Gasp!
I suddenly woke up with a loud gasp.
The air felt too thin. It was hard to breathe. My lungs burned, as if they were still full of that black ink. I couldn't get enough air. My hand flew to my chest, fingers twisting into the fabric of my shirt. I pulled at the collar, trying to loosen it, trying to free my throat.
"Haa... Haa..."
The sound of my own ragged breathing filled the quiet room. My heart hammered against my ribs, beating so hard it hurt. My chest feely heavy, even taking a small breath was a struggle. The air had thickened, As if pressing me down against my chest and refusing to let me breathe. For a moment, I struggled then slowly the weight eased. The heaviness reduced, leaving me trembling and damp with sweat. My breath steadied, though my body remained weak. I loosened my grip on my shirt.Trembling, I sank back against the pillows, struggling to steady my breathing.
As I was trying to calm down, fragments of memory started flickering in my mind like broken shards of glass. At first, I was floating in an endless, empty void. Then, without warning, I was drowning in a sea of black sea of ink. And just as suddenly, the sensation snapped, and I am back to reality. I woke up in my room.
And that blank book and the strange circle below me, what was it and why was it there.
But what I feared the most was;
That shadow;
That figure cloaked in silence. And his words whispered like a curse carried by the wind: Cursed One...
The phrase gnawed at me. What kind of curse? What did he mean by 'Cursed One'? And who was he talking about?
The questions swirled in my mind, demanding answers I didn't have."
The phrase coiled within me like venom. I could not ignore it, nor could I understand it.
Before I could make sense of what just happened , the door creaked open.
Selene stepped into the chamber, her presence soft yet commanding, as though the very room brightened at her arrival. My sister moved gracefully, though her eyes searched me with worry.
"How are you feeling, Lucian?" she asked, her voice tender, but lined with unease and concern.
I offered her a faint smile. "Better, perhaps... though my strength is still a stranger to me."
We spoke briefly, her words meant to comfort, mine to reassure. Yet the shadow's whisper kept bothering me until I could no longer hold it back.
"Selene," I began, my tone hesitant.
" I have questions that I wanted to ask, can I?
Selene offered me a gentle smile, smoothing the blanket over my legs.
"Of course, Lucian. What is on your mind?"
"What... what is a Cursed One?"
The effect was instant.The warmth instantly vanished from her face.
Her entire body stiffened. Her hand shot forward, gripping my arm tightly.
"Cur-Cursed One?!" Her voice was sharp, louder than I had ever heard it. Her eyes widened, filled with both fear, anger and confusion.
I feigned confusion, letting my gaze falter. "I... I don't remember. Perhaps I overheard it somewhere. My memories are still a mess, because of the fever...
Her grip loosened, but not her expression. For a long moment she looked at me, as though deciding whether to speak or to silence me forever. Then, finally, she whispered:
"Forget about it, Lucian. Forget you ever heard those words."
She stood, pacing once, then turned back. Her face was calm, but I saw the tremor in her hands.
"Do not ask about it ever again. Not to me. Not to anyone. Focus only on recovery. Do you understand?"
Her voice quivered at the edge of fear. She wanted to end the conversation before it could begin.
I parted my lips to speak, but she raised her hand. "Enough. Let's end this here. The doctor has arrived."
Her words struck me with a peculiar unease. But I couldn't do anything about it. It felt like she was trying to hide something from he.No, it was more than that. It felt like I mentioned a forbidden topic out loud, which I should have never mentioned.
But the thing that unsettled me most wasn't her reaction. It was the fact that, he was suddenly here.
The doctor.
It had been ten days since I last saw him. Ten long days where I was left alone in this chamber, my body frail and untended.The last time I saw him was before my fever.I had thought they would summon another doctor, but no. They didn't or should I say they can't. Even before they had called many doctors, physicians and medical experts but they couldn't understand what was wrong with me. They all said the same thing that they are unable to find a cure for my strange illness. The only one who was able to do something was the doctor.
And now he came.
The door opened once more.
The physician stepped into the room. His presence was calm with a strange smile on his face, his expressions were familiar,kind even, as memory recalled. He had the same expressions every time I saw him.Yet something feels off. It feels like every fiber in my body is trying to warn me about something.
A subtle weight pressed into the chamber as he entered, it was different from the heaviness that had stolen my breath moments before. His shadow stretched unnaturally long against the stone floor, from that shadow I saw something..... something horrifying. I saw two red spot resembling eyes in that shadow. It felt if it was staring back at me
and for a fleeting instant, I felt as though I was not looking at a man, but at something wearing the shape of one.
My pulse quickened.
Every cell in my body was telling me to run away. All I had was one question in my mind.
Why did he feel... dangerous?