Ascension Of The Villain

Whoever this dark magician was, whether they were intentionally performing their magic nearby or not, Vyan wasn't sure, nor did he care. What mattered was, it was fucking killing him over here.

He staggered out of bed, stumbling toward the door. He had to get out of there. At least, the ballroom would be better than here.

But his vision blurred, and his legs felt like they were turning to lead.

Each breath came shorter, more labored, like his lungs were fighting to fill themselves. His hand reached out for the doorknob, but the room spun around him, tilting and twisting in a way that made his head throb.

"Not... yet," Vyan choked out, fingers grazing the cool metal of the door handle. Darkness swallowed his vision for a moment, and his knees collapsed to the floor.

Just then, the door opened.

"—wait out here. I will just be after checking—" Clyde's voice paused in the midst of entering the room, seeing Vyan on the floor. "Oh, lord, what happened to you?"

Clyde rushed to Vyan's side, holding him, as Vyan kept panting, sucking in large breaths.

Althea followed in after Clyde, asking, "What happened, Clyde?" She saw Vyan and gasped, her eyes widening. "Vyan!"

"Seriously," Clyde started scolding as he rubbed Vyan's back. "This is why I told you not to push yourself too hard. But do you ever listen to me? No! Now, look at you. Your fever has escalated so badly.

You always do whatever you want—"

"Black magic…" Vyan's voice was hoarse as he interrupted, his throat still raw from the nightmare that felt too real to be just a dream. "It's black magic."

Clyde instantly stopped and exchanged a glance with Althea, their expressions hardening.

Althea immediately placed her hand on Vyan's forehead, her touch cool and soothing as she began to channel her healing powers.

A soft glow surrounded her hand, and Vyan felt the boulders in his chest ease and the strangling sensation around his throat ease. His breathing steadied, the sharp ache in his body dulling into a manageable throb.

"Thanks, Thea," Vyan mumbled.

"You are welcome, but… this shouldn't be happening," Althea murmured, her brows furrowed as she concentrated on Vyan. "Black magic can't be present on the imperial grounds. It's forbidden everywhere, except the courtroom." Her expression turned serious and troubled. "There has to be an infiltrator."

"An infiltrator who isn't us?" Clyde quipped.

Althea shot him a look, her seriousness breaking through his attempt at humor. "I will have the palace searched," she said, her voice decisive as she stood and rushed out of the room.

Vyan rolled his shoulders back as if testing his strength. He was exhausted, but at least the searing pain from the black magic had faded. Clyde helped Vyan to his feet.

"So," Clyde began with a sigh, "about that thing you have been working on, no luck with it yet?"

Vyan gave him a dry, humorless smile. "If I had, I wouldn't be on the verge of dying, now would I?"

Clyde patted his shoulder, his tone sympathetic. "Maybe it's something you can't make a defense against because you were born with it."

"That doesn't mean I can have a weakness as big as this," Vyan replied, his voice grim. "I will be dead before I can blink if I encounter a demon or someone worse like Sienna."

Clyde sighed deeply. "In that case, you should stop wandering alone, you know? It's gotten too dangerous. Sienna already knows about this weakness of yours. You are making it too easy for her."

"I know," Vyan admitted, rubbing his temples as if the gesture would dispel the lingering tension. "But I can't just take you everywhere with me. You have your own life."

Clyde's face softened at Vyan's consideration. He decided to bring up something that had clearly been on his mind. "Hey, so I was thinking… Why don't we hire a new aide for you? Purely for your protection. It worries me that you go around to so many places all by yourself."

Vyan shot him a flat look. "What, already trying to get me to warm up to your replacement?"

Clyde's eyes widened, utterly shocked. "What? No! I mean—" Find your next adventure on m_v l|e'm-p| y r

"I already know you aren't going to be by my side forever," Vyan continued, his tone calm but pointed. "So, it's fine. You don't have to pretend anymore. You can openly look for your replacement. I am okay with anybody you decide to entrust your duties to; I trust your choice."

Vyan didn't want to deal with playing unaware any longer. If Clyde was that worried and it would ease him to get Vyan another aide, then so be it.

Maybe Vyan's tone wasn't right. But right now, he just couldn't be bothered to correct it. He just wanted to get out of this suffocating place.

So, Vyan turned and headed out into the hallway.

Clyde, however, was left standing there, staring at Vyan's retreating figure, completely dumbfounded.

Althea re-entered the room after informing the guards to check all the nearby rooms for any infiltrators. "Where is Vyan going all by himsel–" She paused as she noticed Clyde's troubled expression. "Did something happen between you two?"

Clyde was silent for a moment before he ran a hand through his hair in regret and nodded his head. "Vyan already knows that I am secretly looking for a new aide."

