I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 600 600: Of Course It Is You Again!

”Shayna… was my sister.”

The words fell from Johnʼs lips shockingly, freezing the air between us.

”Huh?” I blurted out, utterly stunned. The confusion hit me like a wall, rendering my thoughts blank for a moment.

Did I hear wrong or right?

John… and Shayna?

My mouth hung slightly open as I stared at him, struggling to wrap my head around what he had just said. Of all the things I mightʼve expected, this—this wasnʼt even on the list. Sure, I had known Shayna had a brother in her previous life, sheʼd mentioned it vaguely once or twice. But this… this connection?

”Are you joking? You knew about this?” Rodolf turned toward me, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I shook my head slowly, still caught in disbelief. ”No. I mean, I knew she had a younger brother in her past life or something… but I never knew it was you.”

There was a pause.

Then Rodolf spoke again, more cautiously this time.

”Wait, hold on—just to be sure. Which Shayna are you talking about?” He asked, brows furrowing.

”Shayna Butler,” John said.

That name only confirmed it.

Rodolfʼs eyes widened in disbelief. ”No way… it really is her.”

It was the same Shayna.

John looked directly at us now. ”You knew her, didnʼt you? You were in her class in college.”

I hesitated, then nodded. ”Yeah. But wait… how do you know about us?”

”She used to talk to me about her college days. About her classmates. She mentioned a few names, but… itʼs all a blur now. I didnʼt remember yours until just now.” He dropped his gaze. ”I canʼt believe this.”

”She talked about you too, you know,” I said, lowering my voice. ”A lot, actually. She said she didnʼt get to see you often, but every moment she spent with you meant the world to her. You were her only family. Her little brother… she loved you a lot.”

I could still picture her—smiling faintly as she spoke about him, the rare flicker of joy in her otherwise always enclosed expression.

Johnʼs fists clenched at his sides, trembling slightly.

”Sheʼs gone,” he said. ”She was killed. And that bastard… he told me it was him.”

We knew whom he was speaking about.

”So… thatʼs why you hate Earth so much. Thatʼs where all this anger comes from,” I mumbled finally understanding.

Johnʼs eyes, glistening with unshed rage, turned toward me. ”You knew it was him?”

Rodolf answered before I could.

”Yeah… we suspected. After Shayna died, he dropped out. Disappeared without a trace. Vanished from the city entirely. It wasnʼt hard to put two and two together. But we never found any evidence… he covered his tracks too well.”

John didnʼt respond. He just stood there, fists clenched so hard his knuckles had gone white.

”Is that why youʼre angry too?” He asked me. ”Because he… killed my sister?”

I looked at him for a moment, then nodded. ”Yeah… thatʼs part of it. But itʼs not just Shayna. He killed Ephera too.”

”We canʼt say that for sure,” Rodolf gave me a glance.

I turned to him, my expression hardening. ”Who else could it have been?”

Rodolf met my glare with a frown of his own. ”I donʼt know. Maybe that Rickward bastard who killed me?”

I looked away. ”Does it matter who it was? Whether it was him or someone else?” My voice cracked just slightly. ”In the end, theyʼre both gone… Shayna, Ephera... and we couldnʼt protect them. But at least they have reincarnated.

”Shayna…” John whispered, almost to himself. Then he looked up, eyes wide with something I hadnʼt seen in them before—hope. ”Wait… did you say she mightʼve reincarnated too?”

I shrugged my shoulders. ”Yeah. I think itʼs likely. Everyone who was connected to me, all the bonds that meant something… theyʼve found their way here somehow. Hell, you are here. So why wouldnʼt Shayna be here too?”

John didnʼt speak at first. But then, slowly… his lips curved into a smile.

Something rare.

A genuine, hopeful smile.

That guy…

He had changed. Over the past year, John had grown—shed some of that cold armor he used to carry around like a second skin. He wasnʼt the same broken soul who looked at the world with nothing but fury and only thinking about protecting what remained of his new family.

Heʼd started healing.

And I?

I wasnʼt so sure about myself anymore.

Somewhere along the way, I felt like I had regressed. The war had taken its toll on me, grinding down whatever progress Iʼd made. Where John had found hope, Iʼd found more walls. More scars. More reasons to be angry.

At that moment, Rodolf broke the silence. ”The real question now is… who have they become? And where are they?”

I nodded. ”Yeah. Ephera, Shayna, Emric… even Lucy. We havenʼt seen them yet.”

