Shape-Shifting Curse | Nanami Kento

Shape-Shifting Curse

The sunset was a perfect conclusion to the day. It played the symphony of color as it sang to the people of Tokyo to catch a break and take a rest. A certain man with carefully styled blond hair and a pair of nose-clip glasses stepped into the dark alley at the heart of the city. Nanami Kento. The air hung heavy with the musty odor of wet concrete mingling with the smell of rotting meat, a reminder of the undiscovered crime scene he encountered many years ago.

As he entered the building, every step he took echoed together with the giggles and hisses of curses hiding out of sight behind the walls. With little sunlight from outside, he ventured deep into the deserted structure and went from door to door of the rooms within, hoping to finish the mission quickly.

The sun finally set. The people of Tokyo were wrapping up at work to get home to their family and loved ones. A city of colorful nightlife appeared. The world outside was changing and moving rapidly, but for an overworked man working extra hours, the clock seemed like a tragic painting frozen in time. In this realm of despair, even the water dripping from a broken pipe had to pause before reluctantly continuing its way toward the old concrete, with each drop taking painstakingly long to hit the ground.

As the man in question pressed further into the building, the darkness deepened, and the corridor twisted and turned like a labyrinth of misery. The occasional painful cry of a distant cursed creature ambushed his ears like grasping tendrils eager to ensnare his soul.

Kicking down one last door, it opened up to a surprisingly clean chamber, hinting at a sign of life. The old wallpaper was peeled and stowed away in the corner like forgotten memories, revealing its dilapidated walls of lost hopes and shattered promises.

With his hands gripping the wooden handle of his blunt sword, he watched the blob before him tending to its business - cleaning. He thought it was quite intriguing for such a vile creature to care about hygiene among all things. But why would this curse even bother to tidy up?

Wait what?

He couldn't see the blob creature anymore! He was distracted by its effort to polish scrap metals, it escaped his gaze.

So, when Nanami walked into the room, his heart quickened, suffocated from the instant increase in curse energy, anticipation and anxiety coursing through his veins. Would he emerge from this fight unscathed, or would the blob of a curse claim another victim?

Nanami was focusing on finding the curse when the scent of something sweet enveloped his nostrils, a reminiscent embrace that momentarily distracted his senses, he turned around and his eyes met the sight that awaited him. An unexpected revelation struck him with a force that resurfaced long-forgotten memories. A slight gulp revealed his hesitation.

The figure was bold enough to take and own her goddess form - a shell that once held a beautiful soul. She approached him slowly, each step she took was with grace and beauty. Nanami was helplessly mesmerized by how her kind smile spread on the face that he knew so well. With her arms resting graciously on her side, stood before him was the person who had left a void in his heart.

"Kento," your voice called out in a cheerful tone. "Come here." with your smile intact, you opened your arms welcoming him for a hug.

Caught in a storm of emotions, Nanami's thoughts fragmented like scattered puzzle pieces. He gripped his blunt sword tightly, unable to distinguish whether this was your manipulation technique or his delusion.

Your defense mechanism, your curse technique took forms of what your adversary longed for. For Nanami, the long-lost love was his deepest desire. Your scent reminded him of nights when the desire to run his fingers through your hair filled his dreams. There were days when fatigue misled him, mistaking exhaustion for the embrace which he craved so much. Your absence left him cold and shivering unable to sleep, feeling for the warmth of your hands in his. The appearance of his lover, his one and only best friend, sparked a flicker of light inside him, which had once extinguished. His heart skipped a beat - countless beats. He yearned for "you".