I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 465: [Event] [Elven Utopian War] [7] Amaelʼs Wishful Dream

How long has it been?

I couldnʼt tell if I was awake or trapped somewhere between dreams and reality. My eyes felt open-or so I thought-but nothing around me looked or felt real.

Silence surrounded me, deep and oppressive, as if the world had vanished entirely. I was drowning. The icy grip of the ocean clung to my body, wrapping me in its embrace. Saltwater seeped into my mouth and burned my eyes, making me flinch. It was unbearable, and yet, strangely, the weightless sensation of being submerged dulled the agony of the wound in my chest.

That bastard... Durathiel.

Heʼd nearly killed me. No-he had killed me.

Or was I alive?

I wasnʼt sure anymore. The memory of his strike played over and over in my mind. Iʼd seen my life flash before my eyes.

But wait...

Why am I thinking like this?

As if Iʼm fine?

Iʼm not fine.

Iʼm going to die here, arenʼt I?

Cleenah.

I called out silently, desperately. ʼAre you there?ʼ

Nothing. No response. No comforting voice. Just silence. Was she even able to hear me? Or was I beyond her reach now?

I didnʼt even know if I was alive anymore. Maybe I was already dead.

No.

It canʼt end like this.

I clenched my fists-or tried to, but my body refused to obey me. I couldnʼt feel anything anymore. Not my hands, not my legs, not even the pain in my chest.

I canʼt die.

Not like this.

There was so much left undone, so much left unseen, unfelt. There were people I needed to protect, promises I had yet to fulfill.

As my consciousness began to slip away, my vision blurred into a haze of dark blues and greens. Through the murkiness, something massive loomed in the distance, cutting through the water with terrifying speed.

Something big was swimming straight toward me.

Great.

Eaten by a shark.

I closed my eyes, letting the darkness take me. ... -

I had a dream.

It was unlike any dream I had ever experienced.

I saw myself—a bit older, and different in ways I couldnʼt quite define. Standing by my side were familiar faces: Layla, Miranda, Cleenah, Mary, and even Ephera. I couldnʼt make out her features, but it was her. It had to be her. She reached out a hand toward me, her voice calling my name, warmly with that smile of her.

Behind them, I saw more people-so many more. My family. My parents from both worlds stood together, united in a way that defied logic. Chloe and Elona were there too.

Elona was clinging to my arm like the spoiled sister she was.

Chloe was complaining to me about something pointing her finger to me before crossing her arms. What a tsundere sister she was though...

Oh...even Louisa was there...alive.

She nodded her head at me, showing me a smile I had rarely seen on her face.

My childhood friends filled the scene, their laughter ringing like distant echoes from a time Iʼd nearly forgotten. Friends from Earth-faces I hadnʼt seen in what felt like lifetimes- joined them.

And Naomi... Naomi was there too strangely maybe because of the guilt I felt toward her. She appeared as a child, frozen in time, the way she had been in my last memories of her. She was waving her hand at me.

I wonder if she ever forgave me, I suppose not...

I knew it was all an illusion, a cruel trick of a dying mind. And yet, as I stood amidst the impossible gathering, a strange warmth blossomed in my chest.

For just a moment, I let myself believe it.

I let myself imagine a world where all these people, from both my lives, could exist together.

A world where there had been no wars, no betrayals, no bloodshed.

If only things had unfolded peacefully in both worlds.

If only Edward and Nyr hadnʼt been forced to merge into one. If only I could know, truly know, that the people I cared about were safe and happy.

It would have been enough for either part of me.

But it was just a dream-a fleeting, impossible dream. ”You are pathetic.”

Suddenly a shadowed figure said standing apart from this dream.

I couldnʼt say whether it was a woman or a man but the figureʼs eyes were looking at me with unmasked disdain.

What the hell are you saying?

I recognized that gaze but couldnʼt quite remember.

And as I reached out toward that person, my vision faded into nothingness. Darkness claimed me once more. *** ”Ugh...” I groaned as my eyes fluttered open, my vision greeted by the jagged contours of a rocky ceiling.

The throbbing in my head was quickly overshadowed by a sharp jolt coursing through my body, like an electric shock rattling every nerve. I instinctively sat up, but the movement sent waves of pain crashing over me. It felt as if every inch of my body had been battered, broken, and barely stitched back together.

Grimacing, I clutched my chest, only to hiss in pain as my fingers brushed against the tender, bandaged skin. Blood seeped through the makeshift wrappings, staining them with crimson streaks. My abrupt movements had reopened the wounds.

