Heaven: A Maiden's Curse (Reader's POV) (One-shot)

19 - Unleashed Rage

I stood there, facing Hyacinth, the weight of her gaze pressing down on me like an unrelenting storm. She looked at me, barely a flicker of interest in her eyes, as if I were nothing more than an insect at her feet.

"You really think you stand a chance?" she mocked, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're just a human. You have no power here. No weapon, no strength. Nothing."

Her words were a cruel reminder of how weak I was in her eyes, how I was nothing in her world. Her laugh echoed around the chamber, sharp and taunting. She made a show of casually flicking her wrist, as if dismissing me entirely.

"That trash of a weapon you carry, it's laughable," she sneered, waving her hand dismissively. "You can't even touch me with it. All that anger, all that useless energy... it amounts to nothing."

I clenched my fists, my body trembling with the desire to strike her down. But I couldn't. Not with a weapon, not with anything. She was untouchable.

Suddenly, the air shifted as Hyacinth's mocking gaze darkened, and her voice dropped into something colder. "But perhaps I should give you something to really feel," she purred. "You want to know what Heaven's been going through? You want to hear her screams?"

My heart skipped a beat.

She snapped her fingers, and the haunting sound of Heaven's cries filled the air. Each scream pierced through me, sharp as a dagger, the anguish and pain seeping into my very soul. I could hear her sobs, feel her despair.

"She's almost mine," Hyacinth taunted, a wicked smile curling on her lips. "You think you can save her? It's too late for that. She'll be mine soon enough. Just a few more pushes, and I'll have her completely under my control."

I couldn't take it. My chest tightened, and rage surged through me. Heaven's cries cut through my sanity like fire through paper, and I was burning, consumed with fury. I couldn't stand by and let her suffer anymore.

But before I could move, the woman stepped in front of me, her hand firm on my chest, holding me back. "Stop," she ordered, her voice steady but filled with concern. "You need to calm down."

I barely heard her. All I could hear was Heaven's voice, the desperate cries echoing in my mind, getting louder and louder. But the woman's hand was firm. I looked down at my arms.

Dark veins were creeping across my skin, twisting and writhing like some kind of curse trying to take over me. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I could feel something shifting beneath my skin. The curse... it was already taking hold.

"Your arm... it's changing," she whispered, her voice laced with panic. "You need to heal yourself—"

But before she could finish, I felt a surge of power that wasn't mine. My body moved of its own accord, the darkness in me compelling me forward.

Without thinking, I launched myself at Hyacinth. My weapon felt like nothing in my hands, so I let it fall. The rage burned too hot, too fast. My arm shot forward, and before I could stop myself, I punched Hyacinth square in the face.

For a split second, I thought I'd failed, that nothing would happen. But then... she staggered back.

I stared at her, shocked. My fist had actually connected. For a moment, I thought I saw a crack in her flawless demeanor, a flicker of something beneath her cold mask.

But that fleeting moment was all it was. My strength faltered instantly, draining out of me as fast as it had surged. I fell to my knees, the weight of the curse pressing down on me like a stone.

Hyacinth's eyes narrowed, and before I could even recover, she thrust her cane into my chest, her strikes quick and brutal. The first hit smashed into my face, sending stars spinning in front of my eyes.

Before I could react, her cane hit me again—across my neck, my arms, my body—each strike harder than the last. The pain was blinding, overwhelming. I tried to stand, but my legs buckled, and she slammed me into the ground, sending me flying toward the woman.

I landed hard, gasping for breath, every inch of my body screaming in agony. My vision blurred, my chest heaving, and all I could hear was the mocking laughter of Hyacinth echoing around me.

But something felt off. Hyacinth's face, once smooth and unblemished, seemed... different. There was something strange in her expression, like the impact of my punch had done more than just leave a bruise. Her face was slowly recovering, but this time... it wasn't as fast as usual.

She frowned, her hand reaching up to touch her cheek as if something was wrong.

What was going on? Had my punch really done something? Had it really hurt her?

But before I could process it, she let out a frustrated growl. "You think that means anything?" Her voice was low and dangerous. "You can't touch me."

Her eyes blazed with fury, but now there was something else—something new.

And that small crack in her perfection? It had just widened.