No More Pain For This Villain.

"I get that a lot. Most people can't tell. My parents adopted me when I was very young, and my grandfather has been like a second father to me." She picked up the frame and looked at it fondly.

Well she obviously left the part that her parents are dead and grandpa is one wanted criminal ..well who cares.

"That's nice. He seems like a kind man," I commented.

"He is, and he taught me a lot about history. That's why I enjoy studying it so much," she said, placing the frame back on the desk.

"Raven... What's this, though?" I pointed at the pile of letters she had bound in a bundle.

"Oh, these are the letters that I got this month," she answered as she picked up the letters. "One is from my grandfather, and these are from my friends back in the village, and these are from the people I traveled with."

"Quite a lot, huh?" I raised a brow. "You got one from that friend of yours too, right?"

"Adam? Yeah, I did." She placed the bundle down.

I looked around her room with a casual demeanor, my gaze settled on the letters. "You must keep your letters from Adam in a special place, right? A letter from a close friend can be quite precious."

I pointed at the bundle of letters. "You must keep your letters from Adam in a special place, right? A letter from a close friend can be quite precious."

Raven glanced at the bundle and said, "Hmm no... it's there. I was about to put it in the bundle." She pointed at her drawer.

"Oh, I see," I replied, trying to hide my surprise at how she didn't know how important it was.

I went silent, but Raven looked at me – she basically stared.

"Ren, have you ever killed anyone?" Her next words made me shake for a second.

What does she mean by that? Did she see me somewhere? Like, do I have to kill her?

"Stop! At least talk first," Blaze advised.

"Have you?" Without answering, I turned the question to her.

And she went silent. "Yes."

"Without any reason?" I questioned.

"No, for self-defense," she rubbed her hands together.

"Isn't that just fine, then," I looked her in the eyes, "You never started; you just finished."

"Nah, I've seen someone kill without any reason," Blaze said, sitting near the window.

"But still... Adam says that one shouldn't take anyone's life," she mentioned.

"Was Adam there in the situation you were in?" I don't know why the conversation came to this, but I answered, "You did what you felt was right in that moment, so there's nothing to feel guilty about."

"Yeah," she sighed, but soon a smile followed.

I dodged the question, I guess.

A moment of silence passed between us as I looked at the window and said, "Do you have anything to eat?"

"There should be something downstairs. You didn't eat anything?" She asked.

"Nope, I was busy studying, so I've been hungry since this afternoon," I lied.

"That's bad for your health!!!" She uncharacteristically got angry.

'She's worried,'Blaze stated.

"Well, I'm going to eat something tomorrow then," I said.

"No, wait, I'll bring something... I hope there are some leftovers," she got up from her chair.

Raven gracefully made her way to the door, leaving her desk and the scattered notes behind. Her nightgown flowed as she walked, and the soft moonlight streaming in from the window added an ethereal glow to her form.

I quickly jumped from the desk, feeling a sense of urgency. My fingers pulled the drawer out, revealing the already torn letter carefully tucked inside. The envelope bore the symbol of a world tree, still in surprisingly good condition, with a few signatures adorning its surface. The moonlight played on the signatures, making them appear almost luminescent in the dimly lit room.

I quickly closed the drawer, the envelope with the world tree seal still clutched in my hand. My heart raced as I heard the door close behind me. I turned, and my eyes met Raven's as she stood there, her expression filled with shock.

She whispered, "W-wa..."

I strained to hear her over the thumping of my heart. "Huh?"

She rushed toward me, her back pressed against the door, and pulled me closer. Her voice was barely audible as she hissed, "Warden is awake. You have to leave."

Panic surged through me, but I couldn't just leave without the letter.

"But—"

"No buts! Get out! You'll get caught! It's not good for you!" She grabbed my arm and began to guide me toward the window.

I tried to protest, but she was determined. She practically pushed me toward the window.

