Chapter 13
"Pheeew! That was refreshing." Max muttered as he stepped out of the bathroom to see Camila all dressed in her causal attire while flashing a beaming smile at Max.
Without any words said, Max just began dressing back up as he prepared to head back to his slummy home.
'I really don't want to go back to that slum.' Max groaned out inwardly as he finished dressing up to see Camila walking towards him.
"Thank you." Camila said as she threw in a tight hug which Max responded back with. "Not only did you give me a memorable time and some great advice, you also saved my daughter's life and for that, I'm grateful."
"It's nothing actually." Max smiled back as Camila disengaged from the hug.
"You know, I really enjoyed you today and I don't know what Lizzy would think about this, but I would have wanted you and her to hook up one day. You would really make a cool, slutty son-in-law." Camila added with a wink as she licked her lips seductively.
"You are perfect for me. I don't need anyone else but if you give me your daughter, who am I to argue?" Max asked with a chuckle as Camila immediately pulled him in for a wet, french kiss before letting go.
"Will I be seeing you again?" Camila asked with sadness all written on her scrunched up face.
"Maybe. I'm not sure yet because I need to sort some things." Max replied and Camila just clicked her tongue.
"At least you know where I live. You want to see me? Just come knocking and the doors to my house is open to you." Camila said while flashing a beaming smile towards him which Max returned back.
"Yeah sure." Max said as he swept his hand through his hair and then turned to leave. "Tell Lizzy I said bye and thanks for tending to my injuries." He said as he exited the room leaving Camila all alone in the room.
"What a nice, handsome kid. I like." She chuckled as she walked into the bathroom.
__
After leaving Camila's house, Max was back at on the streets as he stared at all the cabs.
"Oh crap." He face palmed himself as he suddenly remembered that he had no means of getting back home. "Hold on, I think I have five dollars in my pocket which I got from the belongings of the person I transmigrated into."
With that, Max dipped his hands into his back pocket and pulled out a rough five dollar bill and then hailed a cab before getting in.
In a few minutes, the car came to a halt which Max paid and then began his walk to his run down home. He walked through a few alleyways, passed the alleyway where he had fought the hoodlums to save Lizzy's dignity.
"Wait! I'm still in my Draconic form." Max muttered and then hastily deactivated his form revealing pale, real body.
His face gaunt, pale, and worn out. Dark circles carved themselves beneath dull brown eyes, the kind that looked like they hadn't known a good night's sleep in weeks.
His hair, a tangled mess of black strands, looked greasy and unkempt, as if water hadn't touched it in days. His lips were dry and cracked, his cheeks hollow from malnourishment.
But beneath all that neglect... there was something. A sharp jawline, hidden under the shadow of stubble. Straight eyebrows. A nose that was neither too large nor too small—just right.
His skin, though dull now, had the kind of clear tone that could glow with proper care.
His arms were skinny, lacking muscle, but his frame had balance.
There was no sign of the previous stunning Damian anywhere and instead, it was Max who stared back.
With a sigh, Max began his walk back home again and after going through one last alleyway that had houses conjoined together, he came to a halt in a small town or more like a village.
Cracked stone paths snaked through the town like a half-forgotten memory, the ground littered with trash, broken crates, and the occasional rat scurrying into shadows.
The sky was a hazy yellow, choked by the smoke of chimneys from poorly maintained forges and makeshift kitchens.
The stench of sweat, smoke, and old fish wafted through the air, accompanied by the distant clamor of shouting voices, arguing vendors, and crying children.
Buildings leaned on each other like drunks, patched together with rotting wood and rusted tin sheets.
Some were nothing more than tents or shacks hammered together with stolen nails and desperation.
Walking past the playful children and ignoring everybody else, Max walked into his almost crumbled down home.
Entering in, he was hit by the stark contrast to Camila's house.
Inside his own house, there was no bed. Just a thin, flattened mattress layered with worn blankets in the corner of the room.
The walls were cracked and discolored, smeared with the ghosts of forgotten posters that had long since peeled off.
Cobwebs clung to the corners like parasites, and a single plastic fan spun weakly from above, clicking with every rotation like it might fall at any second.
There was no separation between living space and kitchen just a rusted gas burner beside a sink piled with unwashed dishes.
A small fridge, humming louder than it should, stood at an awkward angle beside a chipped wooden table missing one leg and propped up with books.
A battered laptop sat atop the table, its screen cracked, next to a stack of unopened mail and crumpled instant noodle cups.
One window which was half-covered with a torn curtain let in a sliver of sunlight, just enough to illuminate the dust dancing through the air.
And that was it. No bathroom in sight.
"Oh well! Back to hell… again." Max sighed as he slammed his door shut, albeit gently.
__
{A/N}
I don't want to do this, but anyway. Hi guys! ShadowMornachx here! Kindly support if you enjoy the book so far.