I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 400  Confronting Nihil [1]

”Whereʼs your new girlfriend?” Victor asked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

For once, he wasnʼt sticking close to Selene, who was sitting nearby, enjoying a meal with her sister, Elizabeth. With Selene occupied, Victor had decided to eat with me instead. John was also at our table, though his attention was divided as Amelia a little away with Celeste and Cylien. The three of them giggled softly, occasionally glancing in our direction. I couldnʼt help but wonder what they were whispering about.

But Victorʼs question made me grimace. ”Sheʼs not my girlfriend,” I replied, a little too defensively. ”Sheʼs just a friend of my sisterʼs, and Iʼm helping her get comfortable around the academy and socialize. Not an easy task with all the dimwits around here.”

I glanced at John, hoping for some backup since he knew Myrcella from the Game, but of course, my brother-in-law wasnʼt one to pass up an opportunity to insult me.

”You? Helping her socialize?” He shot back with a smirk.

Ever since he started dating Amelia, John had become even more insufferable. As Laylaʼs fiancé, I should have been pleased that he was sticking close to her like a protective shadow, but I couldnʼt shake the irritation of not having any of my own lovers nearby.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that it was just a few more months until the Utopian War and the last Events. Then, with the conclusion of the Second Game, I would finally be able to see my girlfriend again.

Victor suddenly leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. ”By the way, guys, I could use some advice.”

”About what?” I asked curiously, as I sipped my water. Wasnʼt he already glued to Seleneʼs side like a lovesick puppy? The couple seemed perfect already.

”Itʼs about our first night together.”

”Pfff!”

I choked on my water, nearly spraying it across the table. Unfortunately, I wasnʼt quick enough to stop a few drops from hitting the man seated directly in front of us. John, who had narrowly dodged the spray by tilting his head, glared at me coldly.

Victor, oblivious to the mess Iʼd just made, offered a hasty apology to the man behind John. ”Sorry about that!”

”Itʼs just an elf. No need to apologize,” I shrugged it off, more focused on Victorʼs words. ”But what did you just say?”

The group of elves at the next table shot me dirty looks, but I was too curious about Victorʼs situation to care.

”Yeah, itʼs about Selene,” Victor continued, clearly nervous. ”She asked me to spend the night with her this weekend, and Iʼm kind of freaking out. Weʼve always hung out during the day, so I have no idea what to expect.”

John and I exchanged a look of exasperation. Was that what he meant by ʼfirst nightʼ? I sighed in relief, realizing that Iʼd panicked for nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. At least I managed to humiliate another elf in the process.

”What are you nervous about? Itʼs Selene weʼre talking about. You could take her to the slums, and sheʼd still be thrilled just because sheʼs with you,” I scoffed, not entirely joking.

Victor groaned, clearly not amused by my teasing. ”Come on, man! I need some real help here!” He then turned his pleading gaze toward John, as if expecting him to be the voice of reason.

I couldnʼt help but smirk, knowing full well how futile that would be. ”Forget about this guy,” I began, intending to downplay Johnʼs abilities. ”He barely knows how to—”

”Walk, games, shopping, movie, dinner, and a final night stroll in a nice place like a garden?” John interrupted, listing off date ideas as if he had them all memorized.

Victor and I were both struck speechless.

”Thank God! John, youʼre a lifesaver!” Victor exclaimed relieved.

I just stared at John, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. ”Of course youʼre the expert!” Victor continued, his admiration for John only growing. ”Youʼre always out with Amelia, and youʼve got way more experience!”

Each of those words cut into me like a knife.

Expert. Going out. More experience. All things I lacked.

He was right, though. Iʼd never really had a proper date with Layla or Miranda. The only one Iʼd come close with was Ephera back on Earth, but we were both too weird to ever truly confess our feelings. We acted like lovers, sure, but it was never official.

Yeah, we were weirdos.

John, sensing my discomfort, just shrugged, though the smug look on his face was impossible to miss. ”Just helping a friend. Let me know if you need more advice.”

