A Hidden Curse

Ancient Era — 1026 AD

That day, a very thick layer of black clouds had captured the sky, leaving no light from the sun to enter the earth. The air was flowing smoothly, and when this smooth air touched the trees, their leaves moved along with its flow.

A small village was covered by a dark aura, with a silence so deep that even birds were afraid to make a sound. It gave an ominous feeling.

But this silence did not last long.

Suddenly, a very loud sound of footsteps against the earth began to break the silence. It was so loud that it sounded like not one, but a large group of people was heading in the same direction.

But it was not only the sound of their footsteps.

There was another repeated sound coming from every person's mouth.

“Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!”

Every mouth in the group repeated the same words. Their voices were unrestrained and cruel. Their faces looked confident in what they were saying, and their eyes held something creepy.

But who were they trying to burn?

In the middle of the crowd, there was a boy with a slim body and fair skin.

“Burn him!”

“Burn him!”

He had long, silky hair that swung in the air. His entire body was covered in mud. His eyes had turned red, and a thick layer of tears covered them. His face looked messy, with strands of hair stuck to it. His cheeks were wet and muddy from the tears that continued to fall onto his dry lips.

And again—

“Burn him!”

“Burn him!”

“Burn him!”

Those eyes held so many emotions, but they were clearer than anything else.

Fear.

Anger.

Guilt.

His lips moved as he tried to speak the same words.

“Please… please leave him. Please leave him… We will leave this village. Please, I am begging you.”

He repeated the same words as he ran from one person to another, holding their hands.

But every time, those people pulled their hands away and pushed him aside without mercy.

Even when he fell onto the soil, his body covered in minor injuries and many other marks from falling over and over again, he still got back up.

And said the same thing.

“Burn him!”

“Burn him!”

“Burn him!”

But no one listened to him.

No one even tried to stop pushing him away.

They behaved like people who had only one mission—to burn someone.

That single word echoed throughout the entire village.

Suddenly, they stopped in one place.

Their mouths finally stopped repeating those words.

Their eyes shifted toward the boy.

When he met those eyes, his heart caught in his throat. Even swallowing had become difficult.

He immediately rushed toward the very first person in the crowd, who was standing in front of everyone.

A very tall figure with a moustache stood there. He looked like a middle-aged man.

The boy fell onto his knees and lowered his head. His tears fell onto the soil.

He took heavy breaths, trying to speak a word. He tried several times, making his voice louder, but among the hundreds of voices around him, no one had heard him.

Still, he forced his throat to produce the words.

“Please… please… leave him.”

“You committed a sin.”

The old man spoke with a heavy, authoritative voice.

The boy lifted his head when he heard the word sin.

His blood boiled.

Another emotion appeared in his eyes—anger.

With that anger showing in his tone, he spoke.

“I… I love him. My love is not a sin.”

“Loving a man as a man is a sin. And you cannot love someone from outside our people.”

“I… I will leave this village, or… or I will leave him. Please… just please leave him.”

He lowered his voice and lowered his head again. His body shook with every word he spoke.

The old man looked to the other side. He blinked while looking at the man standing next to him, giving him a single signal.

That man nodded.

He then turned toward the crowd.

After a few minutes, he came out of the crowd while dragging a man with him.

The man's eyes were closed while blood covered his head. Not only his head—his entire body was painted in his own blood.

The man was being held by his shirt and hair.

With one strong pull, he was thrown in front of the old man onto the large ground.

His body could not support itself. As soon as he lost the support, he fell face-first onto the ground.

As soon as the boy saw him, he immediately crawled toward him.

He gently placed his forehead against his lover's, touching his face and looking at the blood that would not stop flowing.

His tears fell even more.

His entire body started shaking.

He carefully examined him before lifting his face.

“Please… just leave him. Please.”

The old man smiled while looking toward them.

“You should have thought before doing what you did. Bring the fire.”

And when those words left his mouth, the boy placed his lover's head down and knelt in front of him, guarding him with his own body.

His small body could not even cover him properly, but his eyes looked terrified—not for himself.

He was looking at all the people who had come to burn his love.

“Please… just please leave us.”

He extended his hands toward them and bowed his head until it touched the ground.

But again, no one was ready to do what he wanted.

A man came out of the crowd, holding a large torch with a powerful orange-red flame.

It was not just fire.

It was a symbol of the injustice and cruelty being shown toward that boy by these people.

These cruel and unkind people were going to burn one of their own.

And that boy was the one they had chosen.

The man did not even wait for the boy to lift his face.

He threw the fire toward them.

“They have already poured oil over the man's body.

The fire spread all over his body, burning every corner of him.

As the fire hit him, the man screamed in unbearable pain.

When the boy heard his scream, he lifted his head and looked toward his love.

He immediately crawled closer to him.

He looked at the other people, hoping that someone would come to help them.

But every pair of eyes he saw only looked happy about what they were doing.

No one had any guilt.

And that hurt him even more.

Those were not strangers.

They were his own people.

The same people who used to make him feel safe.

The same people who had made him happy.

But now, those same people had taken everything from him.

His eyes widened.

He turned back toward his lover.

Then he slightly smiled.

He extended his hand toward the man who was screaming in pain from the burning.

The man tried to get up and move toward him, but his injuries made it impossible for him to move.

Then his eyes found the boy through the fire.

He turned toward him and hugged him tightly.

He did not scream anymore.

And the boy did not scream either.

He smiled despite the fire that had also started to burn him.

He did not leave his lover.

Instead, he held him even closer, as if the fire could no longer hurt them.

He moved his lips to speak.

“We… we meet again.”

After saying those words, he turned his face toward the crowd.

His eyes widened.

They no longer held fear or anger.

Those emotions had disappeared.

Only powerful hatred remained.

Even the old man felt a chill run through his body as he watched the two of them.

They were not screaming.

They were even smiling.

“I… Kyren, give a curse to this village.

The people who were victims of my love's death, those who were involved, and those who knew this was wrong but still did nothing—

To them, I give a curse.

Their entire generations will suffer from what I am suffering.

The love they want will burn like mine did…

Until I leave again with my love.”

Saying those last words, the boy closed his eyes while holding his lover's hand.

And the two of them burned in the fire of…….