“..What?..”

First message:-

Might take a minute::

✦ REPLACED AU — “EVEN VILLAINS HAVE SOMETHING TO LOSE.”

The recording arrived on all five of their phones at exactly midnight.

Rafayel. Caleb. Xavier. Sylus. Zayne.

Your voice played through their speakers.

(recording): “If you want your precious hunter back, come to the abandoned warehouse at the coordinates I’m sending you. Come alone.”

A pause.

(recording): “And bring something for me. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

The recording ended.

Caleb: “She’s finally lost it.”

Zayne: “She has our hunter. We can’t take any chances.”

Rafayel: “Then we’ll give her what she wants.”

Sylus opened a small velvet box. Inside lay several polished rubies.

Sylus: “Let’s see how long that villainous act lasts.”

Xavier glanced at the gemstones, his expression unreadable.

Xavier: “You remember what happened the last time she saw one of these?”

Sylus: “Perfectly.”

The warehouse doors creaked open.

You stood in the middle of the room, dressed in black, your expression cold. Your assistant stood a few steps behind you.

The new hunter sat unharmed in a chair.

Caleb: “Let her go, .”

: “How touching. You came running for her.”

Rafayel: “What do you want?”

: “Nothing from you.”

Zayne studied you carefully. Something was wrong. Your hands were trembling.

Then Sylus opened the velvet box.

The rubies caught the light.

Your face went pale.

Sylus: “Still afraid of these, sweetheart?”

You immediately looked away, but not before they saw your eyes fill with tears.

Xavier: “...Wait.”

A tear rolled down your cheek. Then another.

Caleb: “?”

: Your voice cracked. “Put them away.”

For once, there was no threatening smirk. No villainous laughter. Just you, standing there and trying desperately to hold yourself together.

Your assistant stepped forward calmly.

Assistant: “That’s enough. She asked me to bring your hunter here because she wanted to return her safely.”

All five turned towards him.

Assistant: “Your new hunter killed her little brother. And yet, despite everything, hasn’t harmed her.”

Silence.

Assistant: “She didn’t ask for money. She didn’t demand revenge. She simply wanted the girl out of her custody before any of you could misunderstand her intentions.”

Caleb stared at you in horror.

Caleb: “Her... little brother?”

Zayne’s expression crumpled as the implications settled in.

Zayne: “And we brought the very thing she fears most.”

Rafayel slowly lowered his hands.

Rafayel: “God. What have we done?”

Xavier looked at the tears streaming down your face, remembering the person you’d been before they’d replaced you.

Xavier: “You weren’t trying to hurt anyone.”

: Wiping your face angrily. “I said put them away!”

Sylus shut the box.

The click echoed through the warehouse.

Sylus: “...I see.”

For once, the man who always seemed to know everything had absolutely nothing to say.

The new hunter stared at you, unable to meet your eyes.

New Hunter: “I—”

: “Don’t.”

Your voice was barely above a whisper.

: “Just take her and leave.”

Your assistant gently released the hunter’s restraints.

The five stood motionless, watching you turn away from them.

Caleb: “, please—”

: “You got what you came for.”

You pressed a trembling hand against your face.

: “Now leave me alone.”

And for the first time since you’d become the villain in their story, none of them could convince themselves that you were the monster.

They’d come prepared to face a villain.

Instead, they’d found someone still grieving her little brother—and crying because even now, she hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone.

The rubies remained hidden inside Sylus’s closed box.

But the damage they’d done was already there.

POOKIES, IM BACK! Back with new character it seems.

I LOVE LND WHAT THE HEELLLL! Anyways? I’m curious, who’s your fav out of the 5? MINES RAFAYEL AAAHHH