Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

I had almost forgotten what it felt like, but looking in her red eyes, it was all I could see.

Bloodlust.

"Lucy..." I called again, my heart thudding in my chest.

She stared at me, a faint gleam of recognition dawning on her face. But I wasn't sure if she'd heard me at all.

"Can you hear me?" I asked to test my line of thought.

Lucy's left eye twitched. She lowered her head, staring at her chest for a moment, at the spot where the orange pendant used to be. When she lifted her eyes to look back at me, her gaze was even colder than before.

The black mist around her feet intensified, stretching its fingers across the bare earth. Then, without a word, Lucy rose into the air, the mist rising after her. The red glow in her eyes grew more intense, and her long wavy hair hovered at her back.

Freya rose to her feet, her legs trembling as she stepped closer to me. Her gaze widened with each step and a soft gasp escaped her lips when she reached my side.

"It's the darkblood..." she muttered.

Lucy blinked, her gaze shifting to Freya.

"Dark Affinity: Umbra Tenere."

Her voice rang clear, low and thunderous, echoing through the night like the voice of a dozen men.

A black mist flew swiftly through the air, wrapping itself around Freya's neck, lifting her ten feet into the air. Freya let out a gasp, wriggling to break free from the unknown mass that clutched at her neck.

"Rin..." she forced out in between gasps.

My heart skipped for a moment when I heard my name. "Lucy, stop!" I ordered.

My words fell upon deaf ears. Lucy held on to her grip, forcing Freya to fight for her life.

I swallowed. This was what I feared from the very beginning. Now I could see it, slowly manifesting before my very eyes.

"Do you realize what you've done, Grand Mage," Kyro said, his smirk completely gone, now replaced with a look of terror. "I could have killed her long ago. Now you've doomed us all by waking her up."

I refused to give in to his beliefs. The Shadow Queen might have woken up, but Lucy wasn't lost to us. Not yet.

"Lucy," I called out, loud enough for her to hear. "Let Freya go."

My words only seemed to anger her more. The black mist around her feet intensified, and a strange wind began to rock the entire forest.

"It's time I put an end to this," Kyro said, revealing the red glowing Direbear fang. "It's time to send the demon back to where she belongs."

"No, don't..."

The words hardly left my mouth when Kyro vanished in a blue flash of light. He reappeared beside Lucy, ready to plunge the fang into her heart.

"Umbra Tenere."

A black mist lunged at Kyro, gripping his neck in a firm chokehold. He reached for his neck with both hands, dropping the Direbear fang.

Lucy's gaze shifted to him, her eyes narrowing.

"You..." she thundered, recognizing his face.

Kyro stretched his arm in an attempt to reach her. When it failed, he tried to whisper a spell, but the words failed to come out of his mouth.

Lucy remained in mid air, her red eyes fixed on Kyro, her red eyes glowing like flames in the dark.

"You tried to deceive her," she said, her voice cold and fierce. "Now you shall pay with your life."

The black mist tightened around his neck, his face turning red as he clawed at it. His legs kicked uselessly in the air as he clung desperately to life.

I was torn. Part of me wanted to blast Lucy with a spell, to snap her out of this bloodlust. But another part held back. The part of me that could never hurt her.

This was Lucy. My Lucy. I had to find another way.

"Lucy," I said, my voice shaking. "Let them go. Please."

She ignored me, refusing to even glance in my direction. The mist around Freya and Kyro grew thicker, as their gasps faded.

Freya dangled beside him, her eyes pleading with me, begging me to do something, anything. Her movements slowed down gradually as her body grew weaker

"Lucy," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Put them down. This isn't you."

Her gaze flicked to me, cold and distant, like she was looking through me, but she didn't respond. Instead, the grip on Freya and Kyro tightened.

Freya's gasps turned to choked whimpers. Kyro's eyes bulged, his body going limp.

