"Yup, it's just like I said." Six said as the three stared down a deep pit located in the middle of the empty room.
"The damn thing burrowed itself into the ground," He muttered.
Mar grunted in response and, without hesitation, leapt into the hole. The glow of his sword vanished as he descended into the darkness.
Six moved to follow, but Kieran reached out and stopped him.
"W-wait... that's a pretty deep pit," Kieran said nervously.
Six glanced back with a small, comforting smile.
"Don't worry. Inside the soul, it works kind of like a dream—physics here don't follow the norm. And we don't feel pain in the regular sense." He reassured, grabbing onto Kierans collar before he had the chance to speak, pulling him into the hole with him.
The two fell for what felt like an hour—Kieran screaming the entire way, while Six just laughed, before glancing down, noticing the ground slowly on its way to meet them.
"Brace yourself—!" he called, shifting his body midair to land feet first.
"AHH—uh—huh?" Kieran stammered, eyes widening as he looked down, but before he could react, he smacked face first into the cold floor.
Six landed beside him with a solid thud, immediately surveying their surroundings. Mar stood in front of them calmly, hand resting on his cheek like he'd been waiting.
"Let's move," Six said, helping Kieran up as he brushed a strange, ash-like substance off his clothes.
The three made their way through a dark, grotesque hallway. After a while of walking, the corridor opened into a familiar, empty classroom. It reeked of rot and death, but there were no bodies in sight. Kieran clutched his nose, the stench overwhelming him. Nausea swelled in his gut again.
He scanned the room and froze when his eyes landed on a large mural at the back wall. A moth—massive and hauntingly beautiful—spanned nearly the entire canvas. Its wings were painted with beautiful patterns, each swirl shimmering faintly in yellow hues.
Handwritten to the side of the painting:
Art Club c/o 2025:
Jessica, Kieran, Roxxanne, Brandon, Reis
And then, just barely legible at the very bottom, written in an elegant, almost shy cursive:
Ezekiel
"This is—" Kieran whispered, stunned.
"—Good times," Six said, walking over to the mural. He placed a hand on the wall, nostalgia softening his voice. "We spent days on this, only to end up winning third place at that stupid festival. Brandon threw the biggest tantrum—like a full on manchild." He chuckled.
"What? The festival already happened... for you?" Kieran asked.
Six turned to him, "And it hasn't happened for you yet?"
Kieran shook his head.
"Ah, I envy you..." Six smiled.
"Huh---Why?" Kieran asked, confused.
"Because those days were the last few good moments of my life, before everything turned to shit." Six's voice was quiet, carrying a strange weight that made Kieran's stomach twist.
Kieran looked away, eyes landing on Mar in the corner, who had pulled out a wrinkled black hoodie from inside a dust covered desk. It was worn down by time and tangled in cobwebs.
Mar held it close, clutching it to his chest. There was something heartbreakingly vulnerable about the look in his eyes.
Six glanced back at Kieran. "Hey, Kieran... cherish the time you have with them while you still can."
"I—what are you talking about?" Kieran asked, a pit growing in his chest.
"Just trust me," Six said softly. Then, without another word, he walked through the door at the far end of the classroom.
Kieran looked back once more at the mural, feeling something unspeakable eating at his heart, before following him. Mar trailed behind them silently, holding the hoodie like it was all he had left, before tying it around his waist.
The group continued to navigate the tunnels in silence, the tension thick enough to cut with a small, rusted dagger.
"S-So, why is the curse hidden in this castle...?" Kieran asked, attempting to break the silence. But his question hung unanswered in the air.
"It's how these types of curses work," Six said dryly. "They act like parasites—using the soul as a host, manipulating its essence to construct structures like this to protect themselves from harm."
"The structures they create usually aren't this defined, though. They tend to be messy, hive-like formations that focus more on defense and concealment rather than appearance—which only further proves how unique the curse we're dealing with is," Six added, running his hand along the dry, black, crooked walls.
"I don't get it. We got in here pretty easily. Aside from the lock, the castle itself didn't seem very 'defensive.' Why is that?" Kieran asked.
