Reincarnated as the Villainess's Unlucky Bodyguard-Chapter 191: Lost

The corridors of the fortress stretched endlessly around me, an intricate maze of shadowed hallways illuminated only by sputtering torches. The air hung thick and heavy, scented with stone, metal, and the faint metallic tang of blood that lingered despite the passage of time. Each step echoed quietly against the walls, reverberating like whispers from souls long departed.

I walked alone, my cloak brushing softly over the polished stone floors. After the lesson with the Dark Sovereign, I felt strangely restless, my thoughts tangled in knots. Her teachings had left their mark both visible and invisible but it wasn't guilt that troubled me. It was the realization that my path had irrevocably shifted.

There was no turning back now.

[I'd congratulate you on embracing your dark side,] the system murmured dryly. [But honestly, it's starting to get a little unsettling.]

I didn't answer, merely tightening my jaw in annoyance.

[Ignoring me again? Fine. But I'm not going anywhere, in case you forgot.]

I sighed softly, pausing briefly to glare into the empty air beside me. "Unfortunately."

[Harsh. Accurate, but harsh.]

Rolling my eyes, I continued my aimless wandering, eventually finding myself at the foot of a spiraling staircase that led upward to the highest tower. I hesitated, glancing upward toward its apex. The Dark Sovereign's quarters lay there—her personal chambers, strictly forbidden to anyone else in the fortress.

Yet, curiosity stirred within me, a faint pull toward secrets hidden away. I knew better than to risk it…but lately, caution felt like a needless burden.

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Slowly, cautiously, I ascended the winding stairs, my fingertips grazing the cool stone wall for balance. Each step felt like rebellion, an unspoken challenge I both relished and dreaded. Finally reaching the top, I stood before the heavy, engraved door of her chamber.

My heart quickened slightly. It wasn't fear; it was anticipation, excitement—perhaps even recklessness. I placed my palm against the dark wood, feeling the pulse of protective magic woven into the door. Any sane person would have turned away immediately.

Instead, I leaned in, whispering softly.

"Open."

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, slowly, silently, the wards released, and the door swung inward without a sound.

I stepped inside, breath catching in my throat as my gaze swept the expansive room. It was less a chamber and more a temple dedicated to power. Dark curtains cascaded from vaulted ceilings, intricate silver-and-crimson tapestries lined the walls, and shelves overflowed with ancient tomes, strange artifacts, and relics pulsing softly with dormant magic.

At the room's center stood a raised obsidian dais, a single pedestal illuminated by a cold, eerie glow. Resting atop it was a crystalline sphere, flawless and shimmering faintly with trapped starlight. Something inside it moved, swirling gently like mist.

Drawn irresistibly closer, I climbed the dais, reaching out to touch the orb. My fingertips hovered just above its surface as I felt power vast, ancient, unknowable thrum against my skin.

Suddenly, my vision twisted violently, reality shifting beneath me like quicksand. Before I could pull back, darkness surged outward, engulfing me completely.

When my vision cleared, I found myself somewhere else entirely.

I stood on the battlefield, beneath a crimson sky choked with smoke and ash. The scent of death saturated the air, screams of the dying echoing endlessly. Before me stood an army, monstrous beings shrouded in darkness, eyes burning like hot coals, their presence suffocating in its malevolence.

Beside me stood the Dark Sovereign though younger, fiercer, radiating power so intense it was blinding. Her armor gleamed black, etched with silver runes glowing dangerously. Her eyes blazed gold, ruthless and relentless.

She turned, addressing someone behind her. "Daena. Stand ready."

My breath stilled as Daena stepped forward tall, powerful, terrifying in her majesty. Her obsidian skin glittered beneath the crimson light, massive horns gleaming menacingly. Her expression held nothing but savage determination.

"My Queen," Daena said, bowing her head briefly, flames crackling across her fingertips.

"End them," the Sovereign commanded coldly.

Daena's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, she surged forward, unleashing a wave of violet fire so devastating it incinerated everything it touched.

I watched in silent awe and horror as the vision unfolded. Battle after battle flashed before me—victories won, kingdoms crushed beneath their might. Daena fought fiercely, loyally, at the Sovereign's side, her strength unmatched.

Yet gradually, something changed. Daena grew quieter, withdrawn. She watched her Queen with growing wariness, pain flickering in her eyes whenever the Sovereign ordered another merciless slaughter.

