The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 106

Chapter 106: 03/24- ‘One-up’ing Lucian
The battlefield was supposed to be still, the last of the monstrous creatures fallen beneath the warriors of Ironveil. But the silence was deceiving—Aeliana barely had time to register the shift in energy behind her before a dark, clawed limb lashed toward her back. It moved too fast, a last, desperate strike from a dying voidspawn, its body flickering with unstable energy.

Aeliana turned, instinctively raising her blade, but she knew—she knew—she wouldn’t be fast enough.

Lucian’s eyes widened. He had been focused on Riven, on the echoes of the past that still haunted him, and for the first time in battle, he had hesitated. Too slow. Too late.

But Riven wasn’t.

A flash of molten crimson streaked past Lucian’s vision, followed by the unmistakable clang of metal slicing through flesh and bone. The creature let out a sickening shriek as Riven’s black-edged sword cut cleanly through its chest, bisecting it in a single fluid motion. Void energy crackled, sputtered, and the creature collapsed, its body dissolving into nothingness.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Aeliana stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. The attack had come within an inch of striking her down, and yet—she felt nothing. No pain. No wound.

Riven was there, mere steps away, his sword still humming with energy. His golden eyes gleamed, sharp and knowing. “You’re welcome,” he said smoothly.

Aeliana’s heart pounded in her chest. “I—” She swallowed, regaining her composure. “I had it handled.”

Riven chuckled, clearly amused. “Of course you did.”

Lucian’s expression darkened. He stepped forward, his grip on his celestial blade tightening. “You had no right.”

Riven tilted his head, his smirk unwavering. “No right to what? Saving her life?” He tsked. “You’re slipping, Lucian. That’s twice now I’ve had to step in for you.”

Lucian bristled. Aeliana saw the flicker of anger beneath his controlled exterior, the sharp glint of something almost dangerous in his gaze. Riven had struck a nerve, and he knew it.

Kael, ever watchful, moved to Aeliana’s side. His expression was unreadable, but his presence was steadying. “I don’t trust him,” he murmured.

Aeliana barely heard him. She was too focused on the way Lucian and Riven stood before each other, the unspoken challenge crackling between them.

Lucian’s voice was low, controlled—but there was something else beneath it. Something frayed. “You shouldn’t be here, Riven.”

Riven sighed dramatically, running a gloved hand through his auburn hair. “And yet, here I am.” His smirk returned, but his eyes were sharp. “You should be thanking me, Lucian. But gratitude has never been your strength, has it?”

Lucian exhaled slowly, his knuckles white against his hilt. “What do you want?”

Riven studied him for a long moment. Then, with deliberate slowness, he sheathed his sword. “To talk. But not here.” His golden gaze flicked to Aeliana. “And not just with you.”

Aeliana stiffened. She had barely spoken to him, yet somehow, she felt as if he already knew her—knew more than he should. “Why?”

Riven smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Because you, dear Oracle, are at the center of something far greater than you realize.”

Aeliana felt a chill crawl up her spine.

Kael took a step forward, his protective instincts kicking in. “And we’re just supposed to trust you?”

Riven’s smirk deepened. “Of course not. That would be foolish.” He gestured toward the ruined battlefield around them. “But I believe I’ve earned at least a conversation.”

Lucian exhaled sharply through his nose, but his gaze flickered to Aeliana. This is your call, his eyes seemed to say.

Aeliana’s mind raced. This man—this ghost from Lucian’s past—was dangerous. That much was obvious. But he had saved her life, and if what he said was true… if she really was entangled in something even greater than she had foreseen…

She had no choice but to listen.

Finally, she nodded. “We talk.”

Riven’s smirk softened just a fraction. “Wise choice.”

Lucian’s fists clenched at his sides, but he said nothing.

Aeliana could feel it—this was only the beginning.

Lucian exhaled, steadying himself. The battle had been relentless, his body pushed to its limits. He had fought with precision, cutting through waves of voidspawn without hesitation, but even he wasn’t invincible. His muscles burned with exhaustion, his breathing slightly uneven. Yet his focus had been so intent—on Riven, on the past, on the weight of things unspoken—that he had failed to notice the most crucial detail.

Aeliana was hurt.