"Listen—"

"Get out," she insisted, her eyes unwavering.

I sighed, realizing that the footsteps were getting closer.

Knock*

A sharp knock echoed from the door, causing me to click my tongue in frustration.

Raven didn't waste any time. She quickly opened the window and gestured for me to climb out. The urgency in her expression was clear, and I knew I had to act fast.

I reluctantly climbed onto the windowsill, preparing to jump out into the dark night. The room was on the second floor, but I couldn't afford to get caught by the warden.

"Be careful," Raven whispered, her hand on my shoulder as I perched on the windowsill.

I nodded and took a deep breath before making the leap. My landing was quiet. I turned to look at the window, and Raven's face appeared, her eyes filled with concern.

"Get away from here as quickly as you can," she said. "And don't come back tonight."

I nodded again, and with one last glance at her, I slipped into the shadows, leaving behind the room, the letter.

***

[Raven's POV]

I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Ren, have you ever killed anyone?"

My question was a weighty one, and my thoughts raced as I tried to understand why it had even crossed my mind. Why did I have to ask this!? My mind raced with possibilities. Would he answer? Was there something about Ren that I needed to be cautious of? The fear of the unknown sent a shiver down my spine.

"Have you?" He asked, turning the question back to me.

I nodded, but what he said next made me rethink what I had always believed. He said it's fine when it's self-defense. I have killed people in the past and never felt bad until one day Adam said how sad it is, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I was a killer. But here, Ren had different views, like a real adventurer I met on my travels. So that day was also self-defense. I felt as if my mind was clear immediately; he cannot let others kill him, and who wants to die? It was just a struggle.

But then the image of cruelty flashed through my mind, along with the laughter with eerie wailing noises. I shrugged it off... I tried to atleast.

Out of nowhere, Ren asked if there was anything to eat. He was hungry from the afternoon. I got angry for some reason. It's no good, even if you are stressed about the exam, it's not good to starve yourself. I felt like a hypocrite thinking this because I was the same during the exam period. I immediately got up and left to get something, leaving Ren in the room.

I still don't know how unhinged he is, entering a girl's room in the middle of the night and sitting on the bed as if it's nothing. Adam once came into my room and was too shy, thinking about where to sit and what to say. But in contrast, Ren seemed comfortable with these things.

I stepped out of the room and looked at the stairs that led to the lower floor. This building is shared between Adam and others. I could tell that the principal favored Adam. I got myself a small but separate room because I was uncomfortable sharing.

I stepped down the stairs before I heard footsteps. I peeked down the railing and saw a pair of huge breasts, and a woman slowly came into view. The woman looked around, and then her gaze met mine. It's the warden!!

I turned on my heel; she'd report us if she saw Ren in my room. Why did I have to let him in!? I felt like crying, dashed into my room, and closed the door. Ren was standing near my desk but flinched when he saw me. I got him out of there immediately. I didn't want either of us to get punished.

But I don't know why I felt a bit sad when I saw him disappear from my sight.

"Mrs. Larkspur, open the door," the warden knocked on the door.

Quite a night.

***

[Ren Hilton POV]

I laid on the bed in my own room, feeling a mix of disappointment and frustration. I couldn't believe how close I had been to obtaining that letter.

My thoughts wandered as I stared at the ceiling. What if I had been just a bit quicker in retrieving it? What if I had asked Raven to get it for me, instead of trying to grab it myself? So many "what ifs" swirled in my mind.

She had been kind enough to help me with my studies, and her willingness to share her notes and knowledge was something I appreciated.....not really.

I lay there, I contemplated my next move. I knew I had to find a way back into Raven's room to retrieve that letter.

'leave it,' Blaze jumped, I haven't heard his voice in few minutes.

"Where were you?" I got up and felt like shit.

'You think only you are smart huh,' I saw him looking at me as he held a envelop in his mouth.

"Fucker," I cursed but there was a smile at he corner of my lips.