Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead

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I walked slowly.

Honestly, I could've teleported or asked for a ride spell or just begged Noah to drag me over to Grandpa Venus's place.

But nope.

Here I was, strolling down this annoyingly peaceful path, leaves crunching under my foot as birds chirped like I wasn't in a constant state of identity crisis.

It was late in the night.

That weird hour where the world hadn't fully slept, and everything felt heavy. Even my steps sounded louder than usual.

Ever since I left the house, I'd been thinking about how awkward this was going to be.

Me.

Lucas.

In the same place.

No death match this time.

Just a visit to the oldest, creepiest man in the Romero family tree.

Yay.

I rubbed the back of my neck, the memory of Lucas almost crushing me in that virtual reality competition still fresh in my head.

My pride?

Buried.

My ego?

Six feet under.

My will to interact with him?

Currently in rehab.

And yet, as I reached the tall and big iron gates of Venus Grandpa's massive estate, guess who was already there?

Lucas.

Of course, I thought.

He was leaning against the gate like it was a fashion shoot, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded, his black hair falling across his forehead like he styled it by accident—but also on purpose.

He was too still, like always.

Like statues had more life—

But when he noticed me, he straightened up.

I stopped a few feet away. "Hey," I said, trying to sound normal and totally not like I wanted the ground to swallow me.

"Hey," he replied, his voice soft.

There was a long pause.

My toes dug into the gravel.

Then he spoke again.

"I wanted to talk to you before we went in."

Uh-oh.

He shifted, glancing sideways like even he wasn't sure how to say this. "About the competition… Don't take it personally, okay?"

I blinked.

"I don't have anything against you. I just—" He hesitated. "I can't afford to lose."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that makes it okay to step on people like they're ants?"

He winced.

Slightly.

Ypu, that was a win for me.

"I know how it looked. Cold. Ruthless. But it's not like I enjoy it. I just…I have to win. Always." His voice dropped lower.

"Because of her…"

He didn't say Aunt Ana's name, but he didn't have to.

I understood my part.

He looked at me again. "You ever feel like your value to someone only exists when you're winning?"

I stared.

That…sounded very bad.

"I want to be seen as more than just Ana D. Romero's prodigy. But at the same time… I want her to see me winning so she loves me."

That silenced me.

Then he smiled a bit—small, tired, but genuine. "People think I'm heartless. But sometimes, I wish someone looked at me like I was just a kid. Not a weapon."

I blinked. "Okay… didn't expect to bond over trauma this late in the night. Guess that's when you boy's really start opening up, huh?"

He chuckled, and I think for the first time ever, I saw him relax.

Just a little teensy tiny bit.

Before I could respond, the big old door to the estate creaked open.

Venus stepped out, wearing his usual deep black robe and pants that pointed down like a villain from a gothic novel.

His black eyes swept over us once, then he turned silently and began walking back inside without a word.

Lucas and I exchanged a glance. I shrugged and followed behind.

The inside to the estate or more precisely the 'house' Venus Grandpa and Sylvie Grandma were living in was cold and weirdly humid. Vines clung to parts of the outer stone wall. The path we took was surrounded by bushes, tall and trimmed to eerie perfection, like even the plants were scared to misbehave under Venus's rule.

We passed several smaller houses— probably owned by other family members or staff.

The path twisted a few times before we reached a massive stone building with a single rune-inscribed door.

Venus placed his hand on the stone slab as he typed in a few letters I was quick to see, with glowing lines spread across the surface.

With a low groan, the door opened to reveal a dark stairway spiraling down.

We followed him.

As we walked, it seemed that Grandpa Venus's aura was changing by the second, making me raise an eyebrow.

I had never seen him like this.

Not with Noah or even when he used to dot on me when the dumb boy would be sleeping. So seeing the dark look on Grandpa's face scared me a little as he finally spoke—his voice low, scratchy, and slow.

"What lies beneath is the combined legacy of the Romero bloodline.

Weapons, tomes, relics, beasts, and more. There are some items which cannot be taken out of the treasury.

They do not belong to any one specific person but to the 'Romero Family' as a whole.

Any other item you find be chosen—if they choose you in return that is.

His footsteps echoed as we walked deeper and deeper inside.

I felt a shift in pressure, like the air itself had magic in it.

"Do not take anything from the Restricted Section," he warned. "Touching what is not yours…might not kill you. But it will make you wish it did."

I swallowed.

At the base of the stairs was a towering arched door. Runes crawled across it like they were alive.

With a wave of his hand, it opened.

And what I saw inside?

My jaw dropped.

The vault was huge.

No, gigantic.

It looked like a castle throne room underground, with shining crystal chandeliers floating mid-air, casting soft light over towering shelves, display pods, and magical containment fields.

Sections were divided by glowing markers: Weapons, Beasts, Artifacts, Scrolls, and the dark red one in the corner labeled Restricted that practically screamed "do not touch."

Lucas stared around, blinking slowly. Even he seemed thrown off.

Venus nodded once more. "You have one hour."

And then he vanished. Like actually poofed.

Lucas didn't waste time. He headed straight toward the Beasts section.

I paused, then trotted after him. "You sure you don't want to stick together?"

"I'll be fine," he muttered, eyes locked ahead.

I rolled mine. "Cool, I'll just follow you and annoy you the whole time."

He didn't respond, but I swear the corner of his mouth twitched.

Hehe

Let's see where this guy takes us—

***