I Awakened A Divine Curse

Of course, Auren was not just offering to do something blindly because of emotions. He was sinister but he was not wicked. Maybe, he was a little wicked too. But not to the point where he'd watch his defenseless companions suffer against something he could have protected them from—and not at the expense of himself.

A second later, though, Auren almost regretted his decision.

His armor slithered up his skin like liquid shadow, but before his helm could fully cover his head, a gust of ashes blew into the chamber, crashing behind him. Instantly, he bowed his head and gritted his teeth as searing pain bit into his exposed neck like hot fangs. But before the agony could stretch any further, his Sinister armor had already sealed around his entire head and neck.

He was still clenching his jaw from the burning pain though.

Meredith stared at him with something swimming in the depths of her violet eyes, but Auren raised his head and waved dismissively before she could speak.

"That caught me off guard. This is way less than what I've had to endure."

The young girl looked at him with worry etched across her otherwise indifferent features.

"What have you endured?"

Auren fell silent for a moment, then shrugged.

"Just horrors."

He paused for a heartbeat and added.

"Horrors that would have killed most anyone."

She frowned slightly, her entire face radiating with an ethereal beauty that seemed to pierce the gloom.

"How didn't you die?"

Auren grinned behind the fearsome helm of his armor.

"Well, I have a rather stubborn spirit, refusing to stay dead."

In that instant, another surge of ash rushed into the chamber. Some particles landed on the floor, smoldering briefly before crumbling into black sand. Others peppered Auren's Sinister armor, but merely hissed against the dark surface before cascading down his back like obsidian rain.

Auren grinned proudly.

The storm raged on, and the Spire shuddered violently as it was besieged by the tempest from all sides. The chamber rattled and vibrated with each tremor, but they held fast. The ashes that breached their sanctuary met the same fate as they splashed against Auren's armor.

Then, a bone-chilling thud suddenly rocked the very foundation of the Spire.

Meredith and Auren locked eyes.

This force was different from the tremors that had been rattling the spire. This one was more... devastating.

They were still exchanging silent questions when a monstrous claw tore through the window. Stone fragments exploded inward as if the ancient walls were nothing but parchment being ripped apart by an unseen hand.

The creature, driven by fierce and demented determination, clung to the edge of the window and began to gouge the stones with its razor-sharp claws, steadily widening the opening.

It was likely seeking shelter from the ash storm, just as they were.

But the problem was clear—from its appearance alone, anyone could tell this monstrosity possessed frightening strength. Auren couldn't determine its rank, but having faced devastating creatures before, his instincts screamed danger.

The Cursed beast delivered another thunderous blow to the window, sending stone shards flying like deadly projectiles. It finally compressed its massive gray wings against its body. The wings, scorched and somehow too vast to fit through the chamber's opening, prompted the creature to raise its curved beak—lined with jagged rows of dagger-like fangs—and hammer it against the window's edge.

Meredith snatched her spear, her eyes narrowing to focused slits. She positioned herself with perfect balance, swung the weapon back, and launched it forward with the precision of a master hunter.

As the spear struck the creature with astonishing force, the beast faltered but stubbornly maintained its grip on the window with one vicious, hook-like claw.

The spear had pierced one of its massive wings, causing dark blood to cascade down like rain. The creature fixed its gaze on Meredith, eyes pulsing with an eerie, cold white light. In a blur of motion, the abomination struck the embedded spear with its beak.

The weapon shattered instantly—exploding into brilliant white fragments of light. Meredith's face drained of color as she watched her spear disintegrate for the second time during this trial.

Auren's lips curved downward in pity.

'Poor girl.'

Even before Meredith had launched her attack, Auren had drawn a long sword, its blade glinting menacingly in his grip.

He exhaled slowly, muscles coiling as he positioned himself like a seasoned javelin thrower. Gripping the lower part of the blade, he hurled the sword with devastating precision. A shockwave tore through the air as white light traced the weapon's stunning trajectory.

