Ascension Of The Villain

Vyan lay quietly, arms wrapped snugly around Iyana, watching the soft rise and fall of her breath, like a scene ripped straight from one of those tragic romance novels he would secretly never admit to enjoying. She had fallen asleep in his arms after crying, only to wake up a couple of hours later, tearfully recounting everything she remembered.

His heart cracked a little more at each sob. It was already bad enough that he had told her he hated her, not recognizing that it was Sienna who had taken Iyana's form to deceive Vyan. So many things were screwed up because of Sienna.

I swear if I ever get my hands on that woman—

Okay, realistically, if he ever did get his hands on her, he would probably trip over his own feet, coughing up blood. Dark magic and witches? Yeah, not exactly his forte. He had the fighting power of a soggy baguette when it came to dark magic.

Speaking of witches, Iyana mentioned a witch who helped erase her memories.

Why did that witch erase all of Iyana's memories when she was only supposed to forget me?

Vyan's gaze lingered on Iyana's peaceful face, as if hoping it would quiet the storm of questions swirling in his mind. But it did nothing to ease the nagging doubt. The witch's potential ulterior motives gnawed at him. He couldn't afford to take any chances with Iyana's safety.

A quick glance at the clock revealed it was already past one in the morning. He sighed. But what did time matter? Dark magic had always been his kryptonite, and witches were drenched in it. Vyan was painfully aware that stepping into a witch's lair would be like offering himself up on a silver platter. The odds of walking out alive?

Slim to none.

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That sobering thought did little to calm him. After an hour of futilely staring at the ceiling, he gently shifted Iyana to the side, covering her snugly with the duvet before quietly slipping out of bed.

As he stepped outside, his clothes seamlessly shifted into something more suitable for the night ahead. The moment the door clicked shut, he found himself standing in front of Clyde's room. Knowing his best friend was a light sleeper, he knocked softly.

After a moment, Clyde opened the door and let out, "Vyan, I have told you countless times. If you have made an amazing breakthrough with your artifact, fantastic. Good job. Really. I am thrilled. But please, for the love of the Goddess, wait until morning.

The artifact is not going to sprout legs and run off."

Vyan flashed a sheepish grin. "Yes, about that. Remember how you told me I should take care of myself more?" he chirped, hoping to slide his way into the real point. Clyde blinked, already unimpressed. "Well, Iyana told me to do the same. And I promised her.

So…"

"Oh, now you care about self-preservation because your lady said it?" Clyde threw his hands up dramatically. "I have been on your case for months, but all it took was one request from her? I see how it is. But who am I to question your sudden sanity?"

Vyan laughed. "Exactly. Anyway, I need to head to Ganlop. It's a little… dangerous for me, though, so I was hoping you could, you know, tag along?"

Clyde crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Ganlop. At this time of night? Why, Vyan? Just why?"

Vyan's eyes sparkled with mischief. "It will be like an adventure! You love adventures, don't you?"

Clyde stared flatly until a giant, mischievous grin spread across his face. "Adventures? Absolutely." He snapped his fingers, and his sleeping robe vanished, replaced by his usual clothes. "Let's go before I regret this."

———

"What? We are visiting a witch?" Clyde shrieked, voice hitting a note Vyan was certain could shatter glass.

"Yes, and quiet down! Her house should be around here somewhere—" Vyan was cut off as Clyde yanked him back by the arm.

"You are not meeting her! Who knows how your body will react to dark magic—" Clyde's eyes were wide with alarm, and it was borderline sweet, if not for the panic dripping from every word.

"I know, genius," Vyan grumbled, rolling his eyes. "That's why I brought you. You are going to talk to her while I relay questions through telepathy. Easy."

Clyde blinked, mouth dropping into a comically exaggerated O. "That's… actually a good idea."

"Exactly," Vyan nodded, looking far too smug for his own good. "I know my weaknesses. I am not about to get myself killed over something like this. I have to keep my self-preservation in mind, too."

"I wish you kept that in your mind all the time," Clyde mumbled wistfully, as if recalling all the moments Vyan had put himself in life-threatening situations like it was a casual hobby.

"What was that?" Vyan shot him a glare.

"I said, I am lucky to have met someone as stubborn as you," Clyde replied.

"Well, enjoy this while you can," Vyan retorted, shrugging off the backhanded compliment. "You will be rid of me soon. Savor these midnight witch-hunting adventures, Clyde. It's the last one you are getting with me."

Clyde scoffed. "Oh, trust me, you better savor it more than me. Your new aide is definitely not going to let you sneak out at midnight to visit a witch. Not a chance in hell."

Vyan sighed dramatically. "Now that is going to be an issue."

Clyde burst out laughing at that, and soon they found the cryptic-looking house they had been searching for. It was tucked away like it was detached from all forms of humanity.

Vyan gave Clyde a gentle nudge forward. "Go on, then. Knock. I will be watching from over here in the woods."

Clyde gave him a skeptical look but trudged up the creaky wooden stairs anyway. Each step sounded like the house was groaning in complaint. He knocked softly and waited.

Nothing happened. The door didn't budge.

"Maybe she is not fond of men?" Vyan suggested helpfully from the shadows.

"Or, hear me out, maybe she is not fond of people knocking at her door at two in the morning," Clyde quipped back.

"Oh, shut it," Vyan shot back. "What do you know? I read in a book that witches don't sleep at night."

"Isn't that vampires?" Clyde asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, them too," Vyan waved dismissively. "But witches don't sleep at night. They sleep during the day."

"That's actually correct," came a voice behind Vyan.

Vyan froze like a deer caught in front of a carriage.

Meanwhile, Clyde, blissfully unaware, kept rambling. "Why is that, though? Is it because they have to communicate with demons and stuff? Their spells must be stronger at night, right…"

The female voice finally registered with Clyde, and he spun around, eyes wide as they darted over Vyan's shoulder.

There, standing in the shadow of the trees, was a woman—or rather, something that resembled one. Her skin was withered and ashen, tight against bones that jutted unnaturally beneath her cloak. Long, stringy black hair hung limp around her face, long strands pooling around her feet.

Her eyes, sunken deep into her skull, gleamed with an unsettling blackness, as if they were voids where light went to die.

Clyde gulped, instinctively glancing at Vyan, who mirrored his unease with a tightening jaw. In a flash, Vyan teleported to Clyde's side.

Her thin lips twisted into a crooked smile, revealing teeth that looked worn down from centuries of wear, and her voice came out a low rasp. "What are you so afraid of?" she drawled, her words dragging like dry leaves scraping across the pavement. "Weren't you here to see me?"

As she took a step closer, Clyde moved in front of Vyan without thinking, raising an arm like it would somehow shield them from whatever dark, ancient power lurked in her.

He could feel Vyan glaring daggers at him from behind, but there was no way Clyde was letting his boss face this creature alone.