Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

"You do remember our promise, right?"

Walking through the dimly lit hallway, Senara asked, glancing back at Inder.

"...I do," Inder replied, awkwardly averting his gaze.

"Nice!" Senara squealed in delight, grinning happily. "Arguing with Mother to let me stay tonight was worth it."

"Aunty isn't coming?" Inder asked, changing the topic.

"No, she had work to do," Senara replied, shaking her head.

"...I see."

"She also wanted me to stay at home, but how could I miss the special day?" she whispered, winking at him.

Inder gramiced, pinching her cheek as they arrived at the kitchen.

It was decorated the same way as the living room, with both of Inder's parents wearing birthday caps.

"Senara, pick the other stuff," Inder's mother, Hena, said, looking at her.

"On it, Mother," Senara replied as she grabbed the food from the counter.

"Pick up the cake," Hena ordered, looking at her husband.

He sighed and did as told.

"Let's go!"

Hena exclaimed as she took the lead, while Inder stood there blankly.

"Why call us here when you were going back?" he grumbled, looking at the departing figure of his mother.

Sighing heavily, he walked behind them, moving back to the living room.

"Hm?"

Inder tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the TV.

He clearly remembered turning it off, but—.

"Why is it still on!?" Hena asked, annoyance lacing her voice.

She walked toward the TV to switch it off from the main source.

Her blue eyes landed on the woman on the screen.

Hena blinked. A vacant look crossed her face, her feet slowly coming to a halt.

A few seconds passed, but she kept looking at the screen.

"Mother?" Inder's voice brought her back. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Hena replied, switching off the TV.

Turning around, she smiled, skipping steps to arrive just beside Inder.

"One minute left!" Senara exclaimed, arranging everything on the table with a bright smile.

Inder grimaced while his mother made him wear a birthday cap.

"Don't be shy and wish for whatever you want," his father, Edgar, advised with a gentle smile, lighting up the candle.

Inder nodded with the same smile before he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He turned to look at Senara.

"Wish for me," Senara whispered softly in his ear before stepping back.

Inder smiled, looking at the three standing opposite the table:

His mother, who always cared for him, his working father, and... Senara.

Closing his eyes, he wished earnestly:

'I like the way my life is. Please let it be like this for as long as I live.'

"Happy birthday!"

They chirped together, clapping for him as he blew out the candle.

Senara was the first to move beside him again, helping him cut the cake.

"Happy birthday!" she giggled softly, hugging the boy tightly in front of his parents.

"I will bring our gifts," Hena mumbled with an awkward smile on her face as she walked out of the room.

Inder's father glared at him, to which he could only sigh helplessly as he tried to separate from Senara.

"Can you stop?" he whispered softly, gently pushing her away.

"...Fine," she grumbled, turning around.

"I will look into, uh, stuff," Inder's father said, turning around and walking away from the room.

Senara looked at him curiously but didn't stop him.

Inder rubbed his forehead to stop the pain. It felt like hammers constantly hitting his skull.

"Medicine," he mumbled softly, stepping away from the table.

He gently touched the objects around him, making sure not to trip.

The light was hardly enough for him to see.

"Qais," She turned to look at him, "What happened?"

"Nothing—."

Flick!

His words abruptly halted.

Slowly, his head moved toward the TV.

Even without power, the screen flickered back to life, illuminating the place.

The screen showed the same woman staring into void.

The screen flickered, turning black before returning to the previous woman.

It flickered again and again.

Inder glimpsed someone holy within the screen, yet he felt fear, not warmth.

The world around him dimmed.

His body trembled violently, and a sense of dread gripped his heart.

A distorted voice hummed in his ears, making him slowly turn around.

His blurry gaze focused on the woman.

Blurriness slowly faded, and he noticed her hand.

...A gun.

...Aimed at him.

The woman blankly looked at him as if possessed, and Inder couldn't find any emotions on her face.

Everything around him blurred out; he could only see her.

"...Mother," Inder whispered weakly, staring at Hena.

He tried to laugh, thinking it was a joke, but couldn't.

He wanted to move towards her but couldn't.

