The Novel’s Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain

Sigh.

I sighed again, shoulders heavy, lungs burning. I was utterly exhausted after sprinting all the way here like a maniac.

Damn you, Shelly.

"So…" I heard her voice.

Another sigh escaped me.

Looks like I wasn't dodging this conversation after all.

"What?" I turned, already bracing for the headache.

"I saw you leave with Ariana." Her voice was casual—too casual. "You two left school together, right? So… where is she? What happened? What did you do to her?"

A whole barrage of questions I had zero interest in answering tumbled from her mouth.

"Can you just… not?" I muttered, rubbing my forehead.

She crossed her arms. "No, I have to know. Ariana's actually a good friend of mine, just so you know."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Shelly. I really don't want to talk about this," I snapped. Running here like a lunatic already had my mood in hell.

"Oh no, mister," she said with a smug grin. "I paid for your train fare, so I get to ask whatever I want."

I finally turned to look at her.

Well I couldn't see her closely as she was sipping some weird greenish-blue juice that was in a transparent beautifully designed bottle. The bottle was decorated with flowery patterns and there was a straw at the top. I think she picked it up on the way here.

"Yeah," I said dryly. "Thanks for the torture, really appreciate it."

Yeah she really put me through hell in the space of an hour. I called her to help pick me up so I could find and stop Ariana from doing anything stupid, but then she told me she was already on a train headed somewhere and that she would try to head for my location next. If I wanted her help I would need to get the train station before the train heads back for the academy.

This my torment.

"Huh?" she blinked, her lips parting from the straw, eyes narrowed into a glare that could cut through steel.

…Okay.

That glare shouldn't look that cute.

And yet, here we are.

Tsk.

I shouldn't get carried away, she may be innocent now, but that doesn't mean shes not the same psycho from the novel after that incident.

"Forgive me for bothering to help your lazy, broke, good-for-nothing self," she snapped. "If you're so desperate for points, why don't you take missions like everyone else? God, you're such a freeloader."

And for a moment—

I just froze.

What.

The actual.

Fuck?

Shelly… just dropped a full paragraph of condescending salt on me like she's been waiting for so long to do it?!

"Wait, don't tell me you intentionally made me run all the way here instead of just using the teleportation device—just to make me suffer?" I asked, eyes squinted.

Wait.

Is that a grin?!

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?" she said, and then slurped her drink obnoxiously loud, eyes never leaving mine.

Unbelievable.

Un-fucking-believable.

"Wait… Don't tell me this is about Nelia," I frowned, watching her carefully.

And just like that—

Her cheeks flushed red.

Something sparked in the air.

What the hell—?!

The train lights above us flickered erratically. Even the metal pole I was holding sent a sharp jolt through my hand.

"Argh!"

I clenched my fingers, trying to shake off the numbness, then turned to her again.

"I don't know what your problem is, but if you've got something to say, just say it. Stop acting like a child."

She stared.

Jaw clenched.

Teeth grinding.

Even her hair was actually starting to float.

Oh no.

"My problem?" she said, voice trembling. "I don't know, maybe it's the fact that the idiotic, perverted, walking garbage bag sitting next to me has done nothing but torment me since moving into my room—with his crazy maid on top of that!"

She yelled, I could practically see the anger on her face.

This—

This isn't Shelly.

What the hell is happening here?

"Don't call her names," I said, voice going cold.

"Oh sure, perverted dog. You don't know how badly I want to strangle you!"

"Calm down," I said, raising both hands slowly. "Stop with the name-calling. Let's just talk. Like civilized people."

"NO!"

She stood up, flinging her bottle across the private space we were in. It shattered somewhere behind us.

"I've had it up to here!"

"Then SAY it! Spell it out if you have to! What the hell is your problem?!" I grabbed her arm, just in time to stop her from doing anything stupid.

She was shaking. Trembling from head to toe. I'd never seen her like this.

I was still three whole levels below her.

If she snapped and tried to kill me now—

She could.

"Do you even know whether I've slept at all since you moved in?!" she screamed.

"Why the hell would I— Wait, you don't sleep?" I blinked. "Why—?"

I regretted asking the moment the words left my mouth.

BOOM!

The side of the cabin exploded.

Wind roared in, alarms started blaring.

Fuck.

I barely dodged that.

"Ride me to hell!" she shrieked.

"That's one of the disgusting things I'm forced to hear every single night! You and that demented maid—your noises, your voices—do you even know what I go through?!"

Holy shit.

She really blew a hole through the goddamn train.

"Shelly, stop! You're going to get us both killed!" I tried to grab her again, eyes darting toward the door.

Security had definitely been alerted.

And this train was running full speed—we couldn't exactly jump out.

All I could do was pray she came to her senses.

She turned toward me, eyes wild.

"You know what?" she said, voice cold. "Yeah. I am crazy. I know that's what you're thinking now. Maybe I am the one hearing things. Maybe this is all one big dream."

Oh no.

"Maybe if I blow this whole damn train sky-high, I'll finally wake up from this nightmare." she laughed.

Oh Crap.

Just freaking kill me already!