To be the Villainess

O34.

Chapter 34

══ ◈ ══

I GRIPPED his hand, my knuckles white as I squeezed tighter. My eyes clenched shut. Damn it.

╔═════════ ◈ ═════════╗ 

The ability [Evoke] has been activated.

╚═════════ ◈ ═════════╝

A familiar surge of power washed over me, and I felt the cold, unforgiving metal of my dagger press into my palm. With a swift, desperate swing, I slashed at his hand, freeing myself from his grasp. Stumbling backward, I hit the ground, clutching my neck as I coughed and gasped, each breath scraping painfully down my throat.

Sebastian chuckled darkly, bringing his hand to his lips. “You really are mad,” he murmured, licking the blood from his knuckles with a twisted grin. His words hung in the air like a taunt, daring me to respond. Zacharias, standing a few paces away, seemed frozen in shock, his eyes wide and locked on us. He didn’t move, barely even breathed.

I forced myself to stand, my legs shaky but resolute. “Seraphim.”

╔═════════ ◈ ═════════╗ 

The ability [Evoke] has been activated.

╚═════════ ◈ ═════════╝

In an instant, Seraphim materialized from the shadows, her form shadowy yet fierce, kneeling gracefully before me. “You called, Master,” she said, her voice laced with loyalty and the barest edge of tension.

Sebastian’s laughter echoed again, harsher this time. “Look at you. Taming a little stray.” His sneer deepened as he cast a dismissive glance at Seraphim. “Do you really think she’s strong enough to be more than your pet?” His words were dripping with disdain, each one calculated to provoke.

Seraphim glanced at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and… worry? Her eyes widened, noticing something unsettling about my condition. “What happened to you—”

Before she could finish, Sebastian yanked her by the hair, pulling her close. “Ah, the stray and I meet again,” he taunted, his grip tightening, but Seraphim didn’t cower.

An arcane circle flared to life beneath her feet, a surge of energy crackling as her jaw clenched, determination flashing in her eyes. She hissed, defiance bleeding into her voice. “So it was you who did this to my master.”

With a feral grin, Sebastian met her challenge. In a flash, they vanished from sight, leaving only a trace of shadow and the faint echo of their clash in the air.

I dropped to my knees, chest heaving. I’d barely survived.

The room felt colder suddenly, a chill creeping over my skin. A voice sliced through the silence—a low, familiar tone laced with dark amusement.

“My, my.”

I flinched, instinctively bracing myself as if struck. That voice… It was familiar, hauntingly so. The memory of that chilling presence in my room the night Sebastian had failed to kill me clawed its way to the surface, and my heart beat faster, yet I kept my expression unyielding.

Sebastian and Seraphim’s clash faded to silence, and a looming shadow filled the room. As I turned, my breath hitched, a tall figure stepped forward, the faint flicker of torchlight casting his silhouette in an eerie glow. Cold, calculating eyes met mine, and though every fiber of me screamed to show fear, to back away, I straightened, my chin lifting defiantly. I was the Villainess. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.