Rodolf gave a small laugh. ”Oh, donʼt worry. Emricʼs the easiest to spot. Just look for the guy doing embarrassing things to impress a girl. If you see someone being a total cringe machine, thatʼs your guy.”

I laughed despite myself. ”Youʼre not wrong. Now that I think about it, I shouldʼve found you two when I arrived in Sancta Vedelia just from the signs. A musclehead and a girl who keeps glaring at him like she regrets every life decision—of course it was you and Marlene.”

Rodolfʼs smile vanished. ”Oh yeah? Then donʼt think youʼre safe either. Ephera and Shayna? They gotta be easy to spot too. One will be all sunshine and sweetness on the surface, but behind your back sheʼs out there beating up any girl or dude who so much as looks at you, making them regret having been born. The other one, you look for one acting all Innocent but is a hidden stalker.”

I glared at him. ”Youʼre making that up.”

”Am I?” He asked with a laugh.

Ephera… I could believe it. That part didnʼt surprise me. She was always the protective type—quietly possessive in her own way. But Shayna? A stalker?

I frowned.

Was he joking?

He had to be. Right?

And yet… what if he wasnʼt?

How the hell did I miss that?!

While I was lost in thought, feeling a little too comfortable in the moment, I sensed it—that familiar burning glare. Direct, focused, and radiating from none other than John.

”…Ah.”

And of course, right on cue, Rodolf opened his mouth again—too wide, too loud, and entirely unnecessary.

”You bastard… it was you,” John growled. ”Of course it had to be fucking you again.”

”What, me?” I asked, trying my best to sound clueless.

[
]

Yeah, I know that. But cʼmon, let a guy play dumb for once.

Also—for the record—I didnʼt seduce anyone! Things just… kind of happened on their own.

”John!”

Amelia, thankfully, stepped in before things could escalate. She caught his arm. ”Weʼre going over there to check out that clothing store,” she said, tugging him away toward a large boutique.

Rodolf, meanwhile, was still smirking like a jackass as he followed Cylien. He gave me one last smug look over his shoulder—probably proud of stirring the pot again—before disappearing into the crowd.

I kept my glare fixed on his retreating back until I felt something soft press into me from the side.

Layla.

She leaned against me with that impish smile she wore so well.

”I love it when you get all grumpy, Honey,” she teased.

”…Oi.”

Layla laughed lightly. ”Just like back on Earth—youʼre always grumpy. Itʼs kind of adorable.”

”You and Ephera are weirdos,” I muttered, making a face.

Ephera had been saying the same thing. Apparently, my scowling face was ʼcuteʼ. I wasnʼt convinced.

”Come on,” Layla said with a bright smile, looping her arm through mine. ”As my Honey, itʼs your solemn duty to buy me cute clothes.”

Before I could even protest, she was already pulling me toward the shop Amelia and the others had gone into. And just like that, the three of us—John, Rodolf, and I—were swept up in our respective girlfriendsʼ shopping enthusiasm.

It was chaos. Beautiful, giggling chaos.

To my credit, I think I was doing the best out of the three of us. John looked like he was running low on patience, nodding absently as Amelia bombarded him with outfit options. Rodolf? He was frozen with some weird half-smile on his face while Cylien talked circles around him.

I, on the other hand, was fully engaged. Layla was holding up a stunning red dress, her eyes glittering as she turned to me.

”What do you think of this one, Honey?”

”Honestly…everything would look amazing on you.”

Layla puffed her cheeks. ”Thatʼs such a generic answer.”

”Iʼm serious,” I laughed. ”Youʼre, uh… gifted. Everywhere.”

Her eyebrow arched. ”Everywhere?”

She stepped in closer, close enough that I could feel her warmth—her chest gently pressing against mine.

”Everywhere,” I repeated, quieter this time.

Laylaʼs smile softened into something gentler, more real. I couldnʼt help but reach out, brushing her cheek with my fingers. Her skin was warm and familiar.

”Youʼre leaving soon, right?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

”Hm.” She nodded slowly.

”Iʼm gonna miss you. A lot.” My voice dropped. Sheʼd barely been here a day, and somehow everything already felt… lighter with her around. Brighter. Better.

But deep down, I knew I couldnʼt ask her to stay. Not here. Not with everything that was about to unfold in Sancta Vedelia. It would be dangerous.

Layla looked up at me quietly for a moment, searching my face for something. Then, without a word, she rose on her toes and kissed me softly.