2024 Story Collection

Reborn To Give The Villain a Redemption Arc IV

They arrived in Lemask at dusk. As they entered the mountainous village Sean saw that, just as he'd expected, the town was still in ruins. Even after all this time, you could still see the burn marks on the stone walls of what was left of the buildings, but that didn't stop the whole place from being full of new life. It was overrun with new growth, trees, bushes, grass. It was a beautiful, yet sad sight.

"Look," Jane pulls back the curtain near her window. He moves over to sit beside her and look past her, she points to something off int he distance. A fog is keeping it hidden for the most part, but what he can see gives him chills.

The old church stood tall over the ruins around it. The stained glass windows are still intact and the roof looks to still be intact. It appears to be mostly untouched by time, the burn marks matching the rest of the village are the only reminder of what happened. As they get closer, he realizes the buildings all around it are gone. Only the church and graveyard are left untouched.

"How is that possible?" he asks. "How did it solely survive such a devastating fire? Is it some sort of magic?"

"Holy ground," she explains, as if was the only logical explanation. "When they came in to burn this place to the ground, because of their bad intentions, the fire was unable to burn any holy ground. People rushed to take refuge in the church but most were picked off before they got anywhere close."

"I thought the power of holy ground was nothing more than a myth," he looks back out at the church.

"There is truth in everything," Jane says. He shifts his gaze back to her and notices a few freckles scattered over her upper lip and cheekbones. She meets his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks, her eyes filled with emotions he doesn't know how to decipher.

"Like what?" he asks brushing a stray hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Don't do that," she warns. "We can't let feelings distract us from our goals."

"Maybe your just the distraction I need," he says. She turns away from him. 

"We can talk of such things after we are sitting on the throne. When I have my army and you have your merchant and trade routes."

"You can be cruel," he says, pulling back but not moving from where he sits beside her. "I like that."

Her head snaps back to look at him. "Do you always flirt so much?"

"What can I say, you bring out a side of me I didn't know I had." she rolls her eyes at his words.

"Your lucky I need you," she says.

"I know," he agrees. "I hope to one day earn your love."

"My love?" she scoffs.

"Yes, darling?" he smirks when she rolls her eyes again but smiles.

"I want to tear down your walls until all that's left is the real you. I want to be the only one that you show her too. I want to hold her and love her. I want to spoil her with whatever she desires-"

"Your so sure she exists?" she says. "What if the real me is cruel, ruthless, and manipulative?"

"Its not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because that is what you show now, what you hide is the kindness." he says. "I saw it when you held my hand in that narrow passage and again when you rubbed my back after seeing that family my grandfather had sent to die."

"I also threatened you multiple times," she says.

"Yes, you did." he agrees. He brings his hand up to her face and caresses it gently. "But that doesn't take away from the fact that you showed me kindness. Ever hour we spend together, I learn more about you. Each thing making me want to know, learn more." he brushes his finger gently over her lips. "You are truly one of a kind."

"You've forgiven me so quickly for helping them capture you?" she asks.

"I just realized that that was all apart of your plan from the beginning. This was always your end goal."

"It doesn't bother you that I used you?" she asks. "-that I'm still using you?"

"Use me as you please," he says with a smile. "So long as you make it worth my while."

The carriage comes to a stop then. Jane clears her throat, turning away a light tint of pink on her cheeks. It makes Sean smirk.

A moment later, William opens the door and they step out.

Sean looks up at the church. It was beautiful, felt almost unreal. Jane took his arm and let him lead her into the church.

As they step inside, where, unlike the outside, it is filled with people. There are priests and worshipers.

A man that looks well over a hundred walks up to them.

"You must be Jane," he croaks out. His voice dry and gravelly.

"Yes, I am grateful for your welcoming us," Jane says.

"You must be the son of Thomas," The old priest says. Sean's eyes widen at his words.

"You know my father's name?"

"I knew your father quite well," he says. "I helped raise him."

The man turns to talk to one of the young priests and Sean notices the star shaped scar on his neck.

"Bernard?" he asks in disbelief.

"So you do remember me," the man says turning back to Sean with a smile.

"How-"

"Let us continue with the ceremony, shall we?" The man says turning and walking down the isle."

Jane takes his hand and leads Sean down the isle.

"Will you take his name?" the priest asks.

"We will both be changing our name," at her words, Sean looks at her like she just grew another head. "Feldspar."

The priest smiles. Sean looks at her, she had mentioned in passing that she would avenge those people in the catacombs, he hadn't thought-

Sean nods in agreement. 

"Sean and Jane Feldspar," the priest says with a smile.

To be continued...

February 26, 2024