I Am The Game's Villain

"Ah, yeah…"

I was still trying to wrap my head around Miranda\'s unexpected kiss.

"..."

I looked at the bridal bouquet in my hands, the sweet scent of red roses filling the air. I smiled and decided to stow it away in my space ring.

A bridal dress and a bridal bouquet...

She really knows how to throw people off.

"Hm?"

My phone suddenly rang, and I saw a message from Eric.

[Sylvia has disappeared!]

What...?

I was taken aback by that message.

I hurriedly left the building, searching for Aurora. She was talking to someone, a guard with a pale face.

"Princess! The King ordered us to ensure your safety and the Prince\'s!"

"Where\'s Sylvia!" Aurora demanded.

"All the guards are looking for her, Princess! No need to worry-"

"Take me to my father!"

"I\'m going too." I intervened.

"E-Edward…" Aurora muttered.

"Let me come with you. I need to talk to Uncle," I told Aurora seriously.

"Alright." Aurora nodded, and we followed the guard.

Before we left, I sent a message to Simon to take care of Elona.

Then to Eric...

[Keep an eye on Milleia.]

Just to be safe.

….

….

Thanks to a carriage and a contingent of guards, we were safely escorted to the Celesta Palace, straight to the throne room.

King Charles, Davis Seaven, and Peter Greenvern were embroiled in a heated discussion, while Queen Edith listened with worry etched on her face.

"She was in the Palace this morning! How is that possible!" King Charles shouted in anger.

"Your Majesty, it only means that we have been infiltrated, and they kidnapped the Second Princess from within," Davis replied.

"Peter! You were in charge of the castle!" Edith yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I\'m sorry, My Queen… I don\'t understand how it happened either…" Peter muttered, looking confused.

"Y-Your Majesty!" The guard raised his voice, and they all turned to us.

"Aurora!" Queen Edith rushed toward Aurora and hugged her. "W-Where is your brother?"

"We are looking for the Prince, my Queen!" The guard informed.

"..."

As I suspected, he\'s not here...

I gritted my teeth. "Where is Uncle Walter?"

"Walter?" Charles looked around. "He is probably looking for Sylvia with the guards."

"He might be in danger too, Uncle. It would be safer to take him into custody." I threw in a lie.

They would never believe me if I told them that Walter took part in Sylvia\'s disappearance, but at least I could restrain his movements.

Damn it.

I thought his targets were only Aurora and Alfred, but I didn\'t expect him to target Sylvia out of everyone. Sylvia should have been safe until the next year when the Third Game starts.

-Ring!

[Carla has been abducted by Ante-Eden right in front of Jayden. I\'m following him with Milleia. You should come now! The Garden is open!]

"..."

-RIIIING!

Before I could even process the information, my phone rang.

It was Simon.

"Did you find Elona?" I asked, my heart pounding heavily in my chest.

Please…

["Edward! I-I don\'t know where she is! Nobody saw her today! I called father... I called him and they dispatched the Falkrona Army. D-Do you know what happened-]

I hung up the call and clenched my phone.

I can understand why they took Carla, probably to drag Jayden into their game, but why the hell Sylvia and Elona?

Brandon Delavoic and Conrad Leroy.

I will kill those fuckers.

[Old man, I need your help. Brandon Delavoic entered the Garden.]

I put back my phone and stayed still for a moment. I ignored all the discussions around me.

[<Don\'t fear anything, Amael. This is just one among the many arduous steps you will have to take.>]

"Yeah."

***

In the outskirts of the Dorian Capital, the remnants of several abandoned houses bore witness to the devastation caused by the Second Great Holy War. These once vibrant homes now lay in ruins, left desolate and forgotten since the war\'s end. Amidst the decay, beneath one of the houses, a hidden cellar concealed a secret room. The entrance was cleverly masked behind a wooden wall, leading to a silent and dark chamber.

Within the room, a rectangular table dominated the center, and two individuals occupied its seats.

"Conrad."

"My Lord-"

"Enough with such formalities, Conrad," Brandon interrupted, his voice firm.

Conrad met Brandon\'s gaze and offered a warm smile. "Right, Brandon."

"Simon is still contemplating, isn\'t he?" Brandon inquired.

"Yes. He seems hesitant," Conrad replied.

"Then, eliminate Lyra Kertalir," Brandon ordered without a hint of hesitation.

"I have already dispatched people to take care of that, Brandon."

A satisfied smile played on Brandon\'s lips. "You know me quite well by now."

"You were meant to be my brother-in-law. It\'s only natural," Conrad replied, speaking of their past connection.

Silence settled between them as memories resurfaced in Brandon\'s mind. He was a scientist, driven by curiosity and passion, and though he lacked many friends due to his introverted nature, he had formed a close bond with Conrad Leroy, Matthew Leroy, and Thomen Falkrona.