The blade collided with the creature's body with bone-crushing force, ripping it away from the wall and sending it tumbling helplessly through the churning air.

They were safe for a moment, but they knew they wouldn't be for long. The Sundered Spire was the only thing withstanding the terrifying storm, every creature that had been caught up in the storm would undoubtedly be reaching for them, until when before the large Sand worms began to crush the Spire in hopes of entering too.

Auren's brow furrowed beneath his helm.

"We need to leave this place. Find somewhere without windows."

Meredith cast an anxious glance toward the ghostly blue flames.

"That means abandoning the fire." Her voice tightened. "Jasper might not survive, and we'd be at risk too."

Auren studied the ethereal blue flames, their light dancing across his dark armor. He exhaled deeply.

"Right."

The reality settled between them like a weight—they had no choice but to remain in this chamber where Cursed Creatures would continue their relentless assault.

He clenched his jaw and lowered himself to the floor, every muscle tense with readiness.

For the next few moments, they defended against wave after wave of Cursed Creatures. Or rather, he did. The beasts scrabbled at the windows, their inhuman shrieks cutting through the howling storm outside.

The singular advantage of his mystical swords was remarkable—he could hurl them with lethal force, yet still feel their essence returning to his soul. And his aim? Nothing short of supernatural.

They managed to withstand the onslaught for what felt like an eternity. When the storm finally began to subside, Auren's chest heaved with labored breaths. He released his helm with trembling fingers and collapsed against the wall, sweat glistening on his ashen face.

The tempest's fury was waning, and they could feel the oppressive heat gradually retreating like a tide pulling back from shore.

They had weathered the worst. Or so they believed.

Without warning, the winged monstrosity that Auren had first cast from the window descended upon the opening once more, its massive form eclipsing what little light remained outside.

The creature's eyes blazed with frigid white fire, locked onto Auren with undisguised malice.

The window, now a mosaic of jagged cracks from countless assaults, offered little resistance. The abomination needed only to tear away a few more stones before squeezing its monstrous form through the gap.

Paled with shock and exhaustion, Auren summoned another sword to his trembling hand. He hurled it with all the strength his drained body could muster, but fatigue had taken its toll.

The abomination effortlessly batted the weapon aside as if swatting an irritating insect. It fixed its penetrating gaze on Auren, rising slowly into the chamber like a nightmare taking physical form.

The once-spacious room suddenly felt suffocating—a trap closing in around them. A sinister shadow engulfed everything, and the ghostly blue flames cast macabre, dancing silhouettes across the walls, transforming their sanctuary into something from the depths of a fever dream.

Auren wasted no time. With a surge of desperate energy, he lunged forward in a fluid roll, crossing the distance to Jasper in one smooth arc. He scooped the unconscious boy from the ground and slung him over his armored shoulder in a single motion. In that heartbeat, stone fragments exploded upward as the creature's massive beak pulverized the exact spot where Auren had stood mere moments before.

Meredith was already in motion, her lithe form darting sideways to evade the devastating strike. Without missing a beat, she pivoted sharply and broke into a sprint.

Together they bolted through the doorway and veered right, their footsteps echoing down the ancient passage as they fled deeper into the Temple's labyrinthine interior.

Behind them, the creature shrieked in rage as it struggled to force its bulk through the narrow doorframe. The sound of splintering stone reverberated through the corridor as the beast tore at the ancient stonework, determined to widen its path.

Those precious seconds gave Auren and Meredith the chance to reach the spiraling staircase that led to the main hall—and ultimately to the Spire's entrance. Their footfalls thundered on the weathered steps as they climbed, each breath burning in their lungs.

Abandoning their temporary haven—and with it, the protective blue flames—was a desperate gamble. But the choice had been made for them.

The cacophony of shattering stone echoed up the stairwell as the abomination freed itself and resumed its relentless pursuit, its rage giving wings to its hunt.