I will be the Villian

> "You wanted a warning. You should've listened when I started whispering."

---

City in Ruin

Since the broadcast, the city split in half.

One side painted murals of Amaris.

The other painted "KILL THE WITCH" on burned-out buildings.

Protests turned to riots.

Speeches turned to shootouts.

And Amaris Lane was still standing.

---

Adira Demands a Truce

A public stage.

Guards on both sides.

Thousands watching.

Adira Vale—clean, poised, with the face of peace.

Amaris—dressed in black, eyes like knives.

"You're turning yourself into a god," Adira said. "People bleed for you."

Amaris answered calmly.

> "Gods don't ask for sacrifice. The world takes it from them."

"You don't get to speak for justice."

"I am justice."

And then—

Gunfire.

---

The Ambush

Adira's guards turned on her.

A planted faction. Not hers.

Chaos erupted.

Amaris grabbed Adira by the wrist and dragged her behind cover.

"You're welcome," she muttered.

Adira blinked. "You saved me?"

Amaris didn't smile. "Don't mistake convenience for kindness."

---

Later – Adira's Apartment (Safehouse)

She bandaged Amaris's shoulder in silence.

Then finally said, "You scare me."

"You should be scared of the people you serve. I'm just the mirror."

Adira whispered, "I don't want to become like you."

Amaris stood. "Then you'll lose."

And she left—without looking back.

---

Zayden Discovers a Lie

Raze cornered him.

"I need to talk to you. Alone."

Zayden followed him to a small bunker, far from city feeds.

Raze handed him a file.

> "Amaris wasn't supposed to survive ACE."

Zayden frowned. "I know that."

"No. You don't. She was chosen to die in the final phase of their research. But someone paid to fake her termination. To protect her."

Zayden's blood turned to ice.

"Who?"

Raze hesitated.

> "Your mother."

---

Flashback – Years Ago

Zayden's mother sat in a dark room, watching footage of a young girl screaming inside a test chamber.

"Save that one," she said.

"Why?" asked the handler.

"She doesn't break. She just learns to hide it."

---

Present – Amaris Finds Out

Zayden told her everything.

Amaris stared into the void of her fireplace.

"She saved me," she whispered. "And then… she let them keep me?"

"She bought you time. She didn't have the power to take you out."

Amaris's hands curled into fists.

"She let me rot."

"No," Zayden said gently. "She made sure you could crawl out."

---

The Betrayal

Celeste wasn't dead.

She had faked her suicide with Verena's help.

And now, she stood in the shadows of the rebellion's main base—watching Raze from the cameras.

"I gave you life again," she muttered. "Don't make me take it."

She pressed a button.

Raze collapsed—choking.

His eyes glowed red.

A chip behind his eye activated.

Control was being taken.

---

Amaris Notices the Change

He was twitching. Slower. Off rhythm.

"Who touched you?" she asked.

Raze grabbed his head.

"I—I don't know. I—"

Then he lunged at her.

She dodged. Slammed him into the wall.

His eyes burned.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "They're in my head."

Amaris reached behind his ear and ripped the chip free.

He screamed.

Then collapsed—barely breathing.

Zayden ran in.

"Help me!" Amaris shouted.

And for once—she sounded like a girl again.

Not a myth.

Not a monster.

Just a broken girl losing someone she never stopped loving.

---

Final Twist – Celeste's Broadcast

Her voice filled the air.

"Did you really think killing me would end this? I created Amaris. And now I'll end her."

A countdown flashed on every screen.

> 24:00:00 – System Override Initiated

23:59:59…

Raze sat up, blood on his lips.

"It's not just about you anymore," he whispered.

"They want everyone to burn."

Amaris turned to her team.

Eyes blazing.

Voice steady.

> "Then we burn them first."