Ascension Of The Villain

The morning sun poured in, casting warm golden patches over the table where the three of them sat—Emma, Adrian, and Vyan—sharing a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee made by Adrian. It was peaceful.

Until Emma let out a shriek loud enough to rattle the cutlery.

"Are you serious?!" she gawked, nearly choking on her coffee. "The Bermuda Triangle? Vyan, please tell me you're not actually planning to go there."

Vyan didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the corner of his plate, where a stubborn glob of jelly clung to the toast. He barely heard Emma's shriek.

His mind was still tangled in last night's conversation with Eira.

The Bermuda Triangle. He hadn't known what it was until she'd explained. A stretch of ocean in the North Atlantic, infamous for swallowing ships, planes, and any transportation. A place where entire aircraft disappeared without a distress signal. Compass readings went haywire. The weather shifted in seconds. Completely unpredictable. No traces were left behind. Just myths and search parties.

Even in a world without magic, the place pulsed with a kind of otherworldly chaos.

The scientists had chalked it up to human errors, severe weather changes with hurricanes and rogue waves, and misinterpretation. The pilots didn't avoid it anymore, either. The U.S. government didn't even acknowledge the territories of the Bermuda Triangle. It had been brushed under the rug after the initial hype died down years ago.

But a lot of other people theorized different things about it. Eira herself believed there might be something deeper to that place. She had more theories about other places too, such as the Crooked Forest in Poland. She had suggested that one as well.

In the hearts of these places, something magical could exist. As small as the possibility was, Vyan was willing to bet on it.

"I have to," Vyan finally murmured, his voice quiet but resolute. "I don't have a choice."

Emma stared at him, her brows furrowing with a motherly kind of concern. "But it's dangerous, and even if you were insane enough to go, how are you even going to get there? It's across the ocean! Bermuda is a British island territory where you need to go by plane. For that, you'd need money, travel documents, a passport, and a visa—"

"...What's passport and visa?"

Adrian, chewing on a piece of toast, sighed and leaned back. "It's government permission to enter another country. You know, to make sure you're not a terrorist. So, they check your background."

Vyan tilted his head. "So do I need a passport and a visa to go to this Bermuda place?"

Adrian gave him a look. "You'd need one for any country you pass through. For example, the Crooked Forest too. It's in Poland. You'd need the same things to go there as well. And like Em said, Bermuda's a British Overseas Territory. Unless you're a British or US citizen, you'd need a visa. And—"

"I don't have any documents to apply for it," Vyan finished for him.

"Exactly. No passport. No ID. As far as this country's concerned, you don't exist."

Vyan frowned. "So, how do I get documents?"

Adrian chuckled, though there wasn't much humor in it. "Legally? It's difficult. Painfully slow. Bureaucratic nightmare. Especially in the U.S."

Vyan gave him a long look. "...Is there an illegal way?"

Emma gave him a pointed look. "You did not just ask that."

"What?" Vyan shrugged. "It's the ocean. I could just... grab a boat and row my way there. I don't need to travel by plane."

Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you hear yourself? That's over a thousand miles of open water. There are sharks. There are gonna be storms. GPS most likely doesn't work there. Not to mention the fact that you'd be in international waters with no ID. Who'd take responsibility for you?"

Vyan smiled, unsure. "When there's a will, there's a way."

Emma sighed, pushing her plate away with a weary breath. She rubbed at her temples like she was trying to press back a headache. "God, Adrian, explain it to him. It just— it just sounds insane."

Adrian raised both hands in surrender. "Babe, I don't know what to tell him." His gaze drifted toward Vyan. "He's desperate to go home. And honestly? I get the sentiment, even if it's not logical. I mean, if I woke up in some other world, cut off from my family, from you, from everything I've ever known, I'd want to claw my way back too. Hell, I'd probably row a boat across the ocean too. Yeah, it's incredibly stupid, but I'd do it too."

"So why did you sound so against it until now?"

"I wasn't exactly against it, babe. I was just letting him know the facts so that he can make a well-informed decision."

Emma rolled her eyes and scooped up her empty plate with a huff. "You two are impossible. Just so you know, Vyan, you are literally planning to stroll into the mouth of death."

"Maybe it's not? Maybe things have changed?" Vyan offered.

"I don't know what the latest science says about it, but growing up? All I heard were horror stories. Planes disappearing, ships vanishing, people just gone. Nowadays, it might not be discussed so much, but back then, it was terrifying. I don't think even now people would just venture to the center of that oceanic triangle for kicks. But yeah, if you want to do so, be my guest. Who am I to stop you?"

