Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

The castle was quiet... the kind of quiet that pressed against your ears and made every step you take echo endlessly.

My room felt small... too small, like the stone walls were closing in.

I barely slept the entire night as my mind tangled with Fumiko's words and the fear of what was coming.

I paced,waiting for the first light to creep through the window. As soon as it did, I grabbed my cloak and headed straight for the throne room, my boots clicking against the marble floor.

Fumiko was already there, leaning against a pillar in the grand hall, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.

Freya was nowhere in sight.

King Jirel stood nearby, his royal robes traded for a plain tunic and battle armor. His face was hardened and grim, like he was about to march off to war.

I was about to go check on Lucy, when she appeared in the hall as well, her steps slow but steady. She was dressed in a black thick robe, her dark hair falling over her shoulders.

She looked better and healthier than she did last night, but her eyes still carried that heaviness she'd described, like something was actually pressing down on her.

"Are you ready?" I asked, forcing a lightness into my voice.

Lucy nodded, a small smile forming on her dry lips. "I think so."

King Jirel cleared his throat, his voice low but commanding.

"We don't have much time. The spell must be cast before the seal weakens any further, or else, we may not be able to help her."

Lucy glanced at me, her voice reducing to a whisper. "Seal? What seal?"

"That's the spell that'll make you better,"

She remained silent, as if contemplating my words, but I hoped she believed it.

"Follow me," King Jirel said.

He led us through a side door, down a narrow staircase that spiraled into a long dim-lit tunnel beneath the castle.

The air grew colder with every step, the walls changing from polished marble to rough stone. Flaming torches burned in iron sconces, their light barely doing much to warm the chill air.

Fumiko walked beside me, silent. But I could sense her earlier anger simmering beneath the surface. I avoided her gaze, focusing instead on Lucy, who kept her eyes forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

The staircase ended at a heavy iron gate that looked like it hadn't been opened in years.

King Jirel pressed his hand against it, muttering a word under his breath. Suddenly , the gate groaned open, revealing another tunnel that stretched into darkness.

The air smelled of damp earth and something sharper, like the smell of stale meat.

"Stay close," Jirel said, his voice echoing off the walls. "The tunnels are old, and not all of them are safe."

We followed him single-file, the path twisting and turning, the walls narrowing until I could've reached out and touched both sides. Lucy's breathing was steady, but I caught her glancing at the shadows, her fingers twitching like she was ready to summon a spell at any moment.

I wanted to say something, to reassure her, but the words stuck in my throat. Instead, I kept walking behind her, my hand hovering near the dagger at my belt, just in case.

After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the tunnel opened into a vast bright lit cave.

I stopped short, my jaw slowly widening.

The walls were coated in ice, smooth and glistening, reflecting the faint glow of Lumi crystals embedded in the rock. They pulsed with a soft blue light, casting eerie patterns across the cavern floor.

The air was eerily cold, biting at my exposed skin, but the mana was so thick it felt like wading through water.

"A blue dragon's lair," I whispered.

King Jirel nodded, "There used to be one underneath the castle. No one's sure what happened to it."

Blue Dragons were solitary creatures dwelling in ice caves, and finding one was extremely rare. I had never seen its liar before, and for a moment, I stared around the cave in admiration.

In the center of the cave, was an octagram, etched into the frozen floor. The King leaned down to touch it, and soon after, its lines began to shimmer, pulsing with his mana.

"Lay here, child," he said, gesturing to Lucy.

Lucy turned to me one more time, and I nodded in affirmation. Then, she obeyed the king's instruction.

She lay at the center of the octagram, her chest rising and falling steadily, the edges of her body reflecting the light of the octagram beneath.

I crouched beside her, my knees pressing into the icy stone. Her dark hair fanned out around her, and I brushed a stray lock from her forehead, my fingers lingering for a moment.

She looked so peaceful, so unaware of the storm raging inside her, and it was all thanks to Fumiko's mind spells.

My chest tightened, and I forced myself to focus.

"You're going to be fine, Lucy," I said, keeping my voice low and steady. "This is just a little spell to make you feel better. When you wake up, you'll be back to normal and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

Her lips curved into a faint smile, her pearl-black eyes fluttering open for a brief moment.

"I know, Rin," she murmured. "I trust you."

Those words again. They hit like a blade, sharp and unrelenting. I nodded, forcing a smile of my own, and stood up , taking a few steps back to give Fumiko room.

Fumiko knelt beside Lucy, her hands hovering over her head.

"Mind Affinity: Dreamless Sleep," she whispered.

A faint yellow glow pulsed from her palms, sinking into Lucy's head.

Lucy's breathing slowed, her eyelids closing fully as her body relaxed into a deep, unnatural sleep.

"She's ready," Fumiko said, brushing her hands against her robes. Then she glanced at me, her expression unreadable, but I could feel the weight of her disapproval from across the cave.

King Jirel stepped forward, the tunic beneath his armor sweeping across the ice. He wore a sad, grim look, his white hair catching the crystal light as he surveyed the octagram.

"This must be done carefully," he said, his voice low. "The demon's mana is strong, but my spell will bind it. We cannot afford mistakes."

I nodded. "If you need any help, I'm here."

Fumiko shot me a look, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue. Instead, she moved to stand at the far edge of the cave.

Jirel stood at Lucy's head, raising his hands upward. His voice remained low and steady as he began the incantation.

"Light Affinity: Permanent Heavenly Seal."

The words echoed through the cave, sharp and deliberate, carrying a pulse of mana that made the air shimmer.

A soft glow appeared from his hands, golden light spreading out like threads, wrapping around Lucy's body. It started at her chest, where the demon's mana was strongest, and slowly expanded, forming a web of light that pulsed gently.

The light brightened, and I could feel the air hum, as if a weight was being lifted.

Lucy's expression relaxed, her breaths flowing softer and easier. Fumiko glanced at me, her expression softening just a bit, like maybe this would actually go smoothly.

The king continued repeating the spell, his voice growing stronger. The light intensified, pressing against the darkness inside her. I watched closely, my hands clenched at my sides.

I felt a sigh escaped from my lips. Maybe this would be enough. Maybe we could seal the demon without her ever knowing what was inside her.

Fumiko shot me a glance, her eyes narrow, but once again, she said nothing. I ignored her, focusing instead on Lucy's breathing.

The golden light pulsed brighter, and Jirel's voice grew louder, the incantation rolling through the cave like a tide. The mana in the air thickened, pressing against my chest, but it felt… right. Controlled. Like we were finally fixing something.

Then, I noticed something.

Lucy twitched.

It was small at first, a jerk of her fingers, barely noticeable. But then her whole body shuddered, her back arching off the cold floor.

Suddenly, a low moan escaped her lips, like she'd been stabbed.

My stomach dropped.

"Lucy?" Fumiko whispered, stepping closer.

The golden light which wrapped around Lucy flickered, wavering like a candle in a wind.

"Jirel," I said, stepping forward. "What's happening?"

He didn't answer, his hands trembling slightly as he poured more mana into the spell. The light around Lucy faded slowly, until there was none left but a flicker on her chest.

"Did it work?" I asked, immediately regretting it soon after.

A red beam of energy erupted from Lucy, pulsing around the cave. It slammed into each of us, throwing us until our backs crashed against the ice walls.

I rose to my hands and knees, my tailbone and shouldesr throbbing painfully as I did. I let out a groan, raising my head to the center of the cave.

"No," I gasped, horrified by the sight in front of me. "Not again."