LYRRISE'S POV....
Veythar's bony fingers traced along the armrest of his throne, and with a low creak in his voice he said, "The path to breaking the curse lies beyond the ruined city of Ashkareth."
He extended a map, parchment worn thin and edges brittle as if it might crumble to dust. "Follow this, but be warned—the city is no longer as it once was. Every soul there… is like me."
"Skeletons?" I folded the map and tucked it away. "I'm not scared of skeletons."
Veythar chuckled, the sound echoing hollowly. "We shall see."
As I turned to leave, something nagged at me. "Do you… have any clothes?"
The king tilted his skull. "Clothes? No. What use have I for garments when flesh itself abandoned me?"
Then his sockets brightened suddenly, as if remembering. "Wait… I do. In my chambers. Once, I had a daughter—spirited, rebellious. These were hers."
He gestured, and from a shadowed corridor, a wardrobe seemed to drag itself into the light, creaking open. Dresses of faded elegance hung inside, miraculously preserved despite the centuries.
I hesitated, then slipped into one of the simpler gowns. Surprisingly—it fit perfectly, as if it had been waiting for me.
Selendra squealed, already fishing through the wardrobe. She found a flowing gown of deep crimson and spun dramatically. "Look at me—I look like a princess now!"
I adjusted the hem of my dress and walked toward the exit without comment.
"Wait—Lyrrise!" Selendra's heels clacked against the stone as she scrambled after me. "Don't just leave me here with a bunch of skeletons! I'm coming with you!"
Her hand latched onto my arm, trembling. I sighed, shaking my head, but said nothing.
Veythar's glowing eyes followed us as we left, and though his face was nothing but bone, I swore there was something like… pride in his gaze.
The town was silent when we entered, every hollow skull turning toward us. Rows of skeletons stood frozen in their daily routines—some carrying baskets, some sweeping dust that never left the cobblestones. Their empty sockets seemed to follow our every step.
I tightened my grip on the map. "Stay close."
Selendra, of course, wasn't paying attention. She spotted a skeleton leaning lazily against a post, wearing—of all things—headphones.
"Wait—are those headphones?!" Selendra gasped, stomping up to him. "Do you have a phone I can use?"
The skeleton casually lifted one bony finger and slid the headphones down, his jaw clicking into something like a grin. "Sure, miss. But no signal reaches this place. Still… anything for someone so beautiful." His hollow sockets turned toward me, and somehow he managed to wink.
"Pretty? Me?" I blinked in disbelief.
Selendra's jaw dropped. "Excuse me—her? What about me?" She twirled in her crimson gown dramatically. "I look like a goddess! Don't I look better than her?"
The skeleton tilted his head thoughtfully, bones creaking. "You look… fine. But her?" His gaze lingered on me again. "She's stunning."
I covered my face with one hand.
Selendra made a strangled sound, stamping her foot. "This is rigged! Absolutely rigged!"
The skeleton ignored her tantrum completely and leaned closer to me. "I can show you around. Escort you to wherever you need."
Selendra crossed her arms, pouting. "Unbelievable. Even dead men prefer you."
I stifled a laugh. "Well, lead the way then…?"
The skeleton straightened. "Name's Kaelus. At your service, miss."
Selendra groaned so loudly I thought her lungs might burst—even though, unlike Kaelus, she still had them.
The deeper we walked into the skeleton town, the harsher the wind became. It whipped through the broken windows and hollow alleys, slicing through my gown like knives. My teeth nearly chattered, but I held my chin high. I wouldn't give Selendra the satisfaction of seeing me shiver.
Kaelus, however, noticed immediately. His bony hand adjusted his headphones as he tilted his skull toward me. "You're freezing. My place is just around the corner. Stay there for a while and warm up."
I opened my mouth to politely refuse, but before I could speak, Selendra cleared her throat loudly.
Kaelus turned to her, sockets blinking as if he had forgotten she existed. "Oh. You too, miss—"
Selendra tossed her curls back dramatically. "Don't 'miss' me. I was just thinking—" she smirked and leaned closer, "if Cyril were here, I'd be clinging to him for warmth."