...He stood.

Confused, frightened.

"Mothe—."

Bang!

Hena pulled the trigger.

His eyes instinctively shut.

But instead of pain, he felt a soft body crashing into him.

His legs collapsed from under him, holding the body.

"...Inder." Senara's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Sena—Senara!" he yelled, holding her tightly, the weight of reality crushing him.

His trembling hand reached to stop her bleeding chest, but it did nothing.

Blood pooled around her, soaking them both.

Hena walked closer, slowly, carelessly.

"..Qais." The edge of her vision grew darker. Blood dripped from her mouth, choking her. "...I am scared."

"...Sena, you will be fine. Don't talk, please," he begged desperately, drawing her close, his body wracked with sobs.

"...I don't...want to die," Senara whispered, grabbing his arm with every ounce of strength left. "...Not yet, please."

Her eyes slowly drifted closed as her consciousness started to fade.

"..Qais." She whispered, her grip on his arm loosened. "Ru—."

Her hand dropped helplessly.

"...Senara?" Inder shook her body, his eyes pleading with her to move.

Words caught in his throat.

At that moment he felt like a part of him had died.

Tick!

A cold feeling on his head jolted him back from the shock.

Inder looked up, the muzzle pointed at him.

His blue eyes met his mother's eyes.

...Hena blinked. Slowly pulling the trigger once again.

"Hena!"

But before she could, someone slammed into her, pushing her away.

Her body tripped as she fell down.

The gun was still gripped tightly in her hand.

"What are you doing!?" Edgar yelled, shielding Inder behind him.

Hena slowly pulled herself up.

"You don't understand!" Hena snarled, glaring at him, her tone nothing like her usual self. "You don't understand!!"

"What has gotten into you?" His father, still trying to protect Inder, slowly walked towards her.

"He is cursed," Hena whimpered, pointing the gun at him. "I am trying to remove that curs—!"

"He isn't cursed!!!" Edgar yelled, standing just a few steps away from her.

"He is!" Hena rebuked, her gaze crucifying Inder behind him. "An Angel told me he is cursed!!!"

The boy, still too shocked by Senara's death, could only helplessly look at her.

Her words slowly carved deep within his mind.

"Stop talking nonsense." Edgar raised both his hands in surrender. "...Just give me the gun."

"...Move," Hena mumbled, pointing the gun at him. "Let me remove that sin."

"Hena, give me the gun," Edgar whispered, making sure to cover Inder. "Please, don't make things worse."

Hena straightened her back without words.

Edgar quickly caught up to her body language as he jumped at her before she could pull the trigger.

Both his hands rushed to grab her gun.

Bang!

"Urgh!"

But before he could, she pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit straight at his throat, destroying his windpipe.

His body stumbled. He tried to breathe but couldn't draw in a breath.

Nothing ran through his brain except one thought.

To save Inder.

With the little strength he had, Edgar raised his hand from below.

It crashed hard with the wrist of Hena, making her lose her grip.

The gun rose high in the air.

Edgar's body fell down, still struggling to breathe.

Clank!

The gun hit the ground a few times, sliding before stopping in the pool of blood.

Inder's blank gaze moved towards the gun close to him.

Hena walked towards him... Slowly.

As if giving him time to think.

...Inder slowly picked up the gun.

He moved the muzzle towards Hena, who stopped in front of him.

"..."

They both just quietly looked at each other.

Hena's body moved.

Bang!

...Inder pulled the trigger.

His wrist jerked back from the recoil.

The bullet hit Hena's heart, crushing it immediately.

Her body slowly fell down just beside him.

Her breath slowly started to turn shallow, harder.

Her head twisted to look at the boy, too broken to process anything.

"...I wish," Hena mumbled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "...I wish you hadn't been born in this worl—."

Her words died down before she could complete them.

"..."

Inder sat quietly in the pool of warm blood.

The scenery in front of him slowly started to sink in.

"Hic..." A single tear trickled down his face before it turned into broken sobbing.

His cry filled the room.

...And a sinister laughter echoed within in a distant place.

Flick!

...The TV turned off by itself, turning everything dark.