I Will Die As The Villainess √

70: A Villainess Only In Name

With slow shaky breaths and uncertain thoughts, I opened my eyes only to find myself with another surprise that my mind couldn't comprehend.

The village was destroyed.

"What the hell..."

A dark magic circle was glowing underneath me as I hoisted myself and blankly glance everywhere. I wasn't harmed, but my surrounding...

Snow started dropping as I undid my ponytail and ran my fingers through my dark hair before clutching it.

The spell I use was enough to cause an explosion, destroying whatever was surrounding me. Ruins and debris were omnipresent. Dusk and dark smokes started appearing causing me to cough.

The villagers!

I started running around, looking for anyone who needed help but to my shock, everyone was dead. The dead bodies and pool of blood-- the more I look, the lesser I felt like a human. I'm no longer human...

It's ridiculous how I felt guilty after seeing this.

Broken fragments of bricks and woods covered with crimson were scattered and pillars that manage to withstand the destruction were threatening to fall. Some structures were reduced to rubble and everything looks tragic.

The old temple was nowhere to be seen, the marketplace was a mess and houses had fallen. The snow was dyed red and their corpses were distributed along the pathway. Some were disfigured, some were unrecognizable-- the people who gave me weird glances were now gone.

Shortly, I saw something glowing underneath the rubble. Quickly, I yank the shattered bricks and mortar.

The beautiful shade of crimson and purple glowed even more and particles started flying around as I grab the book. The old and ripped cover displayed a dragon with golden jeweled eyes directly glaring at me and black scales adorned its terrifying form.

In order to have my hands on the ancient and cursed book, I destroyed and killed! I slaughtered the innocent and ended their vitalities.

The bitterness I held towards the item-- no, it's more like the hostility towards myself. I indirectly killed people before yet this time it was different. I was feeling guilty. I didn't understand why now.

Before I could open it, a certain voice interrupted me.

"Well done." I swiftly turned my head towards the voice. Both of his hands were holding baskets, filled with food and ingredients. "It's sad I couldn't clap my hands and celebrate your victory. How was it? Did you enjoy the treasure hunt?"

"The magic... Was it suppose to be this powerful?"

I only intended to protect myself from that dark and creepy figure but I ended up creating an explosion.

"Haven't you realized it or do I need to spell it out for you? Quit being guilty, you won't achieve anything if you're mourning over stuff. This was bound to happen one way or another."

I stayed silent for a while before speaking.

"I guess your right."

I didn't bother looking at him when I said those words. I was overwhelmed with everything.

"Besides," he inched forward and was now standing next to me. "The village was dead, to begin with."

Ah.

That's when the dots finally connected.

The journal that I found, the woman operating the inn, the image of the dragon on the temple-- they were enough to prove his words true.