"I'm not sure. Each curse behaves differently, and the effects they have on the soul vary too," Six replied as the tunnel noticeably narrowed.
"The only bitch—" Six stopped himself. "Sorry, the only witch I know who can make curses even remotely like this…"
"…is the Witch of Ice—Chione Priscilla."
Kieran's eyes widened. "H-Huh? Principal Priscilla?" he asked.
Six gave him a confused look. "...What do you mean, Principal?"
Before Kieran could respond, a low rumble echoed nearby.
"We're here," Six said as the narrow tunnel suddenly opened into a spacious room. White moss hung from the ceiling, moths crawling up and down its tendrils. Vines ran up the walls. In the center of the room sat a golden, cracked orb, glowing faintly in the dark.
"That's… us?" Kieran asked, pointing at the soul hovering in front of them. Six nodded promptly, his eyes glancing around the area for any signs of the curse.
"It's too quiet..." Six muttered, glancing around the room. Kieran looked down at the ground beneath them. Strands of gray hair littered the floor. He bent down to pick one up—when suddenly—
"Kieran, watch out!" Six shouted.
Kieran looked up just in time to see something flying toward him. Before it could reach him, Mar stepped in front, blocking the strike with his sword. Sparks scattered through the air on impact.
The figure was knocked back, tumbling across the room before landing on its feet. To the trio's shock, standing before them was another Kieran—or rather, a doll-like imitation with dark purple eyes that glowed intensely. Attached to its back was a string like tendril, trailing off into the surrounding darkness behind it.
Six charged the doll, slamming into it with a loud punch. "Cut the string!" he yelled, getting on top of the imitation, trying to hold it down. Mar sprinted toward the cord, leaping into the air and preparing to strike it.
The doll let out a piercing screech just before he landed the blow. The sound stunning both Mar and Six, sending them flying backward.
"S-Shit…" Kieran muttered, shaking violently as he gripped the rusted dagger in his hand, pointing it at the puppet. The imitation rose, floating midair as the tendril suspended it like a marionette. Its face twisted into an unnaturally wide, toothless grin as it launched itself at Kieran.
He dove out of the way, the creature slamming into the floor behind him. With a shout, Kieran turned and charged, slashing the puppet with the rusted dagger.
A faint scratch appeared on its face.
The puppet stared briefly, before grinning, lifting a hand to reveal long, jagged claws before lunging at Kieran again.
Six slammed into it mid-leap, knocking it across the room and into a wall. He turned to Kieran, exasperated.
"Jesus—fuck are you trying to do? Give it tetanus?!"
"Let me see that," he said, snatching the knife from Kieran. He then channeled a white, cackling energy into the blade, before handing it back. The puppet, now locked in combat with Mar, laughed maniacally as sparks flickered around the two.
Six interrupted their battle, slamming a punch into the doll and sending it crashing to the ground. Mar darted forward, aiming to slice off its head—but the thick, rubber like skin of the monster was tougher than he anticipated.
Mar's eyes then flared with rage, his pupils glowing a bright red as his muscles tensed. His sword responded to his fury, glowing in kind. With a sudden surge of strength, he managed to carve through the puppet's neck, leaving a clean red streak suspended in the air before it slowly faded.
He landed and looked up—only to feel claws tear across his face, blood spraying across the headless doll's body.
"Mar!" Kieran shouted, as he and Six rushed in from opposite sides. The doll raised its hand toward Six, swiping with lethal precision—but Six narrowly dodged, countering with a heavy punch that tore its arm clean from the socket.
Seizing the moment, Six grabbed the monsters tendril, holding it up for Kieran, who charged with the glowing dagger raised high.
And in one swift motion, he brought the blade down, a rough tearing noise was produced, like the sound of fabric being ripped in half as Kieran sliced through the thread, the monster not being able to react in time—his strike a beautiful arc of white light.
The puppet dropped to its knees, then collapsed completely, its body melting into the ground as it slowly turned into black ash.
Mar watched as the doll slowly faded, a strange sensation gnawing at him.
"W-We did it!" Kieran shouted, throwing his hands up in the air, panting before running over. "Mar—that was amazing!" he said, reaching a hand out to Mar.
