Becoming The Villain Is My Dream-Chapter 44: Taken Hostage

The light of the pact had barely faded when the room finally fell silent again. Alex exhaled and stared at the faint glowing mark on his hand, a proof of their new bond.

Lilith watched him with a soft smile that reached her crimson eyes. She seemed almost human now, her presence warm, and alive, unlike the cold steel she once was.

"Go back to your original form," Alex said quietly, still trying to grasp everything that had just happened.

Her smile vanished. A shadow crossed her face, and she turned away slightly.

"Why is that?" he asked, curious.

For a long moment, Lilith didn’t respond. When she finally did, her voice trembled. "It’s lonely there," she said. "When I’m inside that blade, it’s like being locked in a dark abyss... I can’t move, can’t see, can’t even think clearly. I don’t want to go back there again."

Alex blinked, caught off guard by the sadness in her voice. "Hmmm..." he sighed, rubbing his neck. "Well... you could be more useful like this. But how am I supposed to explain you to everyone else? They’ll think I’ve gone insane bringing a random girl into my room."

Lilith gave a faint laugh, though her eyes still carried that lonely gleam. "It’s okay," she said softly, starting to raise her hand, her body flickering faintly with red light. "If you want me to, I’ll go back."

"Never mind," Alex interrupted, lifting his hand to stop her. "You can stay in your human form as long as there’s no reason to fight."

Her face lit up instantly, the melancholy melting away. "Thank you!" she said, grinning brightly before jumping onto his bed and curling up like a cat.

Alex shook his head, almost amused. "You really are something else."

Within seconds, she was already fast asleep, her breathing soft and peaceful. For a moment, Alex just stood there, watching her... the strange, mysterious being now resting in his bed.

He sighed and turned off the lamp. This day just keeps getting weirder.

But before he could lie down, he heard a faint sound — footsteps. Someone was right outside his door.

Instantly alert, he rose from the bed, grabbed his shirt, and walked toward the door silently. His senses sharpened, every instinct screaming danger.

He opened it swiftly but the hallway was empty.

A flicker of movement caught his eye, a shadow at the far end of the corridor. Without hesitation, Alex dashed after it.

The figure ran fast — too fast for a normal student. Whoever it was, they knew the academy’s halls well, darting between corners and slipping through narrow spaces. Alex followed in silence, his footsteps echoing faintly against the stone floors.

The chase led him out of the dormitories, across the training field, and into a secluded part of the academy grounds, an abandoned wing, long forgotten and half-collapsed.

When Alex reached the center of the empty hall, the trail went cold.

He turned in a slow circle, his pulse quickening.

"Where did you—"

"I knew you’d follow me," came a voice from behind him.

Alex spun around instantly and there stood Jack, leaning casually against a pillar, his grin smug and irritatingly calm.

"Jack?" Alex’s eyes narrowed. "Why you?"

Jack chuckled. "Who were you expecting? A ghost?"

"What do you want?" Alex asked flatly, his tone edged with impatience.

Jack’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with malice. "This time, I’ll make sure you don’t come back alive."

He darted off into the darkness before Alex could respond.

"Hey—!" Alex called out, ready to chase him. But the moment he took his first step, pain exploded in his chest.

He froze, clutching his heart. It felt like fire was searing through his veins. Then realization struck him.

"Lilith!"

Without another thought, he bolted back toward the dorms.

---

The halls blurred past as he sprinted. His demon strength surged, each stride faster than the last. The air burned in his lungs, and the only thought echoing in his mind was ’please let her be safe.’

When he reached his room, his stomach dropped.

The door was wide open.

He rushed inside but the bed was empty. Lilith was gone.

"No..." he muttered, his voice breaking. He tore through the room, checking every corner, every shadow. Nothing. The only thing he found was a small piece of paper on the floor. The writing on it was crimson, smeared, and unmistakably blood.

"If you want to save her, follow him."

Alex’s hands trembled as he read it. His pulse roared in his ears.

A slow clap echoed behind him.

He turned sharply, Jack stood at the door, smirking.

"Where is she?" Alex roared, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall.

