The Atrocious Bard and The Little Princeling | Hunter TOH X Gn Reader

Chapter 39: Sinking Deep and Deeper...

You stood in front of a white coffin, fully dressed in black. The air around you felt heavy, suffocating. The room was dimly lit, and the scent of thyme filled the space.

Your mother lay there, lifeless, her face serene, almost as if she were merely asleep. But you knew better. The reality was far harsher.

"You are a curse!" The voice cut through the air.

SLAP! The impact of the blow sent a sharp pain through your cheek, but it was the words that stung the most. You looked up, but his face was already fading, morphing into something else.

The scene around you shifted violently. You stood there, numb, as people hurled accusations and insults at you. Their faces twisted in anger and grief, their voices merging into blame and hatred.

"You should never have been born!"

"You did this to your own mother!"

"You bring us disaster!"

Each word was a dagger to your heart, each accusation a weight pressing down on your soul.

You walked along the streets, your mind blank, a shell of a person. Objects flew towards you, rocks, rotten vegetables, anything that could be used to inflict pain.

Your head started to bleed as a rock hit you, and your back began to bruise from the relentless assault. Your black clothes became dirty, stained with tomatoes and eggs. The physical pain was intense, but it was nothing compared to the torment within.

Why were you here again?

"(Name)..." The voice, soft and familiar, cut through the haze.

You looked up, your heart leaping with hope.

"Mom?" you whispered, your eyes widening in disbelief. There she was, standing before you, alive. Your blank face lit up with a flicker of hope, but it was short-lived.

SLAP!

"You killed me," her cold words pierced through your heart.

"Mom, what are you-"

SLAP! The second blow was harder, more brutal. You held your aching cheek, tears welling up in your eyes.

"You are a disgrace to everyone in this realm. Your curse had killed me." Her voice was devoid of warmth, her eyes cold and distant. Each word was a dagger to your heart.

More and more voices from unfamiliar shadows began to speak, their words blending into a haunting chorus.

"The stars had cursed us because of you."

"You are cursed by the stars."

"It was you! All you!"

You curled up on the ground, trying to shut out their voices, your hands pressing against your ears. 

Not this again. Stop. Stop it.

"(Name)," another familiar voice penetrated through the shouts, softer, more soothing. The shadows receded, leaving you in a void.

"Raine," you gazed up to them with teary eyes, your heart aching with a strange mix of hope and despair.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Raine asked, their face twisting into a shadowy form. The familiarity of their voice clashed with the monstrosity before you, adding another layer to your torment.

"You left me. You lied." Another figure emerged, his face etched with pain and betrayal. "You broke our promise."

"Hunter, no. Please. Don't—"