Then came the final vision.

They stood alone in a chamber similar to the one I'd entered, the air heavy with betrayal. Daena's gaze burned with fury and sorrow.

"This madness must end," Daena whispered, voice shaking with suppressed anguish. "You've lost yourself. You were never meant to become this."

The Dark Sovereign's face twisted in rage. "And you would betray me, after everything?"

"I'm saving you," Daena shouted desperately. "From yourself."

Their battle erupted with catastrophic force, shaking the very foundations of the world. I watched, unable to look away, as Daena fought not to kill—but to imprison. Chains of violet fire erupted from the earth, binding the Sovereign tightly, pulling her into eternal darkness.

"Forgive me," Daena whispered brokenly, as the Sovereign's screams of fury echoed endlessly.

The vision faded abruptly, returning me to reality. I stumbled backward, chest heaving, the truth pressing heavily upon me. Daena hadn't merely been a demon queen she had betrayed her own sovereign, imprisoned her out of mercy. She had broken loyalty to protect the world.

And now, centuries later, I had undone her sacrifice.

"Well," came a voice behind me, smooth as velvet and sharp as steel. "Did you enjoy the history lesson, little one?"

I spun around, heart hammering. The Dark Sovereign stood in the doorway, watching me with unsettling amusement.

"You knew?" I whispered.

She stepped forward slowly, approaching the dais with casual grace. "Of course. Why else keep the sphere, if not as a reminder?"

I clenched my fists, anger and confusion warring within me. "Why show me?"

"Because you must know who Daena truly is," she murmured softly. "She betrayed me. Locked me away, abandoned her duty. She will betray you too."

I shook my head sharply. "No. She raised me—"

"She betrayed me," she interrupted coldly, eyes flashing dangerously. "She will betray anyone who threatens her precious ideals. Including you."

My chest tightened painfully. "You're lying."

"Am I?" Her gaze pierced me like daggers. "You saw it yourself. She imprisoned me because she feared what I could become. Tell me, Liria do you think she'll spare you?"

Doubt crept into my heart, twisting sharply. I couldn't speak.

She stepped closer, her voice deceptively gentle. "She will come for you eventually. And when she does, it won't be to rescue you. It will be to destroy what you've become."

I took a shaky breath. "I'm not you."

She laughed softly, bitterly. "No, child. You're far more dangerous."

I stared at her, shaken deeply, uncertainty clouding my mind. My faith in Daena once unshakable now trembled precariously.

[I hate to say it,] the system murmured hesitantly, [but this got complicated quickly.]

"Leave me," I demanded sharply, stepping away from the dais.

The Sovereign inclined her head gracefully. "Of course. Take all the time you need." She paused at the doorway, eyes glinting ominously. "But remember—betrayal is a habit. Daena learned it long ago. It won't be long before you become her next regret."

She left silently, leaving me alone in the chamber, haunted by visions I wished desperately I'd never seen.

My thoughts churned endlessly, trapped between loyalty and fear, between the past I knew and the truths I'd uncovered. Daena was my anchor, my family—the one person who had always believed in me, protected me. Yet now, I saw her differently.

[You're seriously doubting Daena?] the system asked softly. [She practically raised you.]

"She betrayed her own queen," I whispered brokenly. "How can I trust she won't betray me?"

The system hesitated, strangely gentle. [Because she loves you. Love changes everything even demons.]

I sank down onto the steps of the dais, burying my face in my hands. "Then why does this feel like it's already too late?"

No answer came, only silence echoing around me, carrying the weight of truths I wasn't yet ready to face.

I had opened a door that could never be closed again and now, my world would never be the same.

The silence pressed in around me, thick and suffocating. The weight of the vision lingered, sinking into my bones like a poison I couldn't purge. No matter how much I wanted to dismiss the Dark Sovereign's words, they clawed at the edges of my mind, whispering doubt into places that had once been certain.

Daena had betrayed her. That much was undeniable. And if she had done it once…

Would she do it again?

I pressed my fingers against my temples, willing the thought away, but it had already taken root.

[This is what she wants,] the system murmured, unusually subdued. [She's trying to turn you against Daena. Divide you. It's a classic move, honestly.]

I exhaled shakily. I knew that. I knew that. And yet, the images of Daena standing over the Sovereign, chains of violet fire binding her in place, refused to fade.