Chapter 113: Corux Curse
The woods grew darker the deeper Seamus went. There was no wind, no movement, not even the faintest stir of air. The forest felt hollow, drained of life.
The soil beneath his boots was pitch black, so were the trees, stripped bare of leaves and grass. It was as though the entire place had been burned and left to rot in silence.
No beasts. No birds. Not a single sound. Yet he could feel eyes on him—hundreds of them—watching from the dark.
The weight of unseen gazes crawled along his skin, making the back of his neck tighten with unease.
Still, he was less afraid than he should have been, for someone was walking ahead of him. The man who had followed him here.
His name remained unknown, but he moved with unhurried steps, one hand hidden in his cloak while the other held the bracelet, the dim light of its core pulsing like a dying ember.
"Hmm. A Vitalis Core embedded within the structure," the man murmured, tilting the bracelet in the gloom.
"A powerful one too, feeding on your Sanguine Veins. Fascinating."
Seamus frowned. "Why are you following me? And who are you?"
He could not sense a trace of power from the man. No SP aura, no energy, nothing at all. It was as if the stranger were an empty vessel wearing human skin.
Yet he clearly knew too much about Vitalis, about the Sanguine Veins, and even how to avoid the plant creature from before.
’Is he trapped here like me?’ Seamus wondered. ’But then why did he say he could show me the way out?’
He waited for Madeline’s voice, but when it finally came, it was faint and broken, like a whisper dragged through static.
’Oops. This realm is deep inside the Corvane manor. I can’t keep speaking, there’s interference everywhere.’
Her voice faded again.
The man glanced back with a half-smile. "Just call me X," he said simply, slipping the bracelet into his pocket.
"Why are you even here, boy? Shouldn’t you be trying to escape?"
Seamus narrowed his eyes. Strangely, his instincts didn’t warn him of danger. The man’s posture was slouched, his voice calm, almost lazy.
There was no threat in him, at least not one Seamus could feel.
"I need to do something first. Something to end all of this."
His voice echoed faintly in the dead air as he focused on the endless road ahead. Every tree looked the same, every shadow unmoving.
X gave a low hum, pointing at a skull wedged against a nearby trunk. "You know this place is called Corux Cursed."
"Some vampires who wander never return. The forest keeps them until despair consumes their minds, and they end up killing themselves."
Beside the skull was a shattered crystal, the remains of a Vitalis Core. Seamus paused for a moment, staring at it.
The deeper they went, the more skulls he found scattered among the roots.
But there were no bodies. No remnants of seals, no great stones or symbols of binding. Just endless black trees stretching into nowhere.
’Madeline,’ he called again in his mind. ’Answer me. Where is the Emblem of Enigma?’
Nothing. Not even static.
The silence pressed around him like a weight.
He turned his gaze toward X. "And why would you follow me here? Why were you inside that house? Where is this place actually?"
"Wow, that’s a lot of questions." X let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.
"I’m here because I wanted to be. And you? Why would you go somewhere you don’t even understand? Who are you really, and what are you searching for in this dead forest?"
Seamus’s lips tightened. He hated when people answered his questions with more questions.
It reminded him of that woman who chose to stay behind when the world was burning as if she didn’t care at all. So he decided to stay quiet.
X hummed, his voice carrying through the still air. "Let me guess. You’re looking for the missing Emblem of Enigma, aren’t you?"
The name struck like lightning. Seamus froze mid-step. "How do you—"
"Know?" X’s grin was faint, almost playful.
"Simple. The Corvane have been sending people here for years, hoping to destroy the seal once and for all. None of them ever came back."
He tilted his head, his tone suddenly quiet. "I’ll give you one piece of advice. Whatever she told you to do, do not kill the Raven."
Seamus’s mouth opened, a thousand questions forming at once but before he could speak, a deafening sound split the air.
DING!
The bell’s ring was sharp and deep, so loud it shook the ground beneath him. His head throbbed as he clutched his ears.
The noise only came once, but it carried through his skull like a thunderclap.
When he opened his eyes again, everything had changed. The red mist had vanished, replaced by swirling clouds that formed the eye of a storm.
He stood within its center, surrounded by floating debris and a heavy, unnatural silence.
