The woman stood tall with poise and grace, exuding an air of confidence and elegance. Her skin was smooth and flawless, with a natural glow that seemed to emanate from within. Her eyes, of sky magenta colour, sparkled with intelligence and warmth, drawing you in and making you feel instantly at ease.
She wore a simple yet striking outfit that complemented her natural beauty perfectly. A flowing kurti in a soft pastel shade draped loosely over her figure, falling just above her knees. The fabric was lightweight and airy, with delicate floral embroidery adorning the neckline and hemline.
Her long, dark-scarlet hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, allowing her stunning features to take centre stage. A pair of simple silver earrings dangled from her ears, adding just the right amount of shimmer to her look.
As she moved with effortless grace, the kurti billowed gently around her, creating an ethereal aura that was both mesmerising and captivating.
With a plate overflowing with delicious aloo paratha and a side of tangy ketchup in hand, she sauntered towards a young man who was a spitting image of her: dark-scarlet hair and sky-magenta eyes. The man's expression was one of sheer disbelief as if he had just spotted a unicorn riding a skateboard.
With a twinkle in her eye and a mischievous grin on her face, she said, "Hello, beta. Did you miss your dear mother's cooking?" The man's eyes widened further as if he had just seen a ghost.
"What's wrong, dear?" The woman, who introduced herself as the man's mother, exclaimed, with a warm smile spreading across her face. She held out the plate of steaming aloo paratha towards him, the smell of the spices making his mouth water.
The man's expression remained dumbfounded as if he had just seen a ghost. The woman chuckled. "Don't look so shocked, dear. It's me, your dear old mother. You know, the one who carried you for nine months and went through labour pains that felt like being hit by a truck?" She teased him, nudging him playfully.
Soon a tear fell down the man's cheek; he stood up and hugged his mother, not wanting to know whether it was a dream or reality. He hugged her tightly, as if not letting her go again.
"Ignis, stop crying. You are not a bacha anymore. Try to behave like your age, or I don't know if you'll be able to marry or not." The mother patted his son's back; she too felt like hugging her child forever but had to reluctantly let go.
"M-mummy," Ignis called out in a voice filled with happiness and nervousness. He wiped away his tears and gazed at his beautiful mother, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Despite the overwhelming emotions, he couldn't find any words to ask the questions that were in his heart.
He sat down on the chair and started eating the aloo parathas his mother had made, which tasted just as delicious as they used to be, and tears welled up in his eyes. He kept eating as his mother sat across from him.
"So how's life going?" His mother asked in a warm tone.
"A bit problematic, and a bit serious," Ignis replied unconsciously as if it was natural.
"Ignis, my dear, even if you've been facing some problems, remember, life is like aloo paratha; it might seem difficult to knead the dough at first, but with patience and effort, it turns out to be a delicious treat." The mother spoke with a hint of playfulness in her tone.
Ignis couldn't help but chuckle at his mother's analogy. "I guess you're right, Mummy. Life can be as tasty as aloo paratha."
His mother smiled warmly and said, "And just like how we need different spices to make the perfect aloo paratha, life also requires different experiences and challenges to make it worth living. So don't worry too much, my dear. Everything will fall into place eventually."
Ignis felt a sense of comfort in his mother's words and took another bite of the delicious paratha.
Soon all the parathas were finished, and he looked towards his mother for more.
"Ignis I think you need to go and find the right spices, and when you do, I'll make you your favourite parathas again, but for now you need to wake up!" His mother said it in a warm tone.
Ignis looked confused and asked in a puzzled tone, "What do you mean wake up?"
His mother looked towards him, still with a warm smile but her gaze as deep and unfathomable, and she looked into Ignis's eyes as if she were peering into his eyes and seeing things, and she spoke,
"Ignis, you need to wake up."
"Wake up to reality, my son."
The moment his mother said this, the scene started to fade and everything went blank, and then he suddenly opened his eyes.
