Episode 23: The Price of Blood

Season 1: Rise of the Villain

Episode 23: The Price of Blood

The chateau was silent now, save for the distant hum of the wind sweeping through the aftermath of battle. Bodies littered the ground, the last remnants of Salazar's empire.

Damien stood over the lifeless corpse of the man who had taken everything from him. The man who had kidnapped his daughter, orchestrated the betrayals, and left him to rot in the shadows.

And now, Salazar was nothing more than a heap of broken flesh at Damien's feet.

But even with his greatest enemy dead, there was no sense of victory.

Only emptiness.

Vega and Nikolai approached from behind, their weapons still at the ready.

"It's done," Nikolai said.

Damien barely heard him. His focus was locked on the black SUV parked at the edge of the road, where Isabella and Elena were waiting.

For a moment, he hesitated.

He had spent his life drenched in blood. Did he even deserve to walk toward them?

Vega nudged him. "Go."

Damien finally moved.

As he approached the car, Isabella stepped out first. There was relief in her eyes, but also something else—uncertainty.

She knew that what Damien had just done had changed him.

But before either of them could speak, Elena peeked out from the back seat.

Their eyes met.

Damien knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly. But there was hesitation.

She had seen too much. Too much blood. Too much death.

"You killed them," she whispered.

Damien's throat tightened. "I did."

Elena looked down, small fingers gripping the car door. "Because of me?"

Damien's chest ached. He had no idea how to explain this to her.

So he told her the truth.

"No," he said softly. "Because they took you from me."

Elena studied him, searching his face. He expected fear. Revulsion.

Instead, she whispered, "Thank you."

Damien felt something crack inside him.

Elena might not understand everything yet, but she knew one thing—he was her father.

And he had saved her.

Jean Laurent arrived minutes later with a fresh set of vehicles. The French authorities wouldn't ignore a massacre like this for long.

"We need to leave," he said. "Now."

Damien nodded, helping Elena into the car before sliding in beside her.

Vega and Nikolai took the second vehicle, watching their backs.

As they sped away from the burning remnants of Salazar's empire, Damien looked down at his daughter.

She was exhausted, her head leaning against Isabella's shoulder.

For the first time in years, Damien felt something foreign. Hope.

He had spent his life being the villain. But for her?

Maybe he could be something else.

Maybe he could be a father.

To be continued...