Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

"Huff..." A deep, misty breath escaped Aimar's lips as he trudged forward. He pulled his muffler higher over his face, shielding himself from the bitter cold, and glanced around. The place was empty, trees drying up while a thick layer of snow covered them. Wherever his gaze wandered, all he saw was emptiness. Then— His eyes flicked to the side. "Are you going to follow me till the end?" Aimar asked, looking at Elise. The girl shifted her glowing green eyes towards him. She tilted her head slightly, a playful smile curving her lips. "Why do you want to be alone?" "I just do." Aimar's reply was immediate. "Too bad." Elise's smile didn't waver. "I paid for both of us, remember?" Aimar sighed. "That was the payment for helping you with midterms." "And I still lost." She pouted, crossing her arms. "I can't believe we have to take a re-exam." "On the bright side," Aimar muttered, keeping himself alert, "Himmel's taking everyone to the hot springs." Elise's mood shifted instantly. "Oh, right! That's the best skincare treatment any girl could ask for." "...Yeah." Aimar replied dryly. "By the way, isn't he amazing?" Elise said, her voice bright. "I could never imagine someone going against the entire class and still winning." Aimar glanced at her. "Trust me, he was holding back a lot." "Really!?" Her eyes gleamed. "By any chance, is he single?" "Nope." Aimar replied, smiling. "Two fiancées and a lover." Silence. She blinked. Once. Twice. Then let out a deep sigh. "Wow. I mean, I get that he's good-looking, but three? Seriously?" Aimar ignored her grumbling, his attention drawn downward. A large footprint was imprinted in the snow. He knelt, brushing his fingers over the edges. "Only Narwolves live around here, right?" "Yeah," Elise confirmed, stepping beside him. "They're the apex predators of the northern poles of Akasha." Aimar gave a curt nod, rising to his feet. "How strong are they?" "Most of them aren't too dangerous," she explained. "Only the queen is Limiter-ranked, but her main job is giving birth." Aimar frowned. "That still sounds dangerous." "Not unless you provoke her." Elise shrugged. "The Forsaken Families don't monopolize this place for nothing. They use it as a training ground for their young ones." "Then how did you get access?" Aimar asked curiously. "As far as I know, you aren't from a Forsaken family." "Nope. I'm from the Nosferatu family that rules over Vampires in Lumina." Elise replied with a smile. "I'm royalty. A very rich royalty." Aimar remained unimpressed. "Are you related to Siersha?" "Her mother is my sister." That took Aimar by surprise. "Wait—you're her aunt!?" Elise smacked his arm. "Don't say it like that! It makes me feel old." "But you are her aunt, right?" He rubbed his forearm. "It's... complicated." She sighed. "Vampires live long lives. Sometimes there are huge age gaps between siblings." Aimar hummed in thought. "Is it the same for elves?" "Don't compare us with them." Elise grumbled, glaring at him. "I don't like it." "Why though?" Curious, Aimar questioned. "I never understood the hate between them." Elise let out a tired sigh. For a few moments, she debated with herself. Until— "Sir Lazarus, the first head of Valentine, was once an elf." Elise said, looking at him. "He had two wives—one was his official partner, the other was his personal maid. It was considered a rebellious act for an elf since they choose only one partner for life." Aimar frowned. "So... no remarriage? Even if their spouse dies?" "It's a taboo." She shook her head. "Anyway, when Lazarus decided to become a vampire, his first wife, Leena, turned against him." Aimar listened carefully, his senses still alert for any movement around them. "After turning, the first person he transformed into a vampire was his maid," Elise continued. "She later gave birth to two children who became the ancestors of the two strongest Vampire Families. Meanwhile, his first wife already had a son—who became the leader of the elves. Can you guess which family?" "Gelard Highbloods." Aimar mumbled before frowning. "So you hate each other for having a common ancestor?" She shot him a flat look. "It's more than that." "Explain." "Do you know how Lazarus died?" Aimar shook his head. Elise's voice dropped. "When he was at his weakest, Leena—the woman who once swore her life to him—killed him and his wife." Silence. Aimar