𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 (𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒖 𝑮𝒐𝒋𝒐 𝒙 𝑶𝑪)

3.4 Mute and Curse

The neighborhood was silent, too silent, almost menacing. The tension in the air was palpable, and a light wind swept debris around while rustling the leaves of trees that had seen better days. Sen stood in the middle of the street, her body trembling slightly, and her eyes, usually so bright, sparkled with a new intensity, as if a storm were brewing within her.

Beside her, Nanami watched, concern etched on his face. "Sen, are you okay?" he asked, his voice struggling to cut through the heavy atmosphere. He could feel the dark energy radiating from her, something much larger than herself, and he knew it wasn't good.

Suddenly, a black filament erupted from Sen's palm, slithering down to the ground, spreading across the cracked pavement. Her body reacted to her will, but it was more than just power; it was a curse, something she was struggling to control. Similar filaments began to protrude from her body, blackening the air around her. These filaments spread, clinging to the walls and structures, necrosing everything they touched.

Birds perched on the rooftops fell silently, struck down by this wave of destruction. Thankfully, there were no humans left here, evacuated long before this storm unleashed. Sen was alone with her demons.

"Sen!" Nanami shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the black tide that surrounded her. He watched in horror as filaments emerged from her mouth, a form of unimaginable power that allowed her to speak, but at what cost? Her words became spears, piercing the air with lethal precision, and everything that left her mouth was now an invocation of destruction.

Sen dropped to her knees, the filaments accumulating around her, intertwining like hungry serpents. Her gaze darkened further as a vision of her childhood flashed through her mind.

Flashback:

She saw herself as a little girl, dancing with her grandmother in a field of wildflowers. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, creating dancing shadows on the ground. The joyful melody her grandmother sang resonated in the air, filled with a forgotten sweetness. Sen laughed heartily, twirling, her long hair floating like strands of gold, illuminated by the bright light. Life was simple and beautiful, and every step she took was a celebration.

But this image faded slowly, replaced by the overwhelming reality of her power awakening, growing in a whirlwind of despair. The memories of a carefree childhood clashed brutally with the cruelty of her current existence, with the suffering she inflicted, the lives she could destroy in the blink of an eye.

The dance with her grandmother faded into a silent scream. Why? Why had her joy turned into such darkness? The joyful melody transformed into a painful echo, and the filaments around her intensified, coming alive as if they were an extension of her tormented heart.

Back to the Present:

"Sen, focus!" Nanami shouted, trying to break through the wall of darkness surrounding her. But as Sen lifted her head, the black filaments around her pulsed, ready to devour everything in their path. Every word she spoke became a curse, a cry of rage against a world that had abandoned her.

The walls, the pavement—everything she touched decomposed, absorbing the light, plunging into darkness, and her heart raced wildly. Sen was becoming what she had always feared: an embodiment of destruction, a symbol of what lurks beneath the surface of power.

As she closed her eyes, her childhood memories mingled with the dark shadows, creating a whirlwind of devastating emotions. She was trapped in a deadly dance, and Nanami was the only witness to her fall.