The Cursed Imperial Heart

”So? ” Addie smiled brightly at me. ”Shall I read you a bedtime story? ”

I blushed when she asked. I know Im still a kid, but growing up in this hell hole somehow made me mature faster than most kids. In all honesty, Im embarrassed to even be asked that question. Perhaps its her way of helping me forget the incident that happened earlier today? Though to me, it wasn such a big deal since Im used to it. I can understand why Addie would do something like this to make me feel better.

”N-No Im ok hehe. ” I answered, politely declining her request.

But all I got from her was a soft chuckle. ”No need to be embarrassed ” she said.

I wanted to protest once more, but she already started to slowly tuck me in the wooden bed that I laid in ever since I was three. The bed alone looked like a rock and it sure feels like one when you lay on it, but that to me is comfortable enough. Addie looked at me with a soft smile, but she her eyes would turn sour every signle time she would catch a glimpse of my scars. The scars I so desperately tried to hide.

”Ehem, ” she fixed her voice into a somber story mode tone. ”I think I know what story to tell you today. ”

The moment she opened her mouth once more, it was like the scenery around me changed accordingly. Shes a good storyteller in my opinion.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Darkness, complete darkness. A dark shadowy cloud spread throughout the continent of Xenopha. Demons and Sanguise dominated most of the lands, while mages tried their best to contain and fight for their long awaited peace.

For alas, its been nearly 5,000 years since the war begun. The unleash of the Demon Lord Vedasto, the creators first son, the bringer of chaos and corruption of the lands, became the very reason the war started.

As his siblings fought along side each other, the two of them against the Lord of darkness while the other stood beside their father, Vedasto alone created a whole army of demons and corrupted humans called ”Sanguise ” to help him achieve the glory he longed for, to rule over all his fathers creation as the one true God.

He stood at the top of Mt. Seilaph, the highest mountain closest to Evermore, where his father ruled above all else. The Demon Lord clenched his fists as he watched from afar the destruction of his Empire, and its all because of those pesky siblings of his:

Patricho Vassiliano, whose face resembled a lot like his eldest brother except for his scarlet red hair and obsidian colored eyes. He is the most powerful elemental mage and the creators second son.

Eliseo Callisto, the third child, a handsome man with platinum blonde hair and emerald green eyes born from the creators hope and good will. He is known as ”The Holy Light ”.

Agathe Xhizaria, the only female amongst them with such stunning long brown hair and beautiful grey luminescent eyes. Shes born from the creators anger, disappointment and determination. She is known as the most powerful curser.

Eliseo and Patricho also gathered and formed an army against their brother. With the help of the giants, dragons, draaths, sirens and other creatures that their father created, they were unstoppable. But little did they know, Vedastos target wasn the two siblings who fought against him.

Vedasto had a plan in mind, with his empire slowly falling into ruin his target was none other than the most powerful of all his siblings, the only one who is powerful enough to cause the destruction of the world that his father created and end everything once and for all.

In Vedastos mind, if he can rule the world–then no one can.

Xenopha turned chaotic as the people of the Callistonian empire and Vassilian empire decreased drastically after being annihilated by the powerful sanguise the demon lord made. It seemed that the demon lord made sure to create creatures that are capable of enduring such magic, even Patricho was stunned and was forced to back out for a moment whilst Eliseo took over.

Hundreds of landmarks were crushed by the giants as they threw huge rocks to squish the blood thirsty creatures to death. A blazing heat of fiery lava from the dragons and draaths, burned the sanguise as they screamed in horror. But along with it, they also destroyed all the homes, statues, and sacred temples that they had built.

Just like that,

The empires where ruined, creatures were dying.

And Agathe, still in hiding to protect her father, the creator knew that Vedasto was after her. She could feel him searching for her as she tirelessly watched her three brothers fight from afar, with no indication of an end.

5,000 years. Its been 5,000 years since the war begun, and Agathe no longer wants to keep herself in hiding. ”Everything has an end, and Ill end this war even if I die trying to do so. ” were the last words her father ever heard from her.

She flew down to Xenopha like a Goddess. Her eyes full of eagerness and determination as she presented herself directly to her brother, the Demon Lord Vedasto. She heard her twin brother shout in protest,

”Agathe what are you doing?!! Stop!! ” he screamed.

But she did not listen–she mustn .

As for for Patricho, he looked at her with pity and utter defeat. As their eyes met, the both of them knew, only she could end everyones suffering.

According to the curser, she banished him once–she can do it again.

But to her surprise, Vedasto put up quite a fight. He smirked whenever she would miss her target, which only made her fight harder. It was only them, the Demon Lord versus the most powerful Curser. They fought each other whilst the others continued to massacre one another.

It took a while, but Patricho was able to snap Eliseo out of his insanity in seeing his own sister risking her life for their sake. It hurt his pride to watch the sister hes trying to protect, protecting them, but he knew it would hurt him more to see Agathes efforts go to waste. So the two brothers continued to fight with ever so little might they had left.

”My children… ”

Laying on the soft clouds of Evermore, a low calm voice whispered from above, too soft for anyone to hear.

”…They have gone mad. ”

The creator watched as his two children fought each other. The blood spilled from the sanguise smeared on his Holy Light. The horror of seeing the elemental mage burning and destroying everything in sight. He could not bare such scenery. It was too much to fathom. He wanted it to end–everyone did. But as the creators wife once said, ”Everything happens for a reason. ”

Thus, the creator, the most powerful being of all, stayed put.

”Give up now, dear sister. ” Vedasto chuckled, yet panting at the same time.

Finally, his plan to steal her sisters power will succeed. He smirked at the site of Agathes legs become frail from the last attack he did to her. Just a little more, and hell be able to get close enough to snatch her heart and eat it. With that, hell be able to possess such high power and be unstoppable.

