I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 452: [Nyrel Loyster] [Flashback] [9] ”Nyr?”

At the sound of his name, Nyr, and every person at his table, turned to face the speaker. It was a strikingly beautiful young woman, not much older than the rest of them, with a poise that turned heads. A group of people followed her. There were about ten of them in total, laughing and chatting as they approached, dressed in vibrant, expensive-looking clothing. Many had an effortless charm and confidence, the kind that made them look more like models than casual friends out for a hangout.

Ephera, seated beside Nyr, glanced at him curiously, noticing how his expression had shifted into something stiff and unreadable. ”You know her, Nyr?” 11

But Nyr didnʼt answer. Instead, his face betrayed a flicker of incredulity, as though he were struggling to accept the situation unfolding in front of him. ʼAre you kidding me?ʼ

The possibility of running into old classmates had always lingered at the back of his mind, but he hadnʼt expected it to happen tonight, nor in such an elaborate fashion. He looked over the newcomers again, his mind going through names he hadnʼt thought of in years. ʼSharon, Felix, Jeanne, Curtis...ʼ

He counted them off, squinting just to be sure. And there they were-his former classmates. Two of them he knew from middle school, the other two from high school. While he vaguely recognized a few faces in the group behind them, they faded into insignificance beside these four. ”N-Nyrel?” Felix was shocked. ”No way!” Sharonʼs friends whispered among themselves, her shock reflected in their wide- eyed glances. ”Is it really that Nyr? He looks so... different!”

Curtis arched an eyebrow. ”Wait... you know this guy?” He asked, looking mildly amused.

Sharon turned toward Curtis. ”Huh? You know him too?” ”Yeah,” Curtis replied, a small smirk playing on his lips as his gaze flicked to Jeanne. ”We went to high school together. Right, Jeanne?” ”...” Jeanne didnʼt answer looking at Nyr. ”Well, he was our classmate back in middle school,” Sharon added somewhat reluctant to speak. It was as if she were seeing a completely different person. In her memory, Nyr had been quiet, almost invisible, with slouched shoulders and unremarkable clothes. He was withdrawn, distant, wearing thick glasses that hid his eyes. She remembered the way he had silently accepted being overlooked, sometimes even mistreated-isolated yet always strangely resigned.

But Sharon was smart and saw beyond that facade he put in. Upon understanding who he truly was, she soon started falling for him almost magically but what happened after...

Sharon clenched her fists.

Tonight, there was nothing submissive or meek about him.

But the Nyr standing before her now was nothing like the boy she remembered. He had matured in all the right ways, his sharp jawline and straight gaze transforming him into someone genuinely handsome. The meekness, the tendency to shrink back-none of it was present anymore.

Sharon couldnʼt help but feel a pang of regret reminiscing. There had been rare moments in middle school when she had glimpsed hints of Nyrʼs true self. She had once yearned to see more of that side of him, but life had pulled them in different directions, worsened by her own actions and the distance they created.

It was equally shocking for Felix, Curtis, and Jeanne. For Curtis and Jeanne especially, who had seen him only three years prior, the transformation was almost shocking. If Sharon hadnʼt called him out, they wouldʼve brushed him off as a stranger.

The credit belonged mostly to Ephera, who had pushed Nyr out of his shadowed corner, insisting that he shed his gloomy outlook and stop caring about how others saw him. Sheʼd even urged him to change his style, ditching the nondescript clothing for something that highlighted his features. ”Whoa, talk about a crazy coincidence,” one of Sharonʼs friends said, laughing as she looked around the group. ”I didnʼt know weʼd all end up in the same college. And Nyr...who knew heʼd turn out to be this much of a hottie?”

The group, a lively, extroverted bunch, didnʼt filter their words as they exchanged surprised murmurs and laughs. ”Right?! Hey, Sharon, introduce me already!” One of the girls nudged her friend playfully. Sharon gave a tight, awkward smile, clearly caught off guard by her friendsʼ interest.

Curtis suddenly snickered. ”Whoa there, girls, donʼt get carried away,” he said, wagging a finger. ”He might look different now, but donʼt be fooled. Back in high school, he was a different guy entirely. In fact, he had a massive crush on Jeanne-” -Thud!

