Ascension Of The Villain

After breaking apart from the kiss, Iyana gently cradled Vyan's face in her hands, her fingertips brushing lightly across his skin, as if she was afraid he would slip away.

"Just promise me one thing..." Her voice was a whisper, laced with a vulnerability, and she only allowed herself to show it alone or in front of Vyan.

"Yes?" Vyan waited patiently for her words as if they held the power to both break him and piece him back together.

"You will take care of yourself…" Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Don't ever throw yourself into danger's way, okay?"

She held his gaze, her thumb gently caressing his cheek. "I am with you. You have my support for everything. So, ask for help anytime. Whatever you want to do… even if you want to burn this entire empire to the ground," her lips curled into a soft, almost teasing smile, and he matched it, "tell me. I will be your partner.

I will pave the way for you. Just..."

Her voice faltered, wavering as her heart clenched. "Just, please… please don't ever let yourself get hurt."

She didn't want to see even the tiniest scratch marring his skin, let alone the unthinkable—losing him to the violence of the storm he had chosen to walk through. She knew better than to ask him to turn away from the path he had come so far along. That would be cruel, unfair, and not her place.

Instead, she vowed to be his shield, to stand by his side, no matter how dark the journey became. She would do her best to make sure that he got his revenge and got away with it unscathed.

"Can you promise me that, Vyan?" Her eyes searched his, seeking the comfort of his promise, but what she found instead was a reflection of the love he held for her—infinite.

For a moment, he looked as if her words had turned his world upside down, like he was having a hard time believing that she was going to stay with him, even after seeing his ugly sides.

"Yes…" Vyan swallowed hard, blinking rapidly, his voice taut with his overwhelming feelings. "I promise, I will take care of myself."

That was enough. That was all she wanted from him. Except his love, of course.

She smiled then, a smile that reached deep into her heart.

Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and whispered, "That's good enough for me."

———

The sun hung high in the sky, bathing the backyard garden in a warm glow. It was that perfect mid-morning hour, where the day felt fully alive but still comfortably unhurried.

Vyan and Iyana wandered hand in hand. The scent of flowers swirled gently in the breeze, mixing with the faint hum of life surrounding them, and Iyana wished to herself that moments like this should never come to an end.

She wanted to experience so many more mundane, peaceful things like this with him. For that, she had to meet up with Leila tomorrow and get more information. After that, she would decide whether to tell Vyan about it or not. Because no more secrets.

She had had enough of them.

But setting that matter aside, she wanted to enjoy a normal date with him. Sure, listening to his past and secrets was nice and all, but it was too heavy of a conversation, and she felt so terrible for him that she wanted to stab a few certain people. Besides, these types of conversations were better reserved for nights.

Right now, she wanted some light-hearted time with him. Just like how the weather was.

"Okay, okay, that's enough for now. You have to stop, or else, I am about to bring out my sword and head to slaughter some assholes," she let out.

He chuckled and said, "Well, that's surely a unique idea for a date."

"Please, I would, but I like this dress way too much. I don't want to get blood on it," she frowned.
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"Don't worry about it," he waved, dismissing her fretting. "We have a maid named Nancy. She is great at getting blood out of the clothes."

"Oh, then, I guess I have to bring my laundry over to your place then," she teased.

"You are most welcome to, my lady. Everyone practically thinks of you as the Lady of the House already," he remarked off-handedly.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his bicep, resting her head on his shoulder. "Aren't you bold to be bringing that up?"

"What's there to be bold? I don't date for fun. Do you?" He arched an eyebrow, teasing.

"I don't know," she shrugged haughtily. "I haven't even been on a proper date with you yet, Your Grace, so… unfortunately, it's still up in the air."

Vyan chuckled. "In that case, where does My Lady want to go for a 'proper' date?"

Iyana's lips twitched in concentration, trying hard to come up with something, but nothing clicked. "Uh… I have got nothing."

Vyan hummed, trying to think of something himself. "Clyde once mentioned that Myca is quite the romantic spot. Perfect place for a date, actually."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Myca? You mean the city all the way on the east? Vyan, we are literally on the west."

Vyan returned her look with a deadpan expression, lips curling cheekily. "You keep forgetting who I am, don't you? Iyana, distance is irrelevant when you are a mage."

