Chapter 25: Against the Cursed
“…I’ll first break you into pieces, then absorb every cell of yours.”
She smiled—soft, indulgent. Dangerous.
Ryl’s legs gave out as he stumbled backward, barely keeping himself upright.
His hand slammed against his chest, fingers digging into his shirt as his heart thundered wildly.
His breath came out ragged. Too fast. Too shallow.
Panic clawed at his thoughts as his eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for an exit—any exit.
Then instinct took over.
He turned and ran.
Swish.
A single leaf sliced through the air, stopping inches from his eye.
Ryl froze.
His heart skipped—then slammed back into motion so violently he could hear it.
A chill crept down his spine, sharp and crawling, the unmistakable sensation of being watched.
Closely.
“Ohhh,” she cooed. “Trying so desperately. How cute.”
“P-please—leave me alone!” Ryl stammered, his body locked in place.
“I-I really d-don’t want to die!”
A silky chuckle slipped from her lips.
“Oh my… what a fragile human.”
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing with amusement.
“And I hate seeing someone so gutless.”
Gutless.
The word echoed.
Something snapped.
Fire surged through his veins, burning away the paralysis.
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING GUTLESS?!” Ryl shouted, spinning around.
“If anyone’s fragile here—it’s YOU! Weak! Frail!”
For a split second—
She gasped.
Then she laughed. Loud. Delighted.
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“Ohhh,” she wiped an imaginary tear.
“The little mouse learned to bite back?”
A thin branch lifted from the floor, trembling under her control.
“Oh, this is becoming fun.”
She hurled it.
Ryl barely twisted aside. The branch grazed his cheek—sting—warm blood trickled down.
“It’s fast!” he hissed, bolting for the stairs.
His foot slipped.
His body tumbled, crashing hard down the steps.
“Ahh—!” Pain exploded through his side.
“Don’t stop…” he coughed, forcing himself up, vision blurring.
“Don’t stop… or I’ll die.”
He ran.
The front door loomed ahead—salvation.
His fingers stretched—
Thud!
A massive shadow blocked the way.
The bear.
It thought grimly.
“You beast! Let me pass!” Ryl screamed.
“I can’t.”
“You can’t?” His voice cracked. “But I will!”
He grabbed the nearest object and hurled it with everything he had.
It struck the bear’s head. The creature staggered, clutching it.
“Now—!”
Ryl flung the door open and ran—
Thud!
Something yanked his leg.
He hit the ground hard, breath knocked clean out of him.
A long leaf had coiled tightly around his ankle, digging into his skin.
“You really thought you could escape?” she snapped.
“No…” he whispered as tears streamed down his face.
“I… Mom… Dad… Aspen… ice pole… someone… please…”
Then—
“RYL!!”
A familiar voice cut through the terror.
Slash!
A dagger sliced cleanly through the leaf, embedding itself into the ground.
Ryl stared.
“It’s… mine.”
He looked up.
Aspen was sprinting toward him, waving frantically.
Behind him, Dior followed at an infuriatingly calm pace—like this was just another chore on his list.
“Guys…” Ryl breathed.
He staggered to his feet and ran.
“Finally!” He crashed into him, sobbing.
“I thought you forgot me! Why did you come so late?!”
Aspen smiled gently, hugging him tight.
“There, there. Don’t cry.”
“Childish…” Dior muttered, reaching.
“You icepole!” Ryl snapped—then grinned weakly.
“…But I’m really glad you came.”
“Huh… I’m allergic to melodramas,” Vesra yawned lazily.
“Ursen. Bring them.”
“Yes, Mistress!”
The bear lunged.
Aspen’s grip tightened instantly around his dagger as instinct took over. He shoved the potion into Ryl’s hands and moved.
Slash!
The blade tore into Ursen’s thick hide, sparks flying as metal scraped against hardened flesh.
“That doesn’t even hurt,” Ursen growled, barely slowing.
“…Did a beast just talk?” Aspen blinked mid-step, disbelief flashing across his face.
“Yes.” Ursen flexed its massive claws, veins bulging beneath its fur.