The strange wind picked up speed, whipping leaves around the forest. The mist around her feet swirled even faster, like a whirlwind

I raised my hands, mana gathering in my palms. Lightning crackled around my fingers, ready to form a spear.

Just one spell, and I could shoot her right out of the air. But as I stared at her floating there, I hesitated.

What if I missed? What if I hit her too hard? What if she retaliated, and I had to fight her?

The thought of her blood on my hands made my stomach twist. I couldn't cast a spell at her, not when I knew there was still a chance to save her.

Reluctantly, I lowered my arms.

"Lucy," I said, stepping closer. "If you can hear me, I want you to listen to me."

Lucy's movements froze, like she was listening. The winds around grew still.

"You told me that ever since you were young, everyone was afraid of you. They looked at you like you were a monster waiting to be unleashed on them. This, is what they were afraid of. This power within you, is what they fear."

Lucy flinched. She shifted her gaze to me, eyes narrowing.

"But this isn't you. You're not the Darkblood girl. You're not a monster. You're Lucy Daevalia. Hero of Greenhold. Knight of Viridale. You saved those people from the Wyvern, remember? You fought to protect them, even when they hated you.

"Don't give in to this anger. It's not you. This power doesn't define you. This power doesn't control you. You can control it. I believe in you."

Her eyes softened for a split second, a flicker of the girl I knew. I had no idea if my words would work, but it seems they actually did

The red glow in her eyes dimmed, just a bit. Slowly, she began to descend until her feet touched the ground.

The black mist loosened, releasing Freya and Kyro. They dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Freya coughed out loud, rubbing her neck, her eyes wide with fear.

Kyro rolled to his side, wheezing. Then he rose to his hands and knees, eyes glancing all over the ground, like he was searching for something.

I ignored him. My focus was on Lucy.

The shadows lingered at her feet, dancing lazily around her. She stood there, breathing heavily. Her eyes met mine, confused by what was happening.

Even though the red glow remained, I could see a flicker of Lucy's black iris.

"Rin?" she whispered. The metallic echo had faded, now back to her normal voice.

I approached slowly, my heart still racing. "It's me. I'm here."

I reached out, stretching an arm toward her to hold her. She stepped closer to me, her body trembling.

"What... what's happening? I feel... wrong."

Before I could answer, a flash of movement caught my eye.

Kyro grabbed the fang once again and made a dash for Lucy. He lunged from behind, aiming for her back, his face twisted in desperation.

"Lucy!" I shouted.

Sensing him behind her, the Shadow Queen took over. A black tendril shot out from her mist, grabbing Kyro in mid-air and wrapping tightly around his neck.

In one deft room, the mist twisted, followed by a sickening crack.

Kyro dropped to the ground with a dull thud, the fang falling out from his limp fingers. His eyes stared blankly at the sky, grim and soulless.

My jaw dropped.

"No..." I whispered.

Freya froze beside me. Then, she let out a sharp gasp, her hand covering her mouth.

"He's... dead."

At the sound of Freya's words, the glow in Lucy's eyes faded completely. The shadows at her feet dissipated, the black mist vanishing like smoke.

Lucy's gaze fell to the body on the floor, her eyes widening at the sight. She staggered back, her face turning pale.

"Kyro..." she muttered, her voice weak.

Tears welled in her eyes, slowly spilling down her cheeks. She collapsed to her knees, letting out faint sobs.

"What have I done?"

I knelt beside her, pulling her close, my arms wrapping around her shaking form. "It's okay."

"I'm a monster," she cried.

"No, you're not," I held her tighter, stroking her hair, whispering into her ear. "He was going to kill you. You defended yourself."

The words were true, but inside, my thoughts raged like a storm.

Lucy had killed someone.

This was it — the first death of many to come.

Kyro's words echoed in my mind.

"You've doomed us all by waking her..."

My heart pounded faster in my chest. Images from the apocalypse flashed in my mind.

Perhaps keeping Lucy alive, was a mistake after all.