Thomen Falkrona had been a close friend of Matthew, and through him, Brandon had become acquainted. Thomen was instrumental in helping Brandon and Matthew establish their laboratory, and their friendship had flourished ever since.

Yet, it all began with one person—Clarice Leroy.

The youngest sister of Conrad and Matthew, Clarice had been the first to recognize Brandon\'s exceptional talents. Their bond had deepened, and they fell in love with each other. However, their happiness was shattered when Clarice made a startling discovery. Keeping her findings secret, she began to withdraw, and fear seemed to grip her heart.

Brandon fought to approach her, but she vanished without a trace.

All that remained was an old phone, on which Brandon played a video message sent to him more than twelve years ago.

The recording captured the last words of Clarice Leroy, directed at Brandon.

[B-Brandon…], Clarice\'s disheveled hair and dark-ringed eyes reflected her distress.

[I-I\'m sorry… I didn\'t reach out to anyone and suddenly disappeared…]

Conrad listened attentively, knowing it wasn\'t the first time Brandon had replayed the message and not the first time he was wearing it either.

[I-I saw something…I f-found something I shouldn\'t have…], Clarice sobbed, her voice trembling.

[O-Our Kingdom\'s history was born out of l-lies and manipulation by the same G-Gods we are worshiping every day…I-I couldn\'t believe it and looked for more, but this was the truth. N-Now I...I am chased and have become a trouble for them…]

Clarice\'s words weighed heavily on Brandon\'s heart as she continued. [I-It\'s over for me. Don\'t look for me and tell my brothers that I-I just ran away. A-Also, please don\'t follow what I have been looking for...it\'s dangerous. They will k-kill you if they deem you as a threat. I-I…love you, Brandon.]

The recording ended, leaving Brandon and Conrad in somber silence.

"I\'m sorry for what happened to Matthew and Isabelle, Conrad," Brandon expressed his remorse.

"You are late by nearly ten years, Brandon," Conrad chuckled sadly before shaking his head. "Matthew... I thought he would understand, but he couldn\'t handle the pressure, and the same was true for Isabelle. I loved them, but that\'s why we need to-"

"...\'reset\' their Fate," Brandon finished.

"Can we believe in Lady Lisandra?" Conrad asked, voicing the doubts that lingered in both of their minds.

Brandon smiled ruefully. "I thought of killing myself after I found Clarice\'s incinerated body."

The loss of Clarice had left Brandon with more questions than answers. He was haunted by the mystery surrounding her death—why did she die? What had she discovered? He knew nothing about the truth behind her demise.

"Then she appeared like a savior for me," Brandon murmured, his tone turning serious. "Lisandra Arvatra. She survived the Second Great Holy War more than six hundred years ago."

Lisandra Arvatra, the Moon Princess, was a living legend of the Arvatra Empire. Supposedly killed alongside Prince Alphonse Arvatra, her presence after the war\'s end had been deemed impossible.

Yet, she appeared before a broken Brandon, shedding light on Clarice\'s discoveries. Lisandra revealed the dark secrets behind the Second Great Holy War, exposing the lies that concealed the horrifying slaughter of millions of lives. 

-BOOOOOM!

Suddenly, a powerful explosion reverberated through the room, shattering the ceiling and causing debris to rain down. In the midst of the chaos, a figure leaped down, landing gracefully in front of the seated Brandon and Conrad.

"You took your time," Brandon smiled, recognizing his old friend. "Thomen."

Thomen\'s grey eyes were ice-cold as he stared at Conrad before settling his gaze on Brandon. His voice was firm and determined. "Where is Elona?"

"I\'m sorry for Elona, Thomen, but I needed her to bring Edward," Brandon replied, his expression unyielding.

"Where is Elona," Thomen demanded once more, his eyes locking onto those amber orbs that reminded him so much of his late wife.

"You can\'t blame me for her death, Thomen. She was going to spoil everything. As for the eyes…" Brandon touched his own eyes. "She took away my sight. It was only fitting that I took hers to replace mine-"

-BOOOOOM!

In a surge of anger, Thomen kicked out the table and launched a furious punch toward Brandon. However, Brandon remained unfazed, calmly sitting there with Thomen\'s fist mere inches from his face.

"I will take care of him, Brandon. Walter is waiting for you at the entrance of the Garden," Conrad interjected, grabbing Thomen\'s arm to restrain him.

Thomen gritted his teeth, his anger exploding. "Where is Elona?!"

Brandon stood up, ignoring the turmoil around them, and started walking away. With a final glance at his old friend, he spoke softly, "I\'m sorry, Thomen."