Villain With The Absolute Evil Sytem
Chapter 51 - 49 : A glimpse beyond the Veil

Chapter 51: Chapter 49 : A glimpse beyond the Veil

The night air carried the scent of damp earth and crushed stone as Shirley stood across from Lumian, rolling her shoulders. Her muscles still ached from the previous tests, but exhaustion barely registered.

The thrill of power, the rush of speed, the sheer force she could exert—it was intoxicating. She had never felt so alive.

And yet, she wasn’t satisfied.

Lumian was untouchable. No matter how hard she hit, no matter how fast she moved, he barely seemed to acknowledge her efforts. He moved like a shadow, his presence looming over her, unreadable and endless.

She clenched her fists.

"Alright," Lumian finally said, cracking his neck. "You’ve tested it against rocks and trees. Now test it against me."

Shirley blinked. "What?"

Lumian tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming. "Hit me."

Shirley narrowed her eyes. "You serious?"

He smirked. "Dead serious."

Shirley scoffed. "You just want an excuse to beat my ass again."

Lumian chuckled. "I don’t need an excuse."

Shirley rolled her shoulders, taking a step forward. "Fine. Don’t cry when I break your ribs."

"I won’t." Lumian’s voice was amused, but there was an edge to it. "But if you don’t go all out, you might end up dead."

That sent a chill down her spine.

She exhaled through her nose. *Fine*. If he wanted her to go all out, then she would.

Shirley kicked off the ground, her body blurring forward as she threw a punch straight for Lumian’s face.

Her fist connected—

No.

It should have connected.

But Lumian had moved.

Not dodged. Not countered.

He had simply shifted, effortlessly, like a breeze slipping through her fingers.

Shirley barely had time to register her miss before Lumian’s hand lashed out, catching her wrist in midair.

Her eyes widened.

Before she could react, he twisted her arm, using her own momentum to fling her over his shoulder.

She hit the ground hard, but before she could fully process the impact, Lumian was already moving again.

He pressed his foot down on her stomach, pinning her with little effort.

Shirley growled. "Bastard—!"

She twisted her legs, sweeping at his, but Lumian simply hopped back, releasing her.

She rolled to her feet, panting.

"Come on," Lumian said, almost lazily. "That’s not all you got, is it?"

Shirley gritted her teeth.

She rushed forward again, feinting with a jab before spinning into a kick.

Lumian blocked it effortlessly.

She followed up with a barrage of punches, each strike backed by her newfound strength.

Lumian dodged. Blocked. Countered.

It wasn’t just that he was faster.

It was like he knew what she was going to do before she did.

And every time she tried to adjust, he adjusted better.

Shirley was strong now. Faster than any human could ever hope to be.

But Lumian was not human.

And it showed.

Her frustration built with every failed attempt, her breath coming faster, her muscles straining.

Then she had enough.

A spark of rage ignited in her chest, and she decided to stop playing.

If ten percent of his strength was all she had, then she’d pour all of it into one final blow.

She braced her feet, clenched her fists, and focused.

Her body tensed, her muscles coiling like a spring ready to snap.

Then she launched forward, swinging her fist with everything she had.

But—

She stopped.

Completely.

Her breath hitched.

Her body locked up, refusing to move any further.

Because the man in front of her...

Wasn’t a man anymore.

Where Lumian had stood, now there was something else.

A thing.

A shifting, writhing mass of shadows, its form unstable, flickering between shapes that shouldn’t exist.

It was enormous, towering over her, its many limbs twisting and curling into themselves.

Darkness leaked from it, staining the air like a living void.

It had no face, and yet it watched her. She felt completely naked, like it saw right through her clothes, skin, organs and even her soul.

Her heart pounded.

Sweat beaded down her forehead.

Her fingers trembled.

She couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

A pressure bore down on her mind, whispering, pulling, threatening to unravel her very being.

She felt like she would break.

No, she felt like if she kept looking at it, she would go insane.

Then—

BOOM.

A sudden impact struck her side.

Shirley was sent flying, her body crashing against the dirt.

The pain snapped her out of it.

She gasped, her body shaking as she scrambled up.

The world spun around her.

Her vision cleared—

And Lumian was back.

Just Lumian.

No shadows. No monstrous mass.

Just the handsome golden-eyed man standing where he always had been, watching her with an unreadable expression.

Shirley swallowed thickly, her throat dry.

Lumian stepped closer.

She flinched.

He narrowed his eyes.

"You stopped mid-attack," he said. His tone was casual, but there was something pointed about it.

Shirley didn’t answer.

"That last one actually looked like it might’ve done something," Lumian added. "So why’d you stop?"

Shirley took an involuntary step back.

The image of what she had seen was burned into her mind.

It wasn’t just fear.

It was something deeper,

Like her instincts her very soul was rejecting whatever she had just witnessed.

Lumian noticed. His eyes flickered with interest.

"What happened?" he asked.

Shirley shook her head. "Nothing."

Lumian’s smirk faded slightly. "You’re a bad liar."

She bit her lip.

Lumian sighed. "I’m not asking, Shirley."

Something shifted in the air.

His voice rang in her ears, not just a sound, but a command.

It crawled into her skull, wrapping around her thoughts.

