I Am The Game's Villain

After wrapping up my conversation with Priscilla, I made my way toward the cafeteria.

[<Are you sure about this?>]

Cleenah asked.

"What do you think my chances are of being alive in a month?" I asked her.

[<…Low.>]

I let out a quiet sigh. "Then I can't afford to act like I'll take responsibility for her. If I die, I need to make sure she won't completely lose herself. I don't want to leave her in a dangerous state."

[<Is that why you've been refusing to give her your blood all this time?>]

"Yeah. Like any addict, the withdrawal will be brutal at first, but after that, they come out stronger, right? That's what I'm doing with Elizabeth."

It was the best way to help her. A necessary suffering.

[<And if you survive?>]

If I survive, huh...

"Then, obviously, I'd want to start something real with her—something beyond just sharing blood."

As I reached the cafeteria, my eyes scanned the room for Rodolf.

"Amael!"

I turned toward the voice and saw Cylien waving at me from a nearby table. Rodolf sat beside her, hunched over his food, devouring it with the same reckless abandon he always had.

Thankfully, no one else was with them. That meant I could speak freely.

I walked over and took a seat across from them.

"Not getting anything to eat?" Cylien asked, tilting her head.

"I'm not hungry," I replied, grimacing as I watched Rodolf shovel food into his mouth like he was competing in a speed-eating contest.

Some things never changed.

Cylien, on the other hand, looked visibly embarrassed.

"Rodolf, you're embarrassing both of us," she sighed in exasperation.

Rodolf raised an eyebrow mid-bite, a piece of sausage dangling from his mouth. "Hmf?"

Cylien let out another sigh, shaking her head before grabbing a napkin and wiping his chin like a frustrated older sister.

I chuckled, leaning back in my seat. "You two haven't changed at all."

A wave of nostalgia washed over me. It was just like back on Earth.

"You've changed a lot, Nyr. You look... different," Cylien said, tilting her head as she gave me a scrutinizing look.

I met her gaze and shrugged. "Well, I'm not just Nyr anymore," I replied.

The truth was, I carried Amael's memories as well. And whatever Nihil had done to me had changed more than just my mind—it had altered my very existence.

Cylien's lips curved into a small smile. "No, that's not what I meant. Even now, I don't see much of the old Nyr in you."

Before I could respond, Rodolf snorted, shoving another steak into his mouth like he was starving. "Yeah, you're way less annoying. But, damn, you got wussier."

I grimaced. "Says the guy who's even more whipped by Marlene than he was in our past life. That's worse."

Rodolf scoffed at my jab. "Like you weren't the same with Ephera?"

I rolled my eyes. "I was definitely not like you. That's for sure."

Rodolf let out a loud laugh. "Nah, you were just a total tsundere with her."

Cylien giggled. "I actually thought you and Ephera were really cute together. You both liked each other, but you never made it official until the... end." Her expression dimmed, and a somber silence settled between us.

"I wanted to. In Paris. But she died before I could." My voice dropped to a whisper. That day haunted me—finding her lifeless, lying in a pool of blood.

Rodolf frowned. "Was it Earth?"

"Who else? That bastard killed Shayna too and ran like a coward," I said clenching my fists and worse he had reincarnated.

The only reason I was able to keep my calm with that bastard around was the fact that there was a high possibility that both Ephera and Shayna were reincarnated as well.

Cylien's eyes held a flicker of hope. "Shayna, Ephera... and the others. Do you really think we'll see them again?"

I nodded, though uncertainty remained concerning Shayna. "I'm pretty sure. You two are here, so the others must have reincarnated as well. The only one I've confirmed so far is Gladys..."

Cylien sighed, her brows knitting together. "I still can't believe she joined Ante-Eden."

I had already given them a brief explanation about Gladys, but neither of them could fully wrap their heads around it.

"From what I understand, Leon Grimlock was her boyfriend in her past life," I said.

Rodolf's expression darkened. "The same Leon Grimlock who killed your family, huh?" He shook his head. "This is messed up. It's like we're all tangled together in ways we never expected."

That thought had crossed my mind more than once.

If Gladys had a connection to me through Leon, then what about John and Eric?

John hadn't told me much about his past life, only that he had a sister. As for Eric, I knew even less. I hadn't pried. Not yet.

But the more I thought about it, the more certain I became—our fates weren't just coincidences.

Something, or someone, had woven us together long before we even realized it.

I could have told them about John and Eric, but it didn't feel right to speak on their behalf without their consent. Some things weren't mine to share.

