No More Pain For This Villain.

[Mary Kleine POV]

I stood still, my heart pounding in my chest as I stared at the scene unfolding before me. Ruu was embracing the girl in his arms tightly— who was she?

Pushing through the crowd in front of me, I felt a sense of urgency drivingforward. Each shove only seemed to push Ruu further away, while I remained trapped in a chaotic sea of bodies.

"Wait!" I cried out, desperation creeping into my voice.

But nobody paid attention. All eyes were on Ren, his gentle touch comforting the girl in his embrace. It was Raven!

My eyes widened as her features becclear, no longer obscured by the blur of the crowd. She buried her face in Ruu's chest, seeking solace in his embrace.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM! DON'T TOUCH MY RUU!!!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the crowd, but it fell on deaf ears.

Ruu turned to face me, his gaze locking with mine. Relief washed overbriefly, but it was quickly replaced by a gnawing sense of unease.

He continued to hold Raven close, his hand tracing her waist with a familiarity that sent a shiver down my spine. Panic surged within me. Why was he touching her like that? I reached for my sword, but my sheath was empty—no, there was no sheath at all. I was unarmed, vulnerable.

Looking around, I realized that the distance between Ruu andhad inexplicably cleared. The students that had stood between us were gone, leaving an empty space in their wake.

I began to move forward, my pace quickening with each step until I was running, desperate to reach him. But no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't close the gap.

"Why..." My voice trembled, a strange churning sensation rising in the pit of my stomach.

I watched helplessly as Ruu leaned closer to Raven, their faces mere inches apart. They locked eyes, lost in each other's gaze, and—

"Haaa!" My eyes snapped open, the realization hittinglike a ton of bricks. "A...a dream?"

"Are you fine!?"As Elsa burst into the room upon hearing my scream, I winced in pain, the ache in my left rib cage a constant reminder of the battle with Vexa. Despite my efforts to hide it, the discomfort was evident on my face.

"I'm fine, Elsa," I muttered, my voice strained. "Just a nightmare."

Concern flashed in Elsa's eyes as she approached me. "What happened? You sounded terrified."

I shook my head, unable to meet her gaze. Instead, I focused on the window, trying to steady my breathing.

"Elsa, please," I whispered, pulling away as she reached out to comfort me.

Ignoring my protests, Elsa went out of the room momentarily, only to return with a tray of food. She placed it gently on the bedside table, her expression softening.

"Mary, you need to eat," Elsa urged gently. "You haven't been taking care of yourself lately, and you're starting to look really run down."

I ran my hand through my hair, I haven't taken a shower in a while that it was all greasy.

I shook my head, my appetite suppressed by the whirlwind of emotions inside me. Glancing out of the window, I caught sight of Raven walking back to the dorms, and a surge of anger washed over me.

"I'm not hungry," I muttered bitterly.

Elsa sighed, understanding the turmoil I was going through. She knew I needed tto process everything, but she also knew she couldn't letsuffer alone.....but she doesn't know what has been more tough for me,even I don't know that.

"Mary, please," Elsa pleaded, her voice gentle but firm. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this. You need to take care of yourself."

Reluctantly, I reached for the food on the tray, knowing Elsa was right. I needed to eat, if only to appease her concern.

As I took a bite, memories of the battle with Vexa flooded my mind. The wounds were still fresh, the pain still raw. But as I chewed my food....it tasted like nothing.

I miss my mom's food.

"It's been a week since Adam left, so I guess they might've reached Elmshade by now," Elsa remarked, handinga glass of water.

Taking the glass, I managed to swallow the bite that lingered in my mouth. "Seems like it..." The reminder of my shortcomings hitonce again. I wasn't the chosen one, the acknowledged one, or the better one.

"Don't make that face now," Elsa gently cupped my face. "Beating yourself down like that won't do you any good, would it? It's not the only tyou'll have the chance to prove that you have the potential to becthe strongest swordmaster in the Kingdom. You have plenty of opportunities in the near future. Be proud that you made it to the finals... unlike someone who got knocked out earlier." She sighed, her words a mix of encouragement and empathy.

Mary chuckled at Elsa's remark. "Oh, so this is a competition now, huh?"

"Haha, maybe the only competition I can win," Elsa shook her head.

"Take this away, I'm done... I need to clear up a few things," I said, pushing the tray towards Elsa.

"Ah, Royal, the sRoyal who thought there was a monster under her bed at the beginning of the year and cto sleep beside me, huh?" I teased.

Elsa's face flushed slightly as she picked up the tray and left the room.

I smiled as I swung my legs off the bed, letting the bedsheet fall to the floor. A rush of air brushed against my naked skin as I stood up, facing the body-sized mirror in the corner of the room, reflecting my nude figure.

Approaching the mirror, I scrutinized my physique. "Hmm..." My hand traced the contours of my abdomen, the defined muscles testament to my hard work. A long scar ran from my inner thigh to my ankle, accompanied by a smaller one hidden beneath my left breast. Despite my toned body, I couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy compared to Elsa or Helga.

"Not so feminine," I admitted, acknowledging the discrepancy.

Turning to Warden, who was peering atthrough the partially open door, I asked plainly, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just pondering why God would gift such a great figure to a teen and not me," Warden deadpanned, her expression unchanged.

Not wanting to delve into an argument, I cut to the chase. "Why are you here?"

"Oh... we have a mail for you from your mother," she said, waving an envelope in her hand. "And this too." From behind her back, she produced something, causing my eyes to widen in disbelief. This couldn't be real.

[A/N: Apologies for the delay, and here's your chapter. Now, onto simportant information:

I'd like to draw your attention to a I'm working on called "The Last Extinction," which you can find on my profile. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to give it a read and ADD IT TO YOUR COLLECTION! Your support could make a huge difference in a competition I'm participating in. Please, pretty please! Your help means the world to me!]