And with a stormy flip of her hair, Emma disappeared into the kitchen.

Adrian cleared his throat. "Look… if you really do want to go there," he leaned forward, voice dropping a notch, "we're going to need a backup plan. Something solid. Because if you don't find any trace of magic there, then what? You'd be risking your life for nothing."

Vyan didn't reply. His jaw was tight, and his fingers tapped absently against the edge of his plate. The idea of returning empty-handed was more terrifying than the stormiest sea.

Adrian continued gently, "So let's do this smart. Tonight, we sit down, plan it out, and research properly. And before I head to work, I'll teach you how to use a laptop. That way, you can look into it yourself."

He paused, then added with a hesitant arch of brow, "You're educated, right?"

Vyan turned to him with a flat, unimpressed stare. "I'm a Grand Duke. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, man. Maybe education didn't exist back then."

"It did exist," Vyan said, dry as ever. "Even commoners were allowed education, if they could afford it."

Adrian nodded, amused. "Touché. But what I really meant was… can you read our language?"

Vyan studied the newspaper lying next to the salt shaker. "It's similar to ours. The shapes are strange, but the structure makes sense. I can figure it out."

"Great," Adrian said, standing to clear his plate. "Then, research should be easy for you. And if you get stuck, just ask Elian. Kid reads like a mini professor."

Vyan allowed himself the smallest smile, the kind that vanished before it could fully form. "Alright," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Then, it's settled. You figure out where exactly you need to go, what location, coordinates, whatever. I'll handle the shady part." He shot Vyan a reassuring smile. "I'll poke around, see what illegal routes might get you there without, you know, getting you arrested. Between the two of us, we'll come up with something."

Vyan's brows knit slightly, a flicker of discomfort. "You're doing so much for me already…" he murmured. "I don't like to leave debts. So, what can I do to repay you?"

"Easy. Take care of the kids today. Ms. Browns isn't coming in. Instead, my —"

His sentence was cut off by the sound of thudding feet from upstairs. Elian came charging down the steps with a brightness that could power a city.

"Good morning, Mommy! Daddy! And Daddy's twin!" he sang, his tiny voice echoing through the room.

Vyan turned to greet him with a light smile. "Oh hey, good morning, Elian."

Elian skidded to a stop in his little socks, eyes wide. "Whoa! You're up before me today!"

Vyan chuckled softly, playfully placing a hand over his heart. "Yup. I couldn't let you beat me two days in a row."

"Oh, just you wait! Tomorrow I'm waking up even earlier! Like sunrise early!"

Vyan grinned, leaning back in his chair. "We'll see about that."

The little boy giggled and ran off to find his cereal, and in the next few minutes, the morning turned into a whirlwind.

Adrian was gone soon after, tossing Vyan a quick "Good luck" on his way out. And Emma followed not long after, rushing out the door in a flurry of keys, coffee, and an early meeting.

The door clicked shut.

And just like that, silence.

Elian turned to Vyan, his eyes sparkling. "Sooo… what should we do now?"

Vyan opened his mouth, about to ask for help with researching the Bermuda Triangle, but then he paused.

Wait.

Natasha wasn't coming today.

Dread crept in like a slow tide.

Elian? Sure. Manageable. Cheerful, loud, slightly feral. But nonetheless, manageable.

But Amy?

Amy was… tiny. Squishy. Leaky. Frequently crying. Frequently pooping.

Who would change her diapers? Who would feed her? Bathe her? Swaddle her?

He remembered yesterday. Natasha had done everything. He hadn't touched a single baby wipe. Or a bottle. He didn't even know where the diapers were.

Vyan stared ahead, jaw tightening. He'd faced life-threatening accusations, sword duels, political battles… But this?

This was a real crisis.

Before he could spiral too far, the doorbell rang.

Elian perked up like a meerkat. "Oh! That must be Gramps and Nana!"

He darted toward the door.

"Check before you open!" Vyan hollered.

"Okay!" Elian called back.

Vyan exhaled. Gramps and Nana. That must be what Adrian was about to say earlier. His parents were coming to help. Of course. That made sense. Emma and Adrian wouldn't be so stupid as to leave a fourteen-month-old in inexperienced Vyan's care.

He stood, smoothing his shirt, preparing to meet the house-owners' parents with some dignity. The polite thing to do.

The door opened. He heard the sound of footsteps entering. He turned toward the entryway, lips parting in a courteous greeting—

His world ground to a halt.

His voice escaped in a whisper, "…Mother?"