”Definitely, man! So, how was your first date?” Victor wasnʼt finished as he asked.

I could see where this was heading—a long, drawn-out conversation between two guys comparing notes on their girlfriends and romantic experiences. The thought of sticking around for that made me cringe.

”Iʼm finished,” I muttered, pushing away my plate as I stood up. I couldnʼt stand the idea of listening to them go on about it.

”Werenʼt you nervous? I was when I was with Selene a lot,” Victor called after me.

”Nervous? Not really. But Amelia was,” John replied, a little too casually.

Not really my ass!

He was the one who called me at 3 AM, frantically asking for advice on what to do!

And Amelia? Nervous? Not in the slightest. She was as confident and assertive as Celeste when it came to that sort of thing.

Neither of them paid any attention to me as I stood there, which only added to my irritation. ”Have a nice meal, guys,” I grumbled, turning away and heading to dispose of my plate.

I hadnʼt expected to feel this grumpy about it, but the truth was hard to ignore. Knowing I had a girlfriend I couldnʼt see or touch was frustrating, to say the least. It was a unique situation, one that left me feeling more isolated than I cared to admit.

As I walked away, my gaze drifted toward Celeste. She was laughing with Amelia and Cylien, completely at ease. As if sensing my eyes on her, she looked up, surprised at first, but then offered me a grin.

This was bad. I could feel myself becoming more and more conscious of her, and that was a complication I wasnʼt ready to deal with.

I walked through the corridors, my thoughts stubbornly returning to that kiss with Celeste, a moment that was likely nothing more than an accident. But no matter how hard I tried to dismiss it, the memory lingered.

”Huh?”

As I took another step, the world around me shifted abruptly. The familiar surroundings of the academyʼs corridors vanished, replaced by a blinding expanse of pure white. It was a sight I knew all too well, one that came with an equally familiar presence behind me.

”Nevia?” I called out, turning around. But it wasnʼt Nevia standing there.

Instead, it was a man, one who bore a striking resemblance to her. But something deeper, perhaps instinct, told me who he truly was.

”Nihil…”

A smile spread across Nihilʼs face as he nodded. ”You recognized me.”

It was really him, the being I had only heard about, but never seen in person until now. ”What do you want?” I asked, my voice cold and guarded. ”After all this time, after being silent for so long, why are you showing up now?”

”You donʼt trust me, do you?” Nihil chuckled, his tone light, almost amused.

”Do I really need to answer that?” I shot back. ”Youʼre the one who brought me into this world and saddled me with Jarvis to seal my memories. You promised Iʼd find Ephera here, but I havenʼt seen her. I havenʼt even found a clue about where she might be.”

Nihilʼs expression remained calm, though there was a hint of understanding in his eyes. ”I can understand your anger, but I didnʼt lie about Ephera. Sheʼs in this world.”

”Where?” I asked, feeling my heart pound.

Nihil held my gaze. ”Iʼm not the one who should tell you where she is. If you truly want to see her again, you will find her.”

I clenched my fists, the urge to punch him surging within me, but I managed to hold back. There was no point in lashing out, not when I might finally get some answers.

”Then what do you want?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface.

”Donʼt you have questions after everything thatʼs happened to you recently?” Nihil asked genuinely puzzled by my reluctance.

I snorted, of course I had questions, too many to count.

”Will you answer them?”

”It doesnʼt hurt to ask,” Nihil replied, that infuriating smile still playing on his lips.

Despite my annoyance, I couldnʼt let this chance slip away. I took a deep breath, knowing exactly what I needed to know first.

”Who is Samael?”

Nihilʼs chuckle echoed in the white void around us. ”I saw that coming.”

A heavy silence fell between us before he finally spoke.

”Samael, also known as Samael Eveningstar, is one of the three sons of the Mother of All, Ymir,” he began before his white eyes warmer than Neviaʼs focused on my face.

”He is also the younger brother of Eden Silverstar and Lucifer Morningstar.”