Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

An abyssal zone completely drowned in eternal silence covered my line of sight.

The sky glowed gently in an everlasting golden light that felt divine. A light that reflected mercy, joy, and happiness.

And contradicting the light, the place was filled with monsters and demons that remained frozen in time.

’So, this is the kingdom of the Mother of All Demons.’

I mused inwardly while walking towards the elevated platform in front of me.

After getting the request for a meeting from Lilith, I decided to visit her in her own kingdom.

With the restriction of the barrier separating Lumina from the divine kingdom dwellings, it wasn’t that hard to pull this off.

’Though, it would be better if the Gods don’t get too much influence over us.’

My steps halted in front of the platform. On it was a long sofa on which a lady lay comfortably.

Her crimson hair cascaded down the edge of the sofa like a flowing river.

Two curved black horns rested atop her head, elegant and regal like a crown made for a queen.

Lilith wore a loose black dress that exposed one of her pale shoulders while the slit at the side revealed her smooth legs carelessly.

Looking at her, I suddenly remembered the ’Closest of a Goddess,’ Gwenyra.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but she also resembled Ayaliah, Oliver’s first love.

Her crimson eyes slowly shifted toward me before a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"You didn’t inherit the cowardice of Azrael." She said humourlessly. "He wouldn’t have put his trust in me so easily."

I tilted my head and replied. "You made it sound important."

"It is important." She nodded gently. "Perhaps, this is the last time I will be seeing you."

I couldn’t understand whether it was a revelation or just a trick to make me feel uneasy.

Lilith hummed softly and raised the wine glass in her hand.

"Had Innana informed you about the abnormality in the sky?"

"Is it something that should concern me?" I asked back, cocking my head up.

"It is." She informed. "The one who is doing that is Anastasia."

My expression twisted at the revelation. It wasn’t within my expectations.

"Why would she do that?" I asked further.

The Mother of All Demons gave me a faint smile. "You will know soon enough."

She immediately changed the topic. "And you shouldn’t worry about Oliver. I won’t let anyone touch him."

"I can’t put all my trust in you." I replied firmly. "I will keep tabs on him either way."

Lilith sat upright and crossed her legs elegantly. The movement alone carried an unnatural charm.

"Your life is already filled with many problems." She commented softly. "Don’t get tangled in his problems as well."

My eyes wandered briefly around the divine kingdom once again.

The frozen demons remained locked in place eternally.

It was like they were being punished in the worst way possible.

"...I will think about it." I replied, looking back at her.

She nodded and leaned back slightly.

With an abnormal calmness, she said cryptically,

"Running away in front of absolute strength isn’t cowardice."

Before I could think of a reply, my vision blurred as I was thrown out of her kingdom.

---

I blinked away the dizziness as I looked around the backyard garden.

Oliver and Aimar still sat beside me, holding onto their bottles.

Oliver looked at me and smiled. "She is beautiful, isn’t she?"

My head shifted to look deeply at his obnoxious face which was filled with pride.

"Kill yourself." I replied, turning my head away.

My mind still lingered on the last advice that woman gave me.

’To run away in front of absolute strength.’

I rubbed my temples, repeating her advice in my mind.

’It’s a forgone conclusion.’

There was no way I wouldn’t run away in case I fought someone above my strength.

I wouldn’t put my life in danger, not when I had people waiting for me.

Slowly, I looked at Oliver once again, who was looking at the sky.

"Call me if you are ever in need." I said, looking away. "I will always be there to help you."

Oliver smiled and leaned back on the chair. "What does it matter?" he replied. "There isn’t much in which you can help me. Not when you are weak."

I frowned at his last words. "I am not weak."

"You are." He replied, standing up. "The truth is, we all are weak."

He turned to look down at me with a thin smile on his face.

"Had you not been weak... if I wasn’t weak, perhaps Ayaliah would still be here with us."

The space around him turned and twisted. His body vanished, leaving behind those words.

’...’

I sat down, staring at the place where he once was.

The sky kept trembling like someone was hammering it from the other side.

---

The next morning, as the sun rose from the horizon, a car rolled through the streets of the church’s base.

A refined lady sat in the car with her long silver hair tied in a ponytail. Her crimson eyes had a hint of excitement and happiness in them.

She wore a colourful pink dress that gave her a contradictory beauty.

Shyamal was truly joyous as she had gotten the chance to visit Himmel once again.

’I haven’t seen him in a long while.’ she thought, staring at the passing streets.

’...I wonder how he is doing without me.’

Her eyes dimmed a little before she leaned back in her seat.

"Make sure to return back to base in five days."

A voice echoed in the car. She turned to look at the mature-looking lady sitting beside her, reading through a document.

Adaliah had the same fish-like look on her face, her blackish-brown hair remained free.

"If you don’t, then there is a chance you will lose yourself and trigger another awakening."

Shyamal pursed her lips before she nodded her head. "Alright."

Adaliah didn’t say anything else. She kept reading the document in her hand.

"Are you not going to meet him?" Shyamal asked without looking at her.

"I don’t have a death wish." She replied calmly. "Besides, I will see him soon enough."

Shyamal remained still and kept her thoughts to herself.

She gazed through the people on the streets.

"Don’t you regret what you did to him?" She asked again.

Adaliah closed her document and replied calmly. "It was a necessary step to make him stronger."

"...You almost broke him."

"Like my lady said." Adaliah replied flatly. "A sacrifice that paid off wonderfully."

She looked deep into the eyes of Taishareth’s vessel. "It was to make sure he became mentally strong."

The car stopped in front of a mansion that stood out with its beautiful structure.

Shyamal, who was staring at Adaliah with hatred, drew in a deep breath.

She quickly got a hold of her emotions, which she had learned from Esmeray, and stepped out of the car.

Adaliah also walked out and approached the young woman.

"Make sure you keep yourself safe." She spoke coldly. "You are an important tool of my lady."

Shyamal looked at her and replied sarcastically. "I can’t wait for your lady to die by the hands of my Lord."

Adaliah didn’t show any emotions and kept staring at her.

Shyamal turned around and began to walk towards the main gate.

"Shyamal." Adaliah called from behind and walked her way.

Annoyed, she looked back. "What now—?"

Her words halted when the mature lady hugged her tightly.

For a brief second, Shyamal even forgot how to react.

"...What are you doing?" She asked awkwardly.

Adaliah remained silent for a moment before she finally spoke in a low voice.

"Try to keep yourself safe."

Before she could reply, Adaliah had already pulled away from the embrace.

Her face had already returned to its usual emotionless state.

It was as if the momentary warmth from before had never existed.

She stepped inside the car, leaving behind the reminder. "Five days."

The black vehicle slowly disappeared down the street, leaving Shyamal alone in front of the mansion gates.

Shyamal clicked her tongue and walked towards the gate. "A weird woman."

The main gate clicked open and she entered inside, her gaze landing on the beautiful garden.

’What a beautiful place for our retirement.’

She thought to herself as a smile appeared on her face.

Shyamal walked further as the main door remained open, maids were busy cleaning it.

But the closer she moved, the grimmer her face became. ’Why are there so many women here?’

Her train of thought paused when she saw a young woman walking down the hallway.

Shyamal looked at her with a complicated look on her face.

With a smile, she said, "Hello, Christina."