"Of course!" Jack just sighs. He felt his skull crushing due to the impact of the falling stage lamp. A normal person would immediately die but than again was he ever normal. He tries to lift it away but to no avail. The lamp was heavy. But then, he felt ease on his head as the lamp lifts itself. It became surprisingly lighter and he was able to carry it. Due to his curse, he instantly healed and anyone of his wounds disappears. A hand reaches out to him, knowing he very well needed to take it.

Flashback

Jack was born a curse. From the moment the light of the world touches his skin, he was nothing but a curse. The only real problem is that he felt that he himself was the curse. His very existence was futile and confusing. How he was destined to live a life where everything falls apart around him where no one other than him is affected. He felt lonely, he was all alone in this, nothing anyone can do will stop it no matter how hard they try. He knows it best. His mom tried to help him overcome it but ended up getting hurt herself. He manages to fix it by letting himself get harm every single day.

Then... came the time he visited hell for the first time. It would be lying if he said he wasn't scared but he just followed his mother. His mother still not giving up on his condition tries to sort it out with her sister to try to find a way to help him. That very visit was the reason he met a bane in his life, a poison thorn destined to prick his fingers for the rest of his life. He met Damian, his demonic cousin. From their very first visit, he tortured him knowing full well Jack's not gonna die. Jack felt unsafe even if Damian is family. Until high school, Damian joined the ZPA, the same school he was in. He recognised every single mischief and trouble Damian caused him. He occasionally still hurt him but he toned it down a bit to 'fit in' the academy.

Damian was completely disguised among the crowd of students, none paid any attention to him as he slips pass as a backdrop of the academy. Damian and Jack wasn't the best of family, even friends, heck, Jack doesn't even consider Damian as his family inside.

End flashback

But the person in front of him, reaching his hand out to him was not the Damian he knew. Not the Damian, who laughed at his everyday misery, at his terrible luck. In fact, a hint of pity was displayed in his eyes as he reaches his hand out to him. Jack hesitated but chooses to take his hand.

"Bro, you okay there?! Damian asks concernly pulling him up.

"Okay as I will ever be I guess!" Jack responds blatantly. He was still unsure on how to fell about Damian.

Damian fell into silence at his respond. He knew very well that it was his fault Jack is cursed. Although he didn't cause it, every bit of thing he did to Jack came back to him in one fell swoop. Embarrassment washes over him. He didn't know what to say. Only two words came to mind but he didn't know if Jack would accept it. He steeled his mind and says it anyway.

"I'm sorry, Jack!"

Jack ears perked, "What did he say?" Jack questions himself if what he heard was real.

"What?" He asks briefly to confirm his suspicions.

"I'm sorry.. for everything!" Damian repeated himself.

In his heart, a small part of him wants to forgive him while mostly he wanted to just ignore the apology, Damian's sins was too great for him to forgive but in the end he gave it a chance.

"Why then?...Why did you do it... Why'd you hurt me every single time!?" He raised his voice a little, his fang began to show.

Damian didn't know how to respond. Jack just scoffs and was about to walk away when a hand reaches his shoulder and stopped him in his track.

"I am a terrible person... I was a brat back then and... I... I didn't know why I did it to begin with. Maybe its just due to my nature as a..." Damian trails off a bit.

"No! What happened to you was my fault! How I hurt you was on my very own choice! I was a jerk to you... especially you... even though we're related... and not a day goes by where I don't regret what I did. If I could change myself, the way I act, the first time I met you, I would give anything to take that chance, after all, you're the only family I have left!" Jack's eye widens in surprise "Family, huh?" Jack thought that word was the last thing Damian would think off about Jack.

"And I know, my apology is nothing compared to what I done, and I don't expect you to accept it but... I just wanted to let you know how terribly sorry I am, for what I done!" Damian continues.

Jack sees the truth in his eyes. He knows full well Damian is being sincere but a part of him wants to reject his apology. Jack than remembered something.. Ms Walden once told him, to forgive himself. To enjoy being with those around him. He looked back at Damian. He thought, "I forgived myself and moved on! Maybe... I should also forgive him so he has a chance to change!" In the end Jack thought that blood is thicker than water. No matter how terrible Damian might be.. his still his family. Jack looked at him in the eye.

"Dame, I forgive you! But... I don't expect you to pull any sh*t off in the future." He lays it out for Damian.

Damian just responded by hugging him, and thanking him for the apology.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it!"

"Yeah, on second thought you were better off being the old you!" Jack was weirded out by his new behaviour.

"Why? You don't like a warm hug from good ol' me?" Damian jokingly asks.

