To be the Villainess

O27.

Chapter 27

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I CLENCHED my dress tightly, my heart racing as I met her enthralling, gleaming eyes. A chilling sense of foreboding washed over me.

“My lady!” Zacharias called, his voice laced with urgency. I shot him a sharp look, raising a finger to my lips to silence him as I moved swiftly in his direction.

I knew who she was. This scene was right out of the book. Seraphim. The one who confronted and defeated Sebastian. Not because of sheer strength, but because of her terrifying power—the ability to mirror your darkest past. She doesn’t just torment you physically, she pulls your deepest regrets, your worst fears, and every miserable memory from the depths of your soul. Like an eerie reflection, she forces you to relive them, every moment sharper, every wound more painful than you remember. The emotional wreckage she causes is unlike any other. The trauma, no matter how long buried, resurfaces, raw and unbearable. You can’t run. You can’t escape. She forces you to drown in it.

“Are you Seraphim?” I asked, my voice steady despite the weight of what I knew.

Her eyes widened in shock, the slightest tremor of fear flickering across her face before she masked it. That reaction confirmed everything. I smirked, relishing the power shift. I was right. The memory of the book was vivid in my mind, and while my own abilities as a beast tamer were modest, it didn’t matter. If I played this right, she’d be at my mercy.

Zacharias stood frozen, his eyes fixated on me, clearly tense as I continued toward the monster before us. She was disturbingly beautiful, her delicate features a perfect contrast to the savage beast within.

“How does a mere mortal like you know my name?” she hissed, venom dripping from her words. The air around us thickened, the wind howling as dark shadows swirled and grew, expanding like an approaching storm.

I didn’t bother answering right away, savoring the moment as I approached her. My lips curled into a sly grin.

“Oh, Seraphim, darling...” I purred, each word dripping with taunt. “Whatever power you think you hold over me—it’s worthless.” I could see the cracks in her façade, her face twisting into a smug smile, but the glint of uncertainty in her eyes betrayed her. Then, an eerie, bone-chilling laugh erupted from her, echoing through the space like a bad omen.

“How bold of you to think that!” she sneered, her fangs extending into sharp points, gleaming with a predatory hunger. “Do you truly believe you can resist me?”

I arched an eyebrow, feigning boredom, and clicked my tongue. “Go on then, try it. I dare you.” I winked at her, confidence radiating as I provoked her.

Without hesitation, she summoned a black arcane circle beneath her feet. The ground cracked and pulsed with dark energy, the air charged with a sinister hum as her voice filled the air, chanting ominous incantations.

“You foolish mortal! You’ll know nothing but despair!” she screamed, her wicked laughter piercing the night as thick, suffocating black smoke coiled toward me.

Before I could revel in the confrontation, a hand suddenly gripped my wrist. I froze. Zacharias.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I snapped, glaring at him as his strong grip pulled him into the smoke with me. My fury flared. “You’re going to ruin everything!”

I tried to push him away, but it was too late. The smoke enveloped us both, choking the air out of my lungs. The world around us distorted, twisting like a nightmare. The oppressive shadows around Seraphim dissolved, but what came next was far worse.