The Cursed King

Three

It is his pain.

As quickly as the thought crossed my mind, I threw it to the back of my mind just as quickly. It was a ridiculous thought, an impossible one.

But everything you're seeing right now is just as ridiculous. A voice whispered.

Yes, it is. But hearing each other's thoughts is one thing but feeling the pain of others? That's impossible. I rebuked.

Thoughts are the deepest secrets and yet he can hear ours. My subconscious commented.

I don't know, okay! It's all weird for me. I don't even know why I have that thought.

"Um- now that you've cleared every doubt of mine," not every doubt was clear but I got to know the more important thing. "So now can you tell me the way out of here?"

The man turned to look at me, his daze broken by my words.

"There is no way out of here," he said, "just like how there is no way to come here. Especially humans. They can't enter this realm unless they are spirits."

"I can sense my mother's essence in you. Maybe that is the reason you ended up in this wrecked place," he stated when he saw my "then how did I end up here" look.

"You said you can sense your mother's essence in me, right? Just like how I crossed over here, I could go back the same way," I presented my theory to him.

"I indeed can sense my mother's essence in you, but it is faint. It won't help you in going back and if we used that essence for something else, you'll die before you can even take a step. Her essence is the only thing keeping you alive here," he said, giving me a good scare.

"Does that mean I'm stuck here? Forever?" I asked him.

"Yes, unless you take your own life to free your spirit," he commented.

"Why would I kill myself?" I shouted. "I want to go back, yes but that doesn't mean I'll die to free myself. What would I even do going back in a ghost form? Scare my colleagues?"

"I'll stay here," I decided.

The wolf-man silently stared at me then turned around and started to walk away.

Just like that? No hello or goodbye?

I quickly got up and followed after him, asking random questions as we sauntered towards the broken castle.

I had so many questions about the castle and the flowers but for some reason, I couldn't speak up. My mouth shut every time I wanted to ask.

"You live here alone, don't you feel lonely?" I asked him. The beast stopped walking. As I was right behind him, I crashed into his back, my nose hitting against his spine.

"Ouch," I winced and held my nose. I feel something wet running down my nose and the smell of blood waffles through my nose.

Just how strong is his back?

"I'm okay," I told the beast when he turned to look at my injuries. I assumed he turned for checking up on me.

I tore the lower part of my shirt and pressed it against my nose. It doesn't hurt much so it is safe to say that nothing broke.

That's a relief!

The beast turned back around when he saw I didn't need his help.

"It doesn't feel as lonely as when it felt all those years ago," he replied.

"Oh. How old are you anyway?" I asked him.

"I lost count after seven thousand years," he said. How many thousand years? The cloth in my hand fell to the ground while I stood there like a dumbstruck fool.

"Seven thousand years!" I screamed, "you are more antique than the antiques and fossils in the museum!"

"I have been here before the earth was constructed," he said, breaking all my science knowledge.

So, the earth was constructed, huh?

By who?

"By essence and powers of different Gods. Each performed their own duties to create the foundation and then Moirai created the life on the lifeless ground," he explained.

I have lots of doubts and questions but I think the information I got today is enough. I need time to process everything I got to know today before I ask about other things.

"That's how the earth came to life. It's quite fascinating," I commented.

"You're not talkative, are you? I feel like a babbling fool the way I'm talking nonstop. If you're uncomfortable with my blabber, I can stop," I said to him after seeing his unresponsiveness.

"No," he stopped walking again. "I mean, I haven't heard a voice in so long. It's comforting."

"Just how long have you been living alone here?" I asked in wonder.

"I was seventy years old when my pack crumbled," he sighed. His back looked so lonely it made me tear up.

He has been living alone on this isolated planet for thousands of years. How lonely he must have been with no one to talk to, no one to live with, no one to hear his pain.

An urge to hug him surged through my veins and I didn't resist. I hugged his back, hoping it could vanish some of his pain, even if it was a little bit.

The beast froze and I was snapped out of it. I backed off immediately, my cheeks scorching red.

Why did I hug him? Just why?

The beast looked at me. I thought he would be angry about getting molested by a human. Contrary to my expectation, he looked more… curious?

Don't tell me he has never hugged anyone!

"Do that again," he asked me to hug him. I blinked my eyes at him.

Do what?

"Hug me again," he repeated.

Don't tell me the beast I thought is innocent is a pervert. I backed away from him, causing him to sigh.

"I don't have any bad intentions. I just want to confirm something," he said. He looked honest enough for me to trust him.

"Okay, come here," I spread my hands so he could hug me. The beast took a step towards me and engulfed me in his big, muscly arms.

My face squeezed against his abdomen, he was that giant in front of me and I'm not a short woman according to human standards. I stand at about 5'11", tall for a human woman and yet this beast towers over me, making me look like a dwarf.

As my skin touched him, an electrified shock traveled through my veins. The sparks gave me butterflies and his heartbeat made my heart race.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Our heartbeats raced together and with our heartbeats, the sparks went crazy, becoming more electrifying.

I jerked away from him, my cheeks redder than the red lipstick I own. My heart was beating way too fast.

Am I having unholy thoughts about a man who is not a complete human?

You have lost your mind, Aelia? You can't get attracted to a beast. That's counted as a zoophile! And I'm not one of those bastards who gets turned on by an animal. As I reprimand myself I realized another thing.

Oh, s**t. He can hear everything I think!

~•~