Cursed (Zeref X Reader)

Chapter 15

As you make your way back home to prepare for your journey, you look over the flyer more carefully.

According to the piece of paper, you have to retrieve a giant clock piece from some ruins and bring it to a church where you will be given your reward. The flyer states that it is unclear where the piece is or what is guarding it. The only thing that you can see is the location of the church. There is no mention of the client or the reason for needing the clock piece.

There's something weird about this job...

You brush off a feeling of uncertainty. You can't back out now, and Master trusted you with this job.

You reach under your bed and pull out a suitcase, coughing at the seven-year old dust particles floating around at the action.

On second thought, maybe I won't pack anything.

You decide to get a good night's sleep and leave early the next morning.

*        *        *

Somehow you end up wandering lost in a forest. The people at the train station weren't helpful and dismissively pointed you in a vague direction, stating "There are probably ruins somewhere over there."

Helpful, you think resentfully, glancing around the forest. It's a very pretty forest, in reality. Rays of sunlight filter through, casting dappled shadows on the path, and birds chirp among the treetops. Altogether, it would be very peaceful and relaxing, if you weren't lost.

You continue following the strangely convenient path cutting through the woods and you're relieved when the trees finally start thinning out. After another half hour of walking, you see a large stone formation ahead.

From here, the dirt path turns into a stone walkway spanning a chasm. It looks dangerous, but you reason that it's probably the least dangerous part of your mission and forge ahead.

Eventually you arrive at what appears to be a dead end, except that there's a metal doorway leading deeper into the mountain. And those two rocks positioned on either side of the doorway look suspiciously like fists...

Shrugging it off, you take a step closer to the metal door when you hear a loud rumbling sound. The stone fists unclench to form hands, and a gleaming eye appears over the door.

"It is forbidden to enter!" The stone guardian bellows, waving its stone hands menacingly.

"Oh that's too bad," you mutter sarcastically. "Looks like I have to go home then." You take another step towards the door and are sent flying as the gatekeeper extends its stone arms and punches the ground in front of you, leaving a giant crater.

You roll on the ground to absorb the impact and come up standing, glaring at the stupid rock formation that decided to ruin your day.

"I am impervious under my gaze!" it bellows again, its single piercing eye glowing in the middle of its face.

"So if I get rid of your gaze," you say under your breath, more to yourself than to the stone guardian, "then you'll no longer be impervious?"

As if in response, the guardian smashes its fists into the ground again, creating another earthquake. Taking advantage of the flying debris, you teleport into the air and aim a blade of light directly toward the gatekeeper's glowing eye.

The stone guardian lets out a rumble of pain as its stone hands cover its face, and the metal doors slide open with a screech and a cloud of dust. You waste no time and run inside, in case the doors close.

Inside, you're greeted by a tall doorway flanked by crumbling marble pillars. Spiky rock pillars hold up the inside of the cave, and there is a crest of some organization above the door. But the strangest part is the assortment of floating cubes with glowing arrows on their faces.