Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 189  [Island Of Drath] [4]

Walking beside me, she whispered, "...What would you do if your mother was absolutely evil and wanted to kill you?"

"..."

My steps halted as I drew in a deep breath to steady my trembling heart.

Even though I knew she wasn't talking about my mother, I couldn't help but feel uneasiness crawling under my skin.

"Hello." She waved her hand in front of my face, making me focus on her. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, shaking my head while resuming my walk. "Why did you ask...that question?"

"It's a hypothetical question." She shrugged a little. "What is your answer?"

"I would try to run away," I replied quietly, glancing up as the sun dimmed behind heavy clouds.

'...Rain? Really?' I grumbled, picking up my pace.

Things weren't bad enough; now even the weather had to make things harder.

"What if you can't run away?" Nella mumbled, rubbing her cheek. "What if you're trapped?"

I took my time to think about her words.

I could hear the soft sound of the sea in the distance, the waves pushing forward then withdrawing heavily.

"Then I'd wait for the right time," I mumbled, brushing aside thick green vines blocking my path.

".....But what if you don't have enough time?" She pressed further, making me increasingly uncomfortable. "...What if you only have a few months to liv—."

"Then find a way to get out of the situation before that happens," I cut in, glancing at her now ordinary face. "You should know how to do that, right?"

She bit her lip, lowering her head, trailing behind me.

I looked up again—no sunlight peeking through the heavy vines, the dark jungle growing even darker.

"....What if people die?" I turned to look at Nella as she mumbled quietly. "...If you run away, people will di—."

"Big deal." I shrugged. "People die every day."

"I'm not talking about one or two."

"I know how many you mean," I whispered, the wind picking up around us. "...And my answer is still the same."

She lowered her head again, whispering softly, "...I can't do that."

"You don't have to," I replied, gauging how long I needed to walk. "...Someone was there to take all the blame for you, right?"

"....."

She didn't reply, just stared at me. Ignoring her, I walked forward, feeling her eyes drilling holes into my back.

....I hope this is enough for her to realize I already know who she is.

Then again...

...She probably already knows that.

"I won't lose my dignity just to save my life," she replied curtly, following behind me. "....Sometimes death is the lesser of two evils."

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "....Whatever you say."

....Stupid fucking idiot.

How could she just throw away her life like this?

The crushing feeling in my stomach was unbearable as I thought about it.

...How much did I do for them?

For fuck's sake, I made a deal with a demon just to keep her safe, and here she is throwing her lives away like they're worth nothing.

'Come to think of it, why did I even care for her?' I wondered.

Everyone around me is or was crazy in their own way.

Especially every girl I know—they're all bat-shit crazy.

Even as Inder, the only girl I knew was Senara, and she too was crazy enough to beat anyone who tried to get close to me.

'Makes me wonder if I'm destined to only meet insane women.'

"..."

Fuck!!

Shaking those thoughts away, I looked ahead.

There was a break in the trees, making it easier to move forward.

"Hey." I glanced back at her as she called me.

"What?" I asked, watching the lightning across the horizon.

"...What is your dream?" She asked curtly, gazing up as well.

I turned to look at her, her eyes staring back at me.

"Why do you ask?" I mumbled, still looking at her.

"I just want to know." She shrugged slightly.

"...A dream, huh?" I mumbled, looking down at my feet.

I never really thought about it.

I wasn't in the situation to have dreams, so I didn't really know how to answer that.

But I do have one dream....

"To find a loving wife and spend the rest of my life somewhere quiet," I replied, nodding in approval.

....That's my ideal dream.

"Pfft—ahem, that's good." She replied, hiding her face.

She just laughed, didn't she?

Ignoring her trembling shoulders from suppressing her laughter, I turned around to move.

"Did you find that lovely wife of yours?" She asked, a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

"Anyone works with me except that bitchy Princess Arianell," I replied, and her face darkened.

"...Stop slandering the princess," she rebuked, glaring at me. "And you can only dream of getting close to her."

