Ascension Of The Villain

Throughout the day, the house was wrapped in the kind of warmth that came not from the sun but from laughter, soft coos, and the easy rhythm of familiarity.

Julia guided Vyan through the unpredictable world of toddler care, starting with Amy's diaper. Vyan hovered close by, his brows knit in concentration as he observed every step like he was preparing for an exam.

Julia explained each move with a patient tone and gentle touch, making even the less-than-pleasant tasks seem approachable. She knew how to make even a first-timer feel at ease. She admitted that Natasha herself wasn't good at all at this. It was Julia who had taught her the ropes.

Vyan was amazed at the way Julia did things. He couldn't help but be curious. She carried herself with such grace and warmth that it made him wonder about the life she'd lived before this.

"So, what did you do? I mean, for work?" he asked casually, glancing over after she changed Amy's diaper and put her down in the living room to play with her brother and grandfather.

Julia smiled. "I used to be a dietitian," she said simply. "I worked in the clinic for years. Helped people eat better, live healthier. But I'm retired now. It's been a while since I traded in the lab coat for aprons and bedtime stories." She chuckled softly. "I'm pushing past sixty, after all."

Vyan was visibly taken aback. "Sixty? No way." His expression turned earnest. "You don't look a day older than thirty."

Julia burst out laughing, a rich sound that echoed lightly in the chaotic room. She reached over and gave his upper arm a playful slap. "Oh, stop lying, you smooth liar."

"I'm not lying, though!" Vyan protested, throwing his hands up defensively but smiling all the same. "I mean it. You've got that… ageless glow thing going on."

Julia shook her head, still laughing. She had a light twinkle in her eyes. "You're lucky you're charming, or I'd award you a time-out."

He grinned, scratching the back of his neck. "I call it honesty."

And that's just how it was with them, conversation flowing with gentle ease, laughter always waiting just beneath the surface, and a strange but comforting familiarity neither of them could quite explain.

Next came bath time. The little tub was filled with warm water and bubbles, and Amy kicked her chubby feet with unrestrained glee.

Julia showed him how to hold her head gently, how to wash her without getting soap in her eyes, and how to keep her warm and happy.

Vyan listened carefully, watching every gesture, every small cue.

"You're actually paying attention," Julia noted, amused.

"I am," he replied with a sheepish smile, towel in hand. "I think I'm mentally filing all of this for future reference."

Julia laughed, wiping her hands. "Do you like kids, Vyan?"

He hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, "No, not really. At least… not until recently. I actually kind of hated them."

Julia raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"But," he added, a soft smile tugging at his lips, "that had been changing recently. However, the most significant change came after meeting Elian. I don't know how to explain it, but the affection I feel for him is so unadulterated and overwhelming that I can't help but want a kid for myself." He glanced over at Amy, now bundled in a towel, giggling at the way her feet wiggled. "And well… my girlfriend loves kids. So I had already been trying to come to terms with them, but it was more like I was forcing myself for her sake. But now, I feel as though it'd be natural."

"Girlfriend?" Julia asked with a curious tilt of her head. "What is she like?"

"The best," he answered without a pause, a dreamy look in his eyes. "The strongest, most beautiful, most caring and loving woman I know."

"That's sweet. Does she not live here?"

"No. She is back home," Vyan replied, and a faint shadow crossed his face. His voice softened. "I'm going to meet her soon, though. After I'm done with the internship here, I'll go back and see her. Finally."

After bathing, Julia was feeding Amy her bottle when she glanced up and said warmly, "You seem excited."

"I am," Vyan said with a grin that lit up his whole face. "I can't wait to see her again."

Julia chuckled, rocking Amy slightly as the baby drank peacefully. "It's rare to see such genuine boyfriends these days. Since you're already thinking about kids with her, things must be pretty serious."

Vyan looked slightly shy, eyes crinkling. "Yeah… it is. I plan to marry her."

"How cute," she murmured. "I hope you both always stay happy together."

The words, simple as they were, struck something deep in him. Like a small blessing whispered in a language his soul remembered. For a second, it felt like he was receiving a mother's blessing—something he'd long stopped expecting.

Julia glanced down at Amy, who was now lying contentedly in her lap, her bottle empty. "Would you like to try feeding her next time?" she asked.

Vyan was caught off guard. "Me? I don't know… will I be able to?"

"I'm sure you will," Julia said, encouraging. "She already likes you."

As if to prove the point, Amy reached out with her tiny fingers, grabbing at Vyan's shirt and squealing, "Dada!"

"You need to stop doing that, you know?" he laughed, leaning closer to tap her little nose. "I'm not your Dada, little one. Your actual dad might faint if he hears you say that."

Amy only responded with a happy giggle, completely unbothered.

And Vyan—he laughed too. Not the quiet, guarded kind. A real one. The kind that came from somewhere warm inside.

Kids really weren't so bad after all.

Perhaps, the next time Iyana asked, he'd genuinely be able to tell her that he genuinely desired kids, and not just because she wanted them.

———

Evening draped the house as Julia and Atlas had just left, their voices lingering faintly like the trail of a soft breeze. Amy, nestled in her crib, had long surrendered to sleep.

The silence settled in like a blanket. It was then that Vyan turned to Elian, who was flipping through a picture book on the velvet rug.

"Elian," Vyan said gently, breaking the quiet, "can you help me look up something?"

Elian perked up immediately. "What do you want to look up?"

"The Bermuda Triangle," Vyan replied. "I wanted to search about it earlier… I just don't know where to start."

Elian grinned, puffing his chest out with the confidence only a five-year-old could have. "Don't worry! Leave it to me. We don't have to search through books or anything. We can just ask the AI."

"The what?"

"AI," Elian repeated, proud to be the expert. "It stands for Artificial Intelligence. You ask it anything, and it gives you all the answers!"

There was a pause as Vyan processed this. "You're saying… there's something here that can answer anything I ask?"

"Yup!" Elian was already pulling out the spare laptop at home, his fingers flying across the keyboard as if it were second nature. He opened an app, and it asked, "What can I help you with?"

"What exactly do you want to ask?" Elian asked eagerly.

Vyan carefully took the laptop to his lap and said, "I'll check about that myself. Your dad taught me how to type… So, why don't you go and do a little studying?"

Elian nodded, bouncing to his feet. "Okay! If you need me, I'm right here!"

And with that, he skipped over to his coloring book, leaving Vyan on the couch with the softly humming laptop and the curious glow of the AI screen.

Vyan hesitated for a moment, then placed his fingers on the keyboard. It was strange how this sleek little machine was so full of knowledge. He typed slowly at first, a little clumsy with the letters, but deliberate.

"How to get to the Bermuda Triangle?"

In seconds, the screen filled with information. Paragraphs, maps, sums of money… all organized, all clearly written. No flipping through hundreds of pages. No dusty tomes. It was all just… there. At his fingertips.

He leaned in, skimming through the ways suggested by the AI.

Then more questions came to his mind. And he asked. One after another, answers poured in. It was like he'd stumbled upon a treasure chest of knowledge that opened effortlessly.

Vyan leaned back on the couch, breathless from the sheer ease of it all. His mind raced with possibilities.

He whispered to himself, almost laughing, "I never needed to go to the library…"

There was something oddly comforting in the realization. The modern world wasn't all that difficult to understand. With tools like this, navigating it felt… manageable.

He looked at the screen again, this time not with hesitation, but with a spark of curiosity.

"Alright," he muttered, fingers dancing over the keys with more confidence now, "let's see what else you can tell me."