I Awakened A Divine Curse

Auren stared at her, blank. A beat passed before he sighed.

"Your humor is impeccable as always."

"Humor?"

She tilted her head.

"What's that? I know not such trivialities."

His gaze sharpened, pinning her in place.

'Something's off.'

She danced around every question like a leaf on the wind—playful, evasive.

'Too evasive.'

The pieces didn't fit. Whatever she was hiding, it was big.

Then, a sound cut through the silence—Meredith's breath, sharp and ragged. It was loudest she had been since collapsing.

Jasper and Auren whirled toward her.

"Lady Merr, Lady Merr, are you alright?"

Asenya sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Let the girl be. That's a sign of recovery."

She shot Auren a sidelong glance and shifted her gaze to Jasper — with disdain.

"Really, brat, who's this wimp?"

Auren dragged a hand down his face and turned away, refusing to indulge the ageless, beautiful hag.

After a while, he lingered then said:

"You know, Asenya, it wouldn't kill you to tell the truth for once."

The lady's expression darkened.

"I've always told you the truth."

Auren arched a brow, scoffing.

"Yeah? Then how come you never mentioned a sister named Aynesa?"

Asenya paused. Her expression didn't flicker, yet she seemed to chew on the strange name like tough meat.

Then, without warning, she erupted into laughter — a chaotic, off-beat explosion of sound that shattered the moment.

"Wh-what in the hell is that worn-out name?!"

She wheezed between gasps.

"It it it sounds like some ancient priestess with a ridiculously pompous title!"

Her laughter rolled on uncontrollably, legs slamming against the ground as snorts burst through her nose.

Auren simply stood there, watching her with eyes as flat as still water.

After meeting his cold stare a few times, her laughter sputtered out like a dying engine. She straightened up with deliberate grace, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear in a practiced motion.

"That was... rather unladylike of me."

Auren felt his soul petrify—then crack into pieces.

He couldn't decide which was more disturbing: watching the ancient hag cackle like a possessed witch, utterly forgetting the divine beauty she wore, or this sudden attempt at refinement after her display of madness.

Auren shook his head, muttering under his breath.

"I'm just going to ignore it. Ignore. Ignore."

He blew out a long breath and met her radiant gaze.

"So you're telling me you don't know this woman? And by pure coincidence, she happens to be a priestess too?"

Asenya froze, genuine confusion flashing across her face.

"Wait. You're serious? That name actually exists? And she's a priestess?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't tell me she's got some ridiculously pompous title too."

Jasper gave a solemn nod.

"They call her the Cloud of a Grey Sky."

Asenya's gaze flicked between Jasper and Auren before she sucked in her lips. Turning abruptly, she faced the wall and leaned against it, her shoulders giving the faintest tremble.

Then came the sound: a sudden, guttural snort that made both men jump like startled cats.

After a deliberate throat-clearing, she turned back slowly, releasing a weary sigh.

"Strange, indeed."

Her eyes narrowed.

"But why assume this priestess is my sister? Does she..."

She paused.

"Does she resemble me?"

Auren stayed quiet for a moment before shrugging.

"Actually, I thought she was you. Though I don't know how you'd be in two places at once."

He tilted his head.

"Why? Because you seem like the type who'd flip their name backward and use it as an alias."

A pause stretched between them.

"And this little performance?"

He gestured at her.

"Pretty revealing. I'm not saying she's your sister. I think you're the same person. That tiny crack in your composure before the fake laughter? That told me everything. And the fake laughter by the way didn't throw me off. It just proved I'm right."

Asenya's face went carefully blank. Auren watched like a hawk tracking its prey, waiting to see what excuse she'd conjure now. She looked every bit like a rat backed into a corner.

After a tense moment, the young lady sighed and scratched her head in defeat.

"Okay, alright, you got me."

She jabbed a finger at him.

"But you're still wrong!"

Auren's brow shot up, then furrowed as she continued.

"We are absolutely not the same person! And how dare you question my naming skills. I'm an artist when it comes to crafting names!!"

Auren's frown tightened.

"So... she's your sister?"

Asenya let out a slow breath, shaking her head.

The crease between Auren's brows deepened.

"Family then? Distant cousin?"

"Close. But no."

"Blood relative at least."

He pressed on.

"Niece?"

Asenya exhaled sharply through her nose.

"She's my daughter."

The revelation hit Auren and Jasper like a physical blow, shaking what little remained of their already battered souls.

Jasper's gaze darted between the woman before him and his memory of the priestess. After a long moment, he turned to Auren with a slow, disbelieving shake of his head and murmured:

"They could almost be sisters. If anything, Priestess Aynesa looks older with her white hair and blue eyes..."

His words trailed off as he studied Asenya more closely, realization dawning.

"But... yes. The resemblance is uncanny."

Auren fixed Asenya with a weary stare and let out a long breath.

"You don't need to lie every single chance you get."

Asenya's eyes flew open, indignant.

"Whaaaaat? I'm not lying!"

He waved her off like swatting a bothersome insect.

"Just... forget it. My mistake for expecting straight answers."

Asenya tilted her head in an exaggerated pout—a gesture that made Auren's stomach turn. Every fiber of his being wanted to grab that flawless face and scrape it across the nearest rough surface. The sheer secondhand shame was physically painful.

The silence hung heavy until Meredith finally stirred, eyelids fluttering open.

Jasper was at her side in an instant.

"Lady Merr."

She pushed herself up, a faint frown forming then her eyes flew wide.

"Auren!"

Her shout echoed through the space as she whipped her head toward the wall where said boy sat cross-legged, looking thoroughly amused.

Auren's lips curled into a wicked grin.

"Someone might think I starred as some nightmare monster in your dreams, trying to gut you."

Her eyes went round as saucers before she dashed across the space, tumbling into his arms with enough force to knock the breath from his lungs.

Auren blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden contact. Then his expression darkened.

"Get. Off. Now."

Meredith froze, cheeks flushing as realization struck. She gave his back two awkward pats—a poor attempt at damage control—before slowly peeling herself away.

"I'm... glad you're alright," she managed, punctuating the statement with another stiff shoulder tap.

Auren gaped at her, his face a perfect picture of bewildered disgust.

'What is with women and their pathetic attempts to play it cool after emotional outbursts?'