Villain Transmigration: Author Transformation

'Shit! Shit! Shit! This is madness!'

With a snap, Athan's crimson eyes gleamed while he sprung out of bed. Forehead had sweat profusely as he scrambled himself, grabbing his greatcoat.

'I knew it! What now? What to do? What should I do?' He began to pace himself back and forth while rubbing his chin.

His recent memories flashed before his mind; thinking up to now had him tensed in horror for a plethora of reasons he listed.

Only a path of revenge was in it for her, and she wouldn't hesitate to use everything she knew and would use them well against him.

If it continued and leaned to her favor, then only beyond death awaited him.

With a roar, he slammed his fist on the wall and left a large crack from frustration.

'I caused tremendous suffering back then…' Athan grounded his teeth, shutting his eyes. 'Is this what she meant? What comes around goes around?'

His erratic actions caused Nero to stretch from his curled position. 

"Nero! Get off your feet. We have to go!"

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Stop asking; we need to go and meet Lady Marianne!" he growled at his familiar, who had a boring reaction.

"So?" Nero had his tail swishing like a metronome. "See? I told you just useless memories— there's nothing special—"

"Fool!" 

Athan smacked his craggy head, a burning sensation spread through his palm instead, but he ignored it with the main issue pressed further. 

"That hurt!" Nero scowled, rumbling between his words, "Maybe a little… You! Where'd you think you're going?!"

"Mystique knows…" Athan halted just a few inches away from the door after taking large strides; he turned around and muttered, "I won't be repeating myself twice."

Nero never spoke a word and just hopped out of bed, shifting into a familiar and perched atop of his shoulder.

It was good that they were about to depart as soon as Nero was in perfect condition, and Marianne finished what she needed to do.

There was no time to argue, and it was somehow a breather that his familiar wasn't throwing a fit at him. At the moment, his mind wandered with a lot of thoughts, distracting him with the flow of time and only until he snapped out of his worries when his body led him to his guest-chamber.

Upon opening the door, found Lady Marianne, who stood right away on one of the couch near the lounge area and greeted him.

"Greetings to the Dysnomia Empire's brightest star." 

"Please, rise." He raised his hand without glancing too much at her, shuffling close to the nightstand. "Also, you don't have to greet me so overtly."

Marianne had layers of thick coat that donned her, almost too heavy for her stature, but she bowed with grace and ease.

"Allow me to formally do it, for my 'long absence' in that matter, Your Highness."

"Do as you please." He had to check everything he needed and grabbed them all at once in his dimension pocket. "Have you finished all your preparations?"

With a curt nod, he beckoned her, for they would depart at the front porch.

It took a few minutes to reach there, with Johannes and Arnold graced their presence for him. Their stark gaze was akin to the harsh blizzard that awaited them.

Compared to Athan, both of them stood, clearly unperturbed from the frigid winds that already blew his ear with such strength, and along it had a sheer cold that burned his cheeks and nose a tad bit.

"You're finally here…" Arnold donned his silk robe, and his long, flared sleeves were behind him. 

"I appreciate the hospitality Grand Duchy of Blackwell has to offer; I shall deliver this good news to—"

Arnold shoved his palm, just several inches away from him, interrupting him right away. With a deep cough, he said, "This courtesy of mine is nothing; however…" His eyes began to scan him—up and down a couple of times—and huffed. "Please take care of her as well."

"Pardon?" 

Confusion was written all over Athan's face, and it was a breath of fresh air as he never thought he'd hear such words from a kind of man like him.

"Mysti already left the castle…" 

'What? Already?'

Arnold rolled his eyes as though he didn't want to confront him any further. "Nevermind, I have a bad feeling she'd be in deep trouble, even with Keith by her side. Enough said for that—I shall have your word, yes?"

"I'm pretty much reliable in that aspect." Athan had to keep up with the facade, being a bit courteous in front of him, in his territory, while he gestured Nero to transform for Marianne to ride before him.

After a little jaunt and onto his familiar, the Grand Duke scoffed at his response. "You better."

"Up we go," he mumbled, hoisting her on Nero's back. He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. 'He's such a petty and feisty father when it comes to her. I should go—'

"Still, she told me to be wary of you. I wonder why..." His indigo eyes gleamed eerily and crossed his arms. "But I'll be the judge with that!"

The very words he spat stunned him; at this point, he didn't know what was going on through Mystique's mind; as much as he wanted to know, there was no merit to his survival, let alone the future of his empire.

"Feel free to do so," Athan asserted as he tapped Nero's furry torso—a signal to start flapping his jagged, crystalline wings. "Many thanks for the stay. We shall get going."

"The pleasure is all yours. Now, Off your head—you go," He clarified, giving a dismissive wave of the hand as they hovered several feet away.

A beat of his wing had a sonic boom crackling amidst the blizzard.

This time, it was definitely a race against time—with the same resources, the one who reaps the fastest would be the victor of the round.

'I can't let her get ahead of me.'

Eyes narrowed, with all of the thoughts he had planned as soon as he got back to the Imperial Capital.

'Just you wait, Mystique!'