Reincarnated as the Villainess's Unlucky Bodyguard-Chapter 179: Fracured Paths

The night stretched endlessly, the sky a vast expanse of ink and stars. The wind carried a biting chill, but Enara barely felt it. Her mind was elsewhere, trapped in the moment when Liria’s blade had nearly torn through her.

She should be asleep.

She should be recovering.

But every time she closed her eyes, she saw her—Liria, standing above her, eyes cold, movements precise, merciless.

Not a trace of hesitation. Not a sliver of recognition.

It made her stomach churn.

She exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of the stone balcony outside her room. The castle felt too quiet tonight. It wasn’t just because of what had happened. No, something else was brewing beneath the surface.

A shift.

A storm waiting to break.

Behind her, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

"Still awake?"

Daena’s presence was as steady as always, but Enara could sense the exhaustion beneath her sharp tone.

She didn’t turn around. "Could say the same for you."

Daena leaned against the balcony railing, gazing out at the vast expanse of the Demon Kingdom. "Hard to sleep when your former apprentice is now actively trying to kill you."

The words landed heavily between them. Enara flinched but didn’t argue.

Because it was true.

And it wasn’t going to stop.

"She’s too strong," Enara admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I thought maybe—maybe I could snap her out of it. But she didn’t even hesitate."

Daena’s jaw clenched. "The Dark Sovereign has had three years to shape her into whatever she wanted. You really think she’d let her walk away easily?"

Enara hated the way that made sense.

Three years.

Three years.

She had spent every moment searching, following trails, hoping desperately that Liria was still alive.

And now she was.

Just not in the way Enara had hoped.

"She was always stronger than us," Enara admitted, fingers digging into the stone. "Even before all of this."

Daena exhaled, shaking her head. "That’s not the problem. We’ve fought stronger opponents before."

Enara looked up at her. "Then what is?"

Daena hesitated. Then, finally—

"She’s not just stronger, Enara. She’s changed."

That was what had made the fight terrifying. It wasn’t just Liria’s raw power. It wasn’t just the overwhelming difference between them.

It was the way she fought.

Effortless. Precise. Lethal.

She had moved like someone who didn’t see them as a threat.

Like they were nothing.

Enara’s grip tightened. "What if… what if she really is gone?"

Daena didn’t answer immediately. When she finally did, her voice was quiet.

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"Then we make her remember."

Enara turned to face her. "And if she doesn’t?"

Daena’s expression didn’t change. "Then we do what we have to."

The words made something inside Enara revolt.

No.

That wasn’t an option.

It couldn’t be.

Liria wasn’t just some enemy.

She was hers.

Her bodyguard. Her closest companion. The one person she had never doubted would be by her side.

Even if she hadn’t admitted it before, even if she had spent years ignoring it the truth was simple.

She couldn’t lose her.

Not like this.

Not to her.

Not to the Dark Sovereign.

Enara forced herself to take a deep breath. "There has to be another way."

Daena didn’t argue. "Then we find it."

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken weight.

Finally, Daena pushed off the railing. "Get some rest. We’ll need a plan by morning."

Enara nodded absently, but even as Daena walked away, she didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

Because deep down, she knew—

Morning wouldn’t change a thing.

Enara stayed on the balcony long after Daena left, her mind racing in circles that had no exit. Sleep felt like an impossible luxury. Even if she lay down, her thoughts would keep her trapped in that moment the clash of blades, the cold finality in Liria’s gaze, the way she had not hesitated.

She exhaled sharply, pushing herself away from the railing.

No use standing here like a fool.

If she wasn’t going to sleep, she might as well do something.

Quietly, she walked back into her chambers, throwing a glance toward the dimly lit corridors of the palace. The usual guards were stationed, their glowing eyes barely flickering as she passed. But she didn’t stop to acknowledge them.

Instead, she moved with purpose, heading toward the one place that might hold answers.

The royal archives.

The corridor leading to the archives was cold, lined with tall, ominous pillars that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the high ceiling. Enara had always hated how eerie this part of the castle felt. Unlike the grand halls or the war rooms, this place was built for secrets.

