Villain's Odyssey: Enslaving heroines, Conquering Villainesses

"EL!" A voice rang across the hall.

Noel turned to see a girl staring at him from the other side of the corridor, and his blood ran cold.

What the hell? he thought, his face twisting into a frown.

He could feel it—eyes descending on him from every corner of the room like vultures sensing fresh carrion.

"Um... is she talking to you?" asked the group leader he'd been having a conversation with moments before.

There was a project that a lecturer had distributed, complete with assigned groups and members. Given that Noel was particularly handy when it came to research—though decidedly not when it came to money—he'd decided to help the group in the best way he could: by becoming vice group leader. He handled most of the research and paperwork, and just now he and the group leader had been discussing their progress when somehow they'd deviated from the project and started talking about how perpetually broke he was.

"Um... I think so?" Noel replied, his frown deepening.

Fuck, she's made me a target, he thought, clicking his tongue in frustration.

For one whole month, he had avoided her like the plague. But that didn't mean he wasn't already in deep shit. Some thugs had confronted him three weeks ago, beat him up so badly that he was now terrified to even look in her direction. He thanked his stars it was probably only one—or maybe a few—of the rich guys who had targeted him, perhaps giving him a warning through that brutal experience. A warning he had gladly accepted and adhered to.

He was no idiot. No matter how beautiful she was, no matter how fond of her he had grown, this was no Bollywood movie. If he didn't heed their warnings, he would die.

Plain and simple.

But now...

Suddenly she was right in front of him. That usual innocent, charming smile she always wore was gone, replaced by something far more unsettling. She gripped his wrist tightly and pulled, turning to leave.

"Hey, let go," he said, clearly annoyed. Perhaps the best option was to quit school entirely. He could already see guys like Mason gazing at him with not even a trace of amusement—just chilling indifference that exuded menace.

He was fucked.

Luke had warned him. He'd tried to adhere to it, but it seemed it was already too late.

Emilia looked at him, and there was no light in her eyes.

"Let go of him, Emilia," Jane intervened, grabbing the arm Emilia was using to pull Noel. "We have something important to discuss, and he clearly doesn't want to leave with you."

"Jane..." Emilia sighed, then looked at her. The instant Jane met her gaze, her hold on Noel's arm softened. It was as though she instantly realized exactly who she was talking to.

"Let go of him," Emilia said calmly, "or I swear I will do something you won't forget in your entire life."

The class fell silent.

No one spoke. They just stared in stunned quiet.

No one had ever seen this side of Emilia—not even Noel, who at this point was terrified beyond what words could describe. He had never, EVER, seen such a side of her.

Jane instantly released his arm.

She looked horrified—not because of mere words, but because she knew what influence could do. What true power was. Someone with power could kill a person and walk away scot-free, perhaps leaving a scapegoat to take the fall. She knew it all too well.

After all, her brother was suffering from the same issue. He'd messed with someone even her father couldn't hope to measure up to, and now he was in deep shit.

"Sorry," Jane whispered, taking several steps back.

Emilia's gaze settled on Noel. "Now, would you come peacefully, or...?"

He didn't protest anymore. He was frozen, realizing now the true gravity of the situation. He had entangled himself in a world he didn't belong to.

And now, he would begin to pay the price.

They walked through the class. No one dared to stop her, no one could save him—he couldn't even save himself. At this point, if he tried to push her away, there was no telling what she would do to him.

"Why... why have you been avoiding me?"

Now seated in a vehicle he would never have expected to even touch in his entire life, Noel's heart hammered with horror. It was true—every single thing Luke had said about her was true.

"Please... I can't do it. Just let me be. I beg you, with everything you hold dear—I'm just a poor kid. I... I have no one. Please..." His voice cracked. "Please... just... let me go..."

He broke down in an instant. Never in his life had he felt so terrified that he couldn't even think straight. All his mind could process was one word:

DANGER.

He was in danger. Not only was she the danger—the entire school now felt like a minefield. He knew the types of guys who were interested in her: ruthless. Not to mention her father, a die-hard politician, or even herself, who was showing her true colors. If she didn't kill him, they would.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on his lap.

Drip.

It wasn't his tears.

"Are... are you afraid of me this much? You're crying... why? I don't get it. What did I do? Why are you so terrified? Was it someone? Please... just make me understand?"

Her eyes—those blue orbs—streamed with tears, and he froze. It seemed she had returned to her normal state, to the girl he knew. But that didn't change anything.

"I don't want to be close to you. I can't keep being your friend. You have to understand... just being close to you puts me in danger," he said quietly.

"No! I can protect you. You don't have to be afraid. What changed? We used to be on good terms," she said, struggling to stop her tears.

"You hid it from me. You hid your identity. If you cared about me as a friend—or as a human being—you should have known we're not on the same level in life. You're above, I'm below. I cannot be close to someone like you. It would ruin me."

"I... I knew you would act this way. I saw how you were with Lisa. I knew if I told you—"

"Lisa? What does this have to do with her? We weren't even friends."

"EXACTLY! You never let her become anything more because she's a minister's daughter," she said.

"What do you mean? Wait, I didn't even know you before last semester. Why do you sound like you know me?" he asked, confusion mixing with his fear.

"It doesn't matter," she said cryptically.

But he didn't even care about that mystery anymore.

"Look, you have friends, family, a life. I don't have that. All I have is MY life and this scholarship—yeah, that's gone from the looks of things. So yeah, all I have is my life. So please, just let me keep it."

He reached for the door handle. He needed to leave now—perhaps even the state. He had saved a decent amount. Fuck education; he'd had enough.

"No!" She grabbed his wrist. "You can't leave me! I need you." Her voice was turning darker.

"WE WERE JUST FRIENDS, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" he screamed.

"I... I love you... too much. I can't let you go. I can't," she said, the obsession in her voice crystal clear.

She was dangerous. Far more dangerous than even the people he was initially scared of. THEY were a small part of the problem—SHE was the problem itself.

"I don't love you. I don't even love myself enough to love another person." He forced her hand away from his wrist. "So please... I don't deserve your love, your feelings. Someone better does."

The door opened. He could see the men in suits guarding the car glance at him for a second before returning their gaze forward.

This was definitely getting back to her father.

"Noel..." he heard as he stepped out.

He stopped and turned back.

"I swear—I swear on my mother's grave—if you leave, I will make you regret it," she said. Her eyes were dark, too dark for someone sane.

He hesitated for a moment, looking at this girl he'd once thought he knew.

"Emilia..." He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry."

He stepped out, closed the door, and left.

That was it.

He ran to his apartment, gathered his belongings, and left for the closest state before the day could end.

But even then, he still couldn't escape fate.