And before she even realized it—

She was talking.

"I saw... something," she said, her voice trembling.

Lumian tilted his head. "Something?"

She inhaled sharply. "You, weren’t human. You aren’t "

Lumian’s gaze sharpened.

Shirley clenched her fists. "I don’t know what I saw, but it wasn’t the same you standing in front of me now." She exhaled shakily. "It was... something else."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

"I see."

That was all Lumian said.

His expression was unreadable. He looked at her not with anger, not with amusement, but with understanding.

He hadn’t expected this.

After a pause, he spoke again.

"We’re done for now," he said.

Shirley blinked. "Huh?"

Lumian turned, hands in his pockets. "Go back to the close. Get some rest."

Shirley frowned. "That’s it?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Tomorrow is the ’day,’ remember?"

Something about the way he said it made her skin prickle.

She hesitated, then nodded. Without another word, she turned and dashed off, disappearing into the night.

Lumian remained where he stood, his golden eyes flickering.

He thought back to what Shirley had seen.

A failsafe in the power-sharing ability?

Or—

Had she actually seen something?

His mind drifted back to the system menu, to the label that had been attached to his very being.

"Herald."

He had known for a long time that he wasn’t human anymore, nobody that experienced what he did would remain human

But if Shirley could see it now, even without realizing it—

Then what was he?

The morning air was crisp and cool, carrying the distant hum of city life. The world moved as it always had, indifferent, unfazed.

But for Shirley, today wasn’t like any other.

She could feel it.

The moment she stepped outside, the weight in the air, the shift in the way Lumian looked at her, it all told her that the time had come.

She stood across from him, rolling her shoulders as she took in his golden-eyed gaze.

"So," she said, "it’s time."

Lumian gave her a slow nod. "It is."

Shirley inhaled, steadying herself. Then, she looked up at him with an unusual softness in her expression.

"Before we go," she said, "I have one request."

Lumian raised a brow. "Oh?"

"I want to see my sister first."

For the first time in a while, Lumian’s expression shifted. Not in surprise, he had anticipated this, but in vague amusement.

"Why?" he asked.

Shirley crossed her arms. "I have to update her on things before I do this."

"She’s in a coma, Shirley."

Shirley frowned. "And?"

Lumian smirked. "It’s not like she can give you any real advice."

Shirley’s frown deepened. "I tell her everything before making big decisions."

Lumian tilted his head. "Because she’s a good listener?"

"Yes."

Lumian’s smirk widened. "Isn’t that because she’s comatose?"

Shirley’s jaw clenched.

There was a long pause.

Then, Lumian sighed dramatically. "Fine."

Shirley blinked. "What?"

"You can see her," he said, waving a dismissive hand.

Shirley narrowed her eyes, suspicious of how easily he had agreed.

’Anything for my CT farm,’ Lumian mused internally, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Moments later, they stood outside the hospital.

Shirley adjusted the sleeves of her hoodie, glancing at the entrance.

"Aren’t you coming in?" she asked.

Lumian shook his head. "I don’t like hospitals."

That was a lie.

The truth was, he didn’t want to be recognized. He had a memorable face, and there was always a chance the nurse from last time would be here.

Shirley didn’t question him.

With a small nod, she turned and walked into the hospital.

The sterile scent of antiseptic filled Shirley’s nose as she stepped into the lobby. The soft hum of medical equipment, the occasional distant voice of a nurse or doctor everything was the same as before.

Almost.

Something felt off.

Her steps slowed as she approached the reception desk.

The nurse behind the counter was different from the one Lumian had met. This one was older, with sharp eyes that immediately scrutinized Shirley’s appearance.

Shirley frowned slightly.

She knew almost all the nurses here.

Yet, the way this one was looking at her, like she was a stranger, was unsettling.

"Can I help you?" the nurse asked, her tone formal.

Shirley leaned against the desk, her usual casual stance. "What, don’t recognize me?"

The nurse’s expression didn’t change.

Shirley raised a brow. "It’s me. Shirley."

The nurse’s fingers hesitated over her keyboard.

Shirley exhaled through her nose.

"Come on, how many people named Shirley walk in here every damn day?"

The nurse’s eyes flickered with doubt.

Then, realization hit Shirley.

I look different.

She had changed overnight, drastically.

She didn’t look like the same ragged, desperate girl who had walked in before.

Finally, the nurse’s expression shifted from skepticism to shock.

"Shirley...?"

"Damn right."

The nurse’s lips parted slightly, as if trying to process something.

Then, her face changed again.

From surprise to something far more solemn.

A pit formed in Shirley’s stomach.

Her casual stance stiffened.

"...What?" she asked.

The nurse hesitated.

Shirley’s hands curled into fists. "What happened?"

The nurse inhaled deeply.

"It’s about your sister."

Shirley’s heart stopped.

The nurse’s voice was softer now, more careful.

"I’m... I’m so sorry," she said. "Melanie passed away."

Everything around Shirley blurred.

The beeping monitors, the murmurs of passing doctors, the distant sound of a wheelchair rolling down the hall

All of it faded into white noise.

A ringing filled her ears.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

"...What?" she finally managed to whisper.

The nurse sighed. "She died of asphyxiation."