I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

The moonlight didn’t really reach this part of the palace, it just sort of lingered at the edges. In the sunken courtyard, the shadows from the walls stretched long and thin, and the air felt sharp enough to make every breath sting.

Yerel was bare to the waist. His skin, pulled taut over a frame that was all lean, hungry muscle, glistened with a slick sheen of sweat that steamed in the night chill. Every time he pivoted, a plume of white vapor erupted from his lips, looking like the breath of a dragon. He wasn’t just practicing. This wasn’t the refined, ceremonial footwork taught by royal tutors to make a prince look pretty during a parade. This was something older. Something visceral.

His sword, a heavy, straight-edged blade that seemed too brutal for a man of his high station, moved with a terrifying, lethal grace. He lunged, the metal catching a stray sliver of light, and the force of his blow would have easily shorn through a man’s clavicle. He was venting. It was the only way he knew how to purge the restlessness that gnawed at his marrow whenever he felt the strings of his influence starting to fray. He hated being in the dark. He hated the unknown. And right now, the North was a giant, snowy void that refused to give up its secrets.

”Your Highness,” a voice drifted from the archway.

Yerel didn’t stop. He spun, his blade a silver blur that stopped precisely an inch from a stone pillar. He held the pose, his chest heaving, muscles quivering with the afterglow of exertion.

Karson stood there, holding a thick, fur-lined robe and a linen towel. ”The form is... as impeccable as ever,” Karson remarked, though his tone suggested he was more interested in the schedule than the swordplay. ”But the hour is late.”

Yerel finally lowered the weapon, the tip scraping against the frosted stone. He didn’t look tired. If anything, his eyes were too bright, wide with a manic sort of alertness that made him look like a predator that had forgotten how to sleep. He took the towel Karson offered, wiping the stinging salt from his brow with a rough, impatient motion.

”I know the time, Karson,” Yerel snapped. ”I only train at this hour when the morning doesn’t afford me the privacy to be... thorough.”

”I understand, truly,” Karson replied, stepping forward to drape the heavy robe over Yerel’s steaming shoulders. The heat from Yerel’s body hit the cold fur, creating another cloud of mist. ”But you need to make yourself presentable. His Majesty is already waiting in the private dining hall. It wouldn’t do to keep your father waiting while you smell of the barracks.”

Yerel didn’t move. He didn’t acknowledge the mention of the King. Instead, his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword until the leather grip groaned.

”Philia,” Yerel said. The name was a short, sharp bark. ”Tell me there’s a word from him.”

Karson’s silence was his answer. He waited a beat too long, his expression remaining the picture of stoic professionalism. ”Still no word, Your Highness. The mountain passes are supposedly choked with snow, or perhaps the Duke’s security has... tightened. Whatever the case, the North has gone silent.”

The grip on the sword tightened further. Yerel’s knuckles went white, a stark contrast to the flushed red of his skin. He didn’t scream, and he didn’t throw a fit, that would be too simple. Instead, his expression went completely blank. It was as if he had simply shuttered the windows to his soul.

”Tightened,” Yerel whispered, the word tasting like poison. ”We shall see how long a cage can hold when the bars start to freeze.”

The transition from the icy courtyard to the private dining room was a jarring assault on the senses. Here, the air was thick with the cloying sweetness of expensive incense and the rich, heavy scent of roasted venison and spiced wine.

King Alderon sat at the head of the small, circular table. He looked older tonight. The flickering orange light from the massive hearth carved deep lines into his face, making him look less like a monarch and more like a man who was tired of holding up the sky. He was staring into the flames, his wine goblet held loosely in a hand that had a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

”Yerel,” the King sighed, his voice heavy with a weariness that went beyond the physical. ”You’re late. Sit. Eat. The kitchen went to great lengths for this vintage.”

Yerel slid into his chair, his movements now fluid and regal, the predator completely hidden beneath a veneer of filial devotion. He offered a small smile, the kind that reached his lips but never quite touched the icy depths of his eyes.

”Forgive me, Father. I was delayed by a few... administrative trifles,” Yerel said smoothly. He poured himself a splash of wine, the deep red liquid looking like blood in the firelight.

The King poked at his food, having no real appetite. He looked back at the fire, his mind clearly hundreds of miles away. ”I cannot stop thinking of the North, Yerel. The silence is... unsettling. I find myself praying for Zarius’s safety every hour. Between that wretched illness he carries and the savagery of the subjugation... I fear the kingdom might lose its greatest shield.”

Yerel took a slow, deliberate bite of the meat. He chewed, swallowed, and then looked at his father with an expression of perfect, empathetic concern.

”Of course, Father. We all share your anxiety,” Yerel lied, his voice a comforting silk. ”It would be a tragedy of the highest order for the kingdom if such a brave man were to fall to mere beasts. The Duke is... essential. We must hope he is simply too busy winning glory to send a letter.”

The King nodded, seemingly comforted by the words, though his brow remained furrowed. ”And the others. Philia... and Cherion. I truly hope they are finding some common ground. It was a bold move, sending him there. I hope the boy hasn’t caused her too much grief.”

Yerel’s fork paused for a fraction of a second. The mention of Cherion made a vein in Yerel’s temple throb.

”Ah, yes. Cherion,” Yerel said, his tone turning slightly darker, though he kept the ”worried” mask firmly in place. ”Let us indeed pray that he behaves himself. I would hate to think he’s doing anything to Philia like he used to. If he causes her distress... well, I shall certainly regret letting him go so easily without making the accounts even.”

The King looked up, his eyes sharpening for a brief moment. ”Yerel... let us not dwell on past grievances tonight. The boy is trying. We must have faith.”

Yerel didn’t argue. He just lowered his head in a mock gesture of submission. ”As you wish, Father. Let us have faith.”

The rest of the dinner passed in a hollow, performative silence. The King spoke of his hopes for the spring, of trade routes and taxes, while Yerel nodded in all the right places.

When the meal was finally over, the King stood with a heavy groan, leaning briefly on the table for support. ”I am going to retire, Yerel. The cold gets into my bones these days. Don’t stay up too late brooding over those ledgers.”

”I wouldn’t dream of it, Father,” Yerel said, standing and bowing low. ”Sleep well.”

He waited. He listened to the slow, dragging footsteps of the King as he exited the room. He heard the heavy oak door creak on its hinges and the muffled thud as the latch clicked into place.

The moment the sound died away, the change was instantaneous.

The ”warmth” in Yerel’s face drained away, leaving behind a visage that was cold, sharp, and utterly devoid of humanity. He didn’t move for a long time. He just sat there in the flickering light, staring at the empty chair across from him.

He reached out, his long fingers wrapping around his wine glass. He didn’t drink it. Instead, he slowly tilted the glass, watching the red liquid spill over the white linen tablecloth, spreading like a fresh wound.