I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 557 557: Claudiaʼs Last Prophecy

”Fine,” I said.” But mark my words again—one day, you will all come crawling back to me. And when that day comes,” all emotions vanished from my face. ”I hope you remember the words you spoke today.”

Without another glance, I turned on my heel and strode out of the room.

[]

Cleenah asked.

”Not exactly...” I muttered, furrowing my brows.

I had anticipated their anger. I had expected punishment. But complete and permanent banishment from Sancta Vedelia?

And then there was Duncan Tepes.

He had not broken the engagement—yet he still cast me out of his territory.

The only logical explanation was that he wished to maintain a connection with me, knowing full well that I was now the Guardian of the new Tree.

[]

Cleenah posed an excellent question.

But fortunately, I had an answer.

Victor was still there. Through him, I could find a way.

And as for the resurrection of Anna and Samara? I no longer needed Edenʼs Tree.

After all, I had another Tree at my disposal now.

I waited outside in silence, expecting Christina to be the first to leave. Instead, the door swung open, and Claudia stepped out.

I let out a quiet groan and turned my gaze away, hoping she would ignore me, but Claudia strode directly toward me. She stopped just in front of me, her crimson eyes locked onto mine.

”What do you want?” I asked, not hiding my growing annoyance.

Claudia met my gaze with equal frost. ”Leave Sancta Vedelia today.”

I blinked, caught off guard. ”What?”

”You heard me,” she said. ”Get out of Sancta Vedelia.”

My eyes narrowed, and a short, bitter laugh escaped me. ”You hate me that much?”

”I do,” she said without hesitation, ”but thatʼs not the main reason Iʼm telling you to leave.”

I scoffed. ”Then what? Youʼre that impatient? You canʼt even wait for a month? Iʼll be gone by then.”

That was the sentence, after all—banishment. Iʼd have to leave anyway. I could return to Celesta… or maybe not.

Charles Celesta had banned me from there as well.

My fingers curled into tight fists, anger bubbling beneath my skin.

What the hell did I do wrong?

I killed a damn traitor. I gave people a chance to survive. I tried to help millions, and this was my reward?

”I received a prophecy a day ago. It was my last prophecy.”

At that, my irritation dimmed, replaced by wary curiosity. A prophecy. That meant it wasnʼt just some personal grudge—this was something bigger.

”What prophecy?” I asked, my tone shifting to something more serious.

Claudia didnʼt answer right away. Instead, she raised her hand toward me, and a soft, white glow enveloped her fingers before shooting toward me.

The moment the light touched me, my vision blurred.

”...!”

The world around me twisted, and suddenly, I wasnʼt standing outside anymore.

The stench of burning flesh filled my lungs, thick and suffocating. My ears rang with distant, agonized screams.

I blinked rapidly as images flashed before me, one after another, each more horrifying than the last.

Central Vedelia lay in ruins.

Buildings had crumbled into piles of smoldering rubble. Bodies were scattered across the streets, their lifeless forms twisted in unnatural angles. Others lay charred beyond recognition, burned to mere husks.

And then, amidst the devastation, my gaze caught something even worse—something unmistakable in my eyes.

Vysindraʼs Fire.

It devoured everything in sight, raging uncontrollably across the city, turning what remained into an unholy inferno.

People writhed on the ground, their bodies turned to crisps as the flames consumed them. Others still burned, their tortured screams piercing the air frightening the others.

I froze.

This wasnʼt just destruction.

This was annihilation.

”W—What have you done…?”

A voice trembled. I turned toward the source and widened my eyes.

It was my mother.

She stood there, cradling an unconscious boy in her arms. He had white hair—just like mine though I couldnʼt make out his face. Was he younger or older? I had no idea but I could feel his faint mana similar to Alea and Kleines.

Beside her, Christina stood rigid, her lips trembling, her expression unreadable. Fear? Anguish? I couldnʼt tell. Around them, other figures lingered in the background, their faces blurred, yet all their gazes were fixed elsewhere.

My eyes followed theirs.

And then—I froze.

There, on the ground, was me.

I stood, drenched in blood, my clothes torn and body battered. Deep cracks ran along my skin like shattered porcelain. Then, my arm crumbled, turning to dust before my eyes and Trinity Nihil in its grasp fell on the ground.

I watched as my own amber eyes now dark and hollow, stared back at them—at my mother, at Christina, at the silent onlookers. And then, time advanced and I began to disappear. My body crumbled away, dissolving into nothingness.

