Reincarnated as the Final Villain's Vessel

Chapter 156: Nightmare Flower[1]

Days passed since that visit to his sister, and without realizing it, the day of the competition arrived.

It was not held in Castelta, so he had to travel for a few days and stay away from Mia. He did not want that... but there was no choice.

And now he stood in the middle of an arena, his breaths coming out rough and unstable while wounds spread across his entire body and sweat dripped from his forehead.

In front of him was a young man his age lying on the ground without moving... he was alive, of course, just unconscious.

Even he was not unharmed and was in a much worse condition than Kyle.

[The match has ended with Kyle Astro’s victory] a mechanical voice echoed around the place, announcing the end of the match.

At the same time, a medical team arrived carrying the young man lying on the ground and took him away, while Kyle turned and left the arena.

With this, the competition that consisted of several stages, from various measurements to combat and thinking and many other things, had ended.

While the individual combat was the last thing they went through.

The winner had not yet been announced because the committee needed time to review the results in all stages and compare them before determining the best.

So even after Kyle won the fights, it did not mean he had succeeded.

...

In a small room, Kyle sat on the edge of the bed, leaning his torso slightly forward while resting his elbows on his knees. At the same time, his right hand tightly held his left wrist, and his foot tapped the floor of the small room without stopping.

He had given it everything there... no, he had gone far beyond that.

”Come on... come on...” he muttered, his voice filled with tension and fear.

At the same time, he bit his lips hard, leaving a red mark like blood on them.

”Shouldn’t these damn results come out any moment now?”

The reason for his agitation was that today was the day the results would be released and the winner announced.

This event was not broadcast or shown to the public but was more like an evaluation conducted by the Imperial family for the general public, so there were no formalities.

Suddenly, the phone in Kyle’s pocket rang. Without hesitation, he quickly pulled it out and answered before placing it near his ear.

[Hello Kyle Astro, I am pleased to call you now to congratulate you. You have been selected as the winner of this event, and we ask you to come so we can explain the conditions and sign some documents before you receive your rewards...]

For a moment, Kyle’s breathing stopped while the man’s words continued to echo through the receiver.

[Are you there...]

He realized he had remained silent for a while and quickly responded.

”Yes, I will come as soon as possible.”

[I am glad to hear that. See you later.]

With that, the call ended, leaving Kyle alone in the silence of the room once again.

But it did not last, as laughter soon spread throughout the room, echoing through the walls.

”Hahaha... hahaha... finally, finally...” He was happy... very happy.

”I am coming, Mia.”

...

Kyle arrived at the entrance of the hospital, stepping inside with a small black box in his hand.

His heartbeats quickened as he approached the reception desk, where the same woman from before stood as usual.

But instead of her usual smile, her expression was one of complete shock as she stared at Kyle, who raised an eyebrow at this strange reaction.

”What’s wrong?”

The woman opened her mouth to reply, closed it, then opened it again while pointing at his face.

”You... you are smiling like that.”

’Smiling like that.’ At that moment, Kyle raised his hand and touched his lips, realizing that a wide smile was on his face, and as soon as he noticed it, his expression returned to calm.

But even so, the light remained in his eyes, and his lips were slightly curved upward like the shadow of a smile.

Seeing that, the receptionist laughed lightly.

”I wonder what wonderful news made you show that expression.”

’No harm in telling her,’ Kyle thought as he replied.

”I can now afford Mia’s full treatment and move her to a better place without worrying about expenses.” His tone was filled with excitement as he summarized everything in one sentence.

The receptionist’s smile widened, her hands clapping without realizing it.

”Congratulations.”

”Go and tell Mia, don’t stand in front of me.” She urged him to hurry, and he responded.

Kyle nodded as he turned and headed toward his sister’s room.

Without realizing it, the wide smile returned to his face as he moved through the familiar corridor.

With every step he took toward Mia’s room, his heartbeat became faster and stronger...

Not like before.

Not because he did not know how to tell his little sister to endure the unbearable pain of that night.

Not because he had failed to obtain the medicine again.

No, but because he was happy this time... because he had achieved something that would change their lives.

He reached the door, placing his hand on the handle and turning it quickly before stepping inside.

His smile was at its peak, and he could barely hold back his joyful laughter.

”Mia...”

Kyle called his sister’s name the moment he stepped inside, his voice full of joy echoing through the small room.

”Mia... I won, just like I told you.”

The room was as usual, with good lighting and fresh air slipping through the open window while the curtains fluttered slightly with the breeze.

And there on the bed was Mia...

But this time, she was not holding the book in her small hands. Instead, it lay beside the bed while her beautiful eyes were closed and her hair spread across the pillow.

At that moment, Kyle heard a sound... a sound every living person knows.

A beeping sound.

A sharp, continuous beeping without interruption.

”Mia.”

He called her name again, hoping she was just asleep, but his voice drowned beneath the sound of the machines.

”Mia!” he shouted louder as he stepped toward the bed.

But even his scream was not heard against the sharp sound, and those straight lines on the screen beside the bed filled his vision.

At that moment, his thoughts stopped as new sounds entered the room.

He reached his hand toward his sister lying on the bed to wake her, but before his hand reached her, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and push him back away from the bed while the box slipped from his hand and hit the ground.

Something he had clung to throughout the journey here.

In front of him, several people in white coats appeared, rushing to examine his sister’s body.

One of them’s hand glowed as it was placed on the little girl’s chest, but to no avail.

’No... no... no...’

With every passing moment, the beeping sound grew louder while Kyle’s heart sank and despair took over him.

The air became heavy in his lungs as if he were drowning underwater and struggling to take each breath.

His strong knees trembled as they hit the ground with a dull sound while his vision distorted and filled with tears.

’Please... I beg you... no...’

Slowly, the doctors stopped moving, standing over the bed and staring at the lifeless girl on it before one of them turned and looked at Kyle lying on the ground, struggling to breathe.

From behind the mask on the doctor’s face, words echoed that shattered his mind.

”She is dead.”

At that moment, everything collapsed before him, and the room was filled with screams.

”No... no... no... you are lying... aaahhh...”

A loud, distorted scream that made it feel as if his throat would tear apart.

At the same time, the small bud inside the vase trembled, and the petals opened slightly while the ethereal blue light grew stronger.

Immersed in Kyle’s distorted screams and the beautiful light of the flower, the world began to distort and break around them.

In a single moment, everything changed.

Whether it was the room, the hospital, or even the people in it, everything disappeared.

And all that remained was Kyle.

But he was not crying...

And he was not the same Kyle.

Because he had changed.

Just as the world around him had changed and been rebuilt.

This time, he was not sixteen.

No, just a child of twelve years old.

This child walked through a narrow and damp alley under the dim light of lamps with a small bag in his hand.

He passed by some small plants that had grown at the edge of the alley without paying them any attention because exhaustion had already consumed him.

So he did not notice when he passed by that sky-blue flower that showed its first signs of blooming.