Althea pressed her lips in a thin line, contemplating what to say, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He is not oblivious, Clyde," she began softly. "You know better than anyone that he thinks ahead, always. He probably knew the implications of the future from the moment you started liking me."

Clyde's voice became weak as he murmured, "And yet, he cheered me on…"

Althea smiled warmly, her eyes full of understanding. "Because that's what a friend does. Even when they know it's going to hurt being separated, they still want what's best for you. I don't know what he said to you right now, but I can guarantee you this much, Vyan truly cares for you, just like how you do for him."

Clyde nodded, though his heart was still heavy. He was still feeling bad that Vyan knew all along that Clyde was going to resign. Clyde wanted him to remain unaware of his departure for as long as possible so that it hurt Vyan for the least amount of time, but…

That boy was always too perceptive of his close ones.

———

As Vyan made his way down the stairs, still grimacing inwardly, he found himself face-to-face with Iyana, her expression a mix of mild panic and intense concern.

"Oh, you are okay!" she breathed in relief.

Without hesitation, her hand found its way to his cold cheek, her fingers warm against his skin.

"I was just about to come check on you. I heard from a guard that Princess Althea alerted them about an infiltrator—someone with dark magic. I got so worried." Her words tumbled out in a rush, her concern evident in every touch and glance.

Vyan's heart gave a little tug at her genuine worry. He smiled tightly, placing his hand over hers, savoring the warmth she brought. "I am fine. Thea's healing powers helped a lot." He chose not to mention how Althea's healing powers only worked partially against the effects of black magic.

But Iyana wasn't convinced. Her violet eyes softened only a little. "You still look like you are in pain."

Of course, she would see through him. He couldn't hide things from her, not when she had the sharp instincts of a Commander. "It's bearable, I promise. Honestly," his smile became more genuine, "you being here makes everything better."

Her hand suddenly withdrew from his cheek, causing an unexpected jolt of deja vu from the nightmare he had been trying to shake. His chest squeezed painfully.

"That's sweet and all," she began, a playful edge to her voice, "but we need to get you out of here. Come—"

Before she could reach for him herself, Vyan instinctively grasped her by the elbow. "Please don't leave me," he blurted out, the vulnerability in his voice catching both of them off guard.

She looked at him ridiculously. "What?"

He flushed, stumbling over his words. "I just thought you were leaving me, and I don't know, it just… made me feel…" He trailed off, trying to find the right explanation.

Iyana's smile returned, her eyes twinkling with both affection and amusement. "I wasn't going to leave you. We are going down together." With a tenderness that made his heart skip, she intertwined her fingers with his. "Let's leave the party together."

"Are you sure?" Vyan asked cautiously. "There are lots of people down there—important people."

She flashed him a cheeky grin. "Oh, I am sure. Don't you think I want to show off that I have bagged the Grand Duke himself?"

He chuckled lightly. "If anyone should be flaunting, it's me. I bagged the first female Commander in the history of Haynes."

Her grin widened as she squeezed his hand. "That's the spirit."

As they began descending the stairs, with Iyana confidently leading the way, Vyan glanced down at their intertwined hands, his earlier nightmare pressing on him. He remembered the bitter image of her holding Easton's hand. Even thinking about it now left a sour taste in his mouth.

He never wanted Iyana to let go of his hand. Not now, not ever.

And for that, he had to confess his truth to her as soon as possible. Even before Leila could tell Iyana whatever it was she wanted to.

"Hey, would you go on a date with me tomorrow?" he spoke up.

"That's sudden," she remarked.

"I don't know. I just felt like it. It's been a while since we have properly spent the day together. So, I was wondering if tomorrow would be good. It's also the weekend, you know."

Iyana looked over her shoulder to shoot him an apologetic look. "I am sorry, Vyan, but I already booked the afternoon with someone else."

Vyan made a sad face like a kicked puppy. "Oh, I see. So, they are more important than me."

"Hey, nobody is more important than you, but I already made plans with that person."

"Of course, I understand." He let out a long sigh. "I just have to wait for another week for you to get some free time."

For some reason, that instantly did the trick. "Okay. Only because our time is precious"

"What do you mean by that? Don't we have our whole lives ahead of us?" Vyan asked, his tone only half-joking. He ignored the curious glances in their way as they strolled across the ballroom, weaving through the crowd toward the exit.

Without missing a beat, Iyana tossed him a glance over her shoulder, her eyes hiding a pain he couldn't quite pinpoint the source of. That's when he noticed her smile, the kind that didn't quite reach her eyes as she whispered softly, "Of course. We have got our entire lives ahead of us. But it's still better to never take our time together for granted."

As those eerie words settled in, Vyan was left feeling just a little chilly on that hot summer night.