But when it came to Earth… Jayce's reincarnation—I couldn't keep that truth from them any longer.

"By the way, Earth is Jayce reincarnated."

"...!"

Both Cylien and Rodolf froze. Their eyes went wide with shock.

Rodolf, who had been wolfing down his meal without a care, suddenly choked, coughing violently. "Gugh—!"

Cylien's hands trembled slightly. "I-Is that true?" She asked, her voice tight with unease.

I nodded. "Yes. He confirmed it to me himself."

Rodolf shot up from his seat so fast his chair nearly tipped over. His fingers tightened around his knife, his expression dark with rage.

"That bastard!"

"Rodolf, calm down."

Rodolf's glare burned into me. "You serious right now?" he growled. "The old Nyr would've torn him apart the second he found out!"

I frowned. "This isn't Earth. We have responsibilities, consequences. And did you forget? He's part of the Tepes House."

Rodolf scoffed. "Who gives a damn? Just kill him quietly, dump the body in the ocean, and be done with it." He slammed a fist on the table, his teeth clenched. "What the fuck happened to you? You're the same guy who hunted that bastard Jayce for months after he killed Shayna! Ephera had to hold you back!"

"Rodolf!" Cylien scolded, grabbing his arm, her face tight with worry.

Rodolf clicked his tongue in frustration but sat back down, arms crossed, still seething.

Cylien sighed, turning to me. "Nyr, he didn't mean it like that..."

I shook my head. "No, he's right. But things have changed since Earth. Believe me, I want him dead too—but killing him now won't solve everything. His adoptive parent is a Demigod. I'm not strong enough yet to take that risk. Not while I'm still engaged to Elizabeth."

Cylien blinked. "Elizabeth...? Wait, is that true? You two actually love each other?"

I hesitated. "Well... that's complicated." I left it at that.

Cylien sighed. "Ephera would've been furious."

Rodolf grinned, finally breaking his scowl. "You bet. Remember that time she yanked that girl's hair for flirting with him? Slammed her face against the wall? Emric had to pull her away before she ripped it all out." He laughed, clearly amused by the memory.

Cylien shuddered. "I remember... she was terrifying."

Rodolf leaned back with a smirk. "Or that day she stabbed Jayce with a compass. Smiling the whole time like it was nothing. That girl was all sunshine on the outside, but inside? She was crazy."

"Oi, she was just... protective."

I groaned hearing him treating Ephera as if she was a monster.

Rodolf snorted. "Protective? Come on, Nyr, don't be naive. You only ever saw her sweet side. If you knew half the things she did behind your back, you might've run away from the academy just to escape her."

Cylien pouted. "Hey! Don't talk about Ephera like that!"

"Well, I am glad with Cylien alone," Rodolf took advantage of this to flirt with Cylien who blushed.

Cylien quickly recovered and shrugged. "Don't listen to him, Nyr. Ephera loved you more than anything. Sure, her way of showing it might have been... aggressive and a bit over-the-top. But it's not like she was that bad."

She paused, then added hesitantly, "I mean, yes, she threatened every woman who so much as glanced at you. And sure, she harassed any girl who dared to flirt with you. But it wasn't that mean... I think. So you probably don't have to worry about loving more women... maybe?"

Her attempt to reassure me only made me more worried.

I was already worried about Layla's reaction—what about Ephera? I had somehow convinced myself she'd understand, but now... I wasn't so sure.

I sighed and shook my head. "Let's focus on getting out of Sancta Vedelia alive first. Rodolf, did you play the Second Game?" I asked, steering the conversation away from my mounting concerns.

Rodolf leaned back in his chair, scratching his head. "Yeah, but I forgot most of it. The only thing I remember is that Cylien was a Heroine. Well, now she's my Heroine," he added with a smug grin.

Cylien rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

I sighed. "So you don't remember much, then? Are you at least aware that the trip to Fangoria won't end well? The Behemoth is going to attack there."

Rodolf's expression darkened, his playful demeanor shifting. "Yeah... I remember that part, kind of. I'll tell my brother about it. He won't believe me, but I can at least reinforce security and keep the civilians away from that cave."

I nodded. "That would help. We just need to be ready to face whatever comes."

Rodolf scoffed. "You worry too much. If I run into those guys, I'll just beat the crap out of them."

At least he wasn't lacking in self-assurance.

Taking a deep breath, I finally voiced the question I had been holding back.

"Rodolf, about Connor's death..."