Before him, suspended in a sphere of shimmering red, was a raven. Chains of pulsing blood-red light coiled around its small body, tightening like living veins.
The bird’s eyes glowed faintly, neither pleading nor angry, only watching.
And X was gone.
’That’s it,’ Madeline’s voice returned, clear and fierce. ’That’s the Emblem of Enigma! Seamus, destroy the bubble and kill him!’
"What?" His voice trembled slightly. "He’s still alive. Shouldn’t we... save him instead?"
’He’s corrupted,’ she snapped.
’If you release him, he’ll kill you and everything else in his path. I can feel his rage, the pressure of his power. Believe me, this is the only way.’
Her words pressed on his chest like a weight. The tone left no room for argument.
’Trust me. I am the Emblem of Enigma. I know what must be done, for all of us.’
Seamus exhaled slowly and nodded, gripping his sword tighter. "Fine. But this barrier won’t hurt me, right? Can I even destroy it?"
’You can. Only Corvane blood cannot touch it.’
He gave a humorless chuckle. "You really do know everything, don’t you?"
He stepped closer and tapped the bubble with his bone sword. It quivered like jelly, bouncing once before the tip pierced through its surface.
With a single drag of his arm, the sphere split open, light spilling out like liquid flame.
’Yes,’ Madeline said, her tone turning almost gleeful. ’I know everything. I am the Emblem of Enigma. So hurry, Seamus. End this.’
The raven didn’t move. It kept its eyes closed, as if waiting. The chains pulsed faster, glowing brighter.
Seamus took one last breath and drove his sword.
Madeline’s laughter echoed through his mind, sharp and twisted. Her voice shifted, rising higher, lighter, no longer hers at all.
"Seamus," it whispered sweetly, almost mocking, "you fool."
.
.
.
Andrew could see his son, covered in the blood of someone he loved, standing in an unfamiliar world.
It was peaceful and warm compared to this place.
He watched as Seamus caught a girl before wandering around, trying to hide from a beautiful lady who seemed to calm the frightened child.
Roanna suddenly cleared her throat and spoke. "Go to the window. You’ll see a dark forest in the distance. Go there. The Emblem of Enigma sleeps beneath those trees."
Seamus appeared to follow her command, and a chill ran through Andrew. Something about this felt wrong.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
Roanna chuckled softly. "Giving him an important task, perhaps?" Her smile twisted into something cruel.
"That bastard has hidden in that realm for too long, untouched by our reach. Since Seamus is already there, why not take advantage of him?"
"Stop it! Don’t you dare!" Andrew roared.
He hurled a dagger of bone at her with blinding speed, so fast that even Sarah couldn’t see it.
But Roanna merely tilted her head, and the blade buried itself harmlessly in the chair behind her.
Sarah reacted at once, her vines uncoiling and wrapping around Andrew’s body. He struggled against her hold.
He could break free if he wanted to, but not yet. He could already feel his life force being drained the more he used his power, and he had to be careful.
"My son is smarter than you think," he said through gritted teeth.
Roanna smiled faintly. "We’ll see about that. She trusts that sound too much, like a guiding light."
Her tone was casual, almost playful. "He might make a terrible mistake."
Sweat trickled down Andrew’s temple as he watched his son walk deeper into the forest.
The scenery suddenly shifted, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
A sound like a distant bell rang out, piercing his mind and shaking the floor beneath him. Roanna’s voice cut through the noise.
"That’s the Emblem of Enigma, Seamus! Kill him!"
"Don’t do it, Seamus! You hear me? Don’t do it!"
Andrew shouted at the screen, but it was useless. Roanna’s influence over his son was stronger than his voice.
Andrew’s heart nearly stopped the moment he saw Seamus strike. Roanna’s laughter echoed through the room, sharp and triumphant.
"You fool," she cried, her voice dripping with glee. "Finally, I can move freely without fearing punishment anymore."
"I’ll destroy everything you love!"
Her laughter only grew louder, filling the room with a sense of victory. Andrew felt himself weakening, his strength fading fast.
He didn’t know much about the Emblem of Enigma, but he was certain of one thing, there would be a curse, a price for killing it.
And now Seamus was in grave danger, trapped in a fate his father could no longer stop.