Voyage Of The Villainess

\'Being impoverished may be both a burden and a blessing. Even though your life is difficult, having a loving and happy family at your side is a blessing. But...if someone close to you became sick, you couldn\'t help but curse yourself for being poor. And this leads to something you have no choice but to do.\'

\'That\'s what happened to me.\' Dorris flashed a smile to his father and Callan, who were eating together at a round table. \'I\'ve returned again here. But what is this tingling sensation inside me? I should suppose to be happy.\'

["Yes. I do kill people my daughter. But that\'s the only way for me to survive. And Callan too."

"Callan? What\'s the matter with Callan?"

"He has a terminal illness where he needed to be injected with lifa from time to time. This is the only way for him to live."

"Does he know this?"

"No. He didn\'t.]

Those memories flashed through Dorris\' mind as scooped the chicken broth in front of her. It was the day she found out that the father who adopted them was not human but instead a Malice who fed with other people\'s lifeforce.

That was also the time she found that her sole friend through thick and thin have an illness she never knew before. Callan had strong magic of wind and due to it, it was eating all his life. In order to prevent him from harming himself with magic, Charrio nourished him with other people\'s lifa.

Dorris couldn\'t believe this at first since Callan was always cheerful but a time came when she noticed that Callan started to faint or had nosebleeds. These greatly sent fear to her heart. Without letting Callan know about his condition, Charrio proposed to Dorris that he would continuously help and support Callan\'s medications if only Dorris would help him find people they could use as a "medicine."

After four years of not seeing each other, their father told her that Callan had recovered now. Which gave her both a sense of relief and guilt. Guilt, that after all these times, how could he forget him. She glanced at Callan but at the same time, the young man also glanced at her. A smile escaped his lips.

"Nesha, I\'m glad that your memory is now back. I thought after the explosion you died." Callan stopped himself from letting tears fall from his eyes.

\'The explosion at the dumpsite. We didn\'t know during that time that the chest we found there contained explosives. One of the kids there accidentally opened that chest. It happened all in a flash. During that time I truly believe that it is my karma for all the innocent lives I take.\'

\'If not for that, none of these would happen. I would still be able to live here and not meet Mila...\' Something stung inside Dorris. Her hands trembled but she held her spoon firmer to stop the shaking. \'I have nothing to do with her now. The only thing I need to do now is to let Rein escape here. And everything with us will be over.\'

"Nesha?"

Dorris\' line of thought was cut when she heard Callan\'s call. Worry flickered to the same ashen eyes he remembered before. But compared to that, he was now covered with bandages due to his burns from that explosion. They said that all the people they knew back then died with that explosion and only Callan lived. Now that she was here, she was the second to survive now from that dreadful accident.

"Of course, I apologize if I forgot you Cal," A playful smirk formed on Dorris\' lips. "You owe something."

"What do I owe you?" Callan looked at her, quite perplexed.

A pout formed to Dorris\' lips. "You said, you\'re going to give me a gift for my birthday back then. Where is my gift now?"

"Oh!" Callan\'s face brightened. "Yes. Hahaha. How could I forget..."

Dorris\' eyes narrowed when Callan\'s voice became lower.

"Callan, what are you saying?" Dorris was confused. "Speak your voice louder." 

"Dorris." 

Dorris stiffened when she heard that very familiar voice. But compared to its stern and always calm ones, it was a bit lower, tinged with sadness.

Everything started to become distorted around her. Callan\'s and Charrio\'s faces turned into spirals and mix in together.

"Re-rein!" She stood up, knocking the plates that were in front of her. But instead of falling on the floor, it turned into a cloud of lavender dust.

Her long scythe reappeared in front of her. But to her surprise, even that turned into specks of dust. "I told you, that everything is over with us. I\'m with my real family now!" Dorris screamed.

"I apologize, Dorris." Rein\'s voice echoed from everywhere. "I\'m just following the orders given to me by Lady Malaya."

"Is that so?" Dorris\' voice became cold. "Did you forget that I can just teleport, out from here?" Light started to shine from where she was standing.

"I already knew that." Rein\'s voice echoed. "Every bit of your magic, Dorris. But..."

Dorris was shocked when the magic circle for teleportation she was trying to create dissipated. "With or without knowing whatever past you had, I know your magic very well. You must have forgotten how Lady Cynthia always tests and study our magic right?"

Dorris\' eyes widened. 

"One of the vows I made when I serve Lady Malaya, I need to know everything there is to know with people who got close to her aside from her family. So that she would be always safe. I\'ve read every bit of it. And sadly as well, you only knew too little about me, Dorris." 

Dorris started to feel dizzy. "Rein, you bastard." She cursed as her vision got blurred. 

"When I thought, that I could trust an unknown person with an unknown background like you for this four years, with just one move. Everything crumbles." Rein\'s voice that was echoing all over the place became like a lullaby to Dorris.

"Sleep, for now, Dorris. Or is it, Nesha, now. We will have a long talk with Lady Malaya once you wake up."

That was the last thing Dorris heard before darkness consumed her consciousness.