Ascension Of The Villain

"All that damn effort to forge a fake ID, and they don't even check it?" Vyan muttered, slumping back in his seat with an exaggerated groan of disappointment. His wine-red eyes squinted at the passing blur beyond the train window as if blaming the scenery for his wasted nerves.

It was a pretty sight, though. It was his first time on a train. Because obviously Haynes didn't need such a useless thing. They had teleportation portals, after all. However, it might be created for recreational purposes. For people who did like traveling manually.

Vyan, for one, hated it. He loved the convenience of teleportation. He missed his mana.

Adrian, seated across from him with his legs crossed and reading something on his tab, didn't even look up. "Don't get too comfortable, Mr. Ashstone. We're not out of the train yet."

Vyan gave a long, theatrical sigh and leaned his head against the cool window. "It's such a long journey. Honestly, if I had a coin for every minute we've been stuck in this rattling tin box, I'd be rich enough to buy a teleportation portal back home."

"Try not to say suspicious things aloud," Adrian cut in, finally lowering the tab to arch a brow. "Someone might overhear and decide you're either mentally unwell… or an alien."

"Who's gonna hear us?" Vyan gestured dramatically to the luxuriously quiet private cabin they were in. "You booked us such a nice place, remember?"

Adrian gave a dry chuckle. "You never know. Better safe than sorry. Especially with you."

Vyan stretched his legs, clearly enjoying the privilege. "It's honestly kind of nice having a counterpart who's efficient and rich."

"I suppose wealth comes with… whatever it is that ties us together," Adrian replied, a hint of amusement curling the corner of his lips.

Vyan paused, his gaze drifting back to the window where dusk had begun softening the edges of the world. "Even if something does tie us together… and even if you feel like you owe me something for it, you didn't have to do all this. You didn't have to come on this absurdly long trip."

"I told you," Adrian said gently, voice low but firm, "I'll accompany you till the end. Till you board that ship. I won't change my mind so easily."

Vyan rolled his eyes, though his smirk betrayed him. "Yeah, yeah. Still feels like you're babysitting me."

"You literally just woke up from a coma. You're barely in any condition to be taking such a long trip all on your own. You don't even know how things work here. You may know how to use AI, but that doesn't make you an expert in surviving this world. It just makes you technically impressive," Adrian quipped, shrugging with the sort of casual practicality only a lawyer could weaponize. "There's con artists out there who could sell you your own shoes. I'm just making sure you don't walk into a trap wearing them."

"Hey, I'm not that dumb—"

"Trust me, even the average person here is way more twisted than the worst criminal back at your home. So don't trust a single one of them. That's what I tell Elian and Amy all the time."

"Touché," Vyan hummed, clearly amused.

"And besides," Adrian added, tone softening a little, "you don't have to feel that touched or anything. It's my own curiosity as well. It's not every day I meet someone from another world… who is most likely my counterpart. Might as well help."

Vyan chuckled, then glanced at Adrian from the corner of his eye. "You always this sentimental with the otherworldly travelers?"

Adrian ignored the jab. "Also… just so you know, I'll wait in Miami an extra day. Just in case. Until I know for sure you've left the world—"

"Left the world?" Vyan interjected with a raised brow. "Wow. That makes it sound like I'm dying."

Adrian gave him a flat look. "Since you're literally disappearing into another dimension, yeah, you kind of are. Existentially, at least."

Vyan whistled low. "Damn. That's cold."

"Practical," Adrian corrected. "And if anything goes wrong… you know where to find me. I'll show you the hotel I'll be staying at."

Vyan leaned back again, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "You're a weird guy, Adrian."

"Takes one to know one."

The train rumbled on, a steady rhythm beneath their feet, as golden evening light slanted in through the cabin window. Outside, the world blurred into smears of green and gold, but inside, silence stretched between the two men.

"I really don't want to fail, you know?" Vyan finally said, his voice low, almost lost beneath the hum of the train. He stared out the window, his reflection faintly superimposed against the fading sky, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his usually composed face.

Adrian didn't rush to answer. He looked at Vyan with the quiet understanding only someone who had lived through pain in a thousand quiet ways could offer.

"I know," he replied gently. "But it's always good to have a safety net. If your plan falls apart, how will you reach me? You don't have any money left, and you didn't get another phone after Joshua's thugs smashed yours."

Vyan sighed, his breath fogging the window slightly. "It feels like I've gone back to my poor days," he murmured. "Back to square one. I forgot how brutal it is… not having money. Every step becomes a negotiation. Every choice feels like a risk."

"You can use me as your ATM for now," Adrian chuckled softly, but there was warmth in it, not mockery. "But Emma always says we should be humble. Life has a way of balancing the scales for us."

Vyan turned to him, narrowing his wine-red eyes with playful suspicion. "Speaking of Emma… all good between you two?"

Adrian stiffened slightly. Just a flicker, but noticeable to someone as observant as Vyan. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Vyan tilted his head, smugness curling around his words like smoke. "Elian once told me you get pretty upset when Emma doesn't give you enough time. Is that issue okay now?"

That earned a genuine laugh from Adrian—dry, affectionate, and a bit exasperated. "That kid... he worries too much, I swear." He shook his head, smiling to himself. "Things are fine. Em and I always manage to work through our stuff. I just tend to get a little… moody, I guess, if I don't get enough of her attention. Occupational hazard of loving someone that much."

Vyan looked away, his smile fading, thoughts drifting elsewhere. He could relate to it. And with that, came a painful realization.

For him, every timeline, every reality, it seemed like he was always the loser in love—chasing Iyana like she was sunlight, only to burn himself in the process. Not that he would ever want it any different. But still… his obsession left too much emotional strain.

Even Adrian wasn't spared from that obsessive streak.

Adrian, catching the shadow that crossed his counterpart's face, leaned forward, sensing the weight behind the silence. "It's not that serious between us. But even if it ever does get serious… I have faith that we won't be separated."

Vyan raised a brow. "Why's that?"

Adrian grinned, almost sheepishly. "Because Emma and I are soulmates. And I figured that out when I found out you were with Iyana."

Vyan blinked. That… was not what he expected. "You don't look like someone who believes in soulmates," he said slowly.

Adrian's smile didn't falter. "Neither do I. But sometimes, life throws undeniable proof in your face."

Vyan didn't respond immediately. His chest tightened at the thought. In their alternate life of the novel… hadn't he died while Iyana married someone else? Easton. A name that left a bitter taste in his mouth even now. A version of history where they didn't get their forever.

Seeing the flicker of grief in Vyan's expression, Adrian's smile softened. "You're thinking about what happened in the novel, aren't you?"

Vyan nodded faintly, not trusting his voice.

Adrian looked at him steadily. "You know… there's this theory. That not all soulmates end up together in the end. Not because their connection isn't real, but because life is complicated. Messy. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out the way it should."

Vyan gave a quiet, hollow laugh, but forced a smile. "You're right. Because I know for a fact Iyana is my soulmate. There's no one else I can connect to the way I do with her. No one who feels like home and a storm at the same time."

Adrian leaned back, his eyes kind. "Then hang on to that. Just a few more hours, and you'll get to see her again."

Vyan turned back to the window, the sky outside dimming into deep purples and blues. This time, his reflection smiled back at him—tired, but hopeful. "Yeah," he murmured. "Just a few more hours."

And the train carried them forward—toward endings, toward beginnings, toward whatever came next.