Curtisʼs words were cut short as Nyr suddenly stood, the force of his chair against the ground silencing the chatter at the table. The room seemed to hold its breath as Nyrʼs gaze swept over them all. It wasnʼt embarrassment that had caused him to react-he no longer felt tethered to his past.

He looked at Felix, then shifted his attention to Emric and Yanis, two of his closest friends who had stood by him during these last years and didnʼt betray him at last.

Felix averted his gaze under Nyrʼs penetrating green eyes.

Then Nyrʼs gaze lingered on Jeanne, who hadnʼt said a word so far, her expression unreadable. Finally, he turned to Ephera, who was a bit concerned.

He had everything he needed now. Friends who saw him for who he was, perhaps even a soon- to-be girlfriend in Ephera. His past, once filled with painful memories, no longer mattered. High school and middle school, didnʼt matter anymore. He didnʼt need to look back-except perhaps for one regretful thought of Naomi, the girl he had hurt in his childhood.

But that, too, was only a distant memory. ”What?” Curtis tried again, letting out a scoffing laugh. ”Are you running away now, Nyr? Thought youʼd changed, but I guess some things never do.” ”Oi.”

The dismissive drawl came from a brown-skinned man lounging at the table with an air of utter indifference. Yanis, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal a hint of his tattoos, gave Curtis a look of disdain. ”Can you shut the hell up?” Yanis said.

Curtisʼs eyebrows arched as he turned to face him. ”... What did you just say?” ”You heard me, Flash Thompson,” Yanis replied, his eyes narrowing.

A few soft snickers rang out, barely stifled by Marlene and Gladys, while Shayna and Lucy quickly turned their faces, hiding the amused smiles tugging at their lips. The nickname hit its mark perfectly. Curtisʼs face flushed red as he heard a few of his own friends stifling laughs. ”Are you here to eat or just to embarrass yourselves?” Emric added with an unimpressed glance, shooing them away with his hand. ”Didnʼt know Nyrʼs old classmates were weirdos.” Curtis, however, only chuckled in response, refusing to back down. ”Wow, Nyr, hiding behind your new ʼfriendsʼ now?” Hee taunted, his gaze zeroing in on Nyr with a smirk. ”Itʼs cute that youʼve made some, but I hope youʼve at least been honest with them about who you really are.”

Nyrʼs eyes narrowed as he turned back toward Curtis. He closed the distance between them, standing just a foot away, and suddenly Curtis felt the need to square his shoulders. This wasnʼt the Nyr he remembered, a taller, more imposing presence loomed before him.

That was the Nyr Ephera had brought and shaped how he was truly supposed to be. ”Told them what, Curtis?” Nyr asked.

Curtis, managing to collect himself, sneered. ”About how you stalked Jeanne. We found your phone back then, remember? Checked it ourselves and saw everything-”

Curtisʼs voice faltered as he caught the faint smile on Nyrʼs face. It wasnʼt the smile of someone embarrassed or flustered; it was one of quiet disdain. ”Still clinging to that story, huh?” Nyr said, raising an eyebrow. ”Itʼs been three years, Curtis.

And you still havenʼt let it go?”

Curtisʼs sneer faded as he processed the change in Nyrʼs tone. ”Well, if youʼre so set on that little lie, sure. Letʼs say I stalked Jeanne. Now, what are you planning to do about it?” Nyr asked, hands in his pockets, almost amused, as he took a step closer, bringing them inches apart.

Curtisʼs smirk evaporated as he involuntarily stepped back. For a moment, the tables around them fell silent, all eyes turning toward Nyr. ”What are you going to do, Curtis?” Nyr repeated, pushing lightly against Curtisʼs chest with two fingers, watching as the other man instinctively staggered back. Curtisʼs face went blank for a moment wondering if it was truly Nyr in front of him. ”Go to the police, maybe? Or keep feeding Jeanne these same old stories?” Nyrʼs voice dropped, cold and unimpressed, as he glanced briefly at Jeanne, who remained quiet. ”Feels like nothingʼs changed on your end in the past three years. But as you can see-” his gaze returned to Curtis with a bored expression. ”I have no reason to care about your games anymore.” ”You bastard!” Curtisʼs fist shot forward, but Nyr moved swiftly, tilting his head aside, letting the punch glide past. Before Curtis could regain his balance, Nyr shoved him back, hard, right in the chest. -Thud!

