The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Pain of the past

“Ugh.” A sharp groan escaped Ryan’s lips as consciousness sluggishly returned to him.

His eyes fluttered, trembling before they finally opened.

“Huh?” was the first word to leave his mouth as his gaze met an unusual sight.

He blinked, trying to make sense of it.

Still the same.

Another blink. Then another. By the fifth one, reality finally aligned with his expectations.

‘For a moment there, I thought she was smiling at me,’ he mused, staring at Elena. Her expression, however, bore the familiar scowl he had grown accustomed to during the few days they had spent together in this world.

“WAKE UP!” she yelled, punctuating her command with a fist that slammed into his chest. The impact left him gasping, nearly knocking him out again.

“GET THE HELL OFF ME FIRST!” he shouted back, his voice strained. Only then did Elena realize she had been sitting on his abdomen.

“Oh…” she muttered, not bothering to apologize as she stood, dusting herself off before glancing around.

‘Fucking bitch,’ Ryan thought, groaning as he forced himself upright.

“Why is it so dark in here?” he asked, surveying the debris surrounding them. The sky was hidden, only faint glimmers of light filtering through the fractured ceiling above.

“I think we’re trapped under the building,” Elena replied. Her tone was steady as she examined the wreckage.

Ryan nodded, recalling the chaotic moment when Shelly’s impulsive attack had brought the structure down on top of them. As much as he wanted to blame her, even he had been frozen in fear when they stumbled upon so many vampires gathered in one place.

“Where is everyone else?” he asked after a moment.

“I don’t know. When I woke up, you were the only one nearby.” Elena bent down, picking up a metal rod from the rubble.

“That’s right… my sword,” Ryan muttered, rubbing his forehead. The thought of finding his weapon in this wreckage felt hopeless.

‘But… was that just my imagination?’ he wondered, stealing a sidelong glance at Elena. He distinctly remembered her dashing toward him as the ground collapsed, her expression desperate—almost as if she’d been trying to…

…save him?

‘No,’ he shook his head after a moment of reflection. ‘I must’ve imagined it.’

“Let’s go. Maybe we’ll find the others nearby,” Elena said, striding forward without waiting for his input.

“…Right.” He trailed behind her, his mind elsewhere.

‘Hey, Nelia,’ he called out in his mind.

‘Yes?’ came the soft, familiar voice of Nelia.

‘What’s happening to me?’ he asked. There was a strange emptiness gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. It was faint but persistent, and it unsettled him deeply.

‘Your blessing,’ Nelia replied. ‘I’m doing my best to contain it, but… there’s only so much I can manage.’

‘Sigh. So… what happens when you can’t contain it anymore?’

A pause.

‘…It would mean the end of Ryan,’ Nelia admitted, her tone somber.

‘What do you mean?’

‘The blessing… It’s more than just power. It carries emotions—overwhelming ones—that will alter the way you see the world. It also holds memories. Memories that aren’t yours, but once they’re inside you, they’ll feel like they are.’

Ryan’s breath hitched. ‘Is there no way to stop the merge?’

‘I wish there were,’ Nelia said, her voice heavy with regret. ‘But given the current circumstances, there’s no way to avoid it.’

He sighed, casting a long, sidelong glance at the girl walking beside him.

“Elena,” he called softly.

She didn’t stop. She didn’t even look at him, her pace steady.

Another sigh escaped his lips, heavier this time, the emptiness swelling within him almost unbearable.

“Elena,” he said again, his voice louder.

This time, he halted mid-step.

She stopped too, turning to him with fiery eyes and a scowl etched across her face.

“What do you want, idiot?” she snapped, her tone sharp.

His lips parted, “Why do you hate me?”

The words surprised even him. He hadn’t planned to ask, but the weight in his chest demanded release.

For a moment, she didn’t reply, staring at him in stunned silence. Her gaze bore into him, unrelenting, as if trying to peel back layers he didn’t know he had.

Then she spoke, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. “You know…” She clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white. “I try to forget it, but I can’t. I can’t!”

“Forget what?” he asked, stepping closer, though his feet felt like lead.

She took a sharp breath, her composure cracking. Her voice erupted, raw and anguished. “You! Acting ignorant! WHY?! Why do you pretend you don’t remember?! Why do you make me feel like I’m the crazy one?!”

“What are you talking about?” His brows furrowed in confusion, his voice barely above a whisper.

‘Ryan, stop. You’re only feeding it.’

He ignored the voice in his head, focusing on her trembling form.

Elena suddenly lunged forward, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall with surprising strength. Her breath was ragged, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“You killed her that night, El!” she screamed, her voice breaking. “You killed my sister! And after everything—after what you did to me—you still act like it never happened. Like it’s all in my head!”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he murmured, gripping her wrist to loosen her hold.

“Liar!” she shouted, shoving him away. He stumbled to the ground, dazed.

“I hate you,” she seethed, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her face. “You’re a monster. A heartless, soulless monster.”

He sighed again, the sound hollow.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground.

“Leave,” he muttered, his voice low and strained.

“What?” she asked, taken aback.

“Get out,” he repeated, louder this time.

“What are you—”

“I SAID GET OUT OF MY FACE!” His voice thundered, and when she met his gaze, she froze.

His eyes—those piercing purple eyes—were the same ones she remembered all too vividly. From that night. Five years ago.

Her breath hitched, and she stumbled back. “I… I…” Her words faltered, and without another glance, she turned and fled, disappearing into the shadows.

Ryan stood motionless, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths.

‘Ryan, what have you done?’

A laugh bubbled from his lips—low and broken at first, then louder, more deranged.

“Hah… ha… haaah… haa… HA… AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Clutching his head, he staggered as voices roared in his mind.

::HAHA. YOU KILLED HIM. YOU ARE THE REASON HE IS NO MORE. YOU BROKE THE BOND THAT WE SHARED ALL BECAUSE OF THIS THING YOU CALL LOVE?! I SWEAR TO YOU…! LET THE RECORDS BARE WITNESS TO THIS DAY…! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HAPPINESS…! FOREVER SHALL YOU BE TORMENTED BY THE CHOICES YOU MADE ON THIS DAY…! FOREVER SHALL YOU REMAIN A SHADOW OF WHAT YOU ONCE WAS, ELYON::

….

….

And so it begins! DROP POWERSTONES! I NEED MORE POWER!