Heaven: A Maiden's Curse

15 - Rest And Resolve

We barely have time to catch our breath after the brutal battle. The potions we found in the church are already working their magic. Wounds heal faster than they should, and the exhaustion slips away like it was never there. But there's something unnatural about it. These potions... they're not like anything we've seen before. Still, we don't have time to think about that now.

"What do you think his game is?" I mutter, looking at the woman as she inspects the vials. The man who left these behind still doesn't sit right with me.

She doesn't look up. "I'm not sure. But we need it."

I watch her for a moment, her eyes focused, unreadable. She's right. Without him, we wouldn't have made it this far. But trust? That's still up in the air.

After a brief silence, she turns, her expression set. "We need armor. And shields." Her voice is calm, but I can hear the tension in it. This is far from over. We know what we're heading toward—Hyacinth's lair.

We scavenge what we can, finding old, battered armor and makeshift shields in a storage room. It's not much, but it'll have to do. The way I strap on the shield feels foreign, the weight unfamiliar, but it's better than nothing.

With the armor secured, we're ready—or at least, we think we are. The air around us thickens, and I feel the weight of what's coming. My grip tightens on my weapon. We can't afford another setback.

Then, I hear it. Heaven's voice, faint but unmistakable. The panic in her tone slices through me. She's in trouble.

"We go now," I growl, already moving. There's no time for hesitation.

The woman follows immediately, her expression hardening. "You heard her too, didn't you?"

I nod, already sprinting down the dark passage. The weight of the armor slows me, but the urgency pushing me forward makes it manageable. With every step, the silence gets heavier, the shadows pressing closer. The lair feels alive, watching us, waiting.

We run deeper, following the sound of her voice in my mind. It's faint, but clear. Heaven's in danger. We don't have much time.

Finally, we reach the end of the hall. The air is dense, charged with a cold that bites at our skin. And there, standing in the darkness, waiting for us, is Hyacinth.

Her voice, soft yet chilling, drifts toward us. "I see you've made it this far."

I freeze, the weight of her presence suffocating. She's not just a foe—I can feel the depth of her power, the darkness that surrounds her.

But there's no turning back now.