My gaze lowered, and I noticed I was topless, my torso covered in bandages that bore evidence of a hurried attempt to save my life. ”Where... am I?” My voice cracked as I struggled to sit upright. But before I could gather my thoughts, a tremor ran through me a deep, resonant vibration that started in my chest and rippled outward. ”Argh!” I collapsed onto the dirt floor, clutching at my chest as searing pain radiated through me. My body writhed against the cold cold ground.

It was the wound-Durathielʼs attack.

My nails clawed at the dirt as I fought the waves of torment. It felt like fire lancing through my veins, growing in intensity until it became almost unbearable.

The pain reached a crescendo, and for a moment, I thought my heart might give out. My breath hitched, my chest heaving as tears of pain welled in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks.

I couldnʼt endure this much longer. It was the same excruciating level of pain Iʼd felt when receiving my Legacies-only this time, it was concentrated, sharper, and striking directly at my heart.

I was losing the fight. My vision blurred, and my mind teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

But then, warmth.

Arms encircled me from behind, pulling me into an embrace. A divine scent enveloped me, one I would recognize anywhere. ”C-Cleenah?” I rasped, hardly. ”Itʼs fine,” she murmured softly. ”Iʼm dying here...” I gritted my teeth against the lingering pain. ”It will be gone soon,” she said gently, holding me tighter.

And she was right. Slowly, the unbearable pain ebbed, receding like a tide. Her presence seemed to absorb the agony, leaving a sense of peace in its wake. My tense body relaxed, leaning into her embrace.

Moments passed, and finally, the pain disappeared entirely.

I exhaled shakily, exhaustion overtaking me. ”Isnʼt it risky for you to hang around outside like this?” I asked weakly, glancing back at her. ”...”

She didnʼt reply, her expression unreadable as arms remained securely around me. ”You saved me again, didnʼt you?” I asked. ”No,” Cleenah said, shaking her head. ”Huh?” Confusion flickered across my face. ”Then how am I still alive? The last thing I remember is drowning and...” My voice trailed off as I struggled to recall the details, but my memory was hazy, fragmented.

I mean I was drowning. Before Cleenah could respond, a figure appeared at the entrance of the rocky cave.

It was a girl, stepping in from the sea. Her blond hair clung to her face and shoulders, drenched from the water, and her light blue eyes shimmered like sunlight reflected on a calm ocean.

She looked impossibly young-no older than twelve, I guessed. Yet there was something unearthly about her presence, something that set her apart from an ordinary child. When her gaze met mine, her light blue eyes widened in surprise, and she froze in place.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, neither of us daring to break the silence.

There was something strangely familiar about her. I couldnʼt place it. Was it real, or just a trick of my disoriented mind?

Her gaze wavered, her eyes quivering as though fighting back an unspoken emotion. Then, she clenched her fists and spoke in a quiet voice. ”Youʼre awake...” She muttered. ”Yeah...” I managed, pushing myself up with trembling arms. ”Youʼre the one who saved me?”

I glanced around, noticing that Cleenah had disappeared. It wasnʼt unusual for her to vanish without a word, but her absence left me feeling oddly exposed.

The girl gave a small nod in response to my question. ”Thanks,” I said, tilting my head to study her. ”But... who are you exactly?”

She didnʼt answer immediately.

Was she just someone swimming by who happened to spot me drowning? Or was there something more to her sudden appearance?

Before I could press further, the girl reached for the hem of her wet dress and, to my utter shock, began removing it. ”Seriously?” I blurted, averting my gaze so quickly I nearly gave myself whiplash.

This had to be some sort of misunderstanding. I glanced at the rocky walls before the FBI knocked on my doors, that was the typical comment that useless system Jarvis might have given. I shook my head, suppressing the thought.

Still, I couldnʼt help but notice something unsettlingly mature about her demeanor, despite her youthful appearance.

And there was no denying her outstanding beauty for her young age. I had to admit I was attracted to her but not that way at all. It wasnʼt the kind of attraction that stirred a manʼs heart toward a woman...it was something deeper that I couldnʼt quite define. When I cautiously glanced back, she was no longer undressed. She had slipped into what looked like a simple nightgown, the fabric swaying as she moved. Without a word, she crossed the cave to a small fire pit that was already prepared and lit it.

The flames crackled to life, their warm glow reflecting in her eyes as she sat on a nearby rock.

For a moment, she stared into the fire, her features softened by its light.

Then, at last, she spoke. ”Vina.”