exhaled softly. "I see." "Those hypocrite elves call it the coldest revenge." She huffed, clearly unhappy. "Those hateful beings continue to create conflicts, calling us abominations for centuries." Aimar cleared his throat. He wasn't keen on continuing the topic. "Are you not cold?" He asked, noticing only a blazer on her. "Aren't you vampires cold-blooded beings?" "I can heat up my blood whenever I want." Elise explained, smiling. "Want me to do the same for you?" "...I would politely decline." He said, feeling awkward. He could think of a very bad side effect of being heated up, and frankly, he didn't want to have it. His gaze flickered to the side— And stopped. The identical boy who was always by his side—was missing. Aimar's brows furrowed. Where did he go? "We've been walking for a while," Elise commented, glancing around. Aimar was about to respond when— A rustling of the leaves, along with the falling snow from different places, made him stop. His muscles tensed. "We're not alone." Elise's hand immediately went to her rapier. "How close?" Aimar didn't respond. He straightened, exhaling slowly, listening— Then—crack. A low growl rumbled through the air. The ground trembled beneath them. Elise's eyes gleamed. "Looks like we found whatever left that—" Her words cut off. Aimar moved in a blur, yanking her forward, one arm wrapping around her waist as his other hand shot up— Thud. Blood dripped from his palm. An arrow—mere inches from the back of Elise's head—was clenched tightly in his fist. She sucked in a sharp breath. Aimar's gaze lifted. A group was walking toward them. ***** "Mama!" He beamed and bolted straight toward them. I quickly grabbed him by the back of his neck. "Not mama!" I said, picking him up. Yenna and Zenith both looked at me weirdly. "How many children do you even have?" Zenith asked, narrowing her eyes. "Three," I replied casually, adjusting Willis properly in my arms. "I wanna go to mama!" he whined, eyes pleading. "She's not your mama." I pinched his cheek, but before I could finish, he yanked my hair. "Give me mama!" The hell is wrong with him? "Himmel." Yenna's voice pulled my attention to her. "Give him to me." I tilted my head. "Really?" She nodded. "We need to start the ritual soon." I sighed, placing Andarnaur's ring on Willis to mark him. His body immediately began to float. "Hahaha!" He giggled as I nudged him toward Yenna. But— "I'll take care of him." Zenith quickly grabbed him midway. Yennefer nodded before focusing on me. I gave Willis a glance. "...." The look on his face was something else. So, it didn't matter whether he was in the mother's or the daughter's arms? "Alright, be ready." Yenna said, staring into my eyes. "And remember, we can't help you." I inhaled deeply. Bringing out the Yggdrasil seed, I marked it, making it float. Then— I nodded. She parted her lips. A single word came out of her mouth. "Arise." The runes carved into the floor flared to life, pulsing erratically between crimson and void-black. Yenna's chant filled the air, making the ground hum. The circle flared brighter, its light converging into a column above my head. The runes on my body started to glow as the light seeped into my skin. Then— Crack! The sound split the air like a gunshot. Agonizing pain shot through me. I clenched my jaw, drawing blood as I bit my lip. "Focus!" Yenna's voice burned in my ears. Barely holding myself back from screaming, I raised my hand. Since I got Iffa's abilities, I haven't really used them. Mainly because it isn't an offensive ability or I haven't found a way to use it. Fundamentally, it's quite simple. In a specific area molded in any shape, she can create a separate dimension. The dimension is always barren and uninhabitable because it's impossible to inject mana into it. But. Not anymore. I clenched my jaw, blood pooling where my teeth cut into my lip. The runes on my skin blazed hotter. Slowly, I molded a sphere. At first, it was the size of a ball. But as I stretched my hand, it expanded into a small boulder. Grabbing the floating Yggdrasil seed, I placed it inside. Then— I looked at Yenna. Her chanting increased as the ritual circle glowed brighter. The sphere shrank, absorbing the glowing light. And I waited. Sweat dripped down my temples, mixing with the blood from my lip. Minutes turned into hours as I kept on enduring the pain. The environment inside the sphere started to change. My stomach