Damian's hands rose slowly, covering his face as he stood on that familiar rooftop.
His head tilted back slightly, a long sigh escaping between his fingers.
'When I'm awake, everyone tries to kill me.'
The thought came tired and resigned.
'Now even when I'm trying to sleep, even when I just want a few hours of peace, the cycle continues without pause.'
His hands lowered, finding the hooded figure still standing there, that void-like darkness obscuring everything beneath the cloak.
The figure's head tilted slightly, as if amused by something.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
The doubled voice emerged from beneath the hood.
"I erased your memories of our encounter, so technically this is our first time meeting each other face to face."
A pause, deliberate and weighted.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Beggar's chosen one."
The words landed like stones dropped into still water.
'So it really is… The Hooded One.'
