The Curse Awakens

"..."

I woke again, gasping for air. The forest was unchanged, dense shadows, the same towering trees, but Alice, Karen, and the elf girl stared at me in panic and bewilderment.

I didn’t hesitate. I rushed to Karen, patting her waist, searching for the ancient relic.

"E-Elias, I didn’t think you’d be so bold," Karen whispered, flushed by my sudden action. "If you want to, then we could—"

"Found it." I grabbed the odd, ancient-looking relic and hurled it into the lake.

A throw worthy of the best quarterback in town.

"Wait, Elias!" Karen cried, panicked. "Why did you throw that away?"

"Sorry, Karen. I’ll explain in a moment." I dropped into a praying pose, bowing theatrically, then looked towards the tree. "Miss Elf, I need your help. Now!"

"Huhhh…?" The elf girl looked offended. "Who are you to order me around, foolish human?"

I expected resistance. The elf girl was still cautious. But I had one card left to play.

"..."

"Olivia!" I shouted, hoping the name of our grandmother would soften her stance.

It worked.

"Wait… how do you know that name?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, how do you know Grandma’s name, Elias? Did we tell you before?" Alice added, puzzled.

"Wait… Grandma?" The elf repeated.

"Yes. She is our grandmother," I said proudly, though my voice trembled slightly. "We need your help. Please, listen to my request." I bowed once more, earnestly.

"..."

"Alright, alright," the elf girl said, hopping down from the tree to face me. "Now, what exactly is it you want, foolish human?"

"..."

I took a deep breath and recounted everything from the previous iteration, every premonition, every detail. At first, she seemed sceptical, until I described her hut down to the smallest detail. Her eyes widened. She finally believed me… at least partially.

"I don’t know what to say…" she murmured. "But I have no choice but to believe you. Everything you’ve described feels real, from my room to that creature."

"You’ll get used to it," Karen said smugly, as if this were routine.

"..."

"So… you are 100% certain that was the ancient relic of the Nachtmaw?" the elf girl asked, voice firm.

"Yes!" I said, setting my jaw. "Absolutely certain."

"Alright, alright," she waved her hands. "There are a few things you need to know…"

I swallowed hard. "That is…?"

"It is highly likely your sister has already been marked by the curse," the elf said gravely. "Even if the relic is destroyed, the curse will persist. Once a victim is marked, the Nachtmaw will be drawn here regardless."

"No…" My heart sank as Karen clutched me tightly, her small arms trembling. "So… we can’t—"

"No, it’s not impossible," the elf said firmly, giving me a faint glimmer of hope. "We can still fight. I will deal the creature a blow. But there is one issue—"

"Light," Alice interjected. "Right… Miss Elf?"

"Yes," the elf girl smiled. "You're a clever human, aren’t you?"

"Oh my, thank you for the compliment, Miss Elf," Alice replied sheepishly.

"Right then. I’ll quickly fetch some flammable liquid and matches to create light," she continued.

"To burn part of the forest for illumination?" Alice asked with a wry grin.

"Exactly," the elf replied. She hopped from tree to tree to gather materials. Meanwhile, Karen and I watched Alice, dumbfounded by their conversation; it was like a high-level intellectual exchange we couldn’t fully follow.

Alice glanced at us, confused. "Hmmm? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," we said in unison.

"..."

While waiting, I applied herbal paste to Karen’s wound, thanks to Alice mashing the herbs and Karen teasing me once again with playful, suggestive tones. Night deepened, and the chorus of crickets and flickering fireflies offered a faint glimmer of hope, as if the forest itself was waiting for something to happen.

The silence weighed heavily until Karen broke it. "I’m sorry, you two… if it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be in this mess."

"No, it’s my fault, Karen," Alice said sorrowfully. "Maybe as the oldest sister, I should’ve stopped you from buying it. This… is my failure."

"Quit it, both of you," I said, sternly yet gently. "Whatever happens, I will protect you. No matter what."

No matter how many iterations it would take, no matter what challenges came.

"..."

"Pfft!" Karen laughed. "What was that? You look so funny when you’re serious, Elias."

"Gah!" I exclaimed in embarrassment, covering my face.

"There, there," Alice said, patting my head. "No matter how funny you look, Elias, you will always be our hero."

I smiled, glancing up at the night sky. Twinkling stars peeked through the canopy, offering a small measure of peace amidst the looming danger.

"!"

A twig snapped behind us. I spun around, calling out, "Ah, you returned, Miss Elf?"

There was no response. Only darkness stretched before us, swallowing even the faint glow of the moon. Somehow, the shadows seemed to expand, creeping closer, as if alive, devouring every patch of light.

"Alice… Karen…" I whispered, stepping in front of them. "Stay close to me."

They nodded, clutching my arms tightly, and we began to inch backward, every step cautious.

A low, chilling cackle echoed through the trees. It was unmistakably the Nachtmaw. Invisible, its form hidden within the shifting darkness, perhaps the same unnatural shadow that had trapped me in the kitchen like an invisible wall. The air itself felt heavy, almost alive, pressing against us from all sides.

The more we stepped back, the louder the cackle grew, and the darkness continued to swirl around us like a predator circling its prey. Then, a faint, eerie red glow pulsed within the shadows, at last confirming its presence.

Just… where was the elf girl?