To Love A Villain

Chapter 238: Dark Woods

>>Pen

"Don’t you all feel that something is wrong with this forest?" Theo was the first one to notice, "I smell... Poison?" There was something in the air of the forest.

"It’s definitely there." Vaerion and Gimli said together,

"Everyone," Val spoke, "Using your protection spells." And we did that. We using protection magic that made barriers around us, filtering the air that we breathed.

The Dark Woods is known for being dark and thick. But not for this, why is there poison in the air?

We all walked ahead, Vaerion had made some fireballs with his magic that floated by our sides but the deeper we went in, the thicker the poison got.

We set up camp in a small clearing within the depths of the Dark Woods. The air was thick, heavier with every step we took, but the protective spells Val had ordered us to use kept the poison at bay. The shimmering barriers around us flickered softly as we sat around the fire, its warm glow doing little to dispel the eerie chill that clung to the forest.

Gimli sat a little way off, his broad shoulders hunched as he worked on sharpening his ax, the rhythmic scrape of stone against metal echoing in the otherwise quiet night. His focus was absolute, his sharp eyes flicking occasionally to the surrounding shadows.

Rosemary and Theo, on the other hand, had no such concerns. The two of them sat together on a fallen log, laughing softly, Theo playfully nudging Rosemary with his elbow as she pretended to be annoyed, though her smile betrayed her amusement. Their flirtatious banter carried over to the rest of us, lightening the oppressive weight of the forest.

Vaerion was more focused, seated near the fire, a quill in hand as he scribbled something in his book. His expression was distant, thoughtful, occasionally glancing up at the fireballs he had conjured earlier. They hovered gently around the camp, their soft light casting flickering shadows on his face.

And then there was Val, sitting close to me, his shoulder brushing against mine. We sat in comfortable silence, the warmth of his presence a steady reassurance amidst the unknown dangers around us. His gaze was distant, thoughtful,

I wonder, what is he thinking about?

But every now and then, he’d glance at me, and the faintest of smiles would tug at his lips before he returned his attention to the surroundings.

I leaned against him, letting the moment settle. The others may have been distracted with their tasks, but I felt safe with Val. Even here, in the heart of the Dark Woods, where the air was poison and the trees loomed like ancient sentinels, with him by my side, I felt like we could face anything.

"when we come back from slaying the bringer of Death. We’ll get married right away." I whispered and Val looked at me

"I’m going to ask for a nice house in the capital." Val said

"No kingdom then?" I joked

He chuckled back, "I wish, but I don’t think I can handle a kingdom." He kept his eyes on me, "But I’d do it for you though." He let out a sigh, "But a house and the diamond elixir is all I can think of right now."

I grinned back, "A house in the capital sounds nice, we’ll bring Mom and Dad and we can start our own bakery!"

He nodded, "Aunt’s cookies are going to get famous,"

I giggled, "No doubt," But my smile dropped when I recalled Mom’s state. I placed a hand over my chest.

Just wait for a few days Mom.

The quiet murmur of conversation, the scraping of Gimli’s ax, and the crackle of the fire created a lull that made it easy to forget, just for a moment, the dangers lurking beyond the protective barriers. But the shadows danced too unnaturally, the forest too still, and despite the warmth of the campfire, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

I kept getting an ominous feeling that I shouldn’t be here. But I had to prove to Mom that she was wrong. That everything is fine

I’m fine

>>Valenor

"So," Vaerion looked up from his book, "I never asked before but what did the witch call this great evil?" He’s been writing down a lot of things, especially about me, "We’ve been calling it the great evil, but she said it had a name, right?"

"The-" I was going to say it but Pen beat me to is

"The bringer of Chaos!"

Chaos?

I turned to face her as I blinked at her

Well, I guess it matches with death... in a way. Death will cause a lot of chaos.

"Oh~" All of them nodded, "That’s a nice name."

...

I felt something was off, but I chose not to think about it.

***

>>Pen

Ever since I made the decision of coming to Dark Woods, I had stopped dreaming. My headaches didn’t stop though. I would still randomly get them, and zone out, but it happened mostly when I was alone so I was safe.

So far, no one found out

As we made our way deeper into the Dark Woods, the air grew heavier, thick with the poison that clung to everything like a suffocating fog. The forest around us was unsettlingly silent—too silent. No birds, no rustling leaves, no signs of life. The deeper we ventured, the more the absence of sound became unnatural, as though even the animals had abandoned this place.

"The creatures must’ve fled because of the poison," Val murmured beside me, his brow furrowed with concern.

"What caused this?" Rosemary asked, "This isn’t normal, this amount of poison can’t spread without a reason."

"I agree," Vaerion said, "But we’re definitely getting closer to the cause, considering how thick the poison has gotten."