I froze. My eyes immediately snapped toward her, burning with a glare sharp enough to cut through her smug little smirk.
She only raised her brows higher, clearly pleased she had struck a nerve.
Kaelus, oblivious to the storm between us, scratched his chin bone. "Cyril… is he the lad you fancy?"
Selendra gasped dramatically. "Fancy? No, no. That's her story." She jabbed a manicured finger at me. "Lyrrise would probably faint if Cyril so much as sneezed her way."
My jaw clenched. "Shut. Up."
Selendra smirked wider, clearly enjoying herself.
Kaelus blinked between us before shrugging. "Ah. Complicated romance. Don't worry, miss Lyrrise, Cyril or no Cyril, you won't freeze on my watch." He gestured down the dim street where a crooked little house stood waiting.
Kaelus' house was crooked, leaning as if the wind itself was trying to drag it down. Inside, however, it was warmer than I expected. A small fireplace crackled, though it looked eerie with the orange glow flickering across Kaelus' bony face.
"Here." He reached for a small wooden bowl from the table. Inside were fruits, round and dulled, as though they had once been vibrant but lost their color long ago. He held one out to me carefully, almost reverently.
I blinked. "Fruit?"
Kaelus nodded. "It's rare. We don't eat, of course, but some of us… keep them. A memory, maybe. But once they stay too long, they rot. Like everything else in this cursed land."
Selendra, half-slouched in the chair with her usual bored expression, scoffed. "Figures. Even the fruit here looks as dead as the people."
Kaelus ignored her, his hollow sockets resting on me instead. "Take it. It's the closest thing we have to welcoming guests."
I held it gently in my hands, feeling the faint weight of what it meant. "Kaelus," I said firmly, "I'll lift this curse. You and your people don't deserve to stay like this."
For a moment, the fire crackled louder, filling the silence. Then Kaelus shook his head slowly.
"I've long stopped believing in that." His voice was softer now, almost fragile. "So many tried before you. All of them brave. All of them failed. Hope…" He looked at the fruit bowl with a hollow laugh. "Hope rots just as fast as these fruits."
Something twisted in my chest. "Then why keep it at all?"
He leaned back in his chair, bones creaking, and for the first time, I heard something like pain in his tone. "Because once, long ago, I had a family. A daughter who used to sneak fruits into the house, claiming she'd find the sweetest one to heal the land. When the curse struck… she became like me. Hollow. Empty. And still, I kept the last fruit she picked."
The fruit in my palm suddenly felt heavier than stone.
I bit down on the urge to cry. "Then I'll do it," I whispered, gripping it tighter. "For her. For all of you. I'll break this curse, Kaelus."
Selendra shifted awkwardly, looking away, but didn't say a word.
Kaelus only gave me a tired smile, as if he wanted to believe but couldn't anymore.
"Kaelus," I finally asked, setting the fruit back on the table, "how do I lift the curse? There has to be something—some way."
The firelight flickered across his bones as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "There are only rumors," he said slowly, like the words themselves were heavy. "They say the curse can only be lifted by confronting the one who controls it… but no one has ever returned to speak of what they found. Only whispers of a great enemy waiting in the heart of the ruined city."
I swallowed hard. "And who is this enemy?"
His hollow sockets flicked toward me, and his jaw clicked as if grinding against itself. "Some say it is the very curse itself. Others… that it is the bloodline of betrayal that started it all."
I frowned. "Bloodline?"
"What is this land called, Kaelus?" I asked.
His bony hands gripped the armrests of his chair. "Eryndor. The Land of the Hollowed."
I nodded slowly, repeating the name to myself. "Then I'll do it. I promised. I have a deal with your king—Veythar. If I succeed, he'll show us the exit."
The bowl slipped from Kaelus' hands and rolled onto the floor with a dull thud. His entire frame stiffened. "Veythar?" His voice trembled, like the very name haunted him. "Impossible… Veythar has been broken into pieces. Dead, long ago. Betrayed by his own daughter."
I froze. "What?"
Selendra shot to her feet, her chair scraping against the floor. Her face twisted in disbelief and anger. "Then we need to find that stupid girl!"
I turned sharply toward her, my katana hand twitching. "Stop."