As his mind slowly began to emerge from the fog of blankness, the first thing he noticed was a searing pain shooting up his arm. He gritted his teeth and let out a small cry. But then he remembered that he had lost an arm. 'Well, that's just fantastic,' he thought sarcastically. 'I bet this will make for a great conversation starter.' He looked around, trying to get his bearings. 'Where in the world am I?'
"Ignis, are you alright?" He heard a concerned voice reach his ears, and soon he saw Ethyn coming over to where he was sleeping.
As Ignis asked about the fate of the monster, Ethyn's expression shifted to a mix of concern and confusion. Despite her difficulty walking, she proceeded to recount what she knew about the situation from Hannah: how the creature had brutally attacked Ignis and Kate, severing their hands before mysteriously collapsing.
The group was now facing the added problem of being cursed, with no information available in their system interface. Ethyn's tone was serious, reflecting the gravity of their predicament.
Ignis opened his interface and had to take deep breaths because of how amazing it looked, even though they were affected by a curse.
_______________
Name: Ignis
Level: 15 (0/80,000)
Talent: Divinity Mark
Class: None (Qualified to apply for it.)
Title: The Syndicate Liquidator
HP: 5,600
Mana: 2,650
Curse: The Curse of #####
_______________
Stamina: 54 (+35)
Intellect: 46 (+60)
Strength: 60 (+30)
Defense: 51 (+80)
Vitality: 52 (+60)
Agility: 57 (+40)
Unassigned attribute points: 15
_______________
Skills:
Stinger (F+)
Appraisal (F+)
Unassigned skill points: 14
_______________
Equipment:
Kusarigama (Ordinary)
Ring (Bronze)
Chestplate (Bronze)
Boots (Bronze)
Helmet(Bronze)
Amulet(Bronze)
_______________
[System Points: 24,948]
_______________
As Ignis tried to access the curse information, his brows furrowed in frustration as he couldn't open it to get any details.
"Well, this is just fantastic. A curse we can't even get information on. Just what we needed," he muttered to himself, feeling a bit annoyed.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind about meeting his mom in a dream, but he dismissed it quickly and instead turned to Ethyn for help.
"Hey, can you give me a hand? Or two?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood as he struggled to get up.
As Ethyn held up Ignis, he couldn't help but notice the gloomy expression on her face. He joked, "Wow, you look like you just attended a funeral. Did I die and come back to life?" Ethyn chuckled weakly, glad for the lighthearted moment amidst the chaos.
Ignis then reassured her that it wasn't her fault and that his arm could be regrown thanks to the wonders of magic. "Who knows, maybe my new arm will be even stronger than the old one!" he said optimistically.
With that, Ignis surveyed his surroundings with his one good hand, feeling grateful to be alive despite everything that had happened.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but feel like he had stumbled into the lair of a supervillain. The dimly lit space was straight out of a horror movie, with flickering candles casting ominous shadows on the walls. Ignis half-expected a vampire or a werewolf to jump out at him any moment, but all he could hear was the sound of dripping water in the distance.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the shape of a massive stone throne in the centre of the room. It was like something out of a fantasy novel, with intricate carvings that depicted scenes of epic battles and heroism. Ignis felt a strange mix of awe and fear as he gazed upon it. It was as if the throne had seen centuries of wars and conquests and had absorbed all that power into itself.
The throne was situated on a raised dais, and stairs led up to it from all directions. The stones that made up the steps were rough and uneven, and one had to be careful not to trip in the low light. The throne itself was unoccupied, but one couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding in its presence. It was as if the very air of the room was charged with a strange energy, one that hinted at secrets and power beyond their understanding.
As he surveyed his surroundings, his gaze landed on the group who were sleeping. Ignis couldn't help but let out a small gasp when he saw Kate among them, also missing an arm. He still couldn't believe that they were both in the same predicament.
"Looks like we're the one-armed bandits now," Ignis quipped.