I Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

I stared at the golden portal, its edges gleaming with a blood red hue. I had no idea where it led, but one thing was clear to me.

If I walked through it, I was never coming back.

I could feel the eyes of the goddess piercing through me, waiting for me to do it. But my concern at the moment was not of my own well-being.

I turned to Eva.

"If I walk through, what happens to the world?"

"What will happen, has already happened," she replied. "The Shadow Queen will do, what she has done before."

"What about the people?"

"Their fate has been sealed."

The light of the in-between began to fade, and the endless sea of blue slowly vanished, replaced by a thick, dark fog.

Eva remained beside me, her aura bright and divine.

"It's time you return when you belong," she said, her voice gentle but final.

The portal began to pulse, like it was breathing. I could feel it calling to me with a promise of eternal comfort.

You can finally rest.

I took a step toward the portal. Then stopped.

"No."

Eva squinted her eyes, giving me a curious look.

"No?"

"No."

My voice trembled with uncertainty, but slowly, I made up my mind.

"You refuse your fate, Belford?"

"I refuse to give up this easily."

Eva circled around me once again. "Enlighten me."

"You were right. I failed to save the world. I made poor decisions, and I let the world down. But that is exactly why you need to send me back."

"And why is that?"

"Well, I know my flaws now. I know what not to do. If you send me back, I will do what's right."

"That doesn't guarantee a change in the timeline."

"If you really believe that, why did you send me back the first time?"

"Sending you back was a mistake..."

"No. You sent me back because there was a chance I could change the future. You did it because you care about the world you created."

Eva remained silent, carefully studying me with those bright eyes that had seen the rise and fall of empires.

"I may be prideful and arrogant, but the fact is, I care about the world, more than you do. You may have created it, but I'm one of the humans who live in it."

I took another step toward the goddess.

"When I became the Grand Mage, I took an oath to protect it. No matter the cost. I intend to keep that oath."

"Your oath died with Drey Belford"

"My oath remains as long as there is a world to save."

Eva's lips curled in a frown.

"Is that why you resist, Grand Mage? Because of an oath?"

I shook my head.

"I fight because of the people I made that oath to. When the world ended, I felt it. The anguish of a billion souls. I felt it all. If there's a slight chance to prevent it from happening, I'm going to take it. I have to."

There was a tiny shift in Eva's expression. Slight, but noticeable.

"I reincarnated you once already. Your soul is scarred. Your mind fractured. I cannot guarantee what you'll become if I do it again."

"I don't care." I took another step toward the goddess, placing myself between her and the portal. "Send me back to Westumberland. Not because I deserve it. But because the people are worth saving."

For the first time, I saw a positive sign.

Eva's eyes gradually softened.

"You chose me once," I pressed on. "Let me prove to you that you made the right decision."

A long silence stretched between us like a wide chasm.

Finally, she sighed, and a bright light returned once again to the In-Between.

"You mortals..." she murmured. "Always insisting on hope where none should remain. Foolish, but admirable."

She took a step closer to me and lifted my chin with a touch as soft as moonlight.

"Very well, Belford. I will give you another chance. But if you fail this time, the consequences will be far worse."

"Worse than the end of the world?"

"Much much worse. For you... and for her."

I swallow hard.

"I understand."

Eva smiled. A tired, wistful smile, like a wife sending off her husband to a war he may not return from. Then she leaned forward and cupped my face in her palms. Her head gently tilted forward, and she planted a warm kiss on my lips.

I froze completely, like every single part of me knew it was touching something ancient and divine.

The kiss deepened, and I felt a burning passion fill me. It was neither lust, nor urgency, but something incredibly pure.

When she pulled away, the air around me felt warmer.

"I have given you a power far beyond your realm. Take your time to understand it, for it shall be your guide until your mission is complete."

The goddess snapped her fingers, and the golden portal vanished. It was replaced by a bright blue portal, just as beautiful as the one before.

"Your skills and affinities have been restored, but to ensure the safety of the timeline, it shall remain locked until you complete each mini-task given to you."

I smiled in gratitude.

"Thank you, my lady."

In response, the goddess nodded.

"Find Daevalia," she said. "Stop her before she destroys the world."

"I will."

The blue light of the portal flickered at the edge of my vision, and I turned toward it. I knew what I had to do, but my mind was filled with hesitation.

"It's time," Eva's voice boomed behind me.

I nodded, but I didn't move.

She noticed my hesitation. She was a goddess of course.

"What is it?"

"I just..." My voice broke off as I searched for the right words to describe what I felt.

She stepped closer to me. "You're afraid."

"Yes," I exhaled. "I don't want to fail."

Her beautiful smile reappeared.

"You convinced me to believe in you, Belford. Now you have to believe in yourself."

Her words were reassuring, and I felt my courage return to me.

"Will I remember this? Will I remember you?"

She giggled softly. "In dreams, maybe. But I'll always be in your heart. Not as a goddess, but a gentle voice you can always trust."

Once again, she kissed me on the lips. Soft, slow, like sunlight melting over frost.

For a moment, we were not goddess and man. Just two souls, united by a single mission.

She broke off the kiss, her forehead resting on mine. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

"Fare well, Stormborn."

She began to chant in a language I had never heard before. Beautiful, and ancient. Her aura suddenly grew brighter, and the portal behind me flared up.

Then she touched my chest, and the world fell away in a rush of golden light.

Everything went white.

*****

I gasped for breath as my eyes snapped open.

I was on my feet, standing in the middle of a dense forest. The leaves of a thousand trees hovered above me, and a royal carriage stood beside me with the door ajar.

In front of me were three men, brandishing long swords, their faces covered with weird-looking masks.

The masked bandits.

I was back in Viridale.

The leader of the trio walked straight to me, until his face was right in front of mine.

"So how about you just give us what we want, and we'll be on our merry way."

Déjà vu.

The same moment. Same threat. Same time.

But this time was going to be different.

This time, I knew exactly what to do.