The Cursed One
It was time for the most awaited class of the year, which had not happened for the first five days. Crystal had already heard about the 'Cursed One' at least a thousand times, and though Marina had given her a brief explanation, she was still looking forward to the session to clear up her doubts.
Professor Lucian Stoneclaw had already settled into his chair before all the students had arrived, looking very much like a werewolf that he was. He wore rugged hunter's clothes and a left earring made from what looked like an animal tooth, sharp as a knife. His deep yellow eyes and ginger hair, along with his broad jaw, made him look muscular - not to mention the fact that he was really hairy. His beard was cut short, and his exposed forearm and upper chest were covered in hair, giving him an almost primal appearance.
"Good morning, my young apprentices," he said, addressing the class with a deep, rumbling voice. "Your dear Professor Nightshade has already informed me that this year's students are very eager to learn about the 'Cursed One.' I guess we won't need to discuss what to cover in today's lecture." The class chuckled at Professor Stoneclaw's pun.
"I might not have amazing magical skills like your other professors, but I have really good animalistic instincts," he continued, picking up the tower of books already present on his table in both hands. Crystal watched in amazement as he held all thirty-nine books for the first-year students with bare hands like they were nothing. She was impressed beyond words.
He kept dropping a bunch of books at every desk to the front, while the other students kept passing the books behind them to their fellow students.
When Crystal held the book in her hand, she almost felt like the air was getting knocked out of her lungs. She felt like she was carrying a hundred kilograms at once and wondered how in the world Professor Stoneclaw was able to carry all those books just like that. He really did have animalistic instincts.
The book that Professor Stoneclaw distributed was named ‘Divinatio et Maledicta’, and for now, he had taken back his seat once again.
“Page number twelve hundred and forty-nine,” Professor aided the students, and Crystal was even more impressed that he remembered the page number for their topic in a book that looked like it had more than five thousand pages.
“Ms. Crystal Smith,” called Professor Stoneclaw, and Crystal flung herself away from her seat immediately.
“Yes, professor,” she replied politely, and Professor Stoneclaw chuckled at her being too cautious.
"A few years ago, I embarked on a project that led me to Earth, where I gained some knowledge about the Earthly Realm. If I recall correctly, teachers there often require their students to read text aloud from their books. Would that be an accurate statement?"
“Yes, professor,” her getting so caught off guard was very amusing for Professor Stoneclaw.
"Given that information, I assume it wouldn't be too much trouble for you to recite the curse for us, would it?" Professor Stoneclaw requested, and Crystal just nodded her head, going with the flow and cursing in her head for being from Earth.
“When all of you lie in peaceful rest,
The cursed one shall awaken from its quest.
With all the strength that it can muster,
Every being shall bow down to its power.
Its eyes, like embers, burn with hate,
Its body twisted with a demonic gait.
And on its wings, a shadow is cast,
A crescent moon, a symbol of the curse that lasts.
The cursed one will shatter your pride,
And your once-great kingdom will subside.
The curse's grip will soon be spent,
Its reign of terror, finally relent.
The cursed one's fire will never fade,
It seeks to rule with an iron blade.
Its wrath will spread like a deadly tide,
Until all have fallen, and none abide.
I shall be merciful, for hope remains,
A hero will rise, free from all chains.
With courage and strength, they'll face the cursed,
And bring an end to this dark, wicked verse.
Only the mate of the cursed one holds the key,
To end its reign and set the kingdom free.
But the mate must be strong, and willing to fight,
For the cursed one's power is great, and its grip is tight.
Beware, though, for the mate cannot be trusted,
Its loyalties and motives may be easily adjusted.
So, the fate of the kingdom lies in nature's hand,
For only she can determine the end of this grandstand.
Will the mate prove true and vanquish the curse?
Or will the kingdom be left to suffer and nurse?
Only time will tell, as the tale unfolds,
And the truth of the mate's character is ultimately told.”
Crystal had extremely mixed feelings about the text. She understood that the Queen was tortured and basically forced to take her own life, but she wondered why the Queen would choose to curse innocent ones if she wanted to take revenge for those around her.
Crystal also felt angry that the cursed one's mates would hesitate to kill them for the protection of the whole nation, which seemed pretty selfish to her.
Just as Crystal was lost in thought, Professor Stoneclaw interrupted her. "Thank you, Ms. Smith. You may take your seat," he said, smiling at her. However, she felt the genuineness of that smile decreasing in his aura from earlier. The topic must have saddened him as much as it had taken a toll on Crystal's heart.
"I do hope that we will not see that day any time soon. Just as the curse says, 'Until all have fallen, and none abide,' no species will be spared. From werewolves and vampires to demons, merfolk, faeries, and goblins, all shall be subject to its wrath." Goosebumps rose on everyone's skin the moment Professor Stoneclaw completed his words.
"Since no one came to help, she increased her wrath towards everyone else. There are only a few things that we know about this 'Cursed One'. First, they will have a crescent moon shadow over their wing; second, they will seek revenge for evil done to them, similar or different from what Queen Tenebra Maximus experienced; and lastly, the only way to get rid of them would be through their mate."
Once the Professor finished, the murmurs among the students grew louder this time as they discussed their own opinions among themselves, but regardless, Professor Stoneclaw continued again.
"There is no information regarding whether the mate will be powerful or not, but it is predicted from the verses that The Cursed One is so powerful that the only way to end it would be through the betrayal of its mate. But the verses also give us caution against trusting that mate because we all know how strong the connection between mates can be."
Professor Stoneclaw continued to explain further about things that were already quite clear in the poem itself, and that concluded the class for the day.