“My mistress Vesra's beast-taming skill allows it.”
“It gives you speech too?!”
“You’ve seen it yourself,” Ursen snarled, lowering its stance.
“Now stop talking.”
Swish!
Claws ripped through the air, sharp enough to whistle.
Aspen twisted aside at the last second, boots skidding across the floor. He slid beneath Ursen’s reach and slashed hard at its leg.
The cut was deep.
Blood sprayed.
Ursen roared, slamming its fists into the ground—
CRACK!
The floor split apart as shockwaves rippled outward.
Aspen was thrown off balance, stumbling as debris rained down.
“You brat!” Ursen barked, fury blazing in its eyes.
Aspen didn’t retreat.
He lunged forward instead.
He ducked low, slipped beneath the towering beast, and drove his dagger straight into Ursen’s chest.
“ARRRAAAGGHHH!!”
The roar shook the mansion.
Ursen reared back and swung wildly.
WHAM—KRRRACK!
Aspen’s body flew through the air, crashing straight through a section of the mansion wall. Wood splintered. Beams snapped. Dust and smoke exploded upward.
“Aspen!!” Ryl screamed, voice breaking.
Dior’s eyes narrowed. “…Aspen?”
“Your friend is dead,” Ursen rumbled, stepping forward through the debris.
“And now—it’s your turn.”
Dior sighed, almost bored, as he bent down and pulled Ryl’s dagger free from the ground.
He pointed it forward, posture relaxed, eyes cold.
“I don’t care what you are,” he said evenly.
“Your death is inevitable.”
“Such confidence…” Ursen smirked, hot breath fogging the air from its nostrils.
“I like it!”
They collided.
Steel clashed against claw.
Sparks burst.
Dodges.
Heavy impacts.
Ryl stood frozen, heart hammering.
“He’s insane…” he whispered. “How can a human fight like that?”
Thump!
Ursen caught the dagger mid-air between its massive paws, lifting Dior off the ground effortlessly.
“You’re more than empty words,” Ursen growled.
“Yes,” Dior replied calmly, dangling without fear.
“Because I’m more skilled than you think.”
In one smooth motion, Dior twisted his body, spun back up into the air, kicked down and slammed the beast into the floor.
THUD!
Clank!
The dagger slipped free as Ursen crashed down.
“It was weaker than I expected,” Dior muttered, retrieving his weapon.
_ _ _
Far behind—
“Agh—it hurts!”
Aspen groaned, buried beneath shattered wood and rubble.
Splat.
Blood soaked into his clothes, warm and sticky and spilled on the wooden debris.
A jagged piece of wood had pierced straight through his stomach.
“No…” He tried to move.
Pain crushed him instantly, stealing the breath from his lungs.
“Get up!” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“I have to save them!”
He forced himself upright—
and screamed.
The pain was unbearable, white-hot, blinding.
“Do it…” His shaking hand wrapped around the lodged wood.
“You can!”
He pulled.
“ARGHHH!!”
His body collapsed back down, strength gone.
“I can’t…” Tears spilled freely.
“I can’t handle this…”
“Potion…” he murmured weakly.
“Right… healing potion…”
His hand fumbled through his pocket.
Empty.
His breath hitched.
“I remember that I kept one in my pocket...”
His eyes landed on shattered glass nearby—the vial broken, its contents long gone.
Aspen stared at it.
“No…”
His body trembled violently.
“Not now…”
He lifted his gaze.
Dior and Ryl—blurred. Fading.
“…I have to go.”
With shaking hands, he wrapped his wound as tightly as he could and staggered forward.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Each breath burned.
“Oh my…” a smooth chuckle drifted through the air.
“It’s truly entertaining—watching someone struggle.”
Aspen froze.
The voice came from behind.
Slow footsteps approached.
It was Vesra.
She circled him leisurely, eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
“I almost pity you,” she said softly.
“Why don’t I help ease your pain…”
She stopped beside him, leaned close to his ear, her breath cold as death.
“…by killing you.”
*****
Chapter 26: Beneath
