I Am The Game's Villain

I\'ll never forget it. I was just turning nine, a milestone in my young life. Vanadias was bathed in the warm glow of a perfect day, the kind that made you want to dance barefoot through the meadows.

I had pleaded Father to accompany me for my sword practice. He was always so busy, being the King and all, but I knew he would understand. After all, I was growing up, and it was important to learn how to protect myself.

Mother, Queen Tanya Teraquin, was even busier than Father. She was always working late, trying to make our kingdom even better. I understood that, of course. They were both working tirelessly for our people.

But sometimes, I couldn\'t help but feel a little lonely. Allen, my younger brother, was still too young to understand the weight of our responsibilities. He was content playing with our cousins, and I didn\'t blame him. It was up to me and Kendel to step up.

Kendel, my older brother, was the most amazing person I knew. He was always there for me, like a parent when our real ones were too preoccupied. They were working on a secret project for Sancta Vedelia, and they were so excited about it. I left them to their work, knowing they had important things to do.

Instead, I spent my time with Kendel and Leena. Leena was like an older sister to me, always kind and patient. Her face would haunt my dreams sometimes, a reminder of the days we spent together.

"I–I will always be with you, Freydis…" ***

"Hn…"

My eyes fluttered open, revealing the familiar canopy of the dense forest. The exam... again. How absurd it all seemed now. While they held their little trials, ignorant and oblivious, Vanadias was on the brink of something unimaginable, a storm that would tear everything apart within mere hours. And yet, here we were, going through the motions.

I untangled the vines that had coiled protectively around me, their gentle embrace receding as I stood. The earthy scent of the forest filled my lungs, rich and alive, a fragrance that stirred long-buried memories. Memories of a time when happiness felt like a constant companion, back when the world was simpler, kinder, when the weight of everything I now carried hadn\'t yet crushed me under its grip.

But those days—those golden days—felt like a distant dream, a life that wasn\'t mine anymore. They belonged to someone else, someone who no longer existed. Happiest days, yes, but never to be reclaimed. A bittersweet ache twisted in my chest as I thought of it.

Though... I had found a different kind of happiness in Bryelle. The child, with her untainted heart, brought me fleeting moments of peace. Her laughter was a remedy to my soul, and her innocence was something I cherished more than she could ever know. But I couldn\'t—shouldn\'t—cling to her. As much as I adored her, I knew she was too pure for the path I was on. This world, dark and festering as it was, didn\'t deserve her. I didn\'t deserve her.

Bryelle would never understand what I was about to do, the choices I was making. She couldn\'t grasp the gravity of it all, not yet. But even so, I would forge ahead. I would see Utopia\'s plan through, no matter what. The world needed to be cleansed of the rot that had spread too far—Humans, Halves, Hybrids. The very thought of them made my skin crawl, like a thousand unseen insects scuttling just beneath the surface.

If only they had never existed, none of this would\'ve happened. Sancta Vedelia would\'ve thrived, untouched by their filth, their chaos. It would be a haven, pure and untainted. That\'s why I had to follow through with Utopia\'s attack, to finally rid this world of its corruption. A Sancta Vedelia made only for the Elves. A sanctuary where peace, true peace, could be achieved at last. No more division, no more Half-breeds seeking reasons to wage wars. No more filthy hybrids contaminating our lands.

In this new world, Bryelle would be safe. She could live in tranquility, never having to look over her shoulder, never knowing the disgusting stares I had endured my entire life. A world where purity wasn\'t something to be scorned, but revered.

Mother… she wouldn\'t accept this, no matter how much hatred simmered in her heart for the others. I knew she wouldn\'t understand, couldn\'t understand. And part of me feared her, feared that her words might reach that vulnerable part of me still clinging to the past. Could she change my mind? I didn\'t know, and I didn\'t want to find out. I couldn\'t afford to hesitate now, not when I was so close to what was necessary. This was for the best, whether she agreed or not.

As for my elder brother, his approval was of no concern to me. I knew he harbored a darker hatred for what happened to Leena, deeper than mine, but our goals were the same. Whatever differences lay between us, they didn\'t matter in the end. We would be the ones to steer Utopia to victory, to guide this world to its rightful conclusion.

Father would undoubtedly stand against what we were planning. But I couldn\'t care anymore. Not after everything I had seen. Not after what I had endured. It made me sick—truly sick to my core.

These Halves and Hybrids, walking around as if they belonged here, as if they had any right to exist alongside us, even within my own Kingdom. Their audacity made me want to retch. How dare they? How dare they look upon me with those wretched, filthy eyes, as though they were my equals? It was a disgrace, a mockery. And it couldn\'t go on. It wouldn\'t go on.

A cold sneer curled on my lips, my face twisting with the disgust that seemed to cling to me like a second skin. The thought of their repugnant presence brought an itch to my skin, an uncomfortable sensation that made me rub my arms as though I could scrub away the filth of merely thinking about them.

With a deep breath, I regained my composure. My eyes fell to the blue-glowing screen clasped securely on my arm, the faint letters displaying: [Zone 9]. A bitter laugh escaped me.

"A tiresome little exam," I muttered, a disdainful smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

I knew this forest like the back of my hand. Every twist of the trees, every shadow cast upon the ground. None of the second years could match me here. Maybe—just maybe—Elizabeth could, if she ever found the courage to stop cowering behind her fragile facade. But that was doubtful. As far as I was concerned, this exam was a farce, a meaningless distraction. Thankfully, it would be over soon enough.

My dreams... our dreams... they would soon become reality.

Hm?

I felt a presence behind me, something irritating, something unwelcome. Him. Again.

"Why were you smiling?"

The voice came from a figure who looked utterly pathetic, leaning against a tree with blood staining his clothes, his amber eyes flickering with pain. Yet, despite his miserable state, he had the audacity to smirk at me.

My lips pressed into a thin line. How dare he? n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Let me guess," he rasped, coughing weakly as he forced himself upright, eyes narrowing as though he enjoyed the pain coursing through his body. "You were thinking about torturing another Half, weren\'t you?" His tone was mocking, his smirk widening in amusement.

He reminded me of Connor—at least in appearance—but his voice, his demeanor, they were nothing like his. Connor, for all his faults, had some sense of propriety. This one, though, lacked any nobility despite being a royal himself.

I barely glanced at the red glow of his screen before my expression hardened, and my lips curled into a sneer. What was he up to?

"Exactly," I replied coldly, raising my hand, the power humming just beneath my skin. "And as luck would have it, a Half has come to me at the perfect time. It seems even royalty can\'t save you from what\'s about to happen." My words dripped with disdain as I prepared to act.

He grinned, his body sagging slightly against the tree. "I wouldn\'t do that if I were you, \'Princess Alvara\'," he said without looking at me.

"Oh?" I tilted my head slightly, curiosity piquing my disdain. "And why wouldn\'t I?" For too long, he had gotten away with his unsightly behavior toward me. Today, though, today it ended. Today he would finally pay.

I had longed for this moment, ever since the day he dared lay his filthy hands on me. The thought of it still made my skin crawl. But now, now the time had come to exact retribution.

But just as I was ready to strike, his smirk returned, more confident than ever.

"Well, maybe because," he drawled, his amber eyes locking onto mine, "I know something about Bryelle that you might want to hear."

"...!"