Mar took it with a smile, blood dripping down his face as Kieran helped him up.
"Not bad, Kieran," Six said, walking over to the two. "Honestly, I thought you were a goner with how weak you looked, but—"
"Glad to know I kick ass in every world," Six chuckled.
Kieran laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "Uh… thanks?"
"Alright, let's hurry and touch the orb before something—" Six began to walk, but Mar grabbed his arm.
"Hm--what's wrong?" Six asked.
Mar clutched his chest.
"Something…...wrong," he said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Kieran asked. Six tensed, scanning the room, then looked up—his face twisted in horror.
A massive, charred hand emerged from the shadows above Mar.
"Move!" Six shouted, pushing Mar just in time as the hand slammed down, barely missing them both.
"W-What the hell is that?!" Kieran shouted.
"The curse!" Six responded, rising to his feet alongside Mar. They prepared to counterattack, but before they could, another hand appeared behind the orb—grabbing it.
This caused all three versions of Kieran to suddenly glitch violently. The effects of Six and Mar's powers promptly being cut off as steam rose from their bodies. The force Six had been building repelled back at him, launching him across the room.
Mar dropped to his knees, steam rising off his skin as the blood on his body began to boil. Gritting his teeth, he rose slowly, using his sword for support. But when he turned around, the hand loomed over him—and then slammed down.
A sickening crunch followed. Blood splattered across the floor.
Kieran lay on the ground, watching in disbelief, struggling to stay conscious. The hand lifted, revealing Mar's crushed corpse, blood dripping in slow streams.
The hand then crept toward Kieran, ready to strike—until Six crashed into it with a blast of raw energy.
"Get to the soul, NOW!" Six yelled.
Kieran shook his head, snapping back to focus, and forced himself to his feet. He sprinted toward the orb, while Six clashed with the hand in the background.
But as Keiran grew closer, the second hand clenched the orb again, causing both him and Six to falter. Kieran stumbled, steam hissing from his skin, while Six hit the ground hard.
The hand above Six formed a fist, preparing to strike.
Six reached into his pocket, pulling out a slightly cracked, silver amulet that pulsed with light.
"I'm sorry-- my friend." He said, coughing. "Looks like I couldn't keep my promise."
He crushed the amulet in his hand. A blinding white orb burst from it, fusing into his body. Light spread across him like armor. The hand came crashing down—but a wave of radiant energy erupted from Six, scorching it, causing the curse to screech in pain.
The other hand released the orb, rushing toward Six.
Kieran took the opportunity, his heart pounding as he ran, flashes of white light flaring behind him with every strike. But the light soon dimmed—Six's power fading fast.
He dodged one hand, only to be caught by the other.
Kieran reached the soul, just as a massive figure emerged from the darkness.
A towering woman—her face obscured by long, grey hair that touched the floor—held Six in her hands. The curse pulled him closer toward her face, opening her mouth---her jaw stretching unnaturally wide.
"U-Urgh— Kieran!" Six shouted, his voice cracking. Kieran turned around, frozen as he watched the alternate version of himself be slowly pulled to its demise.
"Don't ever... hnngh----- hide from the rain!" He said, struggling.
"If you do… it'll just rain harder!"
"Ugh--- don't you dare… turn out a coward like me!" he gasped between breaths as the curse held him above its maw. "Ghh---- Stand in it! Hahh--- Let it know you're not afraid!"
Six paused, out of breath.
He looked at Kieran with a smile.
"Because... in the end... that's all it is----rain."
The curse dropped him.
Its mouth closing with a crunch. Blood trickling from its lips as it chewed.
It turned to Kieran.
The monster slipped into the shadows, slowly making its way toward him, causing Kieran to stagger backward, before quickly turning, and placing his hand on top of the orb.
The soul flashed a bright golden light, gradually illuminating the space around Kieran. The room began to brighten, revealing the monster rushing toward him as his body slowly started to fade into light.
"𝙺𝙸----𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙽!"
The curse cried out in a low, guttural roar.
"I-I''m sorry---you guys..." Kieran said, his body completely dissipating.