Selendra's eyes burned with fire. "Why? She's the cause of this!"
"Or maybe," I cut her off firmly, "she had a reason. People don't betray for no reason, Selendra. If we judge before we know the truth, we'll be no better than the curse itself."
The room went silent. Even the fire seemed to dim.
Kaelus finally spoke, voice low and haunted. "If you seek her… then prepare yourself. Veythar's daughter is said to wield a power no mortal can stand against. If she is still alive, she will not welcome you as a savior… but as an intruder."
I felt a chill crawl down my spine, but I tightened my grip on my katana. "Then let her try."
Selendra huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But if she tries anything, I won't hesitate."
Kaelus looked at me one last time. "Then may the Hollowed either swallow you… or set you free."
THE NEXT DAY
When I opened my eyes, nothing had changed. The sky above was still black and heavy with clouds, thick like thunder yet without sound. There was no sunrise here—only the endless, suffocating gloom.
Kaelus greeted us with folded clothes. "You'll need these," he said. "The forest is harsher than the city."
I took mine without complaint, slipping into the rough but practical outfit. It was sturdy, and that was all that mattered. Beside me, Selendra wrinkled her nose at the bundle in her hands.
"Ugh, this is hideous," she groaned, holding up the fabric like it might bite her. "Do you even have anything in silk? Or lace? Something princess-worthy?"
Kaelus just stared blankly, clearly questioning her priorities. I sighed. "Selendra. Just wear it."
After far too much whining, she finally dressed—though she made sure to complain every step of the way. By the time she was done, I was already standing by the door, ready to leave.
We set off toward the forest, the cursed air colder than before. Selendra unfolded the map Kaelus had given us, surprisingly confident. "I'll navigate. You just… do the fighting or whatever it is you're good at."
I didn't argue. If she could read the map, fine. But predictably, her "navigation" skills only carried us a short way before trouble started.
At one point, Selendra leaned too close to a patch of thorned vines. They lashed out, alive with dark energy, nearly dragging her into the brush. I cut them down in one stroke, pulling her free.
"Ew! Disgusting!" she shrieked, brushing her clothes. "If these things tear my outfit, I swear I'll—"
I was already walking ahead, ignoring her.
A little later, she stumbled near a pit hidden under the roots. Again, I grabbed her wrist before she fell.
"Honestly, Lyrrise! You could be a little gentler," she complained, rubbing her arm.
I said nothing. Just turned and continued deeper into the forest.
She stayed behind, muttering angrily to herself. But the silence grew too thick, too heavy. When she glanced up, I was already far ahead, vanishing into the misty dark between the trees.
"Lyrrise? …Hey! Don't you dare leave me here!"
Her voice cracked in fear, and soon she was running, clutching the map tightly to her chest as she sprinted forward. When she finally caught up to me, she panted and smacked my arm.
"Don't you ever do that again!" she scolded. "Do you want me to die here?!"
I glanced at her briefly. "Then stop whining and keep up."
Her jaw dropped. "Unbelievable!" she snapped, stomping ahead before quickly slowing again, glancing nervously over her shoulder.
I couldn't help but smirk faintly, though I kept walking.
The forest stretched endlessly, the cursed land swallowing the sound of our steps. But as long as she had the map… and I had my blade… we would make it.
The forest grew silent as we pressed deeper in, shadows twisting between the trees. I felt it before I saw it—eyes watching us.
Then they stepped out from the mist. Half a dozen skeletons, each armed with rusted bows, their bones creaking as they drew their arrows.
Beside me, Selendra… chuckled. "Pfft—oh my gods, they look like Minecraft skeletons!" she said, trying not to laugh.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Really? Now?"
Her laughter cut short when one of the skeletons aimed directly at her chest. In a split second, I wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her against me, pulling her away as the arrow whistled past where she had been standing.
She froze in my hold, staring up at me wide-eyed, her face slightly flushed.
"Stop staring," I muttered, tightening my grip as another arrow flew past. "Or you'll fall in love."
Her face turned crimson instantly. "W–what?! I don't like girls!" she protested, shoving herself away from me with a huff, her lips jutting out into a pout.
