Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Acceptance
Richmond sat in silence, his fingers curled into his palm as he stared at the ceiling. The weight of necromantic energy inside him was suffocating.

He could feel it twisting through his veins, whispering to him in a voice that wasn’t entirely his own. It was a curse, a gift, and a burden all at once.

He had always been strong. Always been in control. But now? Now he was a puppet to the very darkness he once fought against.

He could still feel the remnants of Zephyrion’s grip on his soul, the chains of death wrapped tightly around his existence.

The power of necromancy wasn’t just about raising the dead, it was about becoming part of death itself.

He had tasted that abyss, and now it was within him, poisoning every breath he took. And yet, he was alive.

That alone should have been a miracle, but it only made his heart heavier. He had seen what necromancers became.

Hollowed beings, mere shadows of what they once were, until there was nothing left of their former selves.

He was walking the same path, and the only way to escape it was to eradicate all darkness that clung to his existence.

Ahcehera had said it herself.

He needed to destroy everything that carried dark matter, negative energy, and death itself. But how was he supposed to fight against something that had already merged with his soul?

His eyes flickered toward the door, where Ahcehera and Richard had left him to rest. A bitter smile curved his lips. Ahcehera.

She had always been so unreachable. A force of nature, powerful, untamed.

She was the kind of woman who could command the stars and still choose to walk among mortals. And yet, he had never truly admitted to himself how much he had admired her.

No, admiration wasn’t the right word. It was something deeper. Something forbidden.

She belonged with Richard. That was undeniable. They were bonded, their souls intertwined in a way he could never hope to understand.

Even if he wanted to fight for her, there was no space for him between them. And he wasn’t the type to steal what wasn’t his.

Besides, he had already lost everything. His humanity, his honor, his right to a normal life. What did it matter if he lost his heart as well?

He let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes. The only thing he could do now was move forward. If he allowed himself to wallow in these feelings, he would only become weaker.

And weakness wasn’t an option. Not when Ahcehera was in danger. Not when Richard was fighting alongside her. So he made his decision.

He would fight. He would destroy every ounce of darkness that had taken root in him.

He would carve out a path free from the corruption that threatened to consume him. And if he died in the process, then so be it.

At least he would die protecting Ahcehera.

Not as a lover. Not even as a friend.

But as a silent guardian.

A shadow who watched from a distance, ensuring that nothing, not Zephyrion, not the abyss, not even fate itself, would ever touch her.

His fingers twitched, and he forced himself to stand. His body ached, and his soul felt fractured, but he didn’t care.

He had no time to waste. He had spent too long lingering between life and death, questioning his purpose. He had one now.

Richmond walked toward the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The world was vast, and the battles ahead would be ruthless. But he was ready.

He had to be. Because no matter what happened, he would fight until his last breath. Richmond leaned against the cold windowpane, exhaustion weighing heavily on his body.

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, determination, regret, and longing, but beneath it all, a deep weariness settled in his bones.

The pull of sleep was irresistible, and before he realized it, his body gave in. Darkness embraced him. And then, he dreamed.

He stood on a battlefield. The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay, the earth beneath him cracked and scorched.

The sky above was a deep, unnatural shade of purple, swirling with ominous energy.

In the distance, monstrous beings with shadowed faces and glowing red eyes loomed, their forms shifting like smoke. At the center of it all was Ahcehera.

She stood tall, bathed in golden light, her hair flowing wildly around her like a celestial flame.

She was no longer just Ahcehera, she was something more. A force beyond mortal comprehension, a warrior goddess who commanded the very elements.

In one hand, she held a blade that pulsed with divine energy. In the other, a spear of radiant white light.

And yet, despite her power, she looked exhausted. Her movements were precise but slower than usual, her breath labored.

She was fighting against something that drained even her strength.

Beside her stood Richard, his body surrounded by violet flames, his eyes burning with an intensity Richmond had never seen before.

His sword slashed through the creatures relentlessly, his stance unwavering.

Richmond looked down at his own hands. They were wrapped in darkness, but unlike before, it didn’t feel like a curse. This time, the shadows obeyed him.

They twisted around his arms, forming a gauntlet of pure night, flickering with ghostly blue energy.

He could feel an eerie power humming in his veins, no longer a force of destruction, but of control.

Then, a voice echoed through the battlefield.

“This is your fate, Richmond. To stand beside them, yet always apart. To wield death so that life may endure.”

He turned his head sharply, but there was no one there. The voice was deep, ancient, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

It wasn’t Zephyrion’s, it was something older, something omniscient.

The battle raged on, and Richmond found himself moving.

His body acted on instinct, joining Ahcehera and Richard, cutting down the endless tide of monsters that surged toward them.

The three of them fought as one, a trinity of light, fire, and darkness.

But then, the sky cracked.

A tear in reality opened above them, and from it descended an entity unlike any they had faced before.

It was neither beast nor man, neither demon nor god. It was something beyond comprehension, a being of pure void, its form shifting and writhing like an endless abyss.

Its presence alone sent shivers down Richmond’s spine.

Ahcehera’s golden aura flickered. Richard’s flames dimmed. And Richmond… he felt the weight of the darkness inside him grow heavier.