Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 202  [Island Of Drath] [17] [Target]

"Come on, come on!"

Within the center of the island, a woman rushed past the thick forest.

Her mahogany eyes stared at her hand, at a box like device with a long antenna, beeping loudly, the sound echoing.

"Pick up, pick up."

She grumbled, brushing her mahogany hair from her eyes to look at the small screen properly.

... A number was dialed on it.

... Esmeray's number.

BOOM!!!

An explosion occurred behind her.

She turned around to look at the blast, which was burning everything in its path.

Her heart felt like it was grabbed and squeezed tightly.

Her face paled as the burden of what she'd done slowly started crushing her.

"No!"

She yelled, clenching the device before turning around and running away from the center.

"Everything will be alright!" She yelled, trying to assure her trembling heart.

"Only that woman will die, and no one else." She whispered, taking deep breaths, her gaze returning to the device that stopped beeping, "No one, no one!"

Biting her lower lip in frustration, she called again, making the device beep.

Her mind kept repeating why she was doing this.

For her parents, who were killed unjustly.

For her brother, who could never see the world properly.

... For herself, who had been drowning in grief for years.

The beeping abruptly stopped, and so did she.

Her chest heaved as she drew in deep breaths to calm down.

Her eyes stared at the device in her hand.

"Esmeray?" She grunted, her voice laced with anger.

And even though she knew she shouldn't let her anger slip into her voice, she couldn't control it.

{Who is it?}

A voice echoed from the device, making her tremble in fear.

It's been years, but she still could never forget how terrifying this woman truly was.

"Do you remember me?" Lauryn growled, taking deep breaths, "... Do you remember the girl whose family you took away?"

A silence lingered between them.

She took her time before Esmeray replied calmly.

{I don't.}

"I AM LAURYN EWING!" She yelled, grabbing a tree branch beside her and breaking it apart, "... Head of the fallen Ewing Viscount family!"

{Is that so?}

Esmeray replied, her voice carrying no speck of emotion, like she already knew this would happen.

"Do you remember me now?" She asked, a twisted sense of expectation in her voice.

{... What do you want?}

"Come here." Lauryn ordered, "You already know the place. Come here right now!"

A twisted smile crept up on her face.

Even she didn't know how much she'd wished to make this woman follow her words.

To feel the same sense of superiority that oozed out from her.

{Why should I?}

She asked, the calmness remaining in her voice.

Lauryn took a deep breath, her lips parting as she replied, "... If you don't, then I will kill Azariah."

Esmeray remained silent for a while, not saying a word, making Lauryn uneasy.

"I am being serious here!" She yelled, her chest heaving up and down, "... I will make sure you won't even recognize his dead bod—"

{Do it.}

"Huh?"

{I said... Do it, Lauryn.}

Her mind turned numb, her entire body freezing as she heard the emotionless voice.

"W-what, w-what are you saying!?"

{If that boy dies at the hands of a nobody like you, then he truly doesn't deserve to live.}

"No! No!" She yelled, desperately trying to wrap her head around the words, "... Don't you love him? Don't you care for him!?"

{You are pathetic, Lauryn. Of all the people close to him, you're the one saying this.}

"W-what do you mean?" She stammered, her legs giving in as she slowly fell to the ground.

{Have you not seen his body's condition? Or were you so blinded with hatred that you didn't even bother to understand him?}

Her emotionless voice echoed, making Lauryn's mind crumble.

Only now did her mind begin to remember everything about him.

Even though he was young, why did he have such bad stamina?

Why did his eyes always look dead?

Why did he try to approach her, of all people?

{You were the only one who could have trained him without noticing that he is dying.}

As if reading her mind, Esmeray replied calmly.

"... Dying?" She mumbled, her gaze turning blank, the device falling into the mud and rain.

Esmeray remained quiet, letting Lauryn sink deeper into self-doubt.

"... You're lying." She whispered, refusing to believe, "... You always saved him from everything! You care for him—"

{We had a deal. I don't love him. I'm merely fulfilling my part.}

"... No!" She whimpered silently, her hand reaching for her hair, grabbing it tightly, "No! No! No!"

The flame illuminating the island suddenly died.

But Lauryn didn't notice.