Before she could finish sulking, another arrow shot toward her. I cursed under my breath, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down with me behind the trunk of a thick tree. The wood shuddered as the arrow embedded itself inches from her shoulder.
Selendra's breath hitched, her fingers still in my grasp. For once, she didn't complain.
"Stay close," I told her firmly, loosening my hold only slightly. "If you wander off even a step, you're dead."
She bit her lip, glaring at me like she wanted to argue—but the tremble in her body betrayed her fear.
The skeletons' bows creaked again, arrows nocked, ready to rain down.
I tightened my grip on my katana. "Looks like we're fighting our way through."
I tightened my grip on my katana, ready to slash through the skeleton archers. But then—
they lowered their bows. One by one, they rattled and clattered backward, retreating into the fog like frightened prey.
I blinked. "Huh. Guess I'm scarier than I thought."
"Um… Lyrrise?" Selendra's trembling voice tugged at my sleeve.
I turned, annoyed. "What now—"
My words died in my throat.
Towering behind me was a grotesque monster, its many legs clicking against the earth. Its body shimmered with a hard carapace, part spider, part beetle, its sharp mandibles snapping as drool dripped from them. Red eyes glowed like burning embers, each one fixed on us.
Selendra's face drained of color. "W–WHAT IS THAT?!" she squealed, clutching onto my arm as tears welled in her eyes. "Nope, nope, nope, I hate bugs! I want to go home!"
Meanwhile, my chest rose with something I didn't expect—excitement.
I tilted my head, studying the creature's long, spindly legs, the way its armored plates overlapped, and how it loomed over us like a living nightmare. "Incredible…" I murmured under my breath. "How can something like this even exist here? Half spider, half beetle… it's perfect."
"PERFECT?!" Selendra shrieked, shaking me violently. "It's hideous, it's terrifying, it's—IT'S DROOLING ON THE GROUND, LYRRIIISE!"
The monster screeched, its cry making the trees tremble. Selendra covered her ears and buried her face into my shoulder, sobbing.
I smirked, katana gleaming in my hand. "Cry all you want, Selendra. I'm going to test myself against this thing."
And with that, I stepped forward, locking eyes with the monster as its claws scraped against the dirt.
The real fight had just begun.
My katana hummed in my grip as I raised my voice, grinning with reckless confidence.
"If I defeat you," I shouted at the towering monstrosity, "you'll be my pet!"
The spider-beetle froze for a moment, its mandibles twitching, before a deep, guttural laugh echoed from its throat.
"You've got guts, little girl," it rumbled, voice vibrating through the ground. "But to make me your pet? You'll regret such arrogance."
Selendra gasped from behind the tree. "IT CAN TALK?!" she shrieked, clutching her head. "No, no, nope—this is a nightmare. Why am I here?!"
I smirked, sliding my foot forward into stance. "Guess that means you're not just a mindless beast. Good. That makes this fun."
The creature shrieked, spewing thick strands of webbing in every direction. Trees bent under the sticky weight, the forest trembling as the webs lashed out toward me.
I darted sideways, slicing clean through a sticky strand before it could bind me. Each cut sent fibers fluttering to the ground, hissing as they dissolved.
The creature tilted its head. "Impressive… no one has ever cut through my silk so easily."
"Then you've never fought someone like me," I said sharply, my blade gleaming as I lunged.
But instead of striking true, I only poked its armored leg with the flat of my blade, testing the thickness of its carapace.
The monster blinked in disbelief. "Did you just—poke me?"
"Yup." I grinned, stepping back lightly. "Just checking how tough you are."
Its mandibles clicked furiously, and it roared, shaking the ground. "You dare mock me, human?!"
From behind the tree, Selendra screamed, "Lyrrise, you idiot! Stop making it ANGRIER! We're going to die here! I don't want to be bug food!"
But I wasn't listening—I was smiling. For the first time since arriving in this cursed land, I felt exhilarated. This fight… was going to be mine.
The clash continued, my blade flashing as the half-spider, half-beetle lashed webs through the forest. Each strike rattled my bones, but I refused to back down. Its size didn't scare me.
