Villain's Second Heart: Trapped in A Fantasy Novel (BL)-Chapter 85: A Night With Alcor

Ezra sank his teeth into Oberyn’s curse mark and dutifully drained out his tainted mana in silence. The Nephilim, shirtless and stilted, sat perfectly still until Ezra was finished.

"Thank you," he said. His voice was a bit softer than before, but still lacked the warm emotion that Ezra realized he’d grown far too accustomed to.

He rose from the bed, rolling his shoulders to get out some of the lingering discomfort of his curse.

And then, he stepped toward the door.

"You’re leaving?" Ezra asked, his eyes wide.

"I’ll be back. Gonna go hang out with Rav a little more. You need rest."

The door opened and closed before Ezra could get out a single word.

He slumped back down into the mattress and stared at the ceiling.

"Damn it, Oberyn...why are you always so stubborn?"

He absent-mindedly flicked through his System, trying to get his mind off the fight - if he could even consider it a fight.

He wanted to think of it more as a disagreement...and hoped that to Oberyn, it would all be water under the bridge soon.

[Name: Alcor Star (Ezra)

HP: 325/550

MP: 3200/550

Race: Human (Irregular)

Level: 20

Class: Mana Thief]

’Mana levels are still good...’ he thought to himself.

[Level 20

Strength - 19

Vitality - 15

Agility - 19

Spirit -17

Charisma - 14

Luck - 11]

During one of his recent level-ups, his luck had finally increased by one point. However, at that moment, Ezra didn’t feel particularly lucky.

He turned onto his good side, facing away from the door, and continued to fiddle around through his System. Eventually, he found his way to the item he’d ruminated on earlier.

[Alcor’s Keepsake - ’The Moonlit Feather’

Description: A feather from the Nephilim you are destined to kill.]

He stared at it, re-reading the text over again and again.

[Interested in it, are you?]

’Where did you get this, Alcor? And why did you have it?’

[I suppose you could say...that while Oberyn thought he was hunting me, it was truly I who was hunting him. Until you got involved, of course.]

Ezra shifted uneasily. ’You would’ve killed Oberyn that day, if I hadn’t have swapped into your body...’

[The Storyteller didn’t want Oberyn dead. Not in that moment. Seems she wanted you to follow this plot after all.]

’Alcor...why are you so beholden to the Storyteller? After everything she did to you. You’re from the same world as me, aren’t you? She trapped you in this fantasy world, and now you don’t even have a body of your own. But you’re still loyal to her...I don’t understand.’

There was only a split second of hesitation before Alcor’s voice invaded Ezra’s mind again, but the human noticed.

[Because she has not given me all that she promised. And I know she always keeps her promises.]

’What...nevermind. I know you wouldn’t tell me, anyway.’

[Astute as ever, Ezra.]

He dismissed the system menu, hiding away Oberyn’s feather and all the intrigue surrounding it - for now.

’Alcor...if I ever wanted to...’

[To contact the Storyteller? Speak with her again?] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ezra gulped. Hearing the words in his head made it feel too real. A darkness he couldn’t fathom ever approaching again - and yet, the morbid curiosity burned in his mind.

"Yeah," Ezra said aloud. His voice was mechanical - uncertain and hollow.

[Finding her in this world is no different than finding her in the other. She exists in the darkest of places - and those who seek her will always find her...eventually.]

Ezra sighed.

[And what do you want to ask her, anyway? I may be able to read your active thoughts but not your entire mind.]

"Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t sure myself?" Ezra said again, covering his eyes with his arm.

"I think I’d only know once I saw her again."

[You always find ways to keep me entertained, Ezra...]

On that note, the voice slithered out of his mind. Alcor was gone - for the moment, at least.

Ezra leaned back in the bed and sighed. There was too much to think about - he needed rest.

He passed out quickly, his sturdy chest rising and falling slowly as he drifted into slumber. All he could think about as he lost consciousness was Oberyn. He hoped the next day would bring him some solace.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pagoda in Rav’s den, Oberyn had returned to spend more time with the pompous Ferin.

Rav leaned back, his tail swishing lazily as he watched Oberyn with cunning eyes.

"You know, Oberyn, there are thingsh I notice, bein’ around as long as I have." The Ferin slurred his words, a stupid, playful grin alight on his face.

Oberyn paused, taking a deep breath.

’How old is he again? He’s supposed to just be a few years older than me, but sometimes he acts like he’s two hundred...’ Oberyn thought to himself, vexed and still sore from the argument earlier with Ezra.

"You and Ezra had a fight, yeah?" Rav asked.

Oberyn’s eyes immediately widened - but any hope he had of dispelling Rav’s suspicion died when he locked gazes with the catboy. There was no lying - not to Rav.

Rav cracked his fingers. "There. I got it out of the way. Now we don’t have to speculate or beat around the bush. Want to tell me what happened, hm?"

Oberyn’s eye twitched. "Not really."

"Oh, crap. Okay, okay," Rav said, swirling his tail submissively. He was even more drunk and high than before, his face flushed with red and his body. "Slow steps with you. Ah, forget what I just said. Why don’t you tell me about your moon girlfriend. Whatsername? Tatianna?"

Oberyn pulled his legs up on the couch, wrapping his arms around them as he watched Rav with a side-eye. "What the hell brings that up?"

"Humor me."

He was bewildered - but he knew Rav was trying to be helpful in his own way.

"Tiana," Oberyn said. "First daughter of the Nephilim Queen, Titania."

Oberyn began to share his story - the story of his first love.