"Ah, right, of course. You and your fancy powers." Iyana rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, so we can go anywhere, then?"

"As long as it's within Haynes," he quipped.

She beamed at him. Mischief danced in her eyes as she went to stand in front of him and grabbed both his hands. "Well, what are you waiting for? Take me to this oh-so-romantic place!"

With a soft chuckle, Vyan closed his eyes, and so did she. Within seconds, they were transported.

Iyana's eyes were still closed when they arrived. She only peeked them open when she heard the sound of clashing water and waves. Her eyes widened as she took in the breathtaking sight of a shimmering waterfall cascading down rocky cliffs, surrounded by lush greenery. To top it off, they were standing at the perfect spot with the best view.

"Wow…" she breathed, utterly in awe. She let go of his hands to step forward on the rocky edge. "I have never seen a waterfall before."

Vyan glanced at her from behind, catching a mental picture of her back and the waterfall scenario together. There was an amused smile on his lips as he stepped forward. "You have. It's just that you don't remember." He stood beside her, placing a casual hand on her waist. "We went to the waterfalls together in the lands of Estelle during your fifteenth birthday."

"Oh." Her expression faltered, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. "I wish I could remember that." She scolded herself in her head for making the stupid mistake of erasing her memories and quickly corrected that, because losing her memories was the reason she got to be in love with Vyan. At least that's what she understood from Leila's words.

"Oh, forget that. We will make new memories," he grinned, tugging her closer to his side before the mood could get heavy. "So, tell me, is this place perfect for a 'proper date'?"

"Of course, it is!" she grinned excitedly, getting out of his arms to spin around to take in the view. "This has to be the prettiest place I have ever seen, Vyan. We should definitely go to the top of the waterfall too!"

Vyan's eyes sparkled as he added playfully, "I have heard that's a cursed place for lovers. Whoever confesses their love there, they get separated. Oof."

She immediately shot him a glare as something struck her. "Speaking of love confessions... I have already told you I love you—multiple times, might I add. But you? Not even once, Vyan!"

His eyes widened, genuinely shocked. "Wait, I have not?"

She shook her head, arms crossed. "No, you idiot."

"But I said it a hundred times… in my head," he confessed with a sheepish grin, and her glare hardened. "Sorry, I didn't realize it hadn't made its way out."

Her hands found her hips as she raised an eyebrow. "Well, are you going to say it now or not?"

Vyan tilted his head, teasing, "Do you really want me to say it here? Near a cursed place?"

"Well, this is not the cursed place," she pointed out.

"True. But maybe later, though? I might need to build my courage."

"Vyan!" she gasped, punching his shoulder lightly.

He chuckled, thoroughly enjoying her reaction. "Ah, yes, punching me, that's definitely one way to get a love confession out."

"Your Grace, I am waiting over here," she said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot, trying to keep a stern expression.

Vyan smiled softly, then took a deep breath before tugging her closer by the waist. His voice dropped to a tender whisper as he gazed into her eyes. "I love you," he finally uttered.

And that was enough for Iyana to forget anything else existed in the world.

"I love you, Iyana. I love you so, so much that you can't even begin to imagine," he added, his voice sincere and so full of affection and love that it made her stomach twirl with butterflies jumping around. "I love you more than anything in this world."

She could literally melt into a puddle at that moment, but right then, her vision began to blur. At once, a ton of memories—overloading and overwhelming—hit her.

Memories after memories flickered through her head as it began to throb dangerously. "Ah," she winced, doubling over and clutching Vyan's shoulders tightly to balance herself. "Ahh!"

One particular memory echoed in her ears as her consciousness started to get light.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You will never recover these memories as long as he doesn't…"

The world around her tilted, and a wave of dizziness crashed over her.

"My lady, are you okay? What's happening to you?" Vyan's arms tightened around her waist, holding her in place. But she couldn't respond. Her head felt like it was about to burst with the onslaught of memories.

"Iyana?" Vyan's voice came again, more urgent now. He shook her gently, but her body soon went limp in his arms.

As her eyes fluttered closed with the world around her fading to black, his face was the last thing she saw.