They stopped on a mountain top, down below in the deepest valley laid before them, the dark forest. Looking at the place alone brought her enough goose bumps, but she wasn't ready to give up; someone without her permission had dared to pass judgment on her for an offense she didn't commit. Doomed for endless pain, even though she started her life and was given no chance to select her path, what if she was reviled by a witch who didn't need to remain dead? What if she bears a centuries-old curse? What if there is a slight chance of breaking the curse and freeing herself from this fate of doom? A few days ago, she was just a princess—a stubborn, hot-headed princess who did things she wanted and enjoyed doing them. She was just a princess who couldn't wait to get married to the man she loved. It's funny how everything changed in a couple of minutes. That man she loved to death left her because he couldn't stand a little misfortune that had befallen her. To think he had stood at the alter with her and proclaimed his undying love and till death do us apart. What a joke when she thinks of it now, till death do us apart? It hadn't even been death, and he was already running away. Was it worth trying at all? Was it worth loving? She was a happy bride just days ago, and now she is nothing but a cursed one. Thinking of the emotions she had gone through, she didn't want to waste a chance, not for anything in the world; she wouldn't give in to this fate. If that woman had the guts to pass judgment on an innocent soul, then she also has the guts to take off this robe of doom she had judged her with, and if she can't do as promised, then she will just find a way to end her life. This cursed life was not hers to live; this title as a "cursed bride" she wasn't willing to bear. With so much determination in her, Batya jerked her horse into motion, with Caden trying to catch up with her.
He didn't know what was going on in her head, but whatever it was, it was good, and he was willing to support her with all he had. This chance at sacrifice, she deserved it, so curse be Lilith and her stupid proclamation of curse, he will support her to fight this, break it off, or die trying.
A forest is normally a vast land of greenery, with various species of creatures unheard of using it as a habitat. A forest should look beautiful and mysterious and yet have this energy to pull people towards it for adventure, but this wasn't a forest, and this was just a land of dead nature. She looked more cursed than she was; what happened? How can anyone survive this hell on Earth? Seeing the red moon made her think of those stories her mother used to tell her when she was little: "This place was dead, and yet... Batya looked carefully in the distance and saw something moving about in the dark. Undead? She looked at her knight, who only nodded at her, and she jumped down from her horse. She took anything she might need and drew her sword; nothing was escaping her sight without a slash.
Sinking! Her inner voice screamed, but for some reason she couldn't voice it out. She tried to stick her sword into the ground to stabilize herself, but she was sinking deeper. She looked up and saw Caden taking each step carefully. She wasn't complaining, but he needs to look back and check on his companion, and why is her voice not working at this critical moment? She felt something wrapped around her leg; she looked down and saw roots circling her leg, so without a second thought, she slushed at the remaining root trying to climb up her. She thought she heard it screech, but the root dropped and retreated. Great, even the dead tree roots can attack and make noise; just where the hell is the dark forest?
"Centuries ago, this place was the most beautiful place on earth." Caden started telling her the story as if he had heard her plead for an explanation. He turned back and reached out for her hand. Without hesitation, she grabbed it, and he pulled her along, his grip firm.
"The tallest and strangest but beautiful trees adorned this place; rare plants and animal species you will never find elsewhere inhabited this land, and this place was indeed an enchanted forest. And like the book says, every enchanted forest has a goddess. She dwelled in the biggest tree in the middle of the forest, where she protected the forest all year. She opened her gates to hunters and anyone who wanted to feed on the forest with the rule, "Don't take more than you need."
"Are you making that up, Caden?" Batya asked, her voice dry and scratchy. She was believing him until he brought up the "don't take more than you need part; that was so cliché.'
"Yes, I am," he replied, smiling.
"Why?"...
"So you wouldn't freak out," he said, and she looked up ahead; before them was a gigantic black bear. But its gigantic DNA wasn't the problem; the problem was the way it looked; it was double-headed, but that was still not the problem; the problem was the bear had a hole through its belly, but it was very much alive, and it had these possessed eyes on one head, and the other head just had black eyes; no pupil was noticed.
"This is how the animals in the Dark Forest look: dead yet alive." Caden explained, drawing his sword. He charged towards the animal, and before he could hit it, its head went off.
The scene was so shocking and horrific that Batya screamed.
"No worries, I am your escort," a voice said from behind the fallen body of the fallen bear.
A man appeared in silver armor, and just like the fallen animal, he looked dead yet alive. The man had dead eyes, which were strange.
"Why do we believe you?" Carson said, pulling the princess behind him; she still hadn't recovered from the shock earlier.
"You are powerful, I know, and quite capable of going through the forest alone, but if you want your princess to get there unharmed, then you must do as I say." Looking at the bear on the ground, the stranger sighed.
"She means business."
"Who?"
"Lilith,you think she will let you get here safe and sound without much of a trial; has it not occurred to you how you were able to get here this fast? You are almost at the heart of the forest, and you've just encountered a beast. Did you now see that something was off? ...the man in armor said, tucking his broken-edge sword in its sheath.
"We thought we were just lucky," replied Caden. The stranger was quiet. He looked at the hidden Batya behind Caden.
"Cursed she is, protected by Lilith she is, but never forget she is the princess of the Black Kingdom; her head is a bigger price, and wizards of no order are ready to fight Lilith for it. Follow me and be careful." He led the way down a more dangerous path now, but it was safer here. Could it be because the forest recognizes one of its own?
"The forest might look dead to you, but it is very much alive; it has a natural defense; it will get rid of any foreign material; the soil in this forest is a weapon; be careful."
"Then how did we enter it so simply?"
"Because you were allowed in by the dark lord," the stranger replied.
"Who are you...?" Batya asked.
"Ax, that is what I am called now."
"Now?"….
"I am the undead; nothing in me is alive; I do not follow the designed systems like you do; and just like a dead person, rotten as I am, I have no reason to use the name I bore when I was alive."
"You don't look..."
"Dead?" "Well, look closely; eternal doom was called on us and this forest, dead yet alive, rotten yet alive."
"Who did?"
"A darker force more powerful than Lilith herself, we are waiting for redemption."
"How long have you been like this, doomed?"
"Two hundred years already..."
"You said you are waiting; for whom?" Batya asked, and he stopped and looked at her scarf-covered face.
"For you, Batya of the Black, we are waiting for the cursed bride."
***
Right on top of the mountain stood three figures clad in white. From head to toe, they were covered; no part of them was shown except their eyes.
"Shouldn't we go after them?" One of the figures who was looking at the one in the middle asked.
"I do not think they will make it out alive."
"And if they do?"
"If Azazel indeed lends a hand to Batya, then we can only wait for her on the other side of the forest."
"Why do we have to kill her...?"
"Because she bears the curse, her existence brings nothing but pain to the master."
"Lilith?"
"She is nothing but a wandering soul seeking revenge."