Agathe grit her teeth, as if she knew what was going on inside her brothers head. She did actually, but he doesn need to know that. Because no matter what, she won let him get close without dying. Clenching her fists in annoyance, shadowy clouds formed around her, and with one big strike she hit Vedasto right into his heart.

”NEVER!! ” she screamed.

The mages cheered for her as they saw the Demon Lord fall to the ground, his body damaged like it never was before. As for the Curser who just poured her entire energy into that last shot, she didn even got the chance to witness Vedastos downfall as her legs were too frail from the lack or power. Seeing his sisters almost faint expression, Patricho sprinted towards Agathe just in time to catch her now weakened body.

”I-I… ”she stuttered as her legs slowly gave up, falling into her brothers arms.

The elemental mage looked at her, worried at how shaken she is. ”Youve strained yourself too much Agathe. ” he uttered plainly, but deep down he was genuinely scared for her well-being.

The curser looked at her with those round grey eyes of her that she can barely even open. ”D-Did..I-I-I..do…i-it? ” she asked softly.

Hearing her ask that question, Patricho could not help but tear up. He felt completely responsible for what happened to her. If only he were strong enough, perhaps he couldve defeated their eldest brother much sooner, then she wouldn have suffered so much. He was never jealous of her. In fact, he pitied her. To be born the youngest yet hold the highest responsibility, he himself wouldn have been able to endure it.

”Agathe…I-Im..sorryy…I– ”

”Shhh, ” she cooed the teary mage. ”You are not at fault brother. You have done everything you could and for that I- ”

But before Agathe could even finish what she was saying, a powerful white beam struck near them. Everyone was shocked beyond words.

It happened so fast.

”VEDASTO NOOO!!! ”

They heard a loud scream.

”ACKL..ELK..K-K-KERH… ”

Followed by blood.

And as Agathe tried to turn around, she was stopped by her brothers large cold hand, pulling her into an embrace.

He was shielding her, she can tell, but from what?

Just then she saw a glimpse of the few priests who acted as her two brothers shield when they sought shelter from the different kingdoms. They looked (No. It can be.) utterly (N-No, thats…) mortified. ”Let me go!! ” she screamed. And with all the might she could possibly muster, pushed Patrichos body away from her.

Upon turning around, she saw the horror that they so badly didn want her to see.

Stood before them was Vedasto. A wide smirk on his face with a bright shiny crystal-like ball in his hand.

And just inches away from were the curser stood,

The lifeless body of her twin brother, Eliseo.

”GRAAAAHHHH!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ”

The grounds shook as she screamed in pain and fury.

Agathe, angered by the lost of her twin brother, unleashed her true self. She is not just a curser. She is the creators daughter born as the protector. But now, for the the first time ever, they saw her as the destroyer. Tears streamed down her eyes as she gently scooped her brother closer to her and held him in his arms.

Vedasto, though ready to give the victory speech he always wanted to say, felt speechless as he saw the glow in his sisters eyes as she held the lifeless body of her brother in her arms. As the two siblings locked eyes, Agathes now corrupted heart unleashed the most powerful curse to ever struck their world.

”That pit will be the hell youll rot in.

This land shall not welcome you ever again.

Every demon, every blood of yours, will be the reason your destiny run its course.

No human, no mage, can ever escape.

The curse which I have bestowed upon your fate. ”

As Agathe chanted, the ground shook and the world began to rumble. Vedasto who held the crystal-like ball in his hand, dropped it as he was lifted up by a smokey cloud created by the enraged curser. Her glowing eyes glowing even more, darkness surrounded the whole world as the curse took place. From her powers, she created another pit. One secured with the curse she is still chanting as he placed the struggling demon lord in.

”But the light in which you took will prosper.

The world shall be reborn and filled with laughter.

As for me dear brother, in my return you shall see.

The regret in your face for challenging me!! ”

Patricho could not believe what he was seeing. Is she really the sister hes known for thousands of years? No way, that can be. Agathe in his mind, is nothing like the creature who is like the perfect creation of goodness and evil. At that moment, it hit him. She is the balance of good and evil, he contemplated. A curse can either be good or bad, but it can never be both.

Agathe could only be one of those things.

Madness has completely took Agathe over. After she chanted the curse she gave, her goal was to take Eliseos heart which is the crystal-like ball his brother carried earlier to Evermore and revive him. But before she could even do as much as lift a single finger, her father striked her. It happened so fast that even Patricho didn get to see what the hell happened.

No one but Patricho was left of the creators children. Because of that, he is obligated to be the right hand of his father.

Agathe Xhizaria, the most powerful curser, born from the creators anger, disappointment, and determination. She is the creators right hand. She is the guardian of the elemental protectors. She is Eliseos twin sister. She succeeded in banishing her eldest brother again.

And now…

She is scattered across the continent of Xenopha, waiting for the right host.

And will come back again, in the right time.

Thus, the thousand year long war was finally over.

….For the time being~

*-*-*-*-*-*

Addie, the head maid of House Brotillon, stared at the sleeping little girl who laid silently on the bed. Her soft smile slowly fading away as she saw a grayish blonde strip of hair appear on the side of the little girls bangs. She was warry, but not surprised. She of all people knew the true meaning behind the appearance of such color. And just like all the other nights that the color appeared, she layed her hand on the young girls head with an almost irritated expression on her face and chanted.

Enimus…Asientis…Szanse….

And with that, the color from the side of her hair disappeared. Her hair was brown again.

Sighing in relief she moved closer near the girls ear, ”Never. ” she whispered.

Addies brow furrowed as she said ”I promised her Id protect you. ” a mixture of anger and resentment from the way she spoke.

”I won give you up to that tyrant ” she continued.

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To Be Continued.