Why Did I Reincarnate as the Heroine When I Wanted to Be a Villainess?

Chapter 88: Chapter 88 — "I Find You"

Atlas looked like he was about to say something difficult.

Seraphina waited.

Not pushing.

Not filling the silence.

Just waiting.

The way she waited for things that mattered.

The Guardian King’s silver light flickered once.

Settled.

His broken ancient voice came carefully.

Like each word cost him something.

"This."

A pause.

"Is where I."

Another pause.

"Leave."

The word landed in the dead garden like something physical.

Seraphina went very still.

"What."

"For now."

Atlas added quickly.

"Not."

"Forever."

She stared at him.

"What do you mean leave."

Atlas looked at the sky.

Gray.

Old.

The same sky that had watched House Valemont die centuries ago.

"Every marked beast."

He said slowly.

"On this world."

A pause.

"Will disappear."

"With me."

Tax’s head snapped up from beside Lyra.

The crow stared at Atlas.

"What."

His voice came out sharp.

Genuine alarm underneath it.

"What do you mean disappear."

Atlas looked at him.

Something gentle in his silver eyes.

"Not gone."

"Resting."

"Until."

He paused.

Searching for words that fit something this large.

"Needed."

Daren stood up slowly.

"Wait."

He looked between Atlas and Seraphina.

"He’s leaving."

"Like leaving leaving."

Nobody answered immediately.

Because nobody had a smaller way to say it.

Seraphina’s expression hadn’t changed yet.

Still processing.

Still connecting things.

The way her mind worked even now.

Even here.

"You knew."

She said quietly.

Not a question.

Atlas met her eyes.

"Yes."

"Since when."

"Since."

He paused.

"Always."

Something cracked very slightly across Seraphina’s face.

Small.

Quick.

Controlled immediately.

"You knew this whole time."

"Yes."

"And you didn’t say anything."

"No."

"Why."

Atlas was quiet for a long moment.

Then his broken voice came out softer than before.

"Would it have."

A pause.

"Changed anything."

Seraphina opened her mouth.

Closed it.

The honest answer sat uncomfortably between them.

It wouldn’t have.

She would have followed him anyway.

Loved him anyway.

Fed him an unreasonable amount of food anyway.

Atlas seemed to read that on her face.

Something that might have been a smile moved through his expression.

The bear underneath the Guardian King.

Still there.

Still him.

"I will."

He said.

"Come back."

"I promise."

Seraphina’s jaw tightened.

"You can’t promise that."

"I can."

"You’re disappearing."

"I will."

A pause.

"Return."

"When needed."

She stared at him.

Her eyes were wet now.

She hadn’t noticed when that happened.

"That’s not the same as a promise."

"It is."

"To me."

Tax flew over.

Landed on Atlas’s massive head.

The crow who had known him longest.

Who had bonded with him instantly.

Who had teased him constantly.

Said nothing now.

Just sat there.

His small body very still against the Guardian King’s enormous silver-lit fur.

Atlas’s eyes moved to him.

"Take care."

He said quietly.

"Of her."

Tax’s voice came out rough.

Different than usual.

"Obviously."

A pause.

"Idiot bear."

Something that sounded almost like a laugh moved through Atlas’s chest.

A low rumble.

"Caw."

Tax added quietly.

Pressing his small head briefly against the fur beneath him.

Then immediately straightening.

Pretending he hadn’t done that.

Nobody mentioned it.

Atlas looked at the rest of them.

Rowan.

Daren.

Lysette.

Kael still leaning against the wall.

"Thank you."

He said.

"For."

A pause.

"Letting me."

"Walk with you."

Rowan inclined his head slightly.

Couldn’t manage words yet.

Daren wiped at his face with the back of his hand.

Quickly.

Like he hoped nobody noticed.

Everyone noticed.

Nobody said anything.

Lysette’s expression remained controlled.

But her good hand had curled into the dead grass beside her.

Holding onto something.

Atlas’s eyes returned to Seraphina.

The silver light around him began changing.

Softening at the edges.

Becoming something less solid.

"I will."

He said.

"Remove."

A pause.

"Some memories."

Seraphina froze completely.

"What."

"To protect you."

"From."

He searched for the word.

"Pain."

"This pain."

The silver light expanded slightly.

Beginning something.

Seraphina moved before she finished thinking about it.

"STOP."

The word came out loud.

Sharp.

Cutting through the dead garden.

Everyone turned.

She was on her feet.

Standing directly in front of him.

Her eyes blazing despite the wetness still in them.

"Who gave you permission."

Atlas blinked.

"To remove."

She pointed at him directly.

"My beautiful journey."

Another point.

"With my beautiful."

Her voice cracked slightly.

"Foodie."

Atlas stared at her.

The silver light paused.

Uncertain.

"Seraphina."

"No."

"It would."

"NO."

She moved forward.

Wrapped both arms around his massive neck as far as they would reach.

Her face pressed against his fur.

"You don’t get to take this from me."

Her voice came muffled.

"You don’t get to decide that for me."

"This hurts."

"I know it hurts."

"But it’s mine."

"It’s mine to keep."

Atlas went very still.

