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Chapter 1 - The Curse in My Eye

It was pitch black. The air was thick with screams—shouts, cries, chaos.

What's going on…?

"Everie… Everie…!" A distant voice echoed—a soft, familiar voice. A woman's.

"Snap out of it, child."

What is she talking about…?

Then came the laugh. Sinister. Familiar. Chilling. The air twisted with the scent of smoke and blood. And in the middle of it all—a man with golden hair, sword gleaming red in his hand.

"Wake up, Eve," he whispered.

I jolted upright in bed, breath ragged. That nightmare again. It felt too real. Too familiar.

That man—who was he?

I ran a hand down my face and stumbled out of bed, my limbs still heavy with sleep. Water. I needed water.

At the sink, I splashed my face, trying to wash away the unease. But the mirror didn't let me escape.

Black hair in a tangled mess. Pale skin. And my right eye—covered, always covered.

The eye I couldn't bear to look at.

A dragon's blessing, they called it once.

A symbol of divine power, of unmatched strength. The stories said it let you feel fire in your blood, let you command the world.

But now?

It was a curse.

A threat.

A reason to be feared.

There's a tale. An old one. A king once blessed by the dragon's flame. He became too powerful, too unstable. He destroyed his kingdom—himself included.

Just a story.

But me?

I had the eye.

No power. No fire. Nothing.

Not even a spark.

I used to believe I was a late bloomer. That something would awaken someday. But now... I'm done hoping.

"Everie!" A voice barked from outside.

"We're not waiting all day!"

I sighed. Tossed on my robe. Strapped on the eyepatch. Another day at the tavern. Not by choice—but because I had nowhere else to go. The owner gave me food and shelter. That was more than I had before.

─── ୨ৎ ───

The tavern buzzed with chatter and the clink of mugs. As soon as I stepped in, the owner slapped a hand onto my back.

"Quit slacking! You think those customers line up just to see my face?"

"I'm just a bartender..." I muttered.

Plap!

The slap came sharp across my cheek.

"Watch your tone," he snapped.

"Don't forget who dragged you out of the gutter. You want me to sell you to some rich noble instead?"

I swallowed hard. There he goes again.

This wasn't new. The last time I got sick and missed a shift, he left me outside in the snow for hours. I almost didn't make it back.

But where could I go?

I tied my apron. Said nothing. And got to work.

"Did you hear about the Black Hood?" someone slurred.

"That psycho?" another muttered over their mug. "Burned a whole house down over stolen goods. They say his magic's terrifying."

"Rumor says he was seen in this district."

Their voices swirled like smoke, curling into the cracks of my thoughts.

I kept cleaning.

─── ୨ৎ ───

After closing up, I grabbed my robe and headed for the door. But the tavern owner called out again.

"Hey, Eve. Watch your back. That Black Hood might be lurking."

I paused. Why was he warning me?

"Thanks—"

"Can't have my moneymaker dying in a ditch."

I forced a smile.

'Of course. That's all I am to him.'

"Yeah. I get it."

Outside, the air was cold. Still. Each step echoed in the silence of the street.

Flames. Screams. The man with the golden hair—his image flickered behind my eyes.

Not again…

I stumbled, clutching my head.

"I need to see Flora."

Flora Rubert. One of the few psychics left. People say she can see the future—and sometimes, the past.

Maybe she could make sense of all this.

But then—pain. A blinding jolt across my skull.

I collapsed.

"Urgh—"

A soft cry caught my attention.

I looked up, barely, and froze.

A vampire crouched in the alley, blood dripping from his mouth. He was feeding on a woman, too weak to scream.

His red eyes met mine.

'Not the Black Hood… A vampire?!'

I tried to move—but everything was sluggish. The headache, the shock—it locked me in place.

Then… the vampire stood, eyes locked on mine.

"Master?!"

My blood ran cold.

'...What did he just say?'

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