The Elucaen Curse

Ch. 5

I shook my head. "I-I don't understand. Is this some cruel joke?"

My parents looked at each other with a saddened expression. "I'm afraid not. According to the curse, you will die on your next birthday. However, we believe you can prevent it. We don't know much yet as to why or how but we fear Mortema might rise again in the very near future, and this time, with a burning passion for revenge."

This was taking it farther than I expected. Just a few months ago, I was attending the worst school on this entire planet, a place that gave me no hope for humanity. Yet, in less than an hour, I was introduced to a world where Greek Hall doesn't exist and magic did; a world shining with endless possibilities for people like me. Of course, it sounded way too good to be true; every wish comes with a price, and the price I had to pay was that curse.

I cocked my head to the side. "What? Is she some kind of psychopath or something?'

Dad let out a dry laugh. "Psychopath doesn't even come close to describing who that monster is."

A thought suddenly hit me. "Dad, how did you know I was cursed? Is it because of the-"

"Yes, the mark. The second I saw it, we knew you've been branded."

Mortema had only resurrected twice in the past century. Accyording to the family legend, she only came back when a girl of pure Mesineux blood reached the tender age of 18; the age when the curse would be actively put into place. With her ressurection came the mark, which was a tell-tale sign that the girl has been branded. Initially, my parents weren't sure whether that information was true or not, but after a second look at my arm, it was affirmative; I was branded.

As she had only been revived twice after her defeat, I quickly came to the conclusion that her resurrection must have meant the death of two due to the curse. But then another thought hit me.

"Dad, does that mean that our family has only birthed two girls ever since the battle between Jenni and Mortema?"

He gave a slight nod in response.

"That's impossible. It's been about a hundred years!"

Dad told me, for as long as he could remember, the Mesineux family had always been male dominant. Before the battle, the birth rates of females were already drastically low; after the curse was enacted, the chances of giving birth to a girl was a miracle even. According to him, the our family name was one of the oldest Elucaen family in all the nations, dating back generations and generations. Because the birth rates for men were higher than girls, our line had been one of the purest as well. Before the curse, legend had it that once a female was born, they either bring a blessing to all, or suffer a curse for all. I knew that the blessing was impossible at this point, but I couldn't help but wonder if the same fate will apply to me as well.

"That is precisely why, when you were born, we were scared out of our wits. A girl with Mesineux blood hasn't been born for the past fifty years, and even then, rumors started rising on how the curse ultimately took the girl's life. We didn't want history to repeat itself, which was why we decided to make that decision. Since we're having this conversation, you can guess our plan failed."

That decision referred to their intention of cutting me off from anything that had to do with the Elucaen world: no exposure to Elucae, to its inhabitants, its nations, nothing. Nothing that could give any notions but the life I was born to live, even at the risk of cutting off contact with both sides of the family. For me. To save me.

Tears started clouding my eyes. "Mom, dad..."

Mom then reached across and rubbed my shoulders affectionately. "Oh sweetie...we thought that if we cut off all contact with our Elucaen selves and start over in the human world, then the curse wouldn't affect you in any way. Our plan was to wait until you reach your eighteenth birthday and past the curse date before revealing all of this, but unfortunately it did."