I Was the Hero, But She Turned Me Into the Villain-Chapter 6 - 5: Beyond Death

Everything was darkness.

An absolute void where nothing existed, above or below, time or form. No mundane concept was accepted. There, in that same unfathomable abyss, floated a nameless soul, without memories... barely a faint flicker of existence about to disappear.

Around it, nebulous shadows began to form.

Like wisps of smoke, they swirled, revealing glimpses of something... fleeting scenes, impossible to understand.

A man.

His body covered in scars, dancing with a bloodstained sword.

His lips whispered promises that were carried away by the wind.

And finally, the cold steel that pierced him again and again.

He did not know who he was. He did not know what he was. He just existed there, trapped in that silent limbo.

Then, something shattered.

—...ven...

A soft voice slipped through the void, delicately caressing what little was left of its consciousness.

—...wake up...

Again that voice called, this time clearer, deeper. And with it, a thread of light began to seep into the gloom, like a crack in a starless night.

Its essence—that fragile glow that barely subsisted—like a moth, was drawn without understanding toward that beautiful light.

Then, with an effort it did not understand why it was making, its eyes—did it even have eyes?—opened. First one, then the other, trembling, reluctant to accept the color flooding them.

...

The light struck my retinas hard, but it wasn’t enough to push me back.

I blinked a few times, trying to focus, to adjust to the clarity spilling into my eyes. My breathing quickened without reason, my chest rising and falling at extreme speed, as if I had run a marathon.

—Where...? —I murmured without realizing, my voice hoarse, dry, it startled me a little.

«Just a little.»

Immediately, a flood of sensations hit me like a bucket of cold water, something warm and wet rolled down my cheeks. I lifted my trembling hand and carefully wiped my face.

«How...? Why...?» The tears fell, and I still didn’t understand.

«Why am I alive.»

(...silence)

The last thing I remember is...

The sword.

The blood.

Her face.

A sudden vertigo shook me. Immediately I fell inside myself, dragged by a tide of violent images.

My memories, my own memories, exploded in my mind like lightning, burning me with their raw reality.

I brought both hands to my head, squeezing hard.

—Aargh...!

The unbearable pain consumed me for a few moments that felt eternal, until, like a raging sea that finally recedes, the memories settled. I was left panting, trembling, my heart racing.

Only then did I open my eyes wide and realize where I was...

Lying on an incredibly comfortable bed, so spacious that no matter how I lay, it seemed never to reach the edges. Its silk sheets wrapped my body with an almost unreal softness, as if I were resting on a cloud in midwinter.

This place was definitely not my room. I had never been in such a place, and yet... something in its atmosphere felt disturbingly familiar.

I looked around again, forcing my sight to adjust and miss nothing.

The room was vast, elegant, fit for a rich noble in those novels I used to enjoy with Helena. I managed to make out some tapestries embroidered with golden threads and paintings depicting hunting scenes. Although everything was a bit blurry, I kept letting my gaze wander. A half-finished portrait of a woman caught my attention. I didn’t know who she was, but she was definitely beautiful.

Around me were thick red velvet curtains drawn to the sides of tall windows. The light in the room was fragmented into small rays that bathed my body with an almost ethereal glow.

A huge ebony-carved wardrobe dominated one corner, covered in intricate reliefs that made it look like a work of art. Nearby, a dressing table with an oval mirror framed in gold.

I stood up from the bed carefully, my body still not in the best shape. When my feet touched the floor, an incredible comfort shook through me.

The carpet was a delight to my heels.

—What the hell...?—I murmured.

I stayed there sitting for a few moments, bewildered, trying to understand how this situation was even possible.

My breathing remained erratic, as if my body had forgotten how to function.

«Grrruu...»

Suddenly, a low, prolonged sound emerged from my stomach. An uncomfortable pull ran through my insides.

Was it pain... or perhaps hunger? I couldn’t be sure.

I brought a hand to my belly, feeling how tense it was, and let out a sigh.

«Ridiculous... I, who was once called a hero, brought down by a simple discomfort...»

Carefully, I groped for the edge of the bed to support my body.

—Ah... —a weak gasp escaped my lips.

My body protested with every small move: the muscles writhed and begged me to stop, my bones ached, I felt them twisting and creaking with each slight motion.

I took one step, then another.

The world seemed to tilt under my feet. A sudden dizziness struck again, making me lose my breath. I carefully brought my left hand to my forehead and blinked several times, trying with all my might to clear the spots clouding my vision.

Finally, after a few breaths, the vertigo calmed enough to let me continue.

I advanced cautiously, afraid my stomach would twist again. I managed a few steps before I stubbed my little toe on the corner of something.

—Ahh...—I let out a soft whimper.

My hand instinctively shot out, searching for a point of support, but without realizing, it collided against a cold surface, carved with filigrees that scraped my palm.

"Argg..."

The pain forced me to lift my gaze.

In front of me, a huge mirror returned an image that took a few heartbeats to understand. At first, I could only make out a pale, trembling blur, distorted by the tears that had slipped from the impact. But after a few seconds, the figure took shape...