Ascension Of The Villain

Without a second thought, Iyana stormed past her tearful stepmother. Carolina's pathetic display of tears and pleas slid off her like rain on a storm-worn stone—she wouldn't let those crocodile tears distract her.

Sienna was here. She could feel it in her bones. Carolina's feeble attempt at winning sympathy was nothing more than a whisper in a hurricane.

Iyana's steps faltered just a fraction as she reached the door to Sienna's room. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, but only for a heartbeat. Doubt was a luxury she couldn't afford. She shoved the door open, the creak of the hinges slicing through the silence like a blade.

The room was empty.

Iyana's frustration surged as she scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on a single object that demanded her attention—a torn envelope, lying brazenly on the vanity, like a trap waiting to be sprung.

Her name, scrawled in Sienna's familiar handwriting, glared back at her from the paper. Narrowing her eyes, Iyana snatched the letter from its resting place and unfolded it with a quick, sharp motion.

"Hello, Sister.

I knew you would come hunting me down here after learning it was me who tried to sabotage your precious Vyan. Too bad the plan failed, huh? But no worries. Because guess what? I have decided to completely ignore your warning. You told me to stay away from Vyan, and it made me want to mess with him all the more.

So, in a way, it's your fault, like it always is. You shouldn't have told me that. Now, watch me. I will make you cry tears of blood. I know both of your weaknesses. Yours is Vyan, and his is black magic.

What a perfect match, wouldn't you say?

And don't make the mistake of laughing off my threat. I have nothing to fear. I now have no place in society as Sienna Pierson Estelle. I am just the lowly adopted daughter of a man with no status. That is why I will go to any lengths to destroy you as well. I swear on my life."

Iyana's blood boiled with a fury that threatened to consume her. The letter crumpled in her fist, the edges digging into her palm as if trying to etch Sienna's venomous words into her skin.

"The audacity of that girl," she hissed, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "She really thinks she can hurt Vyan and get away with it?"

A dark promise formed on her lips as she uttered, "I will find you, Sienna. And when I do, you will wish you had never crossed me."

Just then, Iyana felt a sharp, malevolent presence creeping up behind her. Instincts honed by countless battles kicked in, and she swiftly sidestepped, her hand snapping out to catch the wrist of her would-be attacker.

"What do you think you are doing?" she demanded, her voice cold as ice, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Carolina's face twisted with fury, her jaw clenched as angry tears streamed down her cheeks. She wrenched her hand free from Iyana's grasp, her expression a mix of desperation and rage. With a frustrated scream, she hurled the vase she had been holding to the ground, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

"This is all your fault!" Carolina spat, her voice cracking with grief. "My only daughter has left me because of you! What am I supposed to do now?"

Iyana's gaze hardened, her voice dripping with cold disdain as she said, "If you had been a better mother to your only daughter, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Carolina froze, the harsh truth of Iyana's words slamming into her like a physical blow. But Iyana didn't wait for her to recover. She turned on her heel, walking away, her heart steeled against Carolina's misery.

She had learned her own backstory from Vyan, the memories of her past still a fractured puzzle in her mind. While Iyana didn't judge Carolina for the choices she made to save her life by marrying her father, she couldn't forgive her for failing to raise Sienna with the care she deserved.

Carolina's indifference and constant comparison had allowed Sienna to slip into the darkness of black magic, feeding a toxic rivalry that had never needed to exist.

It was Carolina who had painted Iyana as a threat in Sienna's eyes, turning her into the enemy she never wanted to be. Because of that twisted perception, Sienna had become a danger, not just to Iyana but to Vyan as well.

Despite her lingering sympathy for Sienna, Iyana's resolve was unshakable. She would not forgive Sienna for always messing with Vyan—first, breaking Vyan's pure heart a year ago by taking on Iyana's appearance, creating the Walver Epidemic, and now this. All for what? Misdirected hatred, fueled by jealousy and Carolina's manipulations!

Her jealousy against Iyana always ended up coming close to costing Vyan everything.

Iyana already loathed herself enough for being the cause of his pain, even indirectly.

She stepped out of the estate's threshold, her eyes locking onto Vyan. He was casually leaning against the boundary walls. As if sensing her approach, his eyes fluttered open, and he turned his head to meet her gaze.

"Hey," Vyan greeted her with a warm smile, though a hint of concern flickered in his eyes. He arched an eyebrow in question. "Where is Sienna?"

Iyana's shoulders sagged as she shook her head. "She is not there."

Vyan moved closer, his presence steadying her. He gently took the crumpled paper from her hands, his touch comforting in its familiarity. She didn't resist as his eyes skimmed over the letter.

"What a load of crap," Vyan scoffed, the letter igniting in his palm, flames consuming Sienna's hateful words. "She has no idea what she is talking about. She thinks you are still the old Iyana, before the memory loss—the one who was in love with me. How else could I be your weakness?"

Iyana's heart tightened at his words, a painful throb that made it hard to breathe.

"So don't worry," Vyan continued, his tone firm, as if willing her to believe him. "Just because Sienna has a misconception about us doesn't mean you need to feel guilty. None of this is your fault."

Iyana's voice wavered as she murmured, "What if it's not just a misconception?"

Vyan blinked, confusion clouding his face. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Her gaze fell to the ground, unable to meet his eyes. She focused on his shoes, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "What if the old Iyana were still in love with you?"

Iyana's heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last. She knew the truth she was too afraid to face. But little did she know that he would hammer in the truth like that…

"Why else?" Vyan whispered, her voice barely audible. "The feelings wouldn't be mutual now."

———

Back at the camp, Jade was a bundle of seething anger, pacing relentlessly in her lavish tent. Every step echoed her frustration as she awaited news about her son. Her pacing halted abruptly when Calvin, her most trusted knight, entered with a messenger in tow.

"What is the update? How is Izac?" Jade's voice was sharp, laced with an edge that made the messenger's hands tremble.

The messenger dropped to his knees, his voice shaky. "Prince Izac's condition is... not good, Your Imperial Majesty. The doctors fear his right leg may never heal."

Jade's eyes darkened, her anger flaring. "Are you telling me my son might never walk again?"

The messenger nodded, barely able to meet her gaze.

Jade's fury boiled over. She grabbed a vase, ready to hurl it at the messenger, but Calvin quickly caught her wrist.

"Your Majesty, please, you cannot do this," Calvin said firmly but carefully. "We are not in the palace."

Jade's chest heaved with rage, her grip on the vase loosening before she set it down. "I… I will kill whoever did this to my son," she spat, her voice shaking.

Innocent..? When was Prince Izac ever innocent? Calvin thought but wisely kept his mouth shut. He focused instead on calming her, trying to bring her back from the brink.

"Call Lady Iyana," Jade muttered, her voice still simmering with anger. "She will find the bastard responsible."