Then very slowly—

His massive head lowered.

Resting gently against her.

The silver light around them both glowing softly.

Warm.

Quiet.

"Okay."

He said.

Just that.

Seraphina didn’t let go.

"You better come back."

"I will."

"Promise again."

"I."

A pause.

"Promise."

"Say it properly."

"I."

Another pause.

His voice careful.

"Will."

"Come back."

"To you."

Her arms tightened.

"Good."

Tax remained perched on Atlas’s head throughout this.

Watching.

Saying nothing.

His small body trembling slightly.

The crow who never showed weakness.

Showing it now.

Just slightly.

Just enough.

The silver light around Atlas began expanding.

Gently.

Without urgency.

Seraphina felt it building.

Felt his fur becoming less solid beneath her arms.

She held on anyway.

For as long as the moment allowed.

"Atlas."

"Yes."

"I love you."

It came out simply.

No drama.

No performance.

Just true.

The Guardian King’s broken voice came back equally simple.

"I."

A pause.

"Know."

Then the silver light took him completely.

Gently.

Quietly.

Like something settling into sleep rather than disappearing.

Seraphina’s arms closed around empty air.

She stood there for a moment.

Not moving.

Then slowly lowered herself to the dead grass.

Sat exactly where she had been standing.

Her hands in her lap.

Empty.

The dead garden was very quiet.

Tax landed beside her.

Said nothing.

Just sat close enough to touch her shoulder with his wing.

Daren wiped his face again.

This time not bothering to hide it.

"hh."

The same broken sound from before.

Rowan looked at the space where Atlas had been.

Then at Seraphina.

His expression carefully held together.

Lysette closed her eyes briefly.

One second.

Then opened them.

Still present.

Still here.

Kael had been watching from against the garden wall.

Quiet throughout all of it.

Now he tried to push himself upright.

His arm shook.

He made it halfway before his strength gave out completely.

He hit the ground.

The sound made everyone turn.

Seraphina was beside him instantly.

"Kael."

His eyes were barely open.

"Kael."

She grabbed his shoulders.

Shook gently.

"Don’t you dare."

His lips moved.

Barely sound.

"...Ahina."

Seraphina froze.

"What."

"I."

A pause.

His voice fading.

"I."

Another pause.

Barely conscious now.

"Ahina."

She stared at him.

"You always call me Aina."

Her voice came out strange.

"Why Ahina."

His eyes opened slightly more.

Found hers.

Something urgent in them despite the exhaustion.

"Listen."

His voice cracked.

"To me."

"You dumbo."

She blinked.

"What if."

He swallowed.

"I’m on my."

"Deathbed."

"Don’t."

She said immediately.

"Don’t say stupid stuff."

"Just continue."

"I won’t stop you."

Kael looked at her.

For one long moment.

"I."

He started.

"Find."

Her chest tightened.

"You."

Her mind went completely blank.

Then filled immediately with too many things at once.

He finds her—

What.

Beautiful.

Lovely.

Important.

Her face went red instantly.

Her thoughts tripping over each other.

"I find you."

He continued.

His voice fading further.

"Funny."

Silence.

Seraphina blinked.

"...What."

"Funny."

He repeated.

Barely audible now.

"You’re."

"Funny."

"Ahina."

Her face went from red to something else entirely.

Mortified.

Confused.

Embarrassed beyond explanation.

"WHAT."

She grabbed his shoulder.

Shook him.

"THAT’S WHAT YOU SAY."

"ON YOUR DEATHBED."

"FUNNY."

Kael’s lips twitched slightly.

The ghost of something that might have been amusement.

"Yes."

"KAEL."

She hit his shoulder lightly.

"You absolute."

Another hit.

"Idiot."

His eyes closed completely.

Consciousness finally giving out.

"Kael."

She shook him again.

Harder this time.

Panic edging into her voice.

"Kael."

Nothing.

She stared at him.

The anger draining instantly.

Replaced by something quieter.

Something scared.

She checked his breathing.

Found it.

Steady.

Just unconscious.

Not worse.

She exhaled.

Long.

Shaky.

Then sat there beside him.

Her hand still on his shoulder.

Her face still red from a sentence that had ended in "funny" instead of whatever her brain had imagined.

"Idiot."

She said quietly.

To nobody.

To everyone.

Tax landed on her other shoulder.

"Boss."

"What."

"That was."

A pause.

"Something."

"Don’t."

"I wasn’t going to say anything else."

"Good."

The dead garden around them stayed quiet.

The estate groaned one final time behind them.

Distant now.

Tired.

Rowan looked at Daren.

Daren looked back.

Neither said anything.

Lysette watched Seraphina sitting beside Kael.

Said nothing.

But something in her expression softened slightly.

The first soft thing all day.

Lyra lay nearby.

Her breathing slow.

Even.

Her ancient eyes had closed sometime during everything else.

Peaceful in a way she hadn’t been since they found her.

The grave under the tree remained undisturbed.

Tax flew up to check on it once.

Settled back down.

Everyone needed rest.

Everyone needed time.

The road ahead would wait.

For now—

The dead garden held them all.

Quietly.

Together.