The hollow tree felt colder than usual that night. Each of them had drifted into an uneasy sleep, exhaustion pulling them under despite their best efforts to stay vigilant. Outside, the wind whispered through the forest, carrying with it an eerie stillness.
JC stirred first, his body tense as his mind was transported elsewhere—a dream unlike any he had experienced before.
---
JC stood in a desolate expanse. The ground beneath his feet was barren and cracked, and the sky above churned with angry shades of black and red. The air reeked of sulfur, burning his nostrils as he took in his surroundings. A river of molten lava carved through the wasteland, its glow illuminating the jagged cliffs that loomed in the distance.
"You've come far, mortal."
The voice was deep, commanding, and carried the weight of the underworld itself. JC turned to see a towering figure clad in black robes, his face shrouded in shadow. Flames licked at the edges of his form, and his eyes burned like coals.
"Hades," JC said, his voice steady despite the overwhelming presence before him.
The god of the underworld inclined his head. "You bear my mark, boy. The Curse of Hades. Do you know what that means?"
JC's gaze remained steady. "No. But I'm guessing you're about to tell me."
A faint smile crossed the god's lips, though it held no warmth. "It means you carry the weight of death itself. You are a conduit of my power, bound to the forces of the underworld. Souls will bow to you, and shadows will bend to your will. But make no mistake—this is no gift. It is a curse, and it will consume you if you let it."
JC felt a faint pulse on his forearm, where the mark glowed faintly. "Why me?"
Hades stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "Because the blood of Renkai runs through your veins. He was my instrument once, and now you inherit his burden. Whether you survive or succumb is your choice. But know this: the underworld will always claim its own."
Before JC could respond, the ground beneath him crumbled, and he fell into the abyss.
---
Alice's dream was no less vivid. She stood in the middle of a vast battlefield, the clash of swords and the cries of warriors echoing around her. The sky above was a stormy gray, and the ground beneath her feet was slick with blood.
In the distance, a woman stood, clad in armor that gleamed like polished silver. Her golden hair flowed like a river, and her piercing gray eyes seemed to see everything. She carried a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, the crest of an owl emblazoned on its surface.
"Athena," Alice whispered, her voice trembling.
The goddess turned, her gaze locking onto Alice with an intensity that made her want to shrink back. "So you are the one who bears my mark," Athena said, her voice both commanding and serene.
Alice instinctively touched the rune on her wrist, which glowed faintly. "What does it mean?"
"It means you carry my curse," Athena said. "The Curse of Wisdom. You are bound to my knowledge, my strategies, my power. But wisdom is a double-edged blade. It will guide you, but it will also torment you, for there is no peace in knowing too much."
Alice frowned. "Why would you curse me with that?"
Athena stepped closer, her gaze unyielding. "Because the blood of Renkai flows within you. He was once my most trusted pupil, but his ambition betrayed him. You must bear his burden, and perhaps, you can succeed where he failed. But heed my warning, child: wisdom without humility will lead to ruin."
The battlefield dissolved into chaos, and Alice felt herself being pulled back to the waking world.
---
Rex's dream was different still. He stood in a sprawling arena, its walls towering high above him. The roar of an unseen crowd filled his ears, and the ground shook with their cheers. Before him stood a figure of immense size, clad in golden armor that gleamed like the sun.
The man's muscles rippled beneath his armor, and his eyes burned with a fierce determination. He carried a massive club, its surface studded with jagged spikes.
"Hercules," Rex said, his voice trembling.
The demigod nodded, his expression stern. "You bear my mark, boy. The Curse of Strength."
Rex looked down at his own hands, which felt heavier, more powerful than before. The mark on his arm glowed brightly. "What does it mean?"
"It means you are bound to my legacy," Hercules said. "You carry the strength of a hero, but strength alone is not enough. It will tempt you, push you to rely on brute force when you should seek another path. That is the nature of the curse—it demands balance, and without it, you will destroy yourself."
Rex swallowed hard, his fear evident. "Why me?"
Hercules's gaze softened, if only slightly. "Because you are a descendant of Renkai. He was once a warrior of unparalleled strength, but his hubris led to his downfall. You must learn from his mistakes, or you will share his fate."
The arena began to crumble, and Rex felt himself being pulled back into the waking world.
---
The three woke simultaneously, their breaths coming in sharp gasps. The marks on their skin glowed faintly, their pulsating light casting eerie shadows on the walls of the hollow tree.
"What...was that?" Rex whispered, his voice shaky.
Alice looked at her wrist, her mind racing. "It wasn't just a dream. I saw Athena. She called it the Curse of Wisdom."
"Hades," JC said, his voice calm but firm. "The Curse of Death."
Rex hesitated before speaking. "Hercules. The Curse of Strength."
The weight of their revelations hung heavy in the air. The marks were no longer just mysterious symbols—they were connections to ancient powers, curses that tied them to the gods themselves.
"What does this mean for us?" Rex asked, his fear evident.
JC looked at him, his calm gaze steady despite the storm raging within. "It means we have power. But it also means we have to be careful. These curses—they're dangerous."
Alice nodded, her fiery determination returning. "Then we figure out how to control them. Together."
JC's lips quirked into a faint smile. "Together."
For the first time since their exile, they felt a glimmer of hope. The path ahead was uncertain, but they were no longer helpless. They carried the power of gods within them—and they would learn to wield it, no matter the cost.
---