Ascension Of The Villain

At midnight, Vyan lay in his bed. But despite the extra lavender incense, sleep remained elusive to him. The room was dark, illuminated only by a small lamp on his nightstand.

Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was flooded with memories of Aster—the way he always took care of Vyan, pranked him, pulled his cheeks, read him bedtime stories, and so much more. Sure, he couldn't remember everything due to them being lost in time. But he did know that his brother had sacrificed too much for him.

If Vyan was born to be Aster's light, how could he allow Aster to remain shackled in darkness?

Just imagining what must have gone over Aster in the last sixteen years made Vyan's soul shiver. It was nearly impossible to stay in a solitary confinement for a week and not go crazy, and his brother had… for sixteen fucking years!

Vyan sat up suddenly, his heart racing. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I have to do something," he muttered.

The image of his brother in solitary confinement haunted him, a vision that pushed him to the edge. He started pacing the room with restless energy. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, a storm of fear and anger crashing together.

"I swear I will tear them apart," he vowed, his voice barely more than a growl. "Every last one of them."

It was no mystery who was behind this—only the emperor could be so vile. Who else would dare? He wanted the Ashstones to be powerless beneath him, and Aster, with his formidable magic, was a threat he couldn't tolerate.

The only reason Vyan remained tolerated, even welcomed, was the emperor's ignorance of the true extent of his powers.

"That man…" Vyan growled, his fists clenching so tightly his nails bit into his palms, drawing blood. "How much more of his wickedness must I endure before I can finally make him pay?"

But just as quickly as his rage surged, it was snuffed out by the harsh truth. Revenge paled in comparison to the urgency of saving Aster from whatever hellhole he was trapped in.

The worst part? Vyan didn't even know where Aster was being held. His mind spiraled into a chaos of frustration and helplessness, every thought he tried to grasp slipping away into a void of despair. Maybe he should just say 'screw it' and incinerate the emperor until he confessed everything.

But that would only end with Vyan branded as a traitor, thrown into the very prisons he wanted to save Aster from. Violence without strategy was nothing but a reckless path to ruin.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, his breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps. "What do I do?" he whispered. "I can't just sit here and do nothing. But if I act on my anger now, I will destroy any hope of getting him out."

The walls seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with the weight of his desperation.

The sound of a gentle knock on the door pulled Vyan from his restless thoughts. He glanced at the clock—it was nearly one in the morning. The knock came again, more insistent this time.

"Come in," Vyan called, his voice hoarse from hours of unspoken anguish.

The door creaked open, and Clyde stepped inside. His eyes were tired but warm with concern. "As expected, you are still awake," Clyde said softly, taking in Vyan's disheveled appearance.

Vyan offered a weak smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I can't stop thinking about Ash. I know I should wait, but every minute feels like an eternity. I can't stand the idea of him suffering while I sit here making plans."

Clyde moved further into the room, pulling up a chair and sitting down across from Vyan. "I understand. But we can't rush into action without a solid plan. We need to be smart about this. However, one thing is for sure, we will get him out, Vyan. One way or another."

Vyan ran a hand over his face, feeling the exhaustion pressing down on him. "I feel so powerless. I am afraid that if I don't do something as soon as possible, I will lose my chance to help him."

"You won't lose your chance, trust me. All you need to do is wait for the right chance," Clyde said, his tone understanding. "Let's wait for Althea to get back. She might be able to help us with the internal system of the imperial palace. It will make it easier for us to track Lord Aster."

Vyan sighed. "I know you are right. I just wish I could see the end of this nightmare already."

Clyde reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Vyan's shoulder. "It's okay to be angry and scared, but remember, you are not alone. So, don't set out to do anything solo, and don't be reckless, got it?"

Vyan nodded solemnly. Clyde smiled and stayed for a little longer to talk with Vyan, trying to cheer him up, and convincing him not to screw up anything as there was only one day before Princess Maria was taken in by Althea.

Even though Vyan agreed with Clyde, the heaviness in his chest remained.

After Clyde left his room, Vyan still couldn't sleep. For hours, he just stared into the dark, wondering what it must be like to scream into a room where nobody could hear your voice, nor could you hear anybody else's voice. How terrifying must that be.

Then, a soft knock at the door broke through the haze of his thoughts. Vyan blinked, glancing at the clock—half past five in the morning.

"Come in," he permitted, but the person at the door still didn't come in. "Who could it be at this hour?" he murmured, dragging himself to the door.

He wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him: Iyana, looking both awkward and concerned.

"Uh, hi," she began. "I am sorry to bother you. I sent you letters through the artifact, but you didn't reply, so I got worried. I thought I should see you before I left for work; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to concentrate all day," she rambled, words spilling out in a rush. "I know it's selfish of me to come this early.

In fact, only after reaching here did I realize that your servants might not even let me in, but surprisingly, they were very lenien—"

Before she could finish, Vyan pulled her into a hug, catching her off guard. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, grounding himself in her presence, her scent, her warmth.

"Vyan, are you okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Yes," he murmured, though his voice wavered, "I am okay."

Iyana sensed his need for comfort without words and gently threaded her fingers through his messy hair, offering silent reassurance for some moments before she whispered, "Whatever it is, it's going to be okay."

For the first time that night, Vyan felt a sense of calm wash over him. The storm in his mind began to quiet. He had people who cared for him deeply, who were there for him even in his darkest moments. He was not alone.

But Aster was. He was alone.

Aster had been left to rot in the shadows, forgotten by the world. It was obvious that Vyan felt guilty for that as Aster must have gotten caught because he was saving his little brother. Yet now, with the support of those who stood by Vyan, he felt a renewed resolve.

He would save Aster, no matter the cost, and bring him back into the world of light. Vyan just had to keep a cool head and not let his emotions drive him to ruin.

"Thank you, Iyana, for coming to see me," Vyan whispered, his voice betraying a rare vulnerability.

"Anytime," she replied with a soft smile, her hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. "I don't know what is going on, but if you ever need help, just ask. I promise I won't even ask why."

"Thank you," he repeated, the words barely audible, but they carried his gratitude.

As he let himself relax in Iyana's comforting embrace, Vyan didn't notice the shadow that slipped away from the end of the corridor, moving silently back into the darkness.