The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The early morning air felt sharp against my skin as we prepared to leave the inn. I could feel the tension in every movement, in every breath each of us took. Aurelia pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, the edges of her fiery hair barely visible beneath the hood. Lyan, with his usual smirk, leaned against the doorframe, his eyes narrowing as he watched me gather my things. Anastasia stood a few paces away, her gaze darting from one person to the next, lingering on Lyan for just a moment longer than anyone else.

"You think we're ready for this?" Lyan asked, breaking the silence that had hung over us since we'd gathered in the common room. His voice was casual, but I could hear the undercurrent of unease there. He wasn't making light of the situation—not this time.

Aurelia shot him a glare, adjusting the straps of her satchel. "We have to be ready. If you have doubts, maybe you should—"

"—Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty," Lyan cut her off, his tone dripping with faux respect. "I'm sure your fiery determination will be more than enough to scare off any abyssal monsters that dare cross our path." He winked at her, but there was no real humor in his eyes.

"Enough," I said, my voice colder than I intended. There was no room for distractions, no room for doubts or petty arguments. Not now. "We leave now, and we stick to the plan."

I turned, leading the way out of the inn and into the narrow streets of the City of Peace. The cobblestones were slick with morning dew, the air crisp, biting at the edges of my cloak. The city was still waking up—merchants beginning to set up their stalls, a few children laughing as they chased each other across the square. It was moments like these that reminded me why we kept trying, why we kept coming back to this damned place to protect it.

"You're awfully quiet, Draven," Lyan commented as he caught up with me, falling into step beside me. "Nervous?"

I shot him a sideways glance, my expression unreadable. "Focused."

"Oh, I see. The 'brooding hero' act. Very on-brand," he teased, though the edge of his voice held a seriousness that he couldn't entirely mask. "I'm just saying—a bit of optimism wouldn't hurt, you know?" Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

I didn't respond. Optimism wasn't something I could afford right now. Every loop, every failure, had drained whatever hope I might have had. But this time, maybe things would be different. Maybe.

Behind us, Anastasia walked close to Aurelia, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Lyan. She seemed nervous, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her staff. "Lyan, stay focused," she said softly, her tone almost pleading.

"Always," Lyan replied, giving her a reassuring smile that seemed to calm her, at least for the moment.

As we moved through the streets, I couldn't help but glance back at Aurelia. Her eyes were set ahead, her jaw tight, her expression betraying none of the fear I knew she felt. She had always been strong—fierce, even. But now, there was something else—a vulnerability, a determination that went beyond mere duty. She caught me looking and raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to say something.

I looked away, focusing instead on the task ahead. There would be time for words later—if we survived.

____

The outskirts of the City of Peace were eerily quiet as we approached the boundary where safety ended and the unknown began. The cobbled streets gave way to dirt paths, the buildings thinning out until only the forest remained. The shadows of the tall trees stretched long across the ground, the early morning sun barely breaking through the dense canopy.

I held up a hand, signaling everyone to stop. "Cloaks," I said, my voice a low whisper.

We each pulled out the enchanted cloaks Thalos had provided. The fabric shimmered for a moment as we draped them over our shoulders, and then we seemed to vanish—blending into the environment, the magic working to render us almost invisible. I glanced at the others, nodding in approval as I watched them disappear from view.

Lyan moved ahead, taking the lead as we ventured into the forest. His movements were careful, deliberate—each step placed with precision as he guided us through the terrain. The forest was dense, the ground uneven and covered in roots that seemed determined to trip us at every opportunity. But Lyan moved like a shadow, his senses attuned to every sound, every shift in the air. I followed close behind, my gaze darting from tree to tree, scanning for any sign of movement.

Aurelia and Anastasia moved behind us, their footsteps barely audible as we pressed forward. The air grew colder as we went deeper, the light dimming as the trees thickened around us. There was an unnatural quality to the forest here—a sense of wrongness that set my nerves on edge. We were nearing the altar—I could feel it.

The air changed as we approached the altar—it grew heavier, charged with a dark energy that seemed to cling to every breath we took. The forest around us fell silent, the usual sounds of wildlife replaced by an oppressive quiet that seemed to amplify every step, every rustle of our cloaks.

It was Anastasia who noticed it first—her head snapping up, her eyes widening as she looked around. "Do you feel that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I nodded, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the surroundings. "We're here," I said, my voice low. I could see the altar now, just ahead—a dark, twisted structure of stone and runes, pulsing with an energy that felt ancient, malevolent.

Aurelia stepped closer to me, her gaze fixed on the altar. "This place... It feels wrong," she murmured, her voice tight with unease.

"It is," I replied. "Stay sharp."

We moved forward cautiously, each of us taking our positions as we had planned. Lyan and Anastasia stayed close, their focus on maintaining the invisibility of the group. Lyan's eyes were constantly scanning the area, his senses attuned to any sign of danger. Anastasia kept her hands poised, ready to react if our magic began to falter.

I separated from them slightly, moving towards the edge of the clearing. I pulled out the scrying tools Thalos had given me, setting them up at strategic points around the altar. The tools were small, barely larger than my palm, but their power was immense. They would allow us to monitor the flow of magic without disturbing it—if we were lucky.

Aurelia stayed back, her eyes sweeping across the clearing. Her fingers rested lightly on the hilt of her weapon, her entire body tense, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger. She was our last line of defense—the one who would hold the line if everything went wrong. And we all knew how likely that was.

The closer I got to the altar, the more oppressive the energy became. It was as if the air itself were pushing against me, trying to force me back. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my shoulders, a dark, insidious presence that seemed to whisper at the edges of my mind. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to keep moving, to focus on the task at hand.

I set up the final scrying tool, my fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the stone as I placed it on the ground. As soon as it made contact with the earth, a faint glow emanated from the altar, the runes carved into its surface beginning to pulse with a dim, sickly light.

The air shifted around us—a subtle but undeniable change. The ground beneath my feet trembled, a low rumble that seemed to come from deep within the earth. A sound filled the air—a whispering, faint but growing louder with each passing moment, as if the altar itself were aware of our presence.

I raised a hand, signaling to the rest of the team. "Stay still," I mouthed, my eyes locked on the glowing runes. The atmosphere grew thick with tension, the silence of the forest amplifying every sound—the rustle of leaves, the faint creak of branches swaying in the wind. It was as if the entire world were holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

Aurelia's gaze darted around the clearing, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the shadows. Something moved—a flicker of darkness, barely perceptible, near the edge of the altar. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her weapon, her instincts screaming at her to act. But she stayed still, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. I shook my head slightly, a silent command to wait.

The whispering grew louder, a chorus of voices that seemed to come from all directions, echoing through the clearing. The ground trembled again, the glow from the altar growing brighter, the energy around us shifting, twisting. I could feel it—the altar was aware of us, aware of our intrusion.

Aurelia clenched her jaw, her entire body tense. Her eyes never left the shadowy figure, her muscles coiled, ready to spring into action. She wanted to fight—I could see it in the way her eyes blazed, the way her fingers twitched, itching to draw her weapon. But she held back, her gaze flicking to me once more, waiting for my signal.

"Come on..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, her eyes locked on the altar. "Faster..."