Episode 22: Face to Face with the Devil

Season 1: Rise of the Villain

Episode 22: Face to Face with the Devil

The gunshot echoed through the chateau.

Damien spun around, shielding Elena instinctively. Across the room, Salazar stood at the entrance, a pistol in one hand, a smirk on his face.

"Touching reunion," he drawled, stepping over Ruiz's lifeless body. "Truly. I almost hate to interrupt."

Vega and Nikolai had their weapons trained on him, but Salazar didn't flinch. He knew he still held the advantage.

"Elena," he continued, his voice deceptively soft. "Did your mother ever tell you what your father really is?"

The girl clung to Isabella, her wide eyes darting between the two men.

Damien's voice was pure steel. "She's not part of this."

Salazar chuckled. "Oh, but she is. You made her part of this the moment you got involved in my world." He gestured around. "And now here we are."

Damien kept his gun aimed. "Let her go. This fight is between us."

Salazar sighed theatrically. "You're still under the illusion that you dictate how this ends." He raised his pistol and pointed it at Elena.

Isabella gasped. "No—"

Damien's finger tightened on the trigger—

Then the room exploded into chaos.

Vega fired first, the shot hitting Salazar's shoulder. He staggered back, cursing, but his men stormed in from the hallway, opening fire.

Bullets ripped through the air.

Damien grabbed Elena and pushed her behind cover while Isabella fired back.

"Take her and get out!" he ordered.

Isabella hesitated. "Damien—"

"Go!" His voice left no room for argument.

She grabbed Elena's hand and ran.

Damien turned back just in time to see Salazar retreating through a side door, gripping his bleeding shoulder.

"You're not getting away," Damien growled, sprinting after him.

Salazar fled through the darkened corridors, his footsteps echoing. Damien followed, his breath steady despite the adrenaline surging through his veins.

At the end of the hall, Salazar kicked open a door, leading out to the back courtyard. The night air was cold, the sky thick with smoke from the fight raging inside.

Damien stepped out slowly, gun raised. "You're bleeding, Salazar."

Salazar chuckled, wiping the blood from his mouth. "So are you."

Damien barely registered the pain of the bullet graze on his arm. He took another step forward.

"This ends tonight."

Salazar sighed dramatically. "You always were so dramatic, Cross. Tell me—what's your plan? Kill me and ride off into the sunset with your daughter?"

Damien didn't answer.

Salazar smirked. "Let's be honest. You're no hero. You're a monster. Just like me."

Damien's finger hovered over the trigger.

Salazar laughed. "What's stopping you? You've killed everyone else."

For a brief moment, Damien hesitated.

He thought of Elena.

If he did this, she would never see him as anything more than a killer.

That split second was all Salazar needed.

He lunged, pulling out a hidden blade. Damien barely dodged in time, but the knife sliced across his ribs. Pain flared, but he didn't stop.

He grabbed Salazar's wrist, twisting it brutally. The knife clattered to the ground.

Damien threw a punch, shattering Salazar's nose.

Salazar staggered, but still smirked through the blood. "You don't have the guts to do it."

Damien grabbed him by the throat. "You're wrong."

Then, without hesitation—he snapped Salazar's neck.

The body collapsed at his feet.

The gunfire inside had stopped. Vega and Nikolai emerged from the chateau, bloodied but standing.

"It's over," Nikolai said.

Damien took a breath. The weight of everything crushed down on him.

"Where's Isabella?" he asked.

Vega nodded toward the car waiting in the distance. "She got Elena out. They're safe."

Damien exhaled. Safe.

For the first time in his life, he had something worth protecting.

And for the first time, he was afraid of what came next.

To be continued...