A Loved Curse

“IT HURTS!!!” The child yelled, as the earth above them cracked and the metals of the facility began to rattle and break. The containment chamber pulsed with uncontrollable energy, as the child inside of it cried and cried, dark tentacles and spike protruding out of his body.

Outside the chamber stood worried scientists, working overtime to contain the energy. But in their shock, a dark tentacle whipped the metal in the chamber, producing a tear in it. “NO!! PRINCE ISCODAYA’S MANA IS GETTING OUT!!” Yelled one of the scientists as five people stood in complete shock.

One of them, a man with blue hair, rushed to the main control pad, “THE SECOND LAYER IS ABOUT TO BREAK!! WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING YOUR MAJESTY!!” Yelled General Serioth, head of Phirines’ research department.

His head whipped around to look at a woman. Her long, tied-up hair, a striking red, and her eyes, a piercing scarlet. Nairuga Kousa, watched with horror, as her second-born child, Iscodaya was crying out for help. But a hand came over her shoulder, a hand that belonged to her husband, Drano Kousa. His eyes as heartbroken as hers, and in his arms was their four-year old child, crying.

But, instead of diswaying her, it gave her the power to lead, as she steadied her voice, “SHARUSHA!! EVACUATE THE CITY AND CONTAIN THE LEAKING MANA!!” She commanded, as General Sharusha, a werewolf, nodded quickly as he exited the room. Then, there was a tug on the Queen’s pants.

She turned around, only to see a young boy, one whose hair was like her’s, “Mama,” he cried, “Is Isco going to be alright?” The young Prince Daranya asked. Seeing the worry of her first-born child, Nairuga knelt down.

“Yes, your brother’s going to be fine soon, and when he recovers, love him lots okay?” She exclaimed as she ran her hand over his hair. Seeing this, Drano knelt, giving the baby to Daranya.

“You’re his big brother okay Daran? So when me and mama help Isco, protect Seno okay?” Drano asked, as Daranya hesitantly nodded. The King then commanded a scientist to lead the two Princes to safety as the two royals returned to their problem. “SERIOTH!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ISCODAYA’S MANA GETS OUT!!” Drano asked as he prepared himself.

“It will pollute the land, a quarter of Phirines will be dead,” the head scientist replied as he worked overtime for it not to happen.

“Then,” Nairuga began as her hands were set on fire, “We’ll stop it, DRANO!! JION!!” But even before uttering their names, King Drano and General Jion were already ready, their blades and scythes already out. The three traveled to the entrance of the chamber.

“OPEN IT!!” Serioth commanded as the scientists followed. But as they were doing it, Nairuga and Drano prepared their hearts. They were stubborn when the shaman told them that their second child would be cursed, and now, Iscodaya was suffering the consequences of it.

But before they went in, Drano stared into Nairuga's eyes, a smile on his face. “Let’s bring our boy back, okay?” He stated, causing Nairuga’s strong facade to falter a bit. She looked to be in the verge of tears, but as Drano kissed her on the forehead, she quickly composed herself.

The door opened as the three rushed in…

First thing the boy felt, was the warmth of a touch, but then he smelt something metallic, before tasting blood in this mouth, and seeing it around him. The boy began to panic, but as a hand came over his head, he heard it, a voice, his mother’s voice.

“Oh, my beloved Iscodaya, may your life be filled with joy and laughter, and may it be as beautiful as you are.” The boy’s hands touched a soaked cloth, as horror was starting to come into him. “May you be an obedient son, a helpful younger brother, and a caring older brother. May you be a kind nephew, a bright Prince, and a good man.” And as his head lifted, he saw her. His mother, bloody and beaten, smiling at him, “And may you love yourself and others, just as much as your mother loved you.”

She leaned in, as her lips touched his forehead. And a few seconds later, grazed it, as her head fell limp, Iscodaya was in shock, as though he could see them, he didn’t realize his father and uncle rushing over, bruised and beaten. But in their eyes, they saw a dark spike protruding out of Iscodaya’s arm, piercing Nairuga’s belly.

Queen of Phirines, Nairuga Kousa died, as she, King Drano and General Jion resisted and removed the mana from Prince Iscodaya. The nation mourned, as not only their Queen, but their land was ravaged by Iscodaya’s mana leaking out. But the one most affected by it all, was the Prince himself.

He barely left his room, he barely talked, barely ate. Even when his family would try to comfort him, he didn’t react. It was like the once cheery Prince, was now dead, replaced by a ghost.

But as the years went by, and seasons change, the black-haired Prince without magic grew and grew. And as the cold winds brushed past his face, and the sight of the Japanese city that shone brightly even as the night danced around it. The Prince was in awe, as the sight was breathtaking.

“See, I told you this place is good to take your brothers.” But none of it compared to the person next to him. Iscodaya turned, seeing a girl who he had thought weird at first, but a girl that had shown him how beautiful the world was, how beautiful life was, how beautiful, he was.

Iscodaya, naturally a sharp-tongued boy, didn’t respond with sarcasm like he normally did with Kei, instead, he smiled. Kei was taken aback at first, then Iscodaya chuckled, “Yeah, it truly is… thank you Kei, you’re the best.”

The girl was confused, but as Iscodaya continued to look onto the horizon, she also smiled, “No problem, everything for my Prince,” she replied, earning a little giggle from Iscodaya. Strangely, Kei found it very cute, and instead of keeping it bottled up, she decided to make a joke out of it, “It really is true that if you aren’t unapproachable all the time, you’d make a crazy lady killer.”

Hearing this, Iscodaya rolled his eyes, still smiling, “You always say that when I do anything remotely nice.” Kei shrugged at his comment, recognizing it as true. But as a comfortable silence came over the two, Iscodaya’s mind was debating on asking a question to Kei or not. But in the end, “Hey,” he decided to ask, “Since you like Yusuke, how do you feel or think whenever you’re around him.”

Kei’s eyes widened at the sudden question, “Seriously? You’re bringing that up again?”

“Just out of curiosity,” he responded. Kei always heard that sentence from Iscodaya, he would ask her the most random things out of nowhere, all just because he was curious.

But as Iscodaya’s closest friend outside of Kaus, Kei begrudgingly responded, “W-well, it starts at the heart first. I feel it beat faster everytime he is in the same room as me, then because of that my body starts to get heated, sometimes I blush when it gets too much. Then my mind starts going crazy, like ten times more thoughts than normal.” But as Kei continued to speak, she thought of the number one thing that she feels when Yusuke’s around, “But most of all, I feel comfortable, like all the problems go away and me and him just… hanging around.”

Iscodaya plainly stared at Kei for a few seconds, just processing what she had said. But when he did, he nodded. “I see, thanks, I really needed that,” he stated, causing Kei’s eyebrow to raise.

“What do you mean by that?” But before Iscodaya could respond, the two of them heard the voice of Daranya and Senodaya yelling at something, “Are... they, okay?”

Iscodaya shrugged as he began to walk to where his brothers were, “I don’t know, they’ve probably seen a new animal.” Kei followed as the two continued their conversation, but in his mind, Iscodaya’s question was answered.

Iscodaya Kousa, second Prince of the Phirines, had fallen in love with the human, Kei Inoue.