Chereads / The Villain’s Ascension / Chapter 53 - Lia’s Descent and the Chaos It Brings

Chapter 53 - Lia’s Descent and the Chaos It Brings

Kael Draven stood in his obsidian fortress, his silver eyes blazing with fury. The shadows around him twisted and writhed, mirroring his mood. Across the room, Lyr sat with her head in her hands, her golden light dimmed by frustration and disappointment.

Their daughter, Lia, had pushed them to their limits.

"I cannot believe this," Kael growled, his voice a low rumble that shook the walls. "Our daughter, the child of chaos and beauty, acting like... like some common mortal who has no respect for herself or for us!"

Lyr sighed, her golden eyes flickering as she met his gaze. "She's testing boundaries," she said, though her voice lacked its usual calm. "But this... Kael, she's out of control."

Kael slammed his fist onto the table, the force of the blow cracking the obsidian surface. "Out of control doesn't even begin to cover it," he snarled. "Do you know how many gods have whispered about her behind our backs? How many of them claim to have had her in their beds?"

Lyr winced, her golden light flickering. "I've heard the whispers," she admitted softly.

---

Lia, oblivious to—or perhaps uncaring about—the storm she had created, strolled into the room. Her golden hair shimmered as she moved, her tight, revealing attire catching the light. She carried herself with her usual confidence, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.

Kael's silver eyes narrowed as he turned to face her. "Lia," he said, his voice cold, "do you have any idea what you've done?"

Lia raised an eyebrow, her expression unbothered. "What now?" she asked.

Lyr stood, her golden aura flaring slightly as she approached her daughter. "You've disgraced us," she said sharply. "You've treated your power, your beauty, and your very name as if they mean nothing."

---

Lia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, please," she said. "This again? What's the big deal? So I've had a little fun. Isn't that what gods are supposed to do?"

Kael's dark magic surged around him, his fury barely contained. "You've had 'fun' with nearly every god who would give you the time of day!" he growled. "Do you even understand what you've done to your reputation? To ours?"

Lia smirked, her golden eyes glinting with defiance. "You're overreacting," she said. "I'm not hurting anyone."

Lyr stepped forward, her golden eyes blazing. "You're hurting yourself, Lia," she said, her voice filled with anger and sadness. "You're more than this. You're not some... some fleeting pleasure to be used and discarded."

---

Lia's smirk faltered, her expression hardening. "I don't need your lectures," she snapped. "I know who I am."

Kael's silver eyes burned as he stepped closer, his dark magic coiling around him. "Do you?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're nothing but a spoiled child who doesn't understand the value of what she's been given."

Lia flinched, her golden aura dimming slightly. But her defiance remained. "I don't need to explain myself to you," she said coldly. "Either of you."

Kael's smirk twisted into a snarl as he loomed over her. "Then maybe it's time we reminded you what it means to be a Draven," he said.

---

The room fell silent, the tension between them crackling like lightning.

Lyr's golden light dimmed as she turned away, her expression pained. "Lia," she said softly, "if you won't listen to us as your parents, then maybe you'll listen to us as your gods."

Lia frowned, her defiance faltering for the first time. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked warily.

Kael smirked, his silver eyes gleaming with cold determination. "It means your training is about to get a lot harder," he said. "You want to act like the rules don't apply to you? Fine. But you're going to learn that power comes with responsibility—and consequences."

---

The next day, Lia's training began in earnest.

Kael pushed her to her limits, forcing her to confront the darker aspects of her power. The Void's chaotic energy lashed out at her, testing her will and her control.

"Again," Kael barked as Lia staggered, her golden aura flickering.

Lia growled, her golden eyes blazing as she summoned her power. The Void's energy surged around her, its chaotic tendrils coiling and twisting as she struggled to shape it.

"You're relying on brute force," Kael said sharply. "You can't overpower the Void. You have to understand it, respect it, or it will consume you."

Lia snarled, her frustration evident. "I don't need respect," she snapped. "I need results."

Kael's silver eyes narrowed. "Then earn them," he said coldly.

---

Meanwhile, Lyr worked with **Lzy**, whose training had taken on a new level of complexity.

Lzy's mastery of both the Void and the magic of desire had grown exponentially, his calm and disciplined approach allowing him to excel. Under Lyr's guidance, he learned to blend the two forms of magic, creating a unique style that was as elegant as it was powerful.

"You're doing well," Lyr said, her golden eyes filled with pride. "But don't get complacent. The balance you're seeking is fragile. One misstep, and everything could fall apart."

Lzy nodded, his silver-and-gold eyes gleaming with focus. "I won't let that happen," he said calmly.

---

As the weeks passed, the tension between Lia and her parents remained high.

Though her training forced her to confront her flaws, her rebellious nature made progress slow. Kael and Lyr grew increasingly frustrated, their patience tested by Lia's defiance.

One evening, as Kael watched Lia sparring with a shadow construct, he sighed, his silver eyes narrowing. "She's strong," he admitted. "But she's reckless."

Lyr nodded, her golden light dimming. "She's lost, Kael," she said softly. "She's trying to prove something, but I don't think she even knows what it is."

Kael's smirk faded as he turned to his wife. "Then it's our job to help her figure it out," he said.

---

By the end of the month, Lia's progress had improved—though it was hard-earned.

Her control over the Void's energy had grown stronger, her raw power tempered by the discipline Kael had instilled in her. But her defiance remained, her rebellious spirit still burning brightly.

Lzy, meanwhile, continued to shine. His mastery of magic and his calm demeanor earned him the respect of both his parents and the gods who served under them.

"You're making us proud, Lzy," Lyr said one evening, her golden eyes shimmering.

Lzy smiled faintly, his silver-and-gold aura glowing. "I just want to be worthy of what you've given me," he said softly.

---

As Kael and Lyr stood together, watching their children from afar, they couldn't help but feel a mixture of pride and frustration.

"They're strong," Kael said, his silver eyes narrowing.

"They are," Lyr agreed. "But strength without wisdom is dangerous."

Kael smirked, his dark magic crackling around him. "Then we'll give them both," he said.

And as the Draven family prepared for the challenges ahead, the cosmos watched with anticipation, knowing that the heirs of chaos and beauty would shape the future in ways no one could predict.