, water.

When the nurse returned, he gratefully took the glass, drinking it down in slow gulps. But the deeper problem wasn't solved.

He lay back down, and slept once more.

Four hours later.

Rey's eyes fluttered open, and the moment his mind cleared, reality sank in.

Shit… it really happened. I look like a kid now.

His heart pounded in his chest. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, as if testing to see if the reflection would change. But it didn't. His hands stayed small. His body, fragile.

No matter how much he denied it, this was real.

He was Damian.

Or at least, he had been. Now, his body was that of a child, yet his memories spanned far beyond that. A heavy weight settled in his chest.

No wonder my head hurts...There are too many memories packed into my brain...And the extra four years I apparently lived here aren't making it any easier.

He let out a slow breath. The pain was duller now, but the reality wasn't any less frustrating.

Well… at least I've finally awakened. But right now, I just need more sleep. My head's still a mess.

With that final thought, he closed his eyes again, letting the exhaustion take over.

As sleep pulled him under once more, memories surged through his mind—his family, his friends… Lily.

Then, he immediately woke up.

His hands instinctively reached out—grasping at nothing.

When the overload finally subsided, Rey's tear-streaked eyes fluttered open. He stared blankly at the ceiling fan, and lifted his left hand towards it.

...Damn. I really did lose my old life.

The thought sank deep into his chest.

I wanna see them already. I feel like a damn alien here.

For a long moment, he simply sat there, lost in his thoughts. But his peace was short-lived.

BANG!

The door burst open, and two children came barreling into the room.

"Rey! Are you okay?!"

"Waah! Rey, please don't die!"

Before he could react, both kids tackled him onto the bed.

"Kh—oof!"

Rey wheezed as the impact knocked the air from his lungs.

Goddamn, these kids gotta chill-I just got my thoughts in order!

Before he could pry them off, a sharp voice rang out.

"You children! How many times have I told you not to cause stress for the patient?"

All three froze and turned toward the source.

Standing at the doorway was a stern-looking doctor, appearing to be near his forties. He had black hair and green eyes. Behind him stood the same nurse from earlier, with an amused expression.

Axel, a frail-looking boy no older than six, clenched his tiny fists. His blue hair was slightly disheveled, and his purple eyes tearing up. His lower lip quivered as he cried out.

"But... but we wanted to see Rey! You didn't let us see him for so long!"

"Yeah! You didn't let us see our friend! We can't trust you!" Another boy, louder and more aggressive, stomped his foot.

Stephen, the same age as Axel, had fiery red hair and matching red eyes. Unlike Axel's timid nature, Stephen was the type to fight back. His glare was sharp, aimed directly at the old doctor, Gerard, who seemed to remain unbothered by the outburst.

Damian, lying in bed, sighed and raised his hands in an attempt to calm them down. "Wait, guys, hold o—"

 "The hell do you mean 'so long'!? It's just been a couple of hours! No one's gonna die from an ordinary headache!", Gerard cut him off, snapping.

Axel flinched at the harsh tone, his tears finally spilling over. His small shoulders trembled, and tried his best not to cry.

Seeing this, Stephen's face darkened. His hands curled into fists, and before anyone could stop him, he lunged at the doctor.

"You made Axel cry! What's wrong with you, damn geezer!?"

"Ack—stop pulling my hair, you brat!"

Gerard flailed as Stephen latched onto him, yanking at his graying hair. Axel sniffled, wiping his tears with his sleeve, while Damian could only watch the chaotic scene unfold.

He sighed, rubbing his temple.

Goddamn, watching this is giving me a headache.

With a groan, he decided to intervene.

"...You know, Stephen? Aren't you older than me?"

The two froze mid-battle. Stephen turned toward Damian, his expression one of pure betrayal.

"...Huh?"

"You're supposed to be the mature one... What the hell's wrong with you?"

"...Ahh, I'm sorry."

"Hah! That's right, brat! Listen to him!"

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook, Uncle Gerard."

Gerard stiffened.

"You're an actual adult, and here you are, picking a fight with a six-year-old."

Silence.

Gerard's face mirrored Stephen's perfectly—both looking like they had just been scolded by the heavens themselves.

"Heegh... looks like you're fine now, eh?"

A voice, laced with amusement, finally interrupted the awkward atmosphere.

Damian glanced over to see Ruby, the nurse from earlier, smirking as she leaned against the doorway.

"Ah, thank you for your assistance, Aunt Ruby," Damian said, giving a slight bow.

"Sure, sure. And thanks for taking care of my kid, even though he's two years older than you."

Damian shot a look at Stephen, who suddenly found the floor very interesting. "...It's fine. I'm used to his antics. It's what makes dealing with Uncle Gerard easy too."

