Heaven: A Maiden's Curse

03 - The Price Of Knowledge

Several days had passed since what happened, but I couldn't shake the words Heaven had spoken, or the image of her tears and suffering. My mind kept replaying it over and over.

"Can I really help her?" I kept asking myself. "Did I think this through? What if I can't save her?" A wave of sadness gripped me, the weight of my own uncertainty settling in.

But the unsettling presence of the creatures in my apartment didn’t help. I’d grown used to their strange sensations by now, but today, I wasn’t thinking about them. My mind was consumed with Heaven—how I could possibly save her.

I packed up, determined. Alone, I stood ready with nothing but my courage. "Whatever happens now, I’ll face it. This is for you, Heaven." I took a deep breath, then stepped out of my apartment to begin my journey.

---

After hours of walking, I finally came upon a large, dilapidated library. The structure stood tall, but it looked like it hadn’t seen a soul in decades. Rusting iron, broken windows, and a worn-out exterior greeted me, and despite my growing unease, I knew I had to push through. There was no turning back now.

As soon as I stepped inside, I could feel a heavy, suffocating aura around me. “Can I do this? Damn it,” I muttered, but I pushed forward anyway, hoping for even a chance of finding something useful.

“Hello? Is anyone here?" I called out, but there was no response. I forged ahead, hoping to find something—anything—that could help.

Hours passed as I sifted through books, but they were all ordinary. I couldn’t help but feel discouraged. My hopes were fading. "I thought for sure there’d be something useful in here..." I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

Then, as I continued scanning, a strange sensation hit me—a sharp, icy chill. My finger grazed the spine of a book, but something made me stop. A pair of eyes stared out from a shelf, hidden just behind a stack of books. I stumbled backward, my heart racing.

“Goddamn it!” I shouted, clutching my chest, my heart racing.

A cold, unsettling voice broke the silence, sending a shiver down my spine. "What are you looking for?"

“Shit! You scared me. I thought it was Heaven’s grandmother showing herself again,” I said, still shaken, breathing deeply.

“Heaven?” The woman’s voice was eerily calm. "Do you know about Heaven?" Her tone, soft yet somehow knowing, sent a ripple of fear through me.

“I hesitated before responding. "N-no... I’m looking for something. A book. Do you have anything on—" I trailed off, unsure of how to ask.

“Answer me. Did she appear to you?” The woman’s face turned pale as she asked, her voice trembling.

I stepped closer, trying to get a better look at her. She was an old woman, but unlike Heaven’s grandmother, her face looked kind and composed.

"Wait… do you know Heaven?" I asked desperately, clutching her shoulders. "Please… help me!"

The old woman’s face grew pale, and she looked away, her hands trembling. "I… I can't. I can’t help you. You shouldn’t have come. This curse—it’s too powerful. It will take you too."

“Please... Please!” I begged, shaking her shoulders. She only shook her head.

She turned back toward me, eyes wide with terror. "You don't understand! This is a curse far worse than death. If you keep digging, you will lose everything. There’s always a price. Everything you learn about her, you’ll pay for it."

"Then I’ll pay," I said, my voice firm. "I can’t let Heaven suffer."

Her gaze shifted, a mix of pity and sadness in her eyes. “You don’t know anything. Just go home. If you dig deeper... there’s a price for everything related to her.”