Ascension Of The Villain

The Starlight Orphanage stood like a relic of the past. Its worn bricks and ivy-covered walls were a stark contrast to the gleaming and polished estate Vyan was now used to.

"Feeling good to be back to an old home?" Clyde asked, tipping his head forward to look at Vyan's expression, but surprisingly, Vyan's eyes held no emotions, in fact, they were blank, as if it was just another regular place.

"No, not really," Vyan murmured. "I am not feeling the impact."

"Why is that?" Clyde asked softly.

"Huh, I don't know," Vyan let out, shrugging. "Maybe I never did consider this place home." Vyan met Clyde's scrutinizing eyes and casually motioned at the gate with a smirk. "Come on, let's head inside."

Clyde nodded, and they stepped through the wrought iron gate. The creak of the hinges was almost mournful.

Vyan's eyes scanned the familiar courtyard, memories flooding back in fragmented images—of being cornered, pushed down to the ground, mean words, left out, and a loneliness he had long since buried. The place felt smaller than he remembered, the playground's newly furnished swing set swaying slightly in the breeze as if haunted by the ghosts of his childhood.

While Vyan lingered, lost in thought, Clyde approached the new head of the orphanage, Father Fred.

The man was a tall figure, with a broad smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. As Clyde exchanged pleasantries, Fred's voice was warm, almost too warm.

"Your generosity is deeply appreciated, Your Grace," Father Fred said, his gaze shifting to Vyan as he joined them. "The children thrive because of your monthly donations. You have given them hope, something they so desperately need."

Vyan extended his hand, and as Fred took it, a subtle chill ran through him. The handshake was firm, but there was something... off. Something that made Vyan's instincts prickle.

"Thank you, Father," Vyan replied, masking the unease that stirred within him. "It's good to see the orphanage doing well. I see a lot of new things, even if the exteriors are almost the same."

Father Fred's smile remained fixed, almost too perfect. "Yes, we took the liberty to focus on improving the facilities, rather than painting the walls and such. You are free to look around as you wish. This is, after all, your home too."

Vyan nodded, but his attention was already elsewhere. 'Clyde,' he projected silently through their telepathic link, 'is it just me, or does this person give some bad vibes?'

Clyde smirked, his thoughts slipping into Vyan's mind like a quiet chuckle. 'Good job on picking it up. There is definitely something off about him.'

Vyan's gaze lingered on Fred for a moment longer, mentally noting to ask Freya to run a background check on this man once they got home.

"Yes, we will do that, thank you," Clyde said politely.

They moved through the orphanage with a quiet reverence, the familiar creaks in the floorboards and the scent of aged wood evoking memories Vyan had long tucked away—mostly bad memories. Orphaned kids were mean.

As they walked, Vyan glanced at Clyde, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "So, Clyde, care to guess what my favorite place here was?"

Clyde arched an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "Hmm, let me think... The pantry, perhaps? Where you could sneak in and steal chocolates?"

Vyan chuckled, a little bitter. "Yeah, right. As if the orphanage could afford chocolates back then. Try again."

Clyde tapped his chin, his expression exaggeratedly thoughtful. "Well, that was my best guess. I would have said your bedroom, since you love sleeping, but I don't imagine the bed was too comfortable here."

"The bed was fine." Vyan shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "But not my favorite place. I had a lot of roommates, and not the best ones. Anyway, come on, I will show you."

He led Clyde down a narrow hallway, their footsteps echoing softly against the walls. They passed by dormitories with bunk beds neatly made, the children's art pinned to the wall. It was study time for the kids, so they were most likely at the nearby elementary academy.

They reached a door that looked no different from the others, but as Vyan pushed it open, the air seemed to change.

The library was small, the shelves lined with worn books, their spines cracked from years of use. A single window let in a stream of light, dust motes dancing in the golden rays. It was a humble room, but to Vyan, it had been a sanctuary. This place felt a lot like home.

