I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 721: [Final Event] [Blood Moon Festival] [3] Celeste Resigned

”Celeste, wait.”

It was her father.

She froze mid-step, her back straightening slightly. The chatter from outside the door faded away, replaced by the slow, heavy silence between them.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag before she turned, expression unreadable, to face Harvey.

”What is it?” Celeste asked turning toward him.

”At the end of the Festival of Ravenia,” Harvey started, ”you will be married to Cyril.”

Celeste froze, her breath catching in her throat despite knowing it.

One of her eyes, the gentle teal blue trembled with disbelief, while the other, pale and pure white, seemed almost lifeless under the afternoon light.

”Amael has disappeared. Even if he were still here, you know a union between you two is impossible. After what he did at the end of the war... his marriage with the Utopian Princess, his decision to become the Guardian of the Tree of Ymir, and the Seed he gave to Utopia everything he’s done stands against Sancta Vedelia. No one among the nobles would ever bless a marriage between that man and their Prophetess.”

Celeste’s lips parted, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

”He is already the Guardian of the Holy Tree of Ymir,” Harvey continued, his tone sharpening. ”And though Victor serves as the Apostle of the Tree of Eden, if Amael were to marry you... he would gain influence over both. That is something Sancta Vedelia will never allow.”

Celeste clenched her hands. ”You’re treating Amael like an enemy again,” she whispered.

”Of course we are!” Harvey shot back, raising his tone a bit. ”You know what he did—”

”He defeated the Utopian King!” Celeste suddenly snapped. ”He’s the one who asked for your release before the Princess of Utopia! Without him, you wouldn’t even be standing here, Father.”

Harvey’s expression softened slightly. ”Celeste... that man isn’t for you. You deserve better.”

”Deserve better?” Her voice broke, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. ”And yet, you engaged me to Cyril? Of all people, Cyril? Tell me, Father, do you truly believe he’s any better than Amael?”

Her gaze trembled—part anger, part heartbreak. Harvey opened his mouth to respond, but Celeste had already turned away.

”Celeste—”

”I’m going with Victor and the others,” she said quickly. ”Don’t wait up. I’ll be home late.”

Before Harvey could utter another word, she was gone.

The corridors of the academy stretched endlessly as Celeste walked away. Her father and brother seemed to care for Sancta Vedelia more than they cared for her. She didn’t hate them for it but she couldn’t accept it either.

She’d rather be alone... than stand beside Cyril.

”Hey! You guys heading out again to see Victor’s mother?”

Celeste looked up. Amelia was waiting at the end of the corridor, her soft smile brightening upon seeing them. John stood quietly beside her.

”Yeah,” Victor replied as he caught up.

”Still no news about Alicia?” Amelia asked gently.

The question made Victor’s expression darken. He had found his mother, yes... but Alicia’s absence gnawed at him like a wound that refused to heal. He couldn’t be entirely happy without having his sister or rather his niece back?

Victor turned toward John, his voice low. ”And you? Any word about Amael?”

Amael and Alicia had vanished at the same time. For many, it was easier to believe they’d simply eloped but Victor knew it couldn’t be true. Everyone close to them did. Something had happened but they didn’t know what.

And if anyone might have known the truth, it would’ve been John. After all, no one was closer to Amael than he was.

Celeste turned toward John, her eyes flickering with a fragile spark of hope the same one she always showed whenever Amael’s name came up. But John only shook his head.

”No,” he said quietly. ”Nothing. I haven’t heard from him at all.”

As he spoke, a faint frown crossed his face. He’d gone over it countless times in his mind, Amael’s last known location, the hospital where Elizabeth’s body had been kept. There was a chance he had simply... walked away, trying to gather himself after everything that had happened. But if that was true why had Alicia vanished too?

John’s theory, the one he never voiced out loud, was that Amael might have taken Alicia somewhere safe. It made sense that after losing Elizabeth, maybe he refused to lose another person dear to him. Alicia had been fated to die during this Event. Perhaps Amael, knowing that, had done something desperate... something only he would dare.

Still, if that were true... shouldn’t he have said something? Told John? Trusted him enough to share that plan?

Instead, there was nothing. No message. No sign. Just silence.

And that silence felt wrong.

Especially now, when everything around them was unraveling the final Event of the Game, the point of no return. Everything had followed the expected path up to this point: Alicia’s near-death, Victor’s revelation of his true identity, Lazarus’s imprisonment...

But beyond that, everything was uncertain.

In the original Game’s storyline, the final antagonist should have been Edward. Yet now, with things diverging, John couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was waiting in the shadows.

His gaze briefly flicked toward Cyril. The man looked calm. Too calm. Almost detached despite what had happened to his grandfather. Something about that composure didn’t sit right with John.

”Come on, don’t overthink it,” Amelia said suddenly, forcing a smile as she looked at the group. ”I’m sure they’ll come back soon. They probably just... needed some time.”

She didn’t have to say it outright they all knew the truth. Both Amael and Alicia had been close to Elizabeth. Losing her like that... it must’ve shattered them. Maybe this was their way of grieving together, somewhere far from all of this chaos.

But even then...two weeks? Two whole weeks without a word? It didn’t feel right.

”Yeah...” Victor sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. ”I hope so.”

He turned and began walking again. Celeste followed beside him in silence, and one by one, the others did too.

Amelia lingered for a moment, her eyes drifting toward Celeste’s back. There was sorrow in her gaze, sorrow and helplessness.

She knew. She knew about the engagement.

And she despised it.

Of all people, Cyril. Her best friend was being bound to a man she didn’t love, for reasons that served politics more than faith. If Amael had been here... he would have stopped it. Amelia was sure of it.

But he wasn’t.

And without him, no one could do a thing. Not even Celeste herself.