"You talk big," I shouted between swings, "but let's make this fight interesting."
The creature halted for a moment, its many eyes narrowing. "Interesting…?"
I smirked, twirling my katana in my hand. "If I win, you're going to tell me how to lift the curse on this land."
It hissed, mandibles clacking. "And if I refuse?"
I slashed another strand of web midair, sparks flying as my blade rang. "Then you die here. Either you fight me with purpose, or you get cut down for nothing."
From behind the tree, Selendra screamed, "ARE YOU CRAZY?! Why would you threaten it?! You're provoking it even more!"
The monster's body shook—not with fear, but with a rumbling, amused laugh. "Bold little human. Do you not understand? I am stronger than you. Stronger than any who have dared come here."
"Then prove it," I shot back, lowering my stance. "Because if you lose, you'll give me the answers I want."
It tilted its massive head, considering. For a moment I thought it would refuse. Then its mandibles spread in a crooked grin.
"Very well. But when I crush you, little girl, don't regret those words."
I smirked, tightening my grip on the katana. "Guess that means we've got a deal."
The ground shook as the creature lunged forward again—this time faster, deadlier, and far more serious than before.
My lungs burned, my katana felt heavier with every swing, and the creature's exoskeleton was too thick—I wasn't leaving more than scratches. If this kept going, I'd tire out before even touching its real body.
"Think, Lyrrise…" I muttered, ducking under another web shot. The forest floor shook with each step of its monstrous legs.
And then it clicked. I didn't need to break it. I just needed to stop it.
I darted forward, not with my blade this time but with small silver needles hidden beneath my belt. The creature roared with laughter. "Pitiful toys! You think those will—"
"Shut up." I gritted my teeth, leaping high and driving the first needle straight into the joint of its front leg. The beast staggered.
One by one, I struck—knees, elbows, where the armor split just enough. The needles sank in, paralyzing its movements. With a final throw, its back legs buckled, and the massive body slammed into the ground, shaking the earth.
Selendra gasped from behind the tree, her jaw dropping. "Wait—what the hell did you just do?! You actually—"
I landed in front of the fallen creature, brushing dirt off my sleeve and pointing my katana at its mandibles. "Looks like I win. Now—tell me how to lift the curse."
The creature writhed, hissing in fury. "You… cheated."
I raised a brow, crossing my arms. "Cheating? No. I used my brain. If you thought brute strength was the only way to win, that's your problem—not mine."
It glared, all eight eyes burning with humiliation and reluctant respect. Selendra peeked out nervously and whispered, "She really did it…"
Finally, with a rattling growl, the beast sighed. "Very well, human girl. You've earned it. I will tell you what you seek."
The creature's hiss turned into something closer to a chuckle. Its voice reverberated through the clearing, low and mocking.
"You want to lift the curse? Then listen carefully, girl."
I narrowed my eyes, tightening my grip on my katana. Selendra peeked out from behind the tree, clearly ready to bolt at any second.
The monster leaned its massive body closer, eight eyes gleaming.
"To shatter the chains of night,
seek what was broken into light.
Scattered pieces, far and near,
only the worthy will draw them near."
Then, before I could ask more, its body shimmered and dissolved into black mist.
Selendra stumbled forward. "Wait—what does that even mean?! You're just going to disappear after saying a riddle?!"
But where the beast had collapsed, something remained. Amidst the dust and broken webbing lay a shard glowing faintly—like crystallized moonlight. My heart skipped.
I crouched down, brushing the dirt off, and lifted it carefully. It pulsed in my palm like it was alive.
"The first piece of a gem…" I whispered.
Selendra leaned over my shoulder, eyes widening. "So that's what it meant? The poetry… was about finding these?"
I shook my head, staring at the shard. The words of the riddle circled in my mind, twisting with unease. "I don't know. Not yet. But… it's never that simple."
Selendra frowned but folded her arms. "Well, as long as you figure it out, because I'm not dying in some cursed skeleton-land over some shiny rock."
I didn't respond. My gaze stayed locked on the gem, its glow reflecting in my eyes. A strange feeling settled in my chest—not just determination, but dread.
What if finding the gem pieces wasn't the solution… but another trap?