October 25, 2026

The Incubus System Chapter 1555. Transformation

But the others? The ones who believed their existence alone made them superior?

I felt something dark stir beneath my ribs. Once, I'd respected them. Now… Disgust. That was all I felt toward those who abused their power. I wanted to destroy them. Not every angel. I knew better than that. I'd seen angels help innocent people, and I had no intention of condemning them for sharing a species with monsters.

But the ones who hunted the weak?

The ones who considered cruelty a divine privilege?

I wanted to tear their precious authority apart until they understood exactly how helpless their victims had felt. My fingers tightened against the blanket. A faint current of demonic energy slipped from my body.

Syntyche noticed. Her hand settled over my chest. “Damian.”

I turned toward her. She didn't look frightened. Neither did Nefaris. Instead, Nefaris leaned closer and pressed a slow kiss against my jaw, her fingers gently tightening around mine.

“You're thinking about killing them,” she murmured.

I gave her a crooked smile. “Am I that obvious?”

“To us?” Syntyche answered. “Very.”

I chuckled quietly. Then looked between them. “Don't worry. I'm not planning to charge into the light dimension this morning. After all,” I added, “I have college.”

Nefaris laughed.

Syntyche rolled her eyes. But beneath my smile, the decision remained. If Aurelion wanted to rule three worlds by convincing everyone that angels stood above all other beings, he was going to have a serious problem. Because I had spent far too long allowing other people to decide what I was permitted to be. And if defending my right to exist made me a chaosmaker?

Fine. I'd show them what chaos really looked like.

But first, I needed a bath. Because apparently, even a potential interdimensional war wasn't a valid excuse for showing up at college smelling like yesterday's problems.

After finally escaping Syntyche and Nefaris's affectionate imprisonment, I headed straight for the bathroom. The warm water helped wash away the lingering exhaustion from last night, although it did absolutely nothing to erase the memory of a gigantic red pupil appearing inches away from my face.

Seriously. That creature had better learn the meaning of personal space before our next meeting. Otherwise, our friendship was going to end with me throwing a pillow at something larger than a mountain.

Once I finished bathing, I got dressed in my usual college clothes, grabbed breakfast, and ate while mentally reviewing my schedule. Nothing particularly exciting awaited me. A few lectures, some assignments, and possibly lunch with Camila and Olivia if everything went according to plan.

After breakfast, I checked my reflection one last time before raising my hand.

[You have opened a Portal]

A familiar circle of darkness opened before me. Technically, I was supposed to travel to college like an ordinary human being. Unfortunately, ordinary transportation couldn't compete with the magnificent convenience of stepping through space itself.

I walked through the portal and emerged on the college rooftop.

The morning air greeted me with a pleasant breeze. Sunlight spilled across the surrounding buildings, and the distant sounds of students chatting drifted upward from the courtyard below. I took a moment to enjoy the view before heading toward the stairwell.

A few minutes later, I reached the main corridor. And immediately noticed something strange. People were looking at me. Not everyone, obviously. But enough that I became conscious of it.

A girl standing near the vending machine glanced in my direction, whispered something to her friend, and quickly looked away when our eyes met. Two students walking past me did something similar. Another girl, who had been looking at her phone, raised her head as I approached. Her gaze lingered on my face for a moment before she suddenly became extremely interested in the posters hanging on the wall.

Hm?

What was going on?

I continued walking. More glances followed. Some were curious. Others looked strangely cautious. A few girls seemed interested, although they immediately turned away whenever I looked back.

Okay. Now this was getting suspicious.

I was currently using my human form. Ethan Strongheart. Not Damian Lucio Malignus.

My human appearance had always been considerably softer than my demonic one. Damian possessed sharper features, a more intimidating presence, and the kind of face that could make people question whether approaching him was a good idea.

Ethan? Ethan looked approachable. Friendly. Possibly too friendly, considering how often people had underestimated me in the past.

So why was everyone suddenly acting like I'd undergone some dramatic transformation overnight?

I stopped walking. Then turned toward the nearest restroom.

Time for an emergency inspection.

Inside, I approached the mirror and examined my reflection carefully. Same face. Same hair. Same eyes. I leaned closer. No horns. No glowing pupils. I even checked my teeth. Normal. At least I hadn't accidentally walked into college looking like the Crown Prince of the Dark Dimension.

I straightened my collar and studied myself again. “Hm…”

Nothing seemed different. My face was still Ethan's. Perhaps I looked a little more rested? Actually, considering last night's encounter with the colossal eye, that was highly unlikely.

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

Maybe everyone had simply developed an inexplicable interest in my face today. People were strange. And considering my recent experiences, I was hardly qualified to judge.

I left the restroom and headed toward my classroom. Fortunately, I arrived before the lecture began. I walked toward my usual seat, placed my bag on the desk, and sat down. After taking out my textbook, I flipped through the pages to review the material we'd covered previously.

I genuinely needed the refresher. My mind had been occupied with so many supernatural problems lately that ordinary academic subjects were beginning to feel like information from another lifetime. I read through a paragraph. Then another. For approximately three minutes, I almost felt like a normal college student again. Until I heard the whispers.

“Ethan looks different today.”

“Right? I thought it was just me.”

I stopped reading and glanced sideways.