The Cursed - Rahil

The rest of the night was spent in silence. Ren had gone back to sleep. It's a good thing, Rahil thought. The less he knew, the better.

One by one, everyone went to sleep, until it was only him and Elswyth. They stared at the fire, as if it had more interesting to say. The silence was filled by the gentle pattering on the roof, the crackling of the flames, and the trickling sound of the leaking roof.

"You should rest," he said to her. She didn't move and kept her eyes on the bonfire. It was a long day for them both, but neither wanted to close their eyes.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. "I don't understand," she said to him. "If the Silvan Forest is so strong, how did that demon pass through the portal?"

The question caught him off guard. Even for a seasoned fighter like him, a fight could be a blur. He looked back, trying his best to remember. What could he possibly say that will give her comfort? None came to mind.

"She was close enough for the demon to possess her before Heart killed it," he answered. "That's how they bring down the Heart of the Forest."

She waited for him to continue.

"Demons aim for the darkness in human heart," he explained. "Sometimes fully possessing them to infiltrate the forest. Or they convince men to commit capital sins under the Heart by stroking their greed and pride, corrupting the Heart. That's how this forest died, why these people are suffering."

She looked at him as if he said something ridiculous. "My mother did not have darkness in her. She's kindest, most selfless person I know."

He looked at her straight in her eyes, hoping that she would never forget these words. "Everyone has darkness in them," he said. "Even you. Even me."

If looks could kill, he would've been torn to pieces by her sharp glare.

"You don't know her," she argued.

"If given the chance to save you, would your mother sacrifice an entire forest?"

She didn't answer the question. So, he did for her. "She would let the whole damn world burn," he said.

"That's not darkness," she said. "That's love."

"It's a fine line, love and darkness. It could blind even the wisest creature. Do you think it's love to let an entire village die? For the Eardyn to fall? To sacrifice hundreds lives for one?"

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

She didn't answer.

"It's selfish, is what it is."

He leaned forward and spoke slowly. "People like you and me cannot afford to choose love." Ellie's lips tightened into a thin line. The horror in her eyes almost made him feel sorry for her. "We have to choose what is right. And that may mean letting go of people we love and live in darkness, so others can walk in light."

She shifted back into the fire and hugged her knees tighter.

"Did I use to walk in the dark?" her voice was thick with sadness.

He paused before giving her a nod.

Her sadness baffled him. What did she expect? To come home after the battle was over? She knew there was no turning back once they left. She will never be the village girl again.

Faeldic softened the Guardian. The world is romanticized in her mortal eyes. He wondered how long it would take before the dark reality would consume her innocence and turn her cold, just like him.

"You should get some rest too," she whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"I'm alright," he answered, stoking the fire with a branch.

"You're immortal, but I know you still get tired," she pointed at the shadows under his eyes.

He paused and set the down the branch. "I can't sleep. Not in this weather."

"I used to stay up all night during stormy nights like this, waiting if the river will overflow or if our roof will collapse." He can still remember the sound of the wind howling through the night. "But for my mother and my sister, it's like a lullaby."

"Where are they now?" she asked.

He didn't want to answer. But he felt like he owed her one. He saw a glimpse of her life in Faeldic. The Weave of Balance would demand he shared his.

"They're long gone," he said. "Lost them during a stormy night like this. There was a plague in our town. No doctor could make the journey because of the flood and roads were blocked by landslides."

"I prayed to the gods. I called out for you," he said. "But no one answered. I blamed all of you and hatred festered my heart."

"Is that why Death cursed you with immortality?"

He paused. "It's because I made a pact with Nerezza to bring my mother and sister back."

"But I couldn't finish the job," he continued. "And she said that a pact is a pact. So, she brought them back half alive, only for them to suffer for another day and die in agony for the second time."

"That's when Death came," he continued. "She said that if I hated her so, it would be the last time I'd see her." He can still see her clearly in his mind. Her jet-black hair under a pristine white robe. She was beautiful.

"If you think that you're only up against demons and shadows in this battle, you have never been more wrong," he said in a low voice. "You may find yourself taking more lives than shadows. It is easy to sway a man's heart— for the right price."

Her dark brown eyes looked straight into his. "Your lack of faith in humanity is what doomed you, Rahil."

The coldness in her voice surprised him. "That's what attracted Nerezza to you."

She didn't speak after that. She laid her head on the cold ground, pulled her blanket close and closed her eyes.

He looked out the window, deciding it was useless to look back. It cannot undo what has been done. And however long Death's sentence was, he swore he will not live his life playing by the rules of god.

And just for a moment, he thought he saw a familiar white cloak walking through the dark forest. He shook his head. It can't be her. Death comes for everyone, but not for Rahil. He closed his eyes and listened to the pattering of rain on the leaky roof.