The group followed the winding hallway, with the dim wall lights as their only guide. They huddled along in silence nervously, their footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.
Unable to stand the silence, Luca decided to speak first, "I don't think Ike's house ever had a hallway this long before. Or did I just forget about it?"
Vox replied, "No, last time I was here, this creepy hallway was definitely not here."
"Not to mention that a hallway this long couldn't possibly fit inside this house. Something strange is definitely going on here," Mysta hypothesized.
There was no doubt that Ike had gotten himself caught up in something out of the ordinary. The long, winding hallway, the door that closed by itself, and the eerie atmosphere filling the air—it's as if they had been dropped into a different world.
"Hmm... Shu, our friendly neighborhood sorcerer, do you feel anything?" asked Vox
They turned towards Shu, who had been silent throughout the conversation. He appeared to be in deep thought until he finally noticed everyone's stares.
"...I've been doing some analysis while we're walking along, and I think I have a clue on what's going on here," said Shu contemplatively.
"Which is?" asked Vox.
"A curse. A powerful one, at that," answered Shu.
Everyone was stunned by Shu's answer. They knew that Shu wasn't the type of person who would overexaggerate his judgment. Calling this curse "powerful" meant that the current situation had become dangerous.
"W-What happened to Ike then? Can't you resolve this somehow? You're the expert with sorcery and curses like this, right?" Luca asked anxiously.
"I honestly don't know... This curse had permeated deep into this place; it must've been weeks since it had taken over Ike's house," Shu answered.
"Weeks... It fits the time when we lost contact with Ike," Mysta pondered, the dots started to connect in his head.
"Moreover, this curse is also hindering my own powers," Shu spoke as a purple sigil hovered over his hand. Dark sparks flickered around the sigil, slightly dimming the sigil's presence.
"Hey, isn't that bad for you?! Are you alright?" Vox asked Shu, his voice laden with concern. Worry flashed over Mysta and Luca's expressions from the spectacle.
"I'm fine, it's just a bit harder to use my powers than usual. I'll get used to it." Shu dismissed Vox's concern as he retracted the purple sigil.
"That's..." Vox stopped himself from going further.
It was ridiculous. How could he be fine under this condition? Sorcery was akin to another sense for Shu, just like seeing or hearing something. It must be like having your sight suddenly blurred out of the blue or having the world sound muted for no reason. It must be stressful and disorienting, and yet he said it was fine. Everyone wanted to protest against Shu's remark, but they knew that he didn't want them to worry over him in the first place.
"Just... tell us if you're not feeling well, alright? We can take a break if you need one," Luca spoke out of concern.
"Yeah, no need to tough it out by yourself. Wouldn't want you to be caught by your own feet if anything happened," Mysta added.
"Thanks guys. I'll be fine, I promise," Shu reassured everyone.
With everyone's concern over Shu's condition under control, they continued on the winding hallway. The path would occasionally branch into multiple hallways, but Shu guided them in the direction where the curse felt stronger.
YOU ARE READING
Damned Desire
Fiksi PenggemarIke's been missing for the past few weeks without any news. Vox, Luca, Shu, and Mysta decided to check up on him and visited his home, but it seems like the situation was far more complex than what they'd expected. Could their bond persevere through...