Curtis went crashing into the table behind him, sprawling over plates and drinks, food tumbling onto his lap. A hush fell over the room, broken only by the clinking of glass and the shuffling of chairs as others around them shifted back in surprise. ”H-Hey, Nyr, come on, man,” Felix stepped in, trying to reach out, his hand hovering to pat Nyrʼs chest. But Nyrʼs gaze was cold, and his hand came up to slap Felixʼs away before it even landed. ”Donʼt touch me,” Nyrʼs voice was chillingly cold making Felix flinch. ”Hey!” Sharon snapped angrily as she stepped forward.

Nyr turned to her and it silenced her immediately.

With a final contemptuous glance down at Curtis, who was seething as he tried to pull himself up, Nyr reached for his coat and bag. Without another word, he turned and strode toward the door. ”Nyr!” Ephera called, following him. She shot a final glance at the group that had caused the scene, her usually soft blue eyes darkened. ”Donʼt ever come near him again. Any of you.” ”Tch. Came here to eat, and this is what we get?” Yanis stood up, scoffing, his annoyance visible as he threw a hard look at Curtis and his friends. But the fact that he, too, left as soon as Nyr did spoke volumes about where his annoyance was directed to.

One by one, the others got up to leave, their expressions cold. Gladys, pausing for a moment as she passed, cast a final look at Curtis. He sat with his head lowered, shoulders tense and fists clenched, though it seemed more in shame than anger. Her brows furrowed briefly before she, too, turned away, leaving him surrounded by the silence of his own humiliation. ... ”Nyr!” Ephera called out as he left the restaurant, tugging on his coat against the chill in the evening air. Her voice caught him mid-step, but he didnʼt turn around.

His mood was really dark.

Curtisʼs presence was like a bruise from his past that had been struck again, raw and fresh. Of all the people he despised, Curtis and Leon Grimlock sat at the top. Jayce, by comparison, seemed almost harmless. Curtis, however, had made his high school years a waking hell. Only Chloe had kept him steady through those times. ”Nyr!” Ephera hurried toward him, catching hold of his sleeve. The gentle but insistent pull made him stop in his tracks. ”Iʼm heading home,” he said. ”Look at me!” ”No.” ”Yes, you will.” Epheraʼs grip tightened as she gave his arm a firm tug, forcing him to face her.

Nyrʼs expression, when he finally turned, silenced her. His usual annoyance was there, but a flicker of weariness softened the edge. His gaze was distant, tinged with irritation and resignation.

She could sense his doubt, the way he seemed to wonder if he could ever truly leave his past behind. Today, Curtis had resurfaced like a specter from that difficult time, reminding him of years filled with quiet suffering. And what if others returned as well?

He had enough of that.

He just wanted to turn a new leaf in his life.

Epheraʼs blue eyes softened as she lifted her hand, her fingers cool against his cheeks as she cupped his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. ”I donʼt care about what happened, or what will happen because of your past,” she said softly. |||| ”All that matters to me,” Ephera continued, a warm smile spreading across her breathtaking face, ”is who you are becoming, Nyr. And what I see is the strongest, most amazing man in the universe.” ”You have a way with words,” Nyr smiled a little, his gaze dropping as he looked down at her. It was a smile he would rarely show to anyone.

Ephera tilted her head with a playful glint in her eye, letting her black hair cascade over her shoulder. ”I know,” she nodded with a small smile. ”And thatʼs exactly why Iʼll make sure youʼre the happiest man in the world.”

Nyr scoffed a little averting his gaze from her. ”If this is just another ploy to satisfy your fatherʼs twisted ambitions, then Iʼm rejecting you right here and now.”

Ephera giggled softly looking up at him. ”Is it?”