Villian Born from Ruin: My Villian System

The path back from the Rift was quiet—too quiet.

Even Daren kept his mouth shut for once, trailing behind with Kai, who whistled a low, lazy tune. Averine walked ahead with the artifact slung over her shoulder, occasionally glancing back at Selene and Elian.

From her vantage point, Averine couldn't help but observe the team in silence. Daren, with his sharp jawline and aristocratic posture, always looked like he'd just stepped out of a painting of ancient war heroes. Hair like molten copper tied back tightly, eyes sharp like razors, and an ever-present scowl that made it clear he thought himself better than the air around him.

Then there was Kai.

Lazy-eyed, tousled midnight-blue hair that always seemed a little too perfect for someone who claimed to not care. His smile was permanent—mocking, careless, like he could predict your next five moves and still not lift a finger. He had that dangerous kind of charisma—the one that made you unsure if you wanted to slap him or follow him into a burning Rift.

Averine sighed internally. A noble jerk and a disaster flirt. How'd she end up stuck with these three?

Selene walked a step behind Elian. The sky above was a tapestry of stars, the forest still humming with residual magic from the Rift.

Elian slowed, just slightly. Just enough.

"I know who you are," he said, low enough that the others wouldn't hear.

Selene's steps didn't falter. "I know who you are too."

For a long moment, only their boots crunched against gravel.

"You are the one who will break the balance," he said.

She didn't flinch. "You're the hero. The chosen one."

He glanced at her. "And you still walked into a Rift with me?"

"If you could kill me you would have done it the moment you set your eyes on me , but you didn't meaning you can't "

"Not yet though."

Selene's eyes scanned the woods ahead. "Not until it matters. I won't waste a blade on someone who isn't ready. That would be mercy."He let out a soft, almost inaudible laugh. "Cold."

"You've no idea."

Another few paces of silence. The others were ahead, out of earshot.

His system pinged softly in his head. [Proximity: Subject - Selene Verline. Status: Threat-Level Reassessed. Warning: System Deviation Possible.]

Solinar spoke inside his mind. "She's accelerating faster than projected. Nareon's hand is too precise. You must watch her, not pity her." "I don't pity her," Elian muttered back.

Selene's system chimed too. [Target: Elian Rhys Caelus. Observation Mode: Passive. Dialogue Logged.]

She turned slightly. "Why haven't you tried to stop me?"

Elian's gaze didn't waver. "Same reason you haven't tried to kill me."

A beat passed.

"You're not ready," they both said in sync.

But then Elian added, calmly, "And let's be honest. Right now, you wouldn't stand a chance."Selene's fists clenched briefly. Her system didn't argue.

He continued, almost conversational, "My strength stat alone is triple yours. Your spells are crude. You react instead of strike. If we fought now… you'd die.""I know," she said simply.

Kai's voice drifted from up ahead, lazy and mocking as always. "You two always this flirty or is it a trauma bond thing?"

Daren turned, eyes narrowing. "Flirty? That girl is a liability. She nearly cost us the mission. And if she's saying things like that again, I swear..."

Averine cut in, voice sharp. "Shut it, Daren. She held her own. That Shardfiend would've taken you if she hadn't stepped in."Daren sneered. "Please. She's weak. The only thing she's good at is surviving."

Kai smirked. "And yet she's still walking next to Saint Elian while you're back here throwing a tantrum."

Daren gritted his teeth. "When she falls, don't say I didn't warn you."

Selene's expression remained blank.

Elian sighed. "When the time comes…"

"I won't hold back," Selene finished.

His eyes flicked to her briefly. "Good. I'd hate to make it boring."

And with that, they walked back into the light of the academy.

Enemies. Not yet. But soon.

Very soon.