We moved cautiously, our protection spells flickering as they worked to keep the noxious air from affecting us. Vaerion’s fireballs floated ahead, casting an eerie light on the twisted trees, their shapes distorted by the haze.

For a while, we didn’t encounter anything. No predators, no signs of danger, just the overwhelming quiet. It was unsettling, but also a relief. If the poison was driving the creatures away, then perhaps we wouldn’t have to face anything more threatening than the air itself.

But then, we saw it.

A massive carcass lay ahead, half-hidden among the dense trees.

!?!?

All of us paused the moment we saw that. Its presence made the already thick air seem heavier. The stench of decay hit us even through the barriers, and I could hear the collective pause of the group as we all took it in.

"What is that?" Rosemary whispered, her voice barely audible.

We approached slowly, hesitant. It was enormous, larger than anything I had ever seen. But as the fog parted slightly, the details became clear: the long, curled talons, the tattered wings, the pale, rotting flesh of something once magnificent.

"A dragon?" Val said

"A massive, white dragon." I said and we both looked at each other

"Could this be?" I knew what he was thinking

"Yea," I looked back at it, "The one Mom ate," There was no doubt in my mind because I had seen it in my dreams too many times, but I never thought I’d be seeing it in reality as well.

Its body lay sprawled out before us, its once majestic form decayed and broken. The scales that still clung to it shimmered faintly under the firelight, but the rest of it was bloated and discolored, the smell of rot thick in the air.

"This isn’t right..." Theo’s voice was tense, and Gimli gripped his ax tightly, stepping back instinctively. Everyone else seemed reluctant to go near it, sensing the unnaturalness of the scene.

But me?

I couldn’t look away.

The moment my eyes landed on the dragon, something inside me stirred, something I couldn’t explain.

Without realizing it, my feet began to move, drawn toward the massive creature. It was as if the world around me faded into nothing, and all that remained was the dragon’s body.

"Pen?" I heard Val call out, his voice distant, but it didn’t register. I couldn’t stop myself. My heart pounded in my chest, not with fear, but with a strange sense of longing.

I had to get closer.

Step by step, I walked toward the dragon, my mind blank, my body moving on its own. It wasn’t until I was just a few feet away from the carcass that I realized how far I had gone.

Something was pulling me in, something I couldn’t resist, like I was hypnotized by the sight of this great, dead beast. I stood there, staring at the dragon’s rotting body, feeling its strange, magnetic pull, oblivious to everything else around me.

Why can’t I stop?

>>Val

I had noticed something was wrong with Pen ever since she arrived at the palace.

There were times she blanked out, and wouldn’t respond to anything. Like this time.

"Pen!" I went after her. Yet unlike all those other times, my feelings were strange. I felt heavy, my chest constricted. "Pen, come back here," I felt if she went further, she’d never come back, "Pen!!"

Was she attracted to the body because aunt ate it? And she was born because of it?

I broke into a run, but with every step, the dread in me deepened, sinking its claws into my chest. If she went further, I felt like I’d lose her. For good.

"Pen!" I shouted, fear clawing at my throat now.

But she didn’t stop.

She reached the dragon’s carcass, her hand stretching out, and before I could reach her, she touched it.

The moment her fingers brushed against the rotting scales, I felt it—a ripple of dark energy that slammed into me like a wave. The forest shuddered, and I stumbled, nearly losing my balance as the ground beneath us seemed to shift.

!?!?!

I could see it, feel it—the poison spreading.

From where Pen touched the dragon, a sickly purple light burst forth, radiating in waves, spreading through the ground, the trees, the very air around us. It was like watching a poison bloom, spreading out faster and faster, infecting everything in its path. The air grew heavier, the stench of rot and decay thickening, making it harder to breathe despite our protective spells.

"Pen!" I reached her just as she staggered back, her eyes wide, panic etched on her face. I caught her in my arms, pulling her away from the dragon, away from the waves of poison that now pulsed through the forest. She felt cold, her body trembling against mine.

"What did you do?" I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely able to process what had just happened.

Around us, the others were reacting. Vaerion’s fireballs flickered, their light distorted by the thickening haze of purple poison. Theo and Rosemary backed away, shielding themselves from the onslaught of corrupted air. Gimli raised his ax, as if ready to fight something, though none of us knew what we were up against.

The forest was changing, warping, and it wasn’t just the poison anymore. There was something darker at work, something connected to the dragon... and to Pen.

But all I could think about was her. I held her tightly, my heart pounding, the fear I’d been trying to bury for so long now bubbling up inside me.

"Pen," I said again, my voice shaking, "what did you do?"

Pen was in no state to answer.

She shook her head at me, then her eyes rolled back and she passed out.

"Pen!!!"