Villain Hiring: Help! Author Wants Me Dead

After almost 5 minutes of fidgeting and hurriedly hiding the coin in between my, umm whatever—

I moved on, browsing the other artefacts while promising to myself again and again that I was a good girl and that I wouldn't steal anything more.

The next thing in front of me was a chain, thankfully in a locked glass case.

[Name: Esmail's Chain]

Power: Absolute Restraint

Effect: Can bind any magical being or spell mid-cast.

Disables mana flow.

Limitation: Cannot be broken unless the user's will shatters.

"This one screams, 'Please use me on your ex,'" I muttered, having some wild thoughts in my 'adolescent' mind.

No pixie, no!

I berated myself, thinking about this weapon strategically. Honestly, imagine wrapping this around someone mid-monologue.

Drama? Over.

Fight? Cancelled.

Next up—

[Name: Vial of Forgotten Sunlight]

Power: Luminary Surge

Effect: Releases a burst of purifying light said to cleanse curses, illusions, and some undead.

Note: Light may cause temporary blindness to living beings nearby.

My eyes widened. "Literal bottled sunshine. Where do they get this stuff?"

I stared at it for a while, almost hypnotized by the swirling golden glow inside the vial.

It pulsed gently, like it was breathing.

Okay. Onwards, before I pocket something I absolutely shouldn't.

[Name: Whispering Veil]

Power: Memory Thief

Effect: Lets the wearer steal one memory from another person and view it as a dream.

Warning: Memory stolen is permanently erased from the target.

I froze. "Damn…"

That one was dark. Like, stalker-level dark. Who even makes these things?

I imagined Lucas wearing that. Yikes. But also—what if someone used it on me?

Wait.

What memories would they even get?

...Probably me crying because I ran out of hot chocolate last winter.

Moving on.

Quickly.

[Name: The Blink Ring]

Power: Spatial Skip

Effect: Allows the user to teleport exactly ten steps forward, regardless of obstacles.

Cooldown: 30 seconds.

Note: User cannot choose direction. It always goes forward.

"What kind of chaos item is this?" I burst out, laughing. "Imagine using this in a bathroom and ending up on the street half-naked.

Ten steps forward and poof! Right into traffic."

Still, kind of useful. Dangerous, but useful.

Next was a tiny, very innocent-looking orb floating in a glass dome.

[Name: Ecliptical Marble]

Power: Emotion Sink

Effect: Absorbs all negative emotions in a 10-meter radius. When full, it must be released or disposed of.

Status: 98% Full.

DO NOT TOUCH.

I stepped back real fast.

"Who the hell left an emotional bomb just lying here?!" My voice echoed a little. "This thing's one teenage heartbreak away from detonating."

And lastly…

I approached a pedestal set apart from the others, like it was too important to share space.

The object floated gently in a silver-blue mist, its glow almost…calming.

[Name: Dreamweaver's Lens]

Power: Ethereal Insight

Effect: When worn, it allows the user to see a person's strongest desire in the form of a shimmering thread.

Limitation: Must be worn at night. Repeated use may cause insomnia.

Now this one?

This one felt dangerous in a different way.

Not physical, but emotionally.

Knowing what someone truly wanted? Their deepest craving? That's…a power too many people would kill for.

I shivered and stepped away from it.

My heart was still beating like crazy.

Half from excitement. Half from knowing I had absolutely no business being in a place like this.

But somehow?

It felt like these artefacts weren't just on display.

They were waiting.

For someone reckless.

Or maybe just someone stupid enough to touch them.

Like me.

***

Ten minutes more into the treasure Vault, I found a tiny flask, barely bigger than my thumb.

It was hovering above a circular pedestal wrapped in silver thread.

'It looked so…ordinary.' I thought.

Just a simple vial filled with crimson-red liquid.

But the moment my eyes landed on it, something inside me jerked.

I stepped closer.

My heart beat faster.

My legs moved before I even thought about it.

I didn't know why, but that flask of blood—it called to me. Like it had always been waiting here for me.

Like it knew me?

I reached out, fingers trembling, and touched the barrier around it.

A rush of heat exploded in my chest.

Images flashed through my head.

A girl with burning red eyes.

A symbol of wings.

A scream.

A flash of blue lightning.

It was all too fast, too messy—but I felt it.

Like a memory I had forgotten.

I staggered back, gasping.

My heart thudded wildly as I looked down at the flask again, and no matter what I tried, my hand wouldn't stop shaking.

"…What are you?" I whispered.

There was no plaque.

No token.

No description.

Just that one simple object…sitting there like it didn't matter.

But it did.

I knew it.

I clenched my fist and stared at the glowing red liquid.

Could this be the key? I wondered.

The missing piece to my soul?

To unlocking…whatever the problem was with me not being able to get any powers?

I didn't move to take it.

Not yet.

I knew Venus's warnings. I wasn't dumb enough to grab another random thing without his permission.

But I knew one thing for sure now—this wasn't just any treasure.

This flask was mine.

Even if it didn't know it yet.

I stood there, staring at the small crimson flask as if it held my entire past, present, and future in a few drops.

Something about it tugged at me deep in my chest so deep that it hurt.

"…What do I do now?"

***

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