Page 328 of Eternal
But I wouldn’t be able to say it without falling apart. So I keep it for myself.
Meanwhile, Damir clinks glasses with Elijah. “Try not to die. And don’t wait years to show up again, alright?”
Damir smiles back. “You too, Volkov.”
Then Nikolai claps him on the shoulder. “Already leaving?”
“Yeah,” Damir says. “Early flight. And… she wants to see the beach again.”
Right then, Ben looks up and squints. “Wait… Damir? You’re serious?”
He stands, surprised. “Shit. It’s been years.”
I blink. He knows Ben? I didn’t know that.
Damir smiles, a little sheepish. “I know. Shame I’m disappearing again. Could’ve caught up.”
Ben claps his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, man. Come back anytime.”
And just like that, it’s time.
We start heading for the door, everyone’s goodbyes still echoing behind us like a warm coat we get to take with us. And for the first time in a long, long time… I don’t feel alone walking away.
We step outside.
The air is cooler now, the night is dark, and kind of beautiful.
In the garden, a few people are moving around, packing up, cleaning, moving equipment.
Two men are dragging a thick black bag across the gravel, zipped all the way up.
The guards nod as Damir walks past.
I glance at the bag but don’t say anything. I already know. There’s still dried blood on his collar. I can smell it from here.
Damir doesn’t slow down. “Come on. Get in the car, partner.”
He opens the passenger door for me, waits until I’m in, then walks around to the other side. The engine hums to life.
The garden fades behind the tinted glass.
For a while, we didn't speak. Just the sound of our breathing, uneven, still a little shaky. Our bodies are too aware of what just happened upstairs. What almost happened.
Then his voice breaks through the quiet.
“Alexander wanted to trap you.”
I turn to him, but don’t say a word. I wait. There’s always more.
“He thought you wouldn’t see it coming. That you were too broken to notice. He figured you’d fall for it if you thought someone gave a damn about you. He wanted to climb the agency ladder and knew your name had a high price. He came to me when he figured out why I was really here.”
“And?” I ask, even though I already know.
He doesn’t hesitate.
“I killed him.”
I looked at him for a long time.