"Not like I want to." I shrugged.

She quietly glared at me without saying anything.

I let her be, walking without any words.

"So, is that lovely wife your current fiancée?" She asked, curiously.

I thought about it a little.

Christina's face flashed in my mind, along with another face.

....Senara.

'No point thinking about her; she isn't alive.'

"Maybe," I mumbled, doubtfully.

"I see," she said, falling deep into her own thoughts.

The first drops of rain began to fall.

Within seconds, the cool water found its way through the trees.

Nella smiled as she leaned her head back and opened her mouth, letting the raindrops hit her tongue and dribble down her chin.

"What about you?" I asked, observing her. "...What's your dream?"

She turned back, looking at me. "I'm not telling you."

"Why?"

"You'll laugh." She replied, glaring at me.

I shrugged. "Whatever."

Walking through the light rain, I made my way to Queen's Den.

But things turned shitty.

A few minutes later, the weather worsened.

A storm had arrived.

.....

.....

.....

"...Is this a house?" Miley wondered aloud, her eyes scanning the place.

"It would have been," Aimar replied, "if they had ever finished it."

The rain lashed down, and a brief burst of lightning illuminated the empty building for a moment.

A group of seven students was inside, sheltering themselves from the heavy rain.

The house was designed in a typically crude style to resemble a temple.

A narrow bridge led to the entrance over to the main hall.

It could have been stunning with constant care, but now, the colors had already faded.

Walking toward the window, Aimar wiped the fog covering the glass as he looked out of the house.

The rain was heavy, soaking everything within the jungle.

"How long will the storm last?" another student asked, shivering.

"It only just started, idiot." Aimar snarled, glaring back at him. "Stop asking stupid questions."

"Just let him be." Miley sneezed, the sound bouncing off the bare walls.

She rubbed her temples, leaning against the wall for balance.

"Should we start a fire?" a girl from Aimar's class mumbled, looking at him.

"Just do whatever you want," Aimar replied, walking toward Miley. "You alright?" he asked.

Miley nodded, "Just cold."

Aimar nodded back, his back against the front door, his eyes observing the students.

'I should find the rest of my classmates soon,' Aimar thought, making his plans.

First, he had to find Lucas and Keegan; they were the only ones who could help him.

But as he listened to the storm, he wondered if he could even find them.

Another flash of lightning, the wind knocking open the front door.

Droplets of rain splashed inside the house. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A girl stood up to close the door, but she froze right in front of it.

"What happened?" Aimar asked, confused.

He stood up while the girl stepped back.

Aimar heard wet feet slapping, slowly, rhythmically.

He squinted his eyes into the fog and heavy rain beyond the door.

Another lightning flash.

A shape loomed over.

A silhouette with crimson eyes staring inside.

The footsteps continued, walking into the house.

The footsteps stopped. Aimar swallowed hard.

Another flash of lightning.

The features of the silhouette became clear.

"Shyamal?" Aimar mumbled, looking at her in confusion.

She didn't look like her usual self, her eyes oddly inhuman while her silver hair was soaked.

A scythe in her hand, dripping with crimson liquid mixed with rain.

Her steps resumed, growing louder, plodding toward Aimar.

His whole body tensed as he took out his spear, ready to fight.

Shyamal parted her lips, her voice cold as she asked, "...Where is Azariah?"

"Thank God we found you." One of the male students from her class walked forward. "We were looking for you."

Shyamal glanced at him. He stretched his hand out to introduce himself.

'Thud.'

A blackish line rushed past his hand, accompanied by a dull sound.

He looked at his hand in confusion, finding his fingers missing.

He howled in agony, grabbing his hand tightly.

Shyamal ignored him, looking back at Aimar. She asked again, "...Where is he?"

"North." He guessed randomly, gulping. "He's to the north."

Shyamal turned around, walking into the downpour again, vanishing into the rainfall.

Aimar glanced at the crying student, missing fingers on his hand.

Sighing heavily, he mumbled, "The fuck did you do now, Az."