I Awakened A Divine Curse

"I am sure their lust drove them to commit unspeakable acts. But the two kings buried their sins. All we knew was that the Truthsayer vanished—and everything began to shift. I questioned the King several times, but his answers were always vague. Eventually, to preserve the royal family's image, the Temple had to intervene and fabricate a justification for the looming war between the two nations.

"With barely any effort, those two nations—once bound by ties that seemed unbreakable—now desperately thirst for each other's blood. Humans are a fragile breed."

Auren remained silent for a moment. The Archpriest's final words carried weight. It was unsettling how quickly people could turn. But he, of all people, understood.

The same people who had once cheered at the thought of him awakening a Divine Blessing were the ones who later condemned him to death the moment he awakened a Curse instead. No one hesitated. No second thoughts. No room for doubt.

Humans were indeed fragile. Trusting them had been the most foolish thing he'd ever done.

He exhaled, leaning on one hand.

"So the chain of events that led to this all-out war began with the Truthsayer's disappearance."

The Archpriest gave a solemn nod.

Auren's gaze drifted, unfocused, and then he drew a quiet breath, sitting forward and away from the chair's backrest.

He had countless questions teetering at the edge of his tongue, but he knew he couldn't afford to ask them—not yet. There was a razor-thin line between what made perfect sense to these people and what didn't. And every time he spoke, he danced on that edge with careless precision.

"My partner and I would like some time alone. Take us to our quarters."

The Archpriest rose swiftly from his seat and bowed with sharp deference.

"Follow me."

He turned and walked out. Auren glanced at Asenya before rising to his feet and following the Priest.

The Temple's interior was mostly dark and weathered, its age and decay quietly clinging to the stone like dust to old parchment. Yet, in some places, the gloom was cut by soft blue flames—like those that lit the central hall. The passageways and balconies remained cloaked in shadows, but the setting made perfect sense. This place had once been the dwelling of a Cursed Creature, after all.

In truth, it was impressive how they had managed to build something so substantial out of its ruins.

Eventually, Auren and Asenya were shown to their room.

Strangely enough, they found themselves assigned to the same one. It was simple—two beds placed side by side, nothing extravagant.

As soon as the Archpriest left, Auren slapped his face.

'The bastard didn't even seem the least bit remorseful.'

It was as if placing him and Asenya together had been the most natural arrangement. He wanted to protest… but truthfully, he needed them in the same room anyway.

Asenya cast him a sharp glance, her eyes narrowing.

"You better not be thinking about anything lewd."

Auren slapped his face again, harder this time.

"Damnit! I knew it!"

Asenya raised an eyebrow.

"...Knew what?"

He shook his head.

"Never mind. Sit down. We need to talk about what's going on."

She frowned and tilted her head slightly.

"You do realize I'm over five centuries older than you."

Auren looked down for a moment.

'That's true… I always forget.'

Then he looked back up and offered a faint smile.

"Right, right. How could I forget such an important detail?"

He let out a slow breath and gently smoothed the bed for her.

"Please, Granny, have your seat. I'd like to speak to you about a thing or two."

Asenya gave him an irritated look before seating herself with grace, crossing one leg over the other in practiced elegance.

Auren moved closer to the wall, running his hand across its surface, inspecting it with quiet scrutiny. After a long pause, he turned to Asenya and began:

"Do you have any idea who this Truthsayer is? And why she would call herself the apple of the gods' eyes? Has she lived among the gods before? Because, according to you... you said the gods vanished long before the birth of the World Shapers. In fact, if I understood everything you said correctly, their disappearance is what caused the rise of the World Shapers in the first place."

Asenya nodded.

"You're correct."

"Then doesn't that make this whole story absurd? How can someone be called the Truthsayer and yet build her entire existence on a lie?"

Asenya shrugged.

"I don't know. But remember, I told you the city of the gods existed near the lake where multiple realms intersected. The gods rose naturally and began to govern those realms. There are thirteen realms I know of, and their inhabitants are vastly different. Still, the humans aren't fools. If they call her the Truthsayer, then she must have foretold many truths… and revealed just as many lies."

She fell silent, then slowly shook her head.

"But there's no way she could have lived as long as the gods. A being that ancient would be worshipped as a god by now—not walking among mortals."

Auren looked at her, then let out a slow sigh.

"I see…"

A quiet moment passed.

Then he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

"Could there be a chance… she's referring to the World Shapers?"

Asenya responded almost instantly.

"The World Shapers are nothing like the gods. They don't protect humans. They don't crave worship. Which means they're not slaves to pleasure."

"And the gods are?"

"In a sense, yes. That's the very nature of a god. A slave remains a slave, no matter how exalted. Though their power doesn't stem from devotion, they were created with a void—one that only worship could fill. That need makes them slaves… slaves to pleasure."

Auren frowned slightly.

"Then… does that mean the one who sang the city of the gods into existence was Pleasure itself?"

Asenya fell silent. Her eyes widened—a flicker of genuine shock she couldn't hide, it had struck too quickly.

A moment later, her voice broke through the stillness.

"Wow. I never thought about it like that…"

Auren stared at her, his expression flat. As much as he appreciated her surprise, he couldn't help but feel baffled. How had no one thought of that? Especially someone like her—someone who knew so much.

He exhaled, slowly.

"Well… how do we get out of this mess? I can feel it in my gut. That Truthsayer woman—she's the key. She's the one who can end this conflict."

Asenya's face darkened. Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Auren's. He felt the shift in the air, subtle but immediate—like the room had dipped into frost.

Before he could speak, her voice cut through—low and cold.

"I have a question for you."

Auren hesitated.

"…Ask."

"Why do you want to end this conflict? Why are you all so hell-bent on it?"

Auren shifted slightly, confused by the question—until the answer came to him barely a second later.

'Right. She's native to… whatever this place is. She doesn't know what a Trial is. Or that we need to find a way to pass one.'

He fell quiet, weighing his words, unsure how much to reveal. After a pause, he lowered his head and finally said:

"Actually… the truth is…"

He hesitated, doubt creeping in. Was this the right call? But he pressed on.

"We're not from this realm. And I don't even know what realm we came from. I'm not sure this is a realm, not in the way you believe. But if we want to leave it… we have to stop this conflict."

Asenya stared at him, her face blank.

The silence dragged on for a few uncomfortable seconds, her expression unreadable. Auren frowned.

"What?"

She didn't answer with words. Instead, a loud burst of laughter escaped her lips, completely shattering her elegant composure. Her leg slipped from its crossed position, and for a second, she nearly toppled over with how hard she laughed.

Auren just watched her, visibly disturbed by the outburst.

What the hell was so funny?

Her laughter eventually faded, replaced by a delighted expression—as though Auren had somehow impressed her with a clever joke.

But Auren didn't find anything remotely amusing. His face remained still, his eyes sharp and unamused.

"Would you care to explain what exactly you find funny?" he asked, his tone flat.

Asenya blinked, then frowned slightly.

"Wait… you weren't joking?"

He didn't answer. He simply held her gaze, the same expression etched firmly across his face.

Before she could say anything else, Auren stood and turned away.

As he reached the door, Asenya called out behind him.

"Hey! Brat! Where are you going?"

He glanced over his shoulder.

"What else? The wrath of the Dark God must fall upon the King."

Her expression darkened instantly.

"Hey. That's taking things too far."

Auren gave a careless shrug.

"I don't really care, Asenya. I have to get home. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Even if it means killing a king."

With that, he opened the door and stepped out.