Villain? Nah. I'm just here for the harem.-Chapter 26: The Prison of Shadows

The Prison of Shadows

I passed out.

When I woke again, my hands were tied with a mana suspension handkerchief, and I was in a cramped, dimly lit cell. Prison? Whatever. I didn't know this place. It wasn't in the game, and it definitely wasn't my family's prison.

Sitting there with nothing to do, my thoughts drifted to my life in this world. From a normal gamer to actually being isekai'd into a game—not as the hero, but as the villain. Hah! I laughed bitterly at my own misfortune.

I fought for someone. A pathetic gamer fighting for someone else. Hah... hah...

Suddenly, a voice echoed from beyond the cell. "He's awake now!"

A soldier stood in front of my cell, his voice ringing through the corridor. Then, without another word, he turned and left.

Some time later, another soldier arrived with food. I was starving, so I grabbed it immediately. The moment I took a bite, I regretted it. The taste was nothing like human food—bland, dry, and outright disgusting. But hunger didn't give me the luxury of being picky, so I forced it down.

"Hey," I called out to the guards. "Where is this place? Where am I?"

No response. Not a single word. They simply stood there like statues.

Days passed. A week, maybe? I had no way of keeping track of time. The solitude gnawed at me, but just as I thought I'd rot away in this cell forever, someone finally came.

Evelyn Frostbane.

She stepped into my cell, her armor still stained with fresh blood. Her usual cold demeanor was laced with something else—urgency? Curiosity? Whatever it was, she wasn't here to simply check on a prisoner.

"I have to ask you something," she said, her voice firm. "How do you know about this?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Know about what?"

She took a step closer, her piercing gaze locking onto mine. "We have been searching for him for about ten years. Nobody in the entire continent knows about this. And yet, you do. How?"

A smirk tugged at my lips. I leaned back against the cold stone wall, arrogance creeping into my voice. "Well, I know about this... and the whole thing you need to know."

She looked like she wanted to press further, but then, she stopped. Instead of demanding more answers, she reached for my restraints and removed the mana suspension handkerchief from my wrists.

"You'll be free tomorrow," she said.

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"Oh, really?" I scoffed, rubbing my sore wrists.

Then, to my surprise, she smiled. A warm, genuine smile that caught me completely off guard.

"Thanks," she said softly.

My heart skipped a beat. What... was this?

"For what?" I asked, my voice cautious.

She simply chuckled. "That's a secret."

And just like that, she turned and left, leaving me in stunned silence.