Villainous Me: Help! The heroines are yanderes!
Chapter 67: Can we talk?[GTG]

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Can we talk?[GTG]

The whine of my lungs was like a rusty bellows, scraping with every labored breath as I hauled myself up the last of the stairs. Each step was a jolt, rattling through my bones and the dull ache in my head bloomed, throbbing like it was ready to crack my skull open. The migraine thudded in rhythm with my heartbeat, drowning out my own ragged breaths.

"Fucking low stamina." The curse escaped between pants, my chest rising and falling. Felt like something was about to break.

When I finally reached the landing, the metallic taste on my tongue was so sharp, I gagged. But relief? Gone in an instant. Replaced by that twist of apprehension. The kind that sinks deep and gnaws.

Where were the sounds? Shouldn’t there be clashing swords? Cries? The rooftop should have been echoing with battle.

Something was wrong.

My gaze zeroed in on the metal door at the end of the hall. It was barely open, just a sliver of dim light cutting through the air. My chest tightened again. Hadn’t the fight been raging a second ago? Maybe I’d miscalculated. Maybe they’d killed each other in there. Or worse, someone else had gotten there first.

"Doubtful," I muttered, but even to my ears, it sounded weak.

Forcing myself to steady, I took a slow, deep breath. The cool metal of the door pressed against my fingers. And with each nerve screaming, I twisted the knob. The hinges groaned, resisting, as if trying to warn me.

And then I saw her.

Through that narrow opening, I caught a glimpse of her, bathed in dusty light. Crimson hair, falling like blood down her back. Her hands locked around the throat of her opponent. The silver-armored archer, caught in her grip, his face twisted in silent agony.

She wasn’t hesitating. There was something terrifyingly steady about her, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. His body flickered, then vanished, a silent end. And still... she didn’t even blink.

"Well... that’s great," I rasped, voice low and bitter. Weeks of planning, endless recon. All of it, gone. If that girl – whoever she was – could eliminate that fast, any ambush I tried would be suicide. The frustration gnawed at me, curling into something darker.

I eased the door shut, slow. Careful. The last thing I wanted was her attention. As the sliver of light faded, though, my blood ran cold.

She’d noticed.

Her head whipped around, gaze like a hawk, scanning the stairwell. Eyes, dark as pits, searching.

My heart nearly stopped.

Panic took over. Before I could think, I slammed the door shut. Hard. My feet moved before I’d even realized, pounding down the steps as fast as they could carry me. Each thudding step matched the throb in my skull, hammering home how royally I’d messed this up.

Luck? Nonexistent. There was no way my luck was ever on my side. Not with how often things went wrong.

The last few steps were a blur of pounding heartbeats and stinging lungs. I crashed through the exit, barely feeling the splintering wood scrape my arms as I shoved past it. Cold night air slapped against my face. I took it in like a drowning man, half-wondering if I was free yet. If she’d followed.

The street was chaos. Perfect. Shadows and firelight danced across broken glass and rubble. Across the street, a dark alley caught my eye. Narrow. Tight. Promising the one thing I needed – cover.

I lunged for it. But then.

A memory hit, sudden and ice-cold. I’d entered that building alone. No one else had followed. I’d locked the damn door myself. So how had she gotten in?

The answer stayed lodged in the back of my mind. Because before I could process it, I felt a cold weight settle on my shoulder. A hand. Cold as ice.

My stomach twisted.

"Why are you running from me, Ryan?" Her voice was almost... sweet. Soft. Too soft.

My blood turned to ice. "No way..." The words came out barely a whisper. Disbelief clung to them like a lifeline. "Scarlet?"

The hand released with a wet sound, a sound that sent shivers crawling up my spine. I spun around, breath catching. And there she was.

Bathed in moonlight, hair like fire against the pale blue. Her eyes, a haunting shade of purple, flickered with something I couldn’t read. But that smile. It was almost gentle.

"What do you want, Scarlet?" My voice was hoarse, but I managed to stand firm. A wary step back, hands up. "You know teammates can’t hurt each other, right?"

Sadness crossed her face. Just a flicker. Her gaze softened. Almost... hurt. "You don’t trust me," she said, her voice softer than I’d expected. "I get it. I wouldn’t trust me either."

Something about that hurt more than I wanted to admit. She held my gaze, her expression raw, open.

"But..." she paused. "...can you just listen?"

The air felt like it was buzzing, tension thickening around us, pressing. There was something in her tone. Familiarity. Pain.

But why? Why did it sound like she knew me? And why couldn’t I shake the feeling that there was more? Luke had told me she was the enemy. Dangerous. Ruthless. A threat. But the sadness in her eyes – it threw everything I thought I knew into chaos.

Maybe there was more. Maybe Luke had lied. Or maybe this was all just some trick. A ploy. A game.

But in that moment, I couldn’t turn away. Couldn’t dismiss it. And even though every instinct told me to run, I took a breath, steadying myself.

"Fine," I said, suspicion coating the word. "Talk."

....

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!