A Psychopath Reborn as a Third-rate Villain

The grand theater hall gradually darkened.

A hush fell over the audience as the enchanted crystal screen illuminated the room with a soft silver glow.

Andras and Evelyne sat together in one of the private noble viewing chambers overlooking the stage below.

The title of the moving picture play slowly appeared.

Portrait of the Forgotten Moon.

The story began.

A poor painter living in a forgotten kingdom discovered an ancient enchanted portrait hidden inside the ruins of a noble estate. Within the painting existed the image of a beautiful woman with silver hair and melancholic eyes.

At first, he believed she was merely an illusion.

Until she spoke.

The woman explained that she had been trapped within the portrait for centuries, existing only as a fragment of a soul long since lost to history.

As the years passed, the painter returned to the portrait every night.

They spoke.

They laughed.

Eventually, they fell in love.

The moving picture play continued depicting their growing bond through magical conversations, paintings, songs, and countless promises that could never be fulfilled.

Then came the truth.

The woman had died over three hundred years ago.

The portrait contained only the final remnant of her existence.

And the only way to release her soul and allow her to rest peacefully...

Was to destroy the portrait forever.

The final scene showed the painter smiling through tears as he shattered the enchanted painting with his own hands.

The woman smiled back one final time.

Then she disappeared.

The screen faded to black.

The theater remained silent.

Several audience members quietly wiped tears from their eyes.

Even Evelyne appeared completely captivated by the story.

Meanwhile, Andras sat calmly in his seat.

Honestly...

He found it rather boring.

Not terrible.

Just predictable.

The moment the story introduced a mysterious woman trapped inside an ancient portrait, he had already guessed it would end as a tragic romance.

Still...

He had to admit it was more creative than he had expected.

Eventually, the audience began to leave the theater.

Soft conversations filled the hall.

Many nobles discussed the emotional ending while others praised the actors and magical effects used throughout the performance.

Andras and Evelyne left as well.

Soon, they returned to their carriage.

The horses began moving once again through the streets of Ravenhold.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then Andras glanced toward Evelyne.

”Did you enjoy the play, Mother?”

Evelyne smiled faintly.

”I did.”

She leaned back comfortably against her seat.

”It was one of the finest moving picture plays I’ve seen in years.”

Then she looked at him.

”What about you?”

Andras shrugged.

”It was my first time watching one.”

”And?”

”I found it boring.”

For the first time since leaving the theater, Evelyne looked genuinely surprised.

”Boring?”

She laughed softly.

”When we were leaving, everyone was praising it. Even I thought it was excellent.”

Her blue eyes narrowed with amusement.

”What exactly did you find boring?”

Andras considered the question.

”The story didn’t offer much.”

He spoke casually.

”The ending was predictable.”

Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

”I think I could create a better moving picture play.”

Evelyne stared at him for several seconds.

Then she laughed.

A genuine laugh.

”Really?”

”You believe you could create a better one?”

Andras nodded.

”Probably.”

”Then tell me.”

She crossed her arms.

”I want to hear this masterpiece.”

Andras remained silent for several moments.

Inside his mind, countless stories from his previous life surfaced one after another.

Fantasy.

Science fiction.

Psychological thrillers.

Then, suddenly—

A particular film came to mind.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Interesting.

It could work.

He simply needed to adapt it to this world’s magic system.

”Give me five minutes,” he said.

Evelyne smiled faintly and leaned back against the carriage seat.

”I’ll wait.”

The carriage continued moving through the streets of Ravenhold.

Outside, merchants called out to customers while the sounds of the city drifted through the windows.

Inside, however, Andras’s thoughts moved elsewhere.

Dreams.

Magic.

Layers of reality.

Yes.

That would work.

Several minutes later, he finally spoke.

”The title of the moving picture play is...”

He paused briefly.

’The Dreamweaver’s Labyrinth.’

Evelyne raised an eyebrow.

”An unusual title.”

Andras nodded.

”It takes place in the world of Elarion.”

He leaned back slightly before continuing.

”In Elarion, dreams are not merely illusions.”

”They are a hidden dimension known as the Astral Sea.”

His voice remained calm.

”Within the Astral Sea, memories, emotions, and even souls take physical form.”

”There exist powerful mages known as Dreamweavers who possess a forbidden ability.”

”They can enter another person’s dreams.”

”And manipulate them.”

Evelyne’s expression gradually shifted from amusement to interest.

Andras continued.

”The protagonist is Kael Veyrath.”

”A legendary Dreamweaver.”

”He once served the Empire as a spy.”

”A mind thief.”

”Someone capable of stealing secrets directly from another person’s consciousness.”

He paused.

”But years ago, Kael’s wife, Seraphina, became trapped within the deepest layer of the Astral Sea during a mission.”

”No one ever found her.”

”Since then, Kael has abandoned his former life.”

”He lives in isolation.”

”Haunted by dreams and memories of the woman he failed to save.”

The carriage grew quieter.

Even Evelyne stopped interrupting.

