The Villain Can't Lose

I moved with stealth, ensuring that not even the faintest sound escaped my footsteps, as if I were a phantom in the night.

The woman patrolling the hallway remained oblivious to my presence, her gaze fixated elsewhere.

Within a mere five minutes, I skillfully maneuvered my way to my bedroom, my sanctuary.

Yet, as I entered, a chilling anticipation gripped me. They were there, waiting for me. Two figures standing in silence, their eyes piercing through the darkness.

"What happened to you?" their voices cut through the heavy air, laced with concern and suspicion.

"Who exactly are you, and why were you there?" their interrogations hung in the atmosphere, demanding answers.

A long sigh escaped my lips, an exhalation of weariness and frustration. I had no intention of divulging the details to either of them, but I knew their relentless inquiries would persist.

"Listen, the next time you two dare to follow me, I promise you\'ll regret it," my voice finally broke the silence, its calmness disguising the storm raging within me.

"Do you even comprehend the dangers? How can you subject yourself to such risks?" Dante, the self-proclaimed hero of this twisted tale, chastised me, disappointment etched into his every word.

Yet, my sighs and apparent disappointment did nothing to deter their judgments. They persisted, determined to comment on my behavior and choices.

"My mother is dead, my siblings are gone, and my father has transformed into a demon, escaping from the clutches of sanity," I spoke, the words heavy with the weight of my tragic past.

Silence descended upon the room, their raised eyebrows and gaping jaws mirroring their shock and disbelief. Both Dante and Doru struggled to find words, unable to comprehend the depths of my torment.

\'This should keep them silent,\' I thought, discarding the blood-soaked shirt that clung to my body.

"You\'re hurt," Doru managed to utter, concern etched across his face.

"Shouldn\'t you be more worried about your own well-being?" I retorted, my voice was lacing with mockery, my gaze fell upon his frail form, ribs on the verge of breaking.

"Sometimes life becomes easier when you mind your own damn business, don\'t you think?" I sneered, taunting them with my words.

"Rowen, it doesn\'t matter. You should give us a chance, let us help you. You\'ve endured unimaginable trauma, and we could be there for you," Dante pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, tinged with cynicism. "Help? Trauma?" I shook my head, a sense of bitter irony consumed me. "Classic..."

I wondered if they could fathom the depths of my rebirth into this world, how the trauma I experienced now paled in comparison to the relentless hunger I endured in my previous life.

The gnawing ache of an empty stomach, the frailty of my emaciated frame, and the anguished cries of my mother, who fought tooth and nail to keep us alive.

But deep down, I pondered, would it have made any difference? What if I had met my demise earlier? Would I still have been reborn into this wretched existence, just as Rowen?

He embodied a wretched character, and yet, it was justified. His father, the man seated before me, and the man looming behind me, they were the architects of his suffering.

They were the reason he had been lured into the snare, naive enough to believe in Doru\'s deceptive facade of help.

"I\'m quite certain I\'ve made it clear that we are not friends, have I not?" I turned to face Dante, my eyes burned with defiance and disdain.

Dante\'s voice wavered, a mix of concern and confusion was covering him. "But Rowen, why? Why would you choose to face these dangers alone? We\'re here for you, we want to understand."

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I met Dante\'s gaze, my confidence was radiating through every pore. "Understand? You think you can comprehend the depths of my motivations? The intricacies of my purpose?"

Doru\'s voice quivered slightly as he stepped forward, his eyes searching mine for a glimmer of vulnerability. "Rowen, we care about you. We want to help. What could drive you to push us away like this?"

A chuckle rumbled in my chest, a sound laden with arrogance and self-assurance. "Help? Oh, how noble of you to think you can offer me something I need. But you see, Doru, I have walked paths far darker than you can imagine. I have faced terrors that would make your very soul tremble."

I paced around the room, the air crackling with tension as I continued my monologue.

"I chose to go away because I refuse to be tied down by the limitations of others. I am a force unto myself, unyielding and untamed. I do not need your feeble attempts at understanding. I do not require your misguided notions of assistance."

Dante\'s eyes narrowed, his voice sounded frustrated. "Rowen, you don\'t have to bear the weight of the world alone. We can be your allies, your support. Let us in."

A derisive smile crept across my face, a gesture that dripped with scorn. "Allies? Support? I am no damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued by gallant knights. I am the architect of my own destiny, the wielder of my own power. I walk a path that few can comprehend, for it is not meant for the faint-hearted."

Doru\'s voice quivered with determination and desperation. "But Rowen, we believe in you. We believe in the strength you possess, the potential to overcome any obstacle. You don\'t have to face this darkness alone."

I turned to face him, my eyes gleaming with unwavering confidence. "Belief is a flimsy construct, easily shattered by the weight of reality. You think you believe in me? Well, I believe in myself. I trust in my own abilities, my own resilience. That is all I need."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air. I stood tall, a lone figure amidst their bewildered gazes, basking in the glow of my own arrogance.

For I knew that in this harsh world, it was the arrogant, the confident, who stood the best chance of survival.

"I am Rowen," I declared, my voice was resonating with a newfound conviction. "And I will carve my own path, heedless of the doubts and concerns of others. You can choose to follow or be left behind. The choice is yours."