Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 18: Rav

"You! Human!" Rav shouted, pointing at him with both his fan and his finger. The catboy (as Ezra called him) scrunched his nose, his eyes laced with menace.

The crowd - no, the entire village grew silent. Everyone turned from Rav to who he was pointing at.

All eyes were on Ezra.

Even Deek stepped away from him. She didn't want to be in the spotlight - or caught up in the violence if Rav decided to 'strike him from the heavens' as she once put it.

The one known as Rav hopped off the crate he was standing on, and the crowd parted for him, opening a path straight to Ezra.

He stood defensively, unsure of what was going to happen.

'This Rav guy is a Magician too, isn't he?' Ezra thought to himself. 'Is he after my heart, too?'

Rav clicked his fan shut, still holding it in his tail.

He pressed the fan to Ezra's neck, forcing his head upward. Ezra didn't dare fight back or say a word.

Rav blinked, the slits in his stellar blue eyes widening. The faintest smirk twitched in the corner of Rav's mouth. "Nice to see you again, Alcor. Is that really you?"

Ezra gasped. This wasn't just a confrontation - Rav recognized him. Or his face, anyway.

"What's the matter?" he purred. "You look...frightened. You're not afraid of your old pal Rav, now are you?"

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[Rav and I have a history.] Alcor's voice was less insidious than normal - it sounded like the mysterious being in his head was smiling as he talked.

'Oh yeah? I would have never guessed,' Ezra responded sarcastically. 'So, what's the deal with you two? Best friends? Sworn enemies?'

[Rav is - ]

"My former student," Rav said with a gleam in his eye. "But something seems...different, about you."

He put the fan against Ezra's cheek and forced him to turn his head. "You look the same..." he noted, turning Ezra back and looking into his eyes. "But that look. It's like you've never even seen me before."

"I haven't."

Rav noticed Deek standing next to Ezra for the first time. He was well-acquainted with the Ferin girl.

"Where did you dig this one up?" he questioned her.

"He's...well...Mr. Rav, maybe right in the middle of this crowd isn't the best place to talk about this guy."

Rav's nostrils flared and he glanced around as if he only just noticed the hundred-odd Ferin standing around them in a circle.

"My little Decoy, this is why I keep you around."

Rav clacked his fan back open and stepped backward, covering his face. "Alcor. Deek. Please, join me."

He waved his hand in the air theatrically as he trotted off. "Visiting hours are over, please excuse me everyone, important Sage business!"

The crowd broke up as the onlookers went back to their daily routine. Ezra and Deek followed after him. He led them to the second floor of a nearby building - night club on the bottom floor, an office on the top. It was Rav's 'HQ' when he visited town.

He led them into a dimly lit office, into a pit seating area - a cozy circle of couches, bean bags, and pillows.

It was a touch more modern than the rest of the Ferin Village, with soft lighting and black carpet. A cozy meeting room that perfectly suited Rav - sophisticated, cool, and casual.

Rav curled up on the ground like a pretzel, crossing his legs and setting his fan down on the floor in front of him. He held out his hand, directing Ezra and Deek to sit.

"You have many interesting things to tell me, I'm sure," Rav smiled. In the darkness, his pupils were fully dilated - he looked a lot more human like this. Of course, his wagging tail and fluffy cat ears dispelled any illusion of that.

"Yeah, I finished my assignment! I killed my tenth Manticore! Ezra here even helped me do it, you know!"

Rav shifted, pondering the name. "Ezra, hm? Now that's a name I haven't heard before. Care to explain?"

Ezra wasn't sure what to say - should he pose as Alcor, and try to smooth over the situation? Or admit he was actually Ezra, and he took over Alcor's body?

Deek's excited nature took the opportunity to life from Ezra.

"He's not whoever you think he is, Mr. Rav! He's from another world or something!"

Rav's tail curled up into the shape of a question mark. "Another world, you say?"

"...Yeah," Ezra replied. "Yesterday morning, I woke up in this body."

[Let me talk to him. I'll only take control for a minute.]

'No way!'

Rav exhaled sharply. His callous, flamboyant nature became subdued. The sparkle and charm in his eyes gave way to a discerning, wiser look.

"Thank you, Deek. Would you wait outside?" Rav said, not letting his gaze off of Ezra for a single instant.

"Hmm? Well, okay! Whatever you say, Mr. Rav!"

Deek happily pattered out of the office, closing the door behind her. She left the two men alone.

Neither said a word at first. They were scoping each other out, trying to get a feel for each other. Ezra didn't feel like he was in danger, but the tension was palpable.

"May I assume you met the Storyteller, then?" Rav asked, his smooth, sultry voice cutting the tension like a knife.

'I guess the cat's out of the bag,' Ezra thought to himself.

Ezra didn't need to confirm - the look in his eyes was enough for Rav. The Ferin nodded up and down slowly.

"And Alcor, he's...?"

Rav's gaze faltered, staring at his fan.

"Alcor still exists. Alive or dead, I really couldn't say. But...I can hear his voice in my head."

The information caused a visceral reaction within Rav. He stretched out his spine, uncertain about the words he was hearing.

"I see. Well, Ezra - it has been a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure we'll chat again soon. But right now, I'm more interested in talking to Alcor. So if you would be so kind..."

Suddenly, Ezra felt light as a feather. The last thing he saw was a foggy haze that overwhelmed his vision.

"Somnia."

And Ezra blacked out.