”One day,” Andras continued, ”the Crown Princess secretly approaches Kael with an impossible mission.”

”She doesn’t want him to steal information.”

”She wants him to plant an idea.”

Evelyne blinked.

”Plant an idea?”

Andras nodded.

”Into the mind of Prince Aldric.”

”The heir to the rival Kingdom of Vespera.”

”And the idea itself is simple.”

He looked toward her.

’End the Eternal War.’

Silence.

Evelyne slowly leaned forward.

Andras continued.

”To accomplish this, Kael assembles a team of elite Dreamweavers.”

He raised a finger.

”Lyra.”

”An illusion architect.”

”She can create entire dream cities.”

A second finger.

”Dorian.”

”A memory forger.”

”He can alter a person’s memories and rewrite their past experiences.”

A third.

”Selene.”

”A spirit medium.”

”She protects dream travelers from nightmares and hostile entities.”

A fourth.

”Garrick.”

”A battle mage.”

”He safeguards the group when dreams become violent.”

The carriage continued moving through Ravenhold’s streets.

Yet neither of them noticed.

”The mission begins.”

”The team enters Prince Aldric’s mind.”

”But to plant an idea deep enough to change a person’s beliefs, they must descend through multiple layers of the Astral Sea.”

Andras’s voice remained calm.

”The first layer resembles reality.”

”The second layer becomes stranger.”

”The third layer twists memories.”

”And the deeper they descend...”

”The less certain they become of what is real.”

He looked out the carriage window.

”And time behaves differently in each layer.”

”One hour in reality becomes several days in the first dream.”

”Years in the second.”

”And centuries in the deepest layer.”

For the first time since Andras began speaking, Evelyne looked genuinely astonished.

”Centuries?”

Andras nodded.

”To the dreamers, yes.”

He continued.

”As the mission progresses, Kael discovers something horrifying.”

”Seraphina...”

His voice lowered slightly.

”May still exist.”

”Not as a memory.”

”Not as an illusion.”

”But as a living consciousness trapped within the deepest layer of the Astral Sea.”

Evelyne stared at him.

”So he tries to save her?”

”Yes.”

”And that decision threatens everything.”

Andras folded his hands.

”The deeper Kael descends in search of Seraphina, the more unstable reality becomes.”

”The minds of his companions begin collapsing.”

”Dreams merge with memories.”

”Memories become reality.”

”And reality itself begins to disappear.”

He paused.

”The final act takes place within the Labyrinth of Forgotten Souls.”

”The deepest and most forbidden layer of the Astral Sea.”

”A place where dreams become reality.”

”And reality becomes dreams.”

The carriage had become completely silent.

Even the guards outside could no longer be heard.

”There,” Andras said quietly, ”Kael finally finds Seraphina.”

”She is alive.”

”Or perhaps she only believes she is alive.”

”He doesn’t know.”

”No one does.”

Evelyne didn’t speak.

She simply listened.

”Kael eventually faces a choice.”

”The planted idea inside Prince Aldric’s mind will end a war that has lasted for a thousand years.”

”But to complete the mission...”

He looked directly at Evelyne.

”He must abandon Seraphina forever.”

Another moment of silence passed.

”And what does he choose?” she asked softly.

Andras smiled faintly.

”That depends on the viewer.”

Evelyne blinked.

”What?”

”The final scene begins.”

Andras continued.

”Kael awakens.”

”He returns home.”

”He sees the world.”

”Everything appears normal.”

”He reaches into his pocket and removes a magical crystal spinner.”

He slowly mimicked placing it onto a table.

”A Dreamweaver’s crystal.”

”It spins forever inside dreams.”

”But eventually stops in reality.”

He looked at Evelyne.

”Kael places it on the table.”

”The crystal spins.”

”And spins.”

”And spins.”

His voice grew quieter.

”Kael watches.”

”The audience watches.”

”The crystal continues spinning.”

Then Andras leaned back.

”And before anyone sees whether it stops...”

”The screen fades to black.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Evelyne stared at him.

For several moments, she said nothing.

The carriage continued moving through the capital city.

Yet she barely noticed.

Finally, she exhaled.

”That’s...”

She searched for the right word.

”Incredible.”

A faint smile touched Andras’s lips.

”But the ending...”

She frowned.

”It doesn’t explain anything.”

”Exactly.”

She looked at him.

”Then what is the correct answer?”

Andras gazed through the carriage window.

”The ending can be interpreted in two ways.”

He raised one finger.

”Kael escaped.”

A second.

”Or Kael never escaped at all.”

Evelyne remained silent.

”Then which one is true?” she asked.

Andras turned toward her.

”The moving picture play was never asking whether Kael escaped.”

He smiled.

”The real question is this.”

His voice became softer.

”If a dream feels completely real...”

”And if that dream gives you happiness...”

”Does the difference between dream and reality still matter?”

For the first time since the conversation began—

Evelyne had no answer.

She simply looked at her son.

And wondered how someone his age could create a story like that.