It wasn’t until he turned toward her, catching the faint tremor in her stance, the way her fingers clutched at her side, that dread punched through him like a blade.

Blood.

Deep crimson stained her tunic, seeping through her fingers where she pressed against a wound just beneath her ribs. It wasn’t fatal, but it was bleeding too much.

His heart lurched. “Aeliana—”

Before he could take a step toward her, a blur of movement cut in between them.

Riven.

Without hesitation, Riven tore his midnight cape from his shoulders, the enchanted fabric shimmering faintly as he moved. With practiced ease, he knelt beside Aeliana, pressing the cloth firmly against the wound to stem the bleeding.

Aeliana flinched but didn’t pull away. The pain was clear in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth, unwilling to show weakness.

Lucian, however, felt a surge of frustration. He should have seen it. He should have been the one to act first.

Kael moved closer, his brows furrowed in worry. “Damn it, how bad is it?”

Riven ignored him, his focus entirely on Aeliana. His golden eyes met hers, sharp and assessing. “You need to sit before you fall.”

Aeliana stubbornly shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Riven let out a breath, something almost amused flickering across his face despite the situation. “You’re bleeding through my cloak, Oracle. That’s the opposite of fine.”

Lucian clenched his jaw. “I can take care of her.”

Riven’s gaze flicked up to meet his, and for the first time since their encounter, the teasing edge in his expression was gone. He was utterly serious. “Then why didn’t you?”

The words hit harder than any blade.

Lucian stiffened. His failure hung in the air between them, undeniable. He had been too distracted. Too lost in old wounds and unresolved emotions. He had let himself get tired. And Aeliana had paid the price for it.

Aeliana, sensing the tension, exhaled softly. “Lucian…”

He forced himself to move, kneeling beside her. His hands brushed against Riven’s as he reached for the cloth pressed to her wound. “I’ve got it.”

Riven studied him for a beat longer than necessary, something unreadable in his golden eyes. Then, without argument, he released his hold and rose to his feet.

Lucian carefully adjusted the makeshift bandage, his fingers steady despite the anger bubbling beneath his skin—anger at himself, at the situation, at Riven for being faster, for noticing when he hadn’t.

Aeliana’s breath hitched slightly, and Lucian’s grip tightened for just a moment. “I should’ve seen it sooner.”

She gave him a tired but reassuring look. “You were fighting. You couldn’t watch everything.”

Lucian’s jaw clenched. That was no excuse.

From above them, Riven hummed in mild interest. “It’s not a deep wound, but it’s close to a vital point. If it had gone an inch further—”

Lucian shot him a glare. “It didn’t.”

Riven smirked. “No thanks to you.”

Kael, who had remained silent long enough, finally stepped forward, standing between them like a living barrier. “Alright, that’s enough. You saved her, we get it. No need to gloat.”

Riven raised his hands in mock surrender. “Who’s gloating? I’m simply stating the facts.”

Lucian stood, towering over him. “You’ve made your point. Now back off.”

Riven held his gaze, unflinching. Then, after a beat, he exhaled and stepped back, his smirk fading into something more neutral. “Fine.”

Aeliana shifted slightly, wincing. Lucian’s frustration melted into concern in an instant. “We need to get you somewhere safe.”

Kael nodded. “Agreed. This place reeks of void energy, and I don’t like staying in a battlefield longer than necessary.”

Riven, who had been quiet for a moment, finally spoke again. “There’s a safehouse nearby.”

Lucian turned to him sharply. “How would you know that?”

Riven’s expression was unreadable. “Because I made sure of it before I came here.”

Aeliana, despite the pain, gave him a suspicious look. “You planned to meet us here?”

Riven tilted his head, considering. “Not exactly. But I had a feeling our paths would cross.”

Kael scowled. “That’s not ominous at all.”

Lucian still didn’t trust him—he couldn’t—but right now, Aeliana’s safety came first. He turned to her, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. “Can you move?”

She nodded, though he could see the exhaustion in her eyes.

Lucian exhaled and looked back at Riven. “Lead the way.”

Riven smirked, turning on his heel. “Try to keep up, little brother.”

Lucian’s hands curled into fists. He wasn’t sure what unsettled him more—the fact that Riven had called him brother again after all these years, or the fact that, for now, he had no choice but to follow him.