Darkness. That was all he could see.

Leon Everett, once a ruthless businessman feared across the corporate world, felt his consciousness slipping away. The courtroom's verdict echoed in his mind. Guilty. Stripped of his empire, betrayed by those he trusted, he had lost everything. The next thing he knew, a blade had pierced his chest in the cold embrace of his prison cell. Death had come for him.

Or so he thought.

When his eyes opened again, he wasn't in the damp, bloodstained prison. Instead, he found himself lying on a luxurious bed draped in silk, a massive chandelier casting a golden glow above him. His body felt... different. Stronger. Younger.

A sudden rush of memories flooded his mind. Lavish parties. Bloodstained duels. Ruthless conquests. And then, a name.

Leonard von Drachenberg.

His heart pounded. The name was all too familiar. It belonged to the main villain of The Chronicles of Aetheria, a fantasy novel he had once read to distract himself from his cutthroat corporate life. A cruel noble despised by everyone, Leonard was destined to meet his gruesome demise at the hands of the protagonist before the story even reached its climax.

Leon took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he gazed at his reflection in the ornate mirror across the room. A devilishly handsome young man with piercing crimson eyes and jet-black hair stared back at him.

He had reincarnated as the villain.

Before panic could settle in, a knock echoed through the grand chamber. "My Lord, your father requests your presence in the great hall. The preparations for war are complete."

War. The very battle where Leonard von Drachenberg was fated to die at the protagonist's hands.

A smirk tugged at Leon's lips. Well, not if I have anything to say about it.

As his newfound memories settled, he understood why this war had begun. The Drachenberg family had always been ambitious, seeking to expand their dominion over the continent. However, the war wasn't solely about conquest. The Church of Aetheria, backing the protagonist, had declared the Drachenbergs heretics, claiming their rule was unjust and their methods too brutal. Leonard, in particular, was notorious for his cruelty—executions, public floggings, and merciless taxation had made him one of the most hated figures in the kingdom.

His downfall had been inevitable.