The Solitary Curse
The demon snapped his fingers as he spoke. "Odinochestvo proklyatie."
"Khk..." Black smoke seeped into the girl's body.
"What are you doing...?"
The demon didn't answer. He simply sat atop the mountain of corpses, smiling down at her. The girl broke into a cold sweat as her heart clenched in agony. The curse that had just entered her body was the same one she had once forced out by burning through all her mana, but this time it was impossible. The demon remained vigilant, and with her meager mana reserves already depleted, she had nothing left.
"Ugh... hah..." Her body burned. Nausea churned in her stomach, and the world spun before her eyes. She wondered if he had used a poison curse to kill her.
"Curious what curse you received?" The demon leapt down in front of her. "Don't worry, you won't die. You've only been afflicted with the Curse of Solitude. Your body simply can't endure it because you're still young. You're perfectly fine otherwise."
"What... is the Curse of Solitude?"
"Hmm. Nothing special. From now on, the opposite sex will feel nothing but disgust toward you, while the same sex will be consumed by envy and jealousy. And the closer they are to you, the stronger those feelings become—until they finally harbor murderous intent."
"That's... what?"
"Why? It's amusing, isn't it?" The demon looked genuinely delighted.
Is this what he finds entertaining? Rage boiled within her, but she forced it down. Charging at him without mana would only get her killed in an instant.
Suddenly, her body grew heavy and languid. '...Not yet, Seria.' Her consciousness sank like a stone into dark water.
"Then sleep well, little one. When we meet again, I hope you'll have grown into a fine young lady."
And so Seria awoke.
When she opened her eyes, the demon was gone. She didn't know where he had gone, nor did she care. She was simply relieved that the terrifying man had vanished.
"Ah. That's right. Mother!"
Seria sprinted toward home. When she had woken up, the frightening man was nowhere to be seen, her clothes were caked in dirt, and strange wounds covered her body—but none of that mattered. Right now, she just wanted to see her mother. With that single thought, she ran without stopping.
When she reached the village, an eerie silence hung over everything. Seria paid it no mind and dashed straight home. By the time she finally arrived, the house was, of course, empty.
"I'm home!"
No one answered her greeting.
"Mother? I'm back."
Did she go to the river to wash clothes?
"Father! I'm home."
She tried calling for her father instead, but the man who always emerged from the kitchen with a hearty laugh was nowhere to be found.
"Father, Mother... I'm... I'm home."
The once-lively house stood as silent as an abandoned ruin. Suddenly, the clearing from earlier flashed through her mind—the place piled high with corpses. The thought that her parents might be among them sent a sharp pain through her chest, and tears welled in her eyes.
"N-no!"
She shook her head violently, trying to dispel the thought. Seria flung open the door and bolted toward the river.
Mother will definitely be at the river. Father must have gone to gather firewood—he said yesterday that we were running low!
Clinging to hope, she reached the river, but only the cold, flowing water greeted her as always.
No. No.
She ran frantically around the village and its outskirts. She refused to give up even as the bright sun sank and darkness swallowed the sky.
Awooo. The distant howl of a wolf made her shoulders jerk. Seria's small frame curled inward bit by bit.
"Mother..."
She searched every corner of the village and its surroundings, but her mother was nowhere to be found. Where could Mother have gone? Why had she left her all alone?
Grumble.
"I'm hungry..."
She hadn't eaten since morning. She had even vomited in the clearing earlier, leaving her stomach painfully empty. Running all day had exhausted her, and the urine-soaked underwear she hadn't changed out of felt sticky and unpleasant.
It smells... I want to wash up. I'm hungry...
Loneliness, exhaustion, cold, discomfort, and hunger crashed over her all at once. In that moment, sorrow welled up, and tears spilled over. She had cried so much that day that her eyes were swollen and showed no sign of improving.
"Hic... Mother..."
Awooo.
"Eek..."
The wolf's howl was closer now. Seria looked around desperately for a place to hide. She had made a mistake. Night had already fallen deep, and only trees surrounded her. She had wandered too far into the forest.
The village chief warned us not to go into the woods at night...
But she had no choice. What else could she do when Mother and Father weren't home? She had to go look for them herself.
Rustle. The bushes nearby shook.