Jack didn’t even flinch. "Go ahead," he sneered. "Hit me. Kill me. But if you do, you’ll never see your precious little tool again."

Alex’s eyes burned with rage. "You think I won’t—"

"Try me," Jack interrupted, shoving Alex’s hand away and laughing.

The sound only made Alex’s blood boil hotter.

"Take me to her," Alex growled.

Jack tilted his head. "Sure," he said casually, pulling a black strip of cloth from his pocket. "But first I’ll need to blindfold you."

Alex hesitated. He didn’t trust him, but what choice did he have? Gritting his teeth, he allowed it.

The world went dark and soon, he felt a hand grip his wrist, pulling him forward. Cold wind brushed against his face as they walked — or perhaps were teleported. The ground beneath him changed from wood to stone, and the air grew heavier, charged with a strange, metallic scent.

Finally, Jack stopped.

"And here we are," he said, amusement dripping from his voice.

The blindfold came off.

Alex blinked, eyes adjusting and instantly, his heart sank.

They stood inside a massive stone chamber. The walls were cracked and lined with sigils glowing faintly blue. Chains hung from the ceiling, rattling softly in the wind.

And there, bound to the far wall by chains glowing with red fire was Lilith.

"Lilith!" Alex shouted, rushing forward but the instant he got close, something invisible struck him like a hammer. He flew backward, crashing hard into the ground. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Master, no!" Lilith cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. The chains around her flared hotter, burning her skin.

Alex groaned, forcing himself up. "What the hell is this?!" he demanded. "Why can’t I get to her?"

A calm voice answered from the shadows. "That would be my doing."

A figure stepped into the dim light, a young man with brown hair and sharp amber eyes. His aura radiated cold, effortless power.

Lucien.

Alex’s blood ran cold. He’d seen that face before and have heard about him from whispers around the academy.

"You!" Alex snarled, summoning his energy, ready to attack.

But the moment he moved, Lilith screamed — the chains around her bursting into flame again.

"Stop!" Lucien’s voice was soft but carried weight. "If you try anything foolish, she burns."

Alex froze, every muscle tense. Slowly, the flames died down.

Lucien smiled faintly. "That’s better. You see, I’m not your enemy... yet."

"What do you want from me?" Alex demanded, his voice tight with fury.

Lucien walked closer, hands clasped behind his back. "I’ve heard quite a bit about you. The boy who carries a demon’s blood. The one who survived the vessel ritual. You’ve been... quite the topic of interest."

"And?" Alex spat. He was unsure how Lucien got to know about him but for the moment, he wasn’t concerned. All he was after was Lilith.

"And," Lucien said, his smile fading, "you’re a problem. A dangerous one. I can’t afford problems like you in my plans."

Alex frowned. "What plans?"

Lucien’s eyes glimmered with amusement. "It doesn’t matter. You’ll find out soon enough. But since I’m feeling generous..." He turned away slightly. "I’ll tell you a secret — I’m going to attack your academy tonight."

The words hit Alex like a blade to the chest.

"What...?" he breathed.

Lucien’s grin widened at his expression. "I thought you’d appreciate the honesty. You see, my dear brother has built quite the empire here and I intend to reduce it to ash."

"You’re insane!" Alex shouted. "Why destroy your own brother’s work? Why involve innocent people?!"

Lucien stopped walking. His expression hardened, eyes glowing faintly with fury.

"Because I hate him," he said quietly. "I hate everything he stands for. I’ll burn down his world just to watch him suffer."

Alex stared at him, feeling both anger and disbelief. "You call that strength? That’s not power... that’s weakness. You’re just letting hate control you."

Lucien tilted his head, almost pitying. "You still believe in good and evil, don’t you? The world isn’t that simple, boy. The moment you start caring about others, they betray you. You’ll learn that soon enough."

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Don’t waste your time trying to save everyone. In the end, they’ll be the ones who destroy you."

Then he turned and began walking toward the exit.

"I’ll leave you here with your friend," he said casually. "When I’m done... I’ll decide whether you’re worth keeping alive."

With that, he vanished into the darkness, leaving Alex standing in the cold, empty room — Lilith still chained and trembling, and the weight of an impending attack pressing down on his soul.