churned with nausea, but then— The intricate marking in my hand Yenna made burned brightly. The continuous chewing made the nausea stop as I felt something. A connection—. With the sphere. I gritted my teeth as the seed inside cracked open, tendrils of roots escaping its shell. Huh? Then— A sharp pull. Mana drained violently from my body into the sphere. But before I could collapse, the surrounding mana surged toward me, refilling the void. The pain ripped a scream from my throat. I summoned my status screen. My Limiter rank—fixed for so long—shot upward at an alarming speed. Before I knew it— It had already surpassed ninety percent. I turned to the seed. It had sprouted a leaf. "Find harmony in the mana!" Yenna's voice snapped. "Balance the input and output!" I inhaled sharply. Then— I commanded the mana to obey. Gradually, the erratic flow dulled into something manageable. A sudden surge in my mana capacity made me glance at my status screen. My rank had changed. Limiter → Overlord. I smiled. [Qais, wait!] Then— Crack! My world shattered. ***** White. Endless, suffocating white. Himmel blinked, disoriented. No pain. No ground. No sky. Just… nothing. Himmel spun around in the void, confused. "What the hell?" He groaned, looking at his empty hand. A sudden thought crept into his mind. "Did I die?" His voice echoed, flat and hollow. The void swallowed it whole. Just as panic began to set in— "Dear?" A brittle, fevered voice echoed. Himmel turned. His breath caught in his throat. A woman stood inches away, her form shimmering like a mirage. Olive hair streaked with ash framed a face both familiar and alien—sharp cheekbones, glowing ember-like eyes. His head pounded violently just looking at her. She wasn't ugly. No. She was too beautiful to gaze upon. "Dear," she crooned, tilting her head. "You're late. So late." Himmel tried to step back— But his body refused to move. "Who are you?" he demanded. Her broken laugh echoed. "Liar. You know. You've always known." She took a step forward. And— Hugged him. The tall woman's arms tightened around Himmel, her touch icy. "Who… are you?" he rasped, straining against her grip. She pulled back slightly, cradling his face in her hands. Her gold-flecked emerald eyes burned with madness. "You'll remember soon," she whispered, lips curling. "When we spend eternity together… you'll remember everything." His skin crawled. Himmel staggered. Something was clawing at his mind. He could feel it. He glanced down— Chains. Thick, rusted chains bound his body. "…What are you doing?" She didn't answer. She merely cupped his face like he was something precious. "What. Are. You. Doing!?" She finally met his gaze. "I'm taking you home." Himmel's eyes darted past her. The white void shifted. Something blinding took its place. Heat surged— A sun. She leaned in, her lips brushing his temple. "So you'll never abandon me again. You'll be mine—forever." "Don't touch him." A cold voice cut through. Someone grabbed the woman by the hair— And flung her away. She vanished into the void. The chain around Himmel broke as he gasped for breath. His blurred gaze shifted up. A tall woman with an exotic body stood in front of him. Her blonde hair cascaded behind her back while her crimson eyes stared at him. She let out a sigh of relief. "You are safe." "Inna?" Himmel whispered, too confused. "Let's get out of here first." Saying so, Inna tapped her foot gently. The white void— Shattered. A loud screaming voice was the last thing that Himmel heard. ****** "Haah!" I gasped for breath, jerking awake. "…Huh?" Confusion clouded my mind as I found Zenith inches from my face. Her hand grabbed both my lips, opening my mouth wide. "He's awake, Mother!" Yenna's hands, pressed to my chest, stopped. Zenith quickly helped me sit up. The room was a mess, walls were scorched, the Yggdrasil seed dormant but pulsating faintly in its sphere. "What happened?" I asked, looking at them. "You stopped breathing," Zenith muttered, her voice shaking. "We thought you died." Ah… Did I die for a moment? "…I'm sorry for worrying you." I offered a sincere apology, seeing their distress. Yenna didn't speak—she just pulled me into a gentle hug. I closed my eyes. And her face flashed in my mind. Who was she? [] Inna's voice made me flinch. Fatigue weighed on me. I felt like I would fall asleep any moment. 'Why is she after me?' [] Her voice turned serious. [Your blessing is your curse.]