I had died.

How?

Dread curled in my gut.

This time, I looked better—less battered. Perhaps a moment before my death.

-Spurt!

A sharp pain bloomed in my chest. A sword—cold, merciless—had been driven through me from behind.

I gasped, my vision tilting.

In front of me, Celeste stood frozen, eyes wide in horror. She was dressed in a flowing white gown, her trembling hand reaching toward me as tears spilled down her cheeks.

And then—darkness.

I was back.

A violent throb shot through my skull as I clutched my head, my breathing ragged. My chest ached—not just physically, but in a way I couldnʼt even begin to describe.

”You saw it, didnʼt you?”

Claudiaʼs voice pulled me from my haze.

”S–Saw what?” I said, still reeling from what I had just witnessed.

”Youʼre going to die.”

”...!”

”This is my Prophecy,” she continued. ”And your death… itʼs tied to Celeste.”

”I… Iʼm going to die?”

The words tasted foreign on my tongue, yet I had already seen it. There was no denying it. This wasnʼt a mere possibility—this was fate.

A prophecy.

And it felt real.

A wave of nausea struck inside me as my body shivered. My face turned pale. I truly felt like I was drowning in something inevitable.

In death.

”The destruction of Central Vedelia. You stood amidst it, and your fire was responsible for it. Leave Sancta Vedelia right away.”

”W–Wait,” I gritted my teeth, trying to steady myself against the splitting headache. ”There must be some way—”

”My prophecies have never failed,” she interrupted. ”The only possible way to avoid this outcome is for you to leave Sancta Vedelia.”

I clenched my fists. ”What about Celeste?”

Claudiaʼs expression darkened. ”She is indirectly responsible for your death and the destruction of Central Vedelia. But only because of your presence. The farthest you stay away, the better it will be for everyone.”

With that, she turned and walked away, her figure disappearing down the corridor.

I didnʼt stop her. I didnʼt call out.

I just stood there.

Why?

Was this truly my fate?

I had seen it—my own death. There was no room for doubt.

”Amael…”

A voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned.

Christina stood there, her head lowered, her hands trembling at her sides.

I somehow forced myself to recover before speaking.

”Is she okay?” I asked about Alea.

”She is…” Christina hesitated.

Silence stretched between us. I couldnʼt even understand why it felt so heavy.

Then, in a barely audible whisper, she spoke.

”I saw Father.”

I froze.

My breath caught in my throat.

I understood now.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. ”Did he show you?”

She hesitated, then nodded. ”Yes…”

I let out a slow breath. ”Is your mother absent today because sheʼs still recovering? Or… because she didnʼt want to come?”

Christinaʼs eyes widened at my choice of words. ”A–Amael!”

”Answer me,” I asked.

She trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. ”N–No. She saw it too. Father showed her before he showed me… and she—sheʼs still trying to recover from it. Sheʼs hurting.”

Hurt, huh?

I wasnʼt sure how to respond to that.

I inhaled sharply, forcing the next words out. ”Do you… still see me as your brother? Does she… still see me as her son?”

”O–Of course!”

Christina stepped forward, grasping my shoulders. ”Of course we do!!”

I raised my gaze.

The moment our eyes met, she flinched. Her whole body trembled, and she quickly pulled her hands away.

”W–We just need time. We know it isnʼt you… you told us who you were but…” Her voice trembled, her face turning deathly pale. ”We saw you—him—killing.”

Her voice broke. She covered her mouth as if trying to suppress something—fear, grief, revulsion.

I said nothing.

Because what could I possibly say?

”Did I ever lie to you about me, Christina?” I asked her seriously.

She flinched. ”N–No…”

I let out a bitter chuckle, the kind that carried more pain than humor. ”I told you everything—about my past life, about who I really am. If you had any doubts you could have asked whenever you wanted and I would have answered. I thought you accepted me.”

”We did! I did! A-And we still do!” Christinaʼs voice cracked.

I sighed, my gaze hardening. ”Then why canʼt you even look me in the eyes?”

She bit her lip, her fists clenching at her sides before she forced herself to meet my gaze. Her eyes trembled, but she didnʼt look away. ”Y–Youʼre my brother…”

I looked at her for a long moment before stepping past her. ”Take care of Alea.” My voice was distant and might have sounded cold either because I chose it or because of Claudiaʼs prophecy.

”A—Amael!!”

She called after me, but I didnʼt stop. I didnʼt even turn back.

Without another word, I left Centra Vedelia.