 "Ahaha, of course. My kid inherited my looks, but it came along with his dad's personality. It's a shame... If he were even a little like me, he'd be breaking hearts in the future."

"...We're right here, you know?"

Ruby's smirk dropped instantly, replaced by a sharp glare.

"Yeah, that's the whole damn point!" She crossed her arms, her voice rising. "Seriously, causing this level of noise in a patient's room? We're in a clinic, you know? When we decided to come to Raventhorn, we were supposed to have an esteemed image in the locals' eyes... They would've praised us for our efforts in helping them..."

"..."

"..."

"...But instead, thanks to you two and your endless bickering, we've become the laughing stock of this town."

Ruby let out a deep, regretful sigh, her earlier amusement fading into quiet disappointment.

"…Either way, I don't think it's that bad, right?" Stephen tried to lift his mother's mood.

"…Yeah, it really shouldn't be. I've heard good things about our clinic."

Outside the clinic, illuminated display lights spelled out 'Silverleaf Clinic.'

Ruby's expression darkened as she cracked her knuckles. "Oh, really now? Little Stevey, the whole town knows you skip school every day just to play with these two. Even after I gave you a nice scolding, I'm still hearing these rumors… Tell me, Stephen, are they just rumors?"

"…But Rey's smarter than everyone, even the teach—"

"Enough."

Stephen immediately shut his mouth, lowering his gaze to avoid further angering his mother.

Ruby's glare then shifted. "And you," she turned to Gerard. "Do you seriously think I haven't heard about you frequenting Remir's Bar? Sneaking out at night to drink with your 'pals'—do you think I wouldn't know?"

"…But honey, I haven't been drinking that much lately… I just thou—"

"And don't even get me started on those drunk fools coming here just to leer at me. Seriously, do you have any idea how much of a pain that is to deal with?"

Gerard immediately went silent, his gaze fixed on the floor.

As Ruby continued venting her frustrations, Axel tugged at Damian's shirt. Damian glanced down at him.

"I'm scared… I don't wanna be here anymore, Rey."

Damian placed a hand on his chin, considering.

Hmm… True, I don't wanna be here either. But at the same time, I do. It's kinda fun watching them get scolded… but who knows if I'll be thrown into the lot next?

After a few seconds, he finally nodded. "Sure, let's get outta here. On one condition."

"Hm?"

"Call me Damian instead of Rey."

Axel blinked in confusion. Why does Rey want me to call him Damian? …Does he think his name is Damian? Ehh, is his brain okay?

Panic set in as Axel suddenly flailed his hands.

"Eh? What's wrong, Axel?" Stephen asked, concerned.

 "Rey… Rey thinks his name is Damian! Waaaah!"

The entire room froze.

Immediately, Ruby, Gerard, and Stephen sprang into action, bombarding Damian with concerned looks and questions.

Damian, once again suffering from their nonsense, sighed deeply. Of course, this happens again.

It took him ten minutes to calm them down.

"Like I said, I just thought it'd be a better name than Rey!"

"…Really?" Ruby eyed him skeptically.

"Yeeesss, so for the last time, let me go back home now."

 "Hmm… Well, I guess your condition isn't that bad after all.", Gerard said, while stroking his beard.

Stephen turned to his mother. "Mom, can I go train now? It's still noon."

"You have exams to prepare for, don't you?"

"Eh? But Ma, plea—"

"No."

Stephen sulked, fidgeting with his fingers. Meanwhile, Gerard casually removed his coat and changed his shoes.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly what he was up to.

He's heading to Remir's Bar… at noon?! No! I can't let that happen! Most of our patients come in the evening from Remir's Bar after getting into drunken brawls. He needs to be here! Hmm… what can I do to keep him from leaving?

Ideas flashed through her mind at lightning speed before a smirk crossed her face.

"You know what? Since we don't have many patients right now, your lovely father is free to help you prepare for your exams!"

"Huh?"

"…Huh? Wait, hon—"

"Isn't that lovely? You two can bond over studying! Ahh, I'm so happy!" Ruby clasped her hands together, practically radiating joy.

"…"

"…"

Father and son exchanged a long, defeated glance.

Damian, watching the scene unfold, smirked. Damn, she's good.

With that, he turned to Axel. "Alright, let's head back to the orphanage. See you later, Stephen!"

Grabbing Axel by the back of his collar, he led the still-sniffling boy toward the exit.

"Okay! Bye! See you later, both of you!" Stephen waved, smiling.

"Mghh… Bye, Stephen," Axel murmured sadly.

As they stepped out of the clinic, Damian looked at Axel and smiled. "Shall we go?"

"Mm."

A small breeze passed by, ruffling his hair as he glanced toward the orphanage.

I guess it's time to go back home.

And with that, the two made their way back.