Chapter 366 - Three Hundred And Sixty Five

Chapter 366: Chapter Three Hundred And Sixty Five

Kade paused right outside the threshold. A heavy silence seemed to freeze the air around him for a long, agonizing second, as if he were standing at the edge of a high cliff, trying to build the courage to take a step forward. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out, gripped the brass door handle, turned it slowly, and pushed the door inward.

Inside the large, warm bedroom, light poured through the tall windows. Sitting up against the tall wooden headboard of the bed was Damon.

Kade saw the white linen bandages that were wrapped securely around Damon’s chest, and his skin still retained a pale, recovering tint from his severe blood loss. But his dark brown eyes were clear, alert, focused, and undeniably alive.

Kade stopped dead in his tracks just two steps inside the room. He stared at the man sitting on the bed, the breath trapped in his lungs.

Disbelief clouded his vision, and his arms and legs felt heavy and paralyzed as he took a few slow steps forward onto the rug. He looked as though he were staring at a ghost rising out of an open grave.

"My lord..." Kade whispered, his voice cracking so severely that the title was barely recognizable.

Damon looked at his loyal lieutenant, a warm, genuine smile curving the corners of his mouth. He tilted his head slightly to the side, his gaze full of deep affection for the officer who had stood by his side through countless deadly campaigns.

"Why are you looking at me like you have seen a ghost, Kade?" Damon asked, his tone low, raspy, but smooth and steady.

The sound of his voice—commanding, familiar, and so deeply real—broke the last remaining wall of military discipline inside Kade’s mind.

The young lieutenant hurried forward, closing the distance until he reached the foot of the bed. He could no longer hold his rigid, formal posture. His knees simply buckled beneath him, and he collapsed heavily onto both knees against the floorboards.

The hot tears that had been gathering beneath his eyelids finally broke free, streaming down his cheeks, dropping off his chin, and splashing onto the floor below.

Kade bowed his head low until his forehead almost touched the floorboards. He refused to look up, his shoulders shaking violently as heavy, muffled sobs began to tear through his throat. All the terror, the guilt, the sleepless nights spent believing he failed to protect his general, came pouring out in a flood of uncontainable grief and overwhelming relief.

"I thought... I thought you..." Kade choked out between jagged breaths, his voice breaking. He could not bring himself to finish the sentence, unable to speak the terrible word that had haunted the entire camp for days.

Damon let out a short, soft chuckle. The sound was filled with warmth. He shifted his weight slightly against the big pillows, looking down at his kneeling lieutenant with care.

"I’m not going anywhere, Kade," Damon said softly, his voice carrying the firm, reassuring authority of a leader who knew how to steady his men in the middle of a storm. "You all can’t escape my drills that easily."

Kade stayed on his knees at the foot of the bed, his forehead still resting near the floorboards as his shoulders continued to heave. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears fall freely onto the floor. The quiet bedroom was filled only with the sound of his ragged breathing and his low, gasping sobs.

For days, the entire camp had carried a crushing weight on their chests. They had been forced to stand guard with cold faces, keeping the peace, while inside they felt completely hollow, believing their commander wouldn’t make it. Hearing Damon speak those familiar, teasing words felt like waking up from a endless nightmare.

Damon watched Kade carefully, his smile fading into a look of deep understanding and serious concern. He knew how heavy the burden had been on Kade’s shoulders. He knew that while he lay unconscious on the brink of death, Kade had been forced to hold the lines, manage the soldiers, handle the camp, and hide the truth from enemy factions who were waiting for a single sign of weakness to strike.

"Get up, Kade," Damon spoke again, his voice dropping into a softer, more personal tone. "That is an order."

Kade took a ragged, shuddering breath. He lifted his hands, using the back of his sleeves to frantically wipe the wet tears from his face, his nose, and his eyes. He slowly pushed himself up off the floorboards, his legs still slightly unstable beneath him. He stood at strict attention at the foot of the bed, though his eyes were red, swollen, and wet, and his chest was still rising and falling rapidly as he tried to regain his breath.

"Look at me, Kade," Damon commanded softly.

Kade lifted his head and forced his gaze to meet Damon’s eyes.

Damon leaned forward just an inch, ignoring the dull ache in his chest bandages. His eyes locked onto Kade’s with seriousness and gratitude.

"You held everything together while I was down," Damon said, his tone firm and full of respect. "I know how hard it was. I know the pressure you were under. You did well, Kade. You did a fine job."

The words of praise from his general hit Kade harder than any reprimand ever could. Another fresh tear spilled over his eyelash and tracked down his cheek, but this time, a small, choked smile broke through his exhausted face. He squeezed his hands into tight fists at his sides, brought his right fist up to his chest over his heart, and bowed his head firmly.

"I only did my duty, General," Kade managed to say, his voice thick with emotion, but much steadier than before. "We... we were all so terrified. The manor was sealed. The rumors in the capital were getting worse every hour. We didn’t know how much longer we could keep them at bay if..." He stopped himself, biting his lip to keep from breaking down again.

"If I didn’t wake up," Damon finished the sentence for him quietly.

Kade nodded silently, looking back at his general with loyalty glaring in his red-rimmed eyes. "Yes, my lord."

Damon let out a slow, steady breath. His expression turned sharp and focused, the familiar mind of a military commander returning to full strength despite his physical weakness.

"What happened Kade?" Damon asked quietly, his eyes darkening with serious focus. " I want every detail from when I was shot till now."