"H-hey... come out!"
Grrr...
Something really did emerge. A wolf, far larger than her own body.
In that moment, what should a seven-year-old do?
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
She pulled aggro across the entire area. Seria ran like mad. She didn't know where she was going—she just ran because she wanted to live. She already knew what wolves were. Her hunter father had often brought them down. Back then, she had pitied the wolves. Now, she pitied herself far more.
But how far could a child's short legs carry her? When the wolf pounced, her legs tangled and she crashed to the ground.
"Uwaaaah... No! Go away!"
Seria unleashed a full-throated wail. If the attacker had been human, they might have hesitated. Her cries were that piercing. But her opponent was a dumb beast. The wolf opened its massive jaws wide.
Rawr. The stench of its rotting maw assaulted her nose so badly she wondered if it needed professional dental care. Judging by its teeth, it could probably use a gum cleaning too.
Though she hadn't drunk anything, terror forced a flood of urine from her body as if a faucet had been turned on. Her already-uncomfortable underwear grew even wetter, worsening her mood.
"Hnnngh... Go away! Please..."
The wolf sank its fangs into her shoulder.
"Kyaaah! Ugh... ugh..."
Seria thrashed in pain, pounding the wolf with her tiny fists and yanking at its fur. But the wolf paid her no mind, driving its teeth in even deeper. Her resistance gradually faded. Her strength was leaving her. She was just a child to begin with. How could her starved, exhausted body possibly escape a wolf?
Her shirt soaked through with blood. The bleeding was severe—enough that without immediate treatment and a transfusion, she would die. Her face grew deathly pale. Gazing up at the pitch-black night sky with fading eyes, Seria desperately called for her mother.
"Mo... ther..."
Seria closed her eyes.
The hero, having listened to the entire story, wondered how to ease the heavy feeling in his chest. Seria was not human. Nor was the curse her fault. She was a victim. Human greed had wiped out the prosperous Mind's Eye Clan, and the selfishness of other races had turned their backs on them. Young Seria had been nothing more than a casualty.
But the Age of the Moon had already passed more than two hundred years ago. It was unlikely that any of those humans were still alive. So even if Seria harbored a desire for revenge against humanity, it would be difficult. He was the hero—the protector of mankind, the shield that guarded humans from demons. Therefore, he believed it was only right that he, as humanity's representative, offer an apology even now, two centuries later.
"I'm sorry. I truly have no excuse. I won't shamelessly ask for forgiveness. You may never be able to trust humans again, but I hope you'll at least refrain from seeking revenge. The humans from that time are all dead. Revenge won't mean anything anymore."
The saintess, who had been listening with a grave expression, bowed her head alongside the hero.
"I'm truly sorry. Your name is Seria, correct? The Vatican will do everything in its power to compensate you. I sincerely apologize."
Seria kept her head bowed low, saying nothing. She opened and closed her small lips repeatedly, reluctant to speak. Eventually, she lifted her head and met the hero's eyes.
"...Why are you apologizing, big brother?"
"Because I am the hero."
"Kh. How stupid... You're going to shoulder two hundred years of my grudge all by yourself for a reason like that?"
"Ian isn't alone. I'll share the burden with him as well," the saintess interjected from the side.
"Stay out of this, Saintess. I'm talking to the hero right now."
"What did you say?"
The saintess glared at Seria, her temper flaring.
"Saint Aria, please..." The hero stepped in front of the saintess, silently apologizing to Seria with his eyes.
Seria turned her head sharply and continued.
"What will you do if I say I want to kill humans?"
"I'll beg for forgiveness as much as I can."
"Hah. That's funny."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"I'll think about it when the time comes."
What a ridiculous big brother. There was something off about his head for a hero. Or perhaps all heroes were like this? The last hero she had met was over eighty years ago, so she couldn't be sure. Still, at least his face was more handsome. That was one thing she could appreciate.
"Then what will you do if I say I want to kill you, hero big brother?"
"What?!"
The saintess cut in sharply.
"Saintess... Please step aside and let Seria and I talk alone."
The hero pushed the saintess back, firmly signaling his refusal.
"...Understood, Ian."
The saintess trudged away into the distance, shoulders slumped.