It was as though she had quietly accepted her fate.

If only Amael were here... maybe her voice would matter again. At least she could talk...

Amelia let out a tired sigh as she walked behind the group.

”Your best friend is truly the worst, John,” she muttered, half-joking but mostly serious.

”He isn’t my best friend,” John said dryly, then after a beat added, ”But yeah... he is.”

Amelia grimaced. ”You’re not even going to defend him?”

John just shrugged.

Amelia merely smirked knowing really well he was just being a tsundere. It was mostly he was annoyed that his twin sister was head over heels for Amael.

Amelia smiled faintly, remembering Layla. A woman with a magnetic charm and a kind of unique allure that drew people in—confident, beautiful, impossible to ignore. She reminded Amelia a bit of Alvara in that way.

Well... Alvara when she wasn’t terrorizing someone.

As if on cue—

”How dare a despicable lower race touch me?”

The sharp, disgusted voice echoed across the grand entrance hall.

John and Amelia exchanged a glance before hurrying forward with the others.

There stood Alvara, beautiful and terrifying as ever. Her mint green hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight pouring through the stained-glass windows. In front of her knelt a trembling high human man, his forehead nearly pressed to the polished floor.

”I–I didn’t touch you! I swear it!” The poor man cried, shaking like a leaf.

Alvara’s lips twisted in disdain as she slowly lowered her newly obtained or rather gifted white umbrella toward him like a weapon. ”You came too close,” she said, her golden eyes burning with contempt. ”That’s the same thing.”

”I–I didn’t mean to! Please, Your Highness, I didn’t even look at you!” He whimpered.

Her glare sharpened. ”You just did.”

”Hiii!” The man let out a sound closer to a squeal than a scream and flattened himself to the ground, his voice breaking.

Victor pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ”She’s gotten even harsher lately.”

”You mean more racist,” Amelia said bluntly, folding her arms.

”Right... probably because Amael isn’t around,” Victor replied, glancing toward Alvara with a tired expression. It was strange—the woman who’d once despised Humans had somehow fallen for one, worst a Half Human Half High Human actually.... She was a walking contradiction, a beautiful disaster wrapped in silk and pride.

”Well... not only that,” Amelia murmured, lowering her gaze. She didn’t want to bring up Elizabeth’s death with Selene right with them.

Even if Alvara never called Elizabeth a friend, they’d shared a rivalry. Losing someone like Elizabeth had hit harder than Alvara would ever admit. Then, to return from Utopia only to hear that Amael had vanished and with Alicia, no less...wasn’t helping either.

She wasn’t exactly grieving... but she wasn’t herself either.

”Alvara, that’s enough,” Victor finally said, stepping forward.

Alvara turned her head slightly, her long hair swaying as her golden eyes flicked over him. For a moment, she seemed as though she might lash out but instead, snapped open her umbrella, and strode off without another word.

Her entourage a line of nervous elves hurried after her, whispering anxiously as they vanished down the corridor.

Victor watched her go, then rubbed the back of his neck with a weary sigh. ”Please... come back soon, Amael,” he muttered under his breath.

If Amael were here, everything would fall into place again. Alicia would return with him, Celeste’s forced marriage would never stand, and Alvara might finally calm down.

As they moved toward the courtyard, Victor spotted a familiar figure in the distance Sirius, walking calmly across the hall. He lifted his hand to call out, but then paused when he noticed someone walking beside him.

Sephira.

Victor’s expression softened, a faint smile curling on his lips. It had been a long while since Sirius looked this... good. Ever since Alicia’s disappearance, he’d been distant. But around Sephira, there was a subtle ease in his steps, a quiet comfort.

At least someone seemed happy right now, Victor thought quietly.

”Those two aren’t even hiding it anymore, are they?” Amelia giggled, glancing over her shoulder at Sirius and Sephira walking side by side.

Victor chuckled softly. ”Yeah... looks like they’ve stopped pretending. Since Alvara stopped sending her lackeys to harass Sephira, she doesn’t have to be scared all the time.”

”Wait, seriously?” Amelia tilted her head, intrigued. ”Did Amael tell Alvara to stop bullying her or something?”

It was a strange image of the ever-proud, fiery Alvara actually listening to someone. But if it was Amael... maybe she would.

Victor shrugged. ”Not sure. I did see Alvara talking to Sephira once but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It didn’t look tense, though. If anything, it seemed... civil.”

Amelia blinked. ”You’re telling me Alvara and Sephira were having a civil conversation?”

”That’s what it looked like,” Victor said with a small laugh.

Amelia stared at him, half amused, half incredulous. ”What, did she apologize or something?”

”Alvara? Apologizing?” Victor grimaced, shaking his head. ”I don’t think that word’s even in her vocabulary.”

”Right,” Amelia said, bursting into laughter. The idea alone was too ridiculous to take seriously.

After a moment, Victor glanced back at them with a friendly grin. ”Anyway, since you two are tagging along, wanna come see my mom as well?”

He’d already invited Cylien earlier, but she’d politely declined, saying she planned to meet Rodolf instead.

John didn’t even hesitate. ”No.”

Victor blinked. ”What? Come on, John!” He smiled, trying again. ”You haven’t even met her yet. You’ll like her, I promise.”

John frowned. ”Why would I need to meet your mom?”

”Because I said so,” Victor teased.

Amelia elbowed him lightly, grinning. ”Oh, come on, John. Don’t be rude Victor’s your friend, right?”

John glanced between her and Victor, who was now giving him the most exaggerated pleading puppy eyes he’d ever seen. He sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

”...Fine,” he muttered.

Victor’s face lit up immediately. ”There we go! Knew you couldn’t say no to me!”

John just groaned under his breath. ”Yeah, yeah.”