He guided Clyde to a corner near the back, where a few cushions lay on the floor. "This," Vyan said, his voice softer, "was my favorite spot. I used to sit here for hours, reading whatever I could get my hands on. It was quiet, and no one bothered me. I could escape... even if just for a little while."

Clyde looked around, commenting, "You were one sad little kid, huh."

Vyan smiled, a touch of melancholy in his eyes. "I wouldn't say I was sad. I just didn't feel much."

Clyde leaned against one of the shelves, studying Vyan with a rare seriousness. "So? Do you feel more now?"

Vyan nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. My emotions work a lot better now. I think I am even starting to develop empathy."

Clyde grinned, "Not going to lie, I feel like a proud parent."

Vyan laughed at that.

For a moment, the two of them stood in the quiet. The shadows of the past lingered, but with Clyde beside him, Vyan felt a strange comfort in revisiting this place.

After wandering through the orphanage, reliving old memories and sharing quiet conversations, Vyan and Clyde found themselves back at the main corridor near Father Fred's office.

Fred's office was tucked away in a corner of the orphanage. He greeted them with that same too-perfect smile.

"Your Grace, Lord Magnus," he said, gesturing for them to take a seat. "How was your exploration?"

"Great," Vyan replied, keeping his tone neutral. He paused, letting the silence stretch just enough to unsettle before speaking about the main reason they came here. "I was wondering if we might take a look at my old documents—anything you have on file from when I stayed here."

Fred's eyebrows raised slightly, but he nodded. "Of course. There is not much written about you, but you are welcome to see what we have."

He moved to a small filing cabinet, pulling out a thin folder labeled with Vyan's name. Handing it over, Fred's gaze lingered on Vyan, as if assessing his reaction. Vyan accepted the folder, feeling its lightness, the scarcity of the records within.

Vyan flipped through the few pages—basic information, medical records, and the sparse notes made by the staff. "There is nothing written about who brought me here."

"Ah, that's because Father Klaus had brought you here himself."

Vyan glanced up, intrigued. "Really? Where did he find me?"

"I had recently joined the orphanage when Father Klaus had brought you in for the first time. I remember that day still now—a little boy covered in injuries from head to toe, trembling, almost as if scared of his own shadow." Fred leaned back in his chair, his expression shifting into something almost reverent. "Father Klaus had gone to visit his sick mother in the countryside and found you there."

Vyan listened intently, the paper in his hands forgotten as the priest continued.

"There was a man—wretched, desperate, and known to be mentally deranged. Father Klaus didn't know how you ended up with him, but it was clear that you wanted to run away from him. That man always hired underaged servants and took pleasure in torturing those helpless little kids. You had somehow briefly escaped his clutches and bumped into Father Klaus, begging him to save you.

So, that's how you ended up in Starlight." Fred smiled, looking at Vyan. "Aren't you grateful to Father Klaus for it?"

"Yes…" Vyan's fingers tightened slightly on the folder as the words settled in, a mixture of old pain and new understanding swirling within him. "Yes, I am grateful." The memories were hazy, fragmented, but they were definitely coming back.

Vyan was limping near a riverbank, trying to run as fast as he could, when he got tired and tripped over a rock. Looking up, he was met with the kind eyes of an old man, asking gently, "Are you okay, little one?"

Vyan instantly pushed himself up and clung to the man's feet with his tiny, bruised arms. "Save me, please. Save me! Save me from that monster! H-he will kill me!"

Some of his dreams that he couldn't recall before started to resurface as well, along with its terror and painful feelings.

"Vyan, Vyan, Vyan," a sing-song voice echoed in his head. "My dear little lamb. You are so adorable. Such cute, chubby little cheeks. You…" His devilish lips curved into a smirk, tightening his grip on Vyan's cheeks. "You make me want to scar you up real bad."

Vyan took a sharp breath and touched his necklace, grounding himself. He looked into Fred's eyes and asked the question he felt was the most important now, "Can you tell me where exactly Father Klaus found me? I want to find the man I lived with before this."