...She wasn't in the condition to do so.

{Shut up.}

Esmeray's cold voice echoed, making her tremble in fear.

{You wanted me to visit Drath Island, right?}

Lauryn's pupils shrank as she quickly grabbed the device, yelling, "No! Don't come—"

{I'll be there in just a short whil—}

... Lauryn crushed the device.

.....

.....

.....

The burning flames reflected in my eyes.

My wings felt heavy, the downpour making it harder for me to fly across.

The strain on my back and wings kept increasing as I flapped them continuously, trying to reach the center quickly.

... My heart kept beating in my ears, making my mind numb.

"... Please." I whispered weakly, my body moving like a stringless kite.

...Please be safe.

The winds were howling past my ears, pushing me in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go.

[...Azariah.]

"Not now, El!"

I yelled before wrapping my wings around myself, inclining my body to fall down toward the center.

After struggling for a while, I could finally feel the heat radiating from the fire.

I willed my wings to retract as I grabbed my knees, curling into a ball, crashing through the tall trees.

It slowed my fall.

Grabbing a branch to stop, I loosened my grip before falling down.

"Sefīgá."

I whispered just before my body touched the ground.

My feet hit the ground.

All the potential energy my body stored turned into mana.

"Urgh."

Grunting in pain, I limped forward before stabilizing myself and running toward the massive fire.

The heatwave made me subconsciously squint my eyes.

Ignoring the slight burning sensation, I kept pushing toward the fire.

And just as the bright flames came close.

I stretched my hand forward.

"Muspelh."

I whispered softly.

The flames halted.

... They stopped moving, frozen in place.

Slowly, I retracted my hand, and as my hand moved, all the flames that burned everything slowly began losing their luster.

And before long...

... There were no flames left, just the charred ground.

"... Huff."

Letting out a tired sigh, I looked around...

"CHRISTINA!!"

... And yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Christina!"

Walking across the scorched ground, I looked around the place, trying to find anyone.

... But much to my despair...

... I couldn't see anyone or anything.

"Christina!"

I yelled again as I frantically searched the area.

And finally, I noticed something.

It was a glow, a soft bluish glow in the corner.

Without thinking much, I ran in that direction.

I gulped hard, feeling my anxiety slowly build.

And now I could make sense of the light.

It was a barrier.

And inside were people.

I quickly looked inside... Daphne, Jullian, and some of the staff, but... she wasn't here.

"CHRISTINA!"

I yelled again, trying to comfort myself.

... No way she could die in some ordinary fire.

She isn't that weak.

She can't die.

... She can't leave me alone.

She can't after doing all this to me.

I'd be damned if I let her go now.

She is fucking min—

[AZARIAH!!]

"Huh?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, El's voice abruptly halting me.

[Get a grip on yourself!]

"What am I supposed to do, then?" I yelled back, glaring into nothingness. "I can't find her!"

[... You're letting Delwyn get inside your head, doing exactly what he wants.]

"....."

I took deep breaths to calm myself down, slapping myself to let the pain numb my mind.

... Okay.

Christina is safe for now, but she isn't here.

Either she lied to me or Delwyn did.

But she would never lie to me, so....

"... Delwyn lied to me." I whispered softly, looking up at the sky.

Fuck!

I was stupid to believe him!!

Fuck! Fuck!

... The three girls might be targeted by them, but they aren't the main targets.

"... Those close to me," I mumbled, thinking about what Delwyn said.

... Oliver can teleport away if needed.

... Aimar is smart enough not to move around like an idiot.

... Chubby, I hope they don't see him close to me.

Shyamal is strong; she won't die.

I'll kill her if she leaves.

"Avril," I mumbled, thinking about her.

... Delwyn could be distracting me with others and going after her.

Also...

... The highest chance for someone dying right now is Maiden —Arianell.

My gaze turned toward the north side of the island as I thought about her.

She needs the most help right now.

But...

... I'm not sure if that's the right decision.

"Help me, El," I whispered, my mind feeling like it was breaking.

[Move instead of standing here.]

... I did as he told me.

Without thinking much, I moved toward the north.

[... And I'm sorry to say this.] n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

His solemn voice echoed in my head, my heart slowly sinking.

[... You can't save everyone.]v