It suited her mood perfectly.

She pushed open the heavy obsidian doors, stepping inside. Rows upon rows of ancient texts lined the towering shelves, their spines whispering of old wars, forgotten rulers, and knowledge that even demons feared to possess.

The air was thick with dust and magic.

She knew what she was looking for.

Something—anything—that could tell her how to break the Dark Sovereign’s hold on Liria.

Because if brute force wasn’t enough, then she needed something else.

Something stronger.

A strategy. A weapon. A way to win without killing her.

She made her way to the farthest shelves, tracing her fingers along the titles, scanning through records of ancient pacts, forbidden rituals, war campaigns from centuries past.

Liria’s name wouldn’t be in here. Not directly.

But the Dark Sovereign?

Oh, she had plenty of history.

Enara pulled a thick, leather-bound tome from the shelf and carried it to one of the cold stone tables. With a deep breath, she flipped it open.

And started reading.

Three hours passed in near silence.

The only sounds were the soft flickers of enchanted lanterns and the turning of pages.

Enara was exhausted, but she refused to stop.

The Dark Sovereign’s power was unlike anything they had faced before. That much was clear. The books described her as a force beyond comprehension, a being who had once ruled the abyss itself before being sealed away.

Her magic was overwhelming. Her cunning, unmatched. She had bent armies to her will, toppled empires, rewritten the laws of magic itself.

And now, she had Liria.

Enara gritted her teeth, flipping another page.

The texts spoke of a key. A method the celestials had used to seal her in the first place.

But there was no mention of undoing it.

Only repeating it.

Her fingers clenched into fists. No.

That wasn’t an option.

If she sealed Liria away alongside her, then she would lose her forever.

There had to be another way.

She forced herself to keep reading.

There were theories—half-truths and desperate last resorts. Mentions of breaking the abyss’s hold over a soul, but nothing concrete.

Except for one line.

A passage so old it had nearly faded from the page.

"One who walks between worlds may yet sever the chains of the abyss, if they remember who they once were."

Enara frowned, reading it again.

"One who walks between worlds…?"

That didn’t make sense.

Liria had always been different, sure. Stronger than she should have been. Faster, smarter, more attuned to something beyond what even demons understood.

But walking between worlds?

That was something else entirely.

She leaned back in her chair, thinking.

If this passage was right, then the only way to free Liria was to make her remember—

But remember what?

She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples.

"Not enough," she muttered. "I need more."

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A sudden sound made her freeze.

Footsteps.

Approaching from behind.

Her body tensed, magic instinctively pooling at her fingertips, ready to strike.

A voice, low and unimpressed, broke the silence.

"If you wanted to destroy the furniture, you could’ve just said so."

Enara let out a breath, turning toward the entrance.

Daena stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

Enara scowled. "You shouldn’t sneak up on people."

Daena smirked. "I wasn’t sneaking. You were just too distracted."

She stepped inside, glancing over the open books. "I take it you’re not here for bedtime reading."

Enara didn’t bother denying it. "We need a way to bring Liria back."

Daena’s smirk faded. "You really think she can come back?"

Enara’s chest tightened. "She has to."

For a long moment, Daena didn’t answer.

Then, slowly, she pulled out a chair and sat across from her.

"Well," she said, resting her chin on her hand. "Let’s figure it out."

The hours dragged on, but neither of them left.

They searched, debated, argued.

But as the night deepened and dawn began creeping over the horizon, one thing became painfully clear.

The answer wasn’t in these books.

Not entirely.

If they wanted to save Liria , they would have to find it somewhere else.

And they would have to do it fast.

Because Liria wasn’t waiting for them.

She was getting stronger.

And soon, she wouldn’t just be lost.

She’d be unstoppable.

The weight of that realization settled over them like a storm cloud. Enara clenched her fists, staring down at the ancient text as if willing it to reveal something more. Anything.

Daena exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples. "Then we need to move. Fast."

Enara nodded, determination hardening in her chest. "We find the next clue. Whatever it takes."

Because if they hesitated, if they waited too long they wouldn’t just be trying to bring Liria back.

They’d be trying to stop her.