"Gross!" Jack stated earning a laughter from the both of them. Kayla just smiled at them, happy for their newfound forgiveness.

After a while, they went back to their respective practice. Jack, Zill and Sahara was busy racking out their brains for ideas. Damian just followed Kayla to the piano watching her play. To him it was mesmerising, every second. Damian though didn't practice as he still wasn't sure if he wants anyone to know about his talent. He still was fixed on just playing the banjo although Kayla tried to convince him otherwise. He then saw Kayla groans out and went to her.

"Kayla? What's wrong?" He asks.

"Nothing Damian, it's just that, I couldn't figure out what to sing!" She states her worries off.

"Well.. Im sure you could do it. I mean we still have a long time left before the event and you already finished the instrumentals!" Damian said trying to comfort her.

"That's the problem, it's been weeks now and I haven't even got a single line of lyric out yet!" Kayla says groaning even more. She got off the piano and sat on the floor trying out every possible lyrics that would be suitable.

Jack and the gang other than Zill overheard her and went to her trying to assist her. They gave out their ideas and nothing seems to work.

Damian just sat on the piano looking through her music sheet. He eyed and studied every single note. He then thought of something, a lyric playing in his head but he didn't say anything. The piano was in front of him and he was tempted to play it while the lyric is still stuck inside his head but he hesitated. He was still afraid of what people would think of him. He was lost in thought for a while before he musters his courage knowing everyone will see him.

"Arghh, what the heck!" He didn't care anymore.

The gang was still helping Kayla when they heard the piano playing besides them. It was the same tune of Kayla's song she practiced.

But it was weird as Kayla was in front of them, so.. who was playing it? They and Kayla turned their heads to see Damian fully immersed in the song, even closing his eyes playing the piano. Even Zill who was still hostile towards Damian was also taken aback. The weird thing is, instead of scoffing at him, Zill paid full attention.

(There goes my heart beating

'Cause you are the reason)

The others was losing their mind on this. DAMIAN IS SINGING! Even Jack who heard Kayla's story before was baffled. "What the f*ck!? Kayla wasn't joking?!!!" He still pinches himself trying to wake up from this dream or so he thought it was. Heck, even Kayla who have heard him sang before was still shocked.

(I'm losing my sleep

Please come back now)

His eyes closed in focus. The lyrics still playing in his head.

(And there goes my mind racing

And you are the reason)

This time, his thoughts shifted towards Kayla. His love for her.

(That I'm still breathing

I'm hopeless now)

Kayla felt the intention of every lyric. Her breath taken away by every beat. Suddenly, it wasn't what anyone was expecting.. Damian suddenly bursts out his voice, powerful yet melodious.

(I'd climb every mountain

And swim every ocean)

He meant everything. What he would do for her. His thoughts lingering with passion.

(Just to be with you

And fix what I've broken)

He intends to made up with her, erasing all his sins. The others surprised at his voice. It was so beautiful.

(Oh, 'cause I need you to see

That you are the reason...)

He trails off in the end. His mind couldn't come up with any other lyrics so he stopped there. He looked besides him only to lay upon the eyes of the others, in shock and in awe and a little bit of both. He just sighs in the end...

"I know... I know... It's all I could come up with!" He says his expression on their thoughts expecting bitter murmurs or even disgust from the others. But instead, he heard a clap, it was from Kayla. Then, the clap continued with the others following.

"Damian! That was amazing!" Jack was the first to voice out his opinion. "I didn't know you could play anything other than the banjo!" Jack said to his cousin. The others nod at the statement.

"Thanks... I just didn't think it was important" He was still hesitant till the end.

"Damian.." Kayla calls out softly. His attention directed towards her and his ears perked.

"That was beautiful. No one here is going to disregard your talent. So don't be afraid!" Kayla says reassuring him.

Damian just smiles, "Yeah... maybe!" He always thought people would ignore him. How his talent meant nothing but it seems it was all in his head... He tries to become more confident in himself and others.

"Wow Damian! That was nice. Didn't know you had a great voice!" Addison remarks.

"Yeah, you got the moves with the piano too!" Sahara added.

"Yeah, yeah, one at a time please!" Damian joked earning several laughs from them. He was elated to know his friends liking him singing. "I'll be even better next time!" A newfound spirit in him rises trying to be better for the others.

A/N: Okay so, I don't think I need to explain what the song is... You Are The Reason by Calum Scott. Anyway, my university life has started and I must apologize if there are any late chapters like this one. I hope you all bear with me and continue your support. Again, appreciate any thoughts and peace!