I didn't sleep. How could I?
The pendant sat on my nightstand, its faint glow casting eerie patterns on the walls of my room. I couldn't stop staring at it. Every time I closed my eyes, the visions came rushing back—the forest, the pool, the figure standing at its edge. My head throbbed, and my chest felt like it was being crushed under the weight of everything the hooded figure had told me.
Cursed.
The word echoed in my mind, over and over again. It wasn't just a story or a cruel joke. It was real. The changes I'd been trying to ignore—my voice, my face, the way my body felt—they were all pieces of a puzzle I never wanted to solve.
And now I couldn't look away.
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The next morning, Aoi was waiting for me at our usual spot near the campus gates. She waved, her grin as bright as ever, but the moment her eyes met mine, the smile faded."You look like hell," she said bluntly, tilting her head to get a better look at me. "Did you sleep at all?"
I forced a laugh, hoping it would sound convincing. "Rough night."
Her frown deepened, and she stepped closer, her sharp eyes scanning my face. "Yuki, what's going on? And don't say 'nothing,' because you've been acting weird since yesterday."
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. How could I explain any of this to her? Aoi, my rock, my anchor—she'd never look at me the same way if she knew. But the weight of the secret was unbearable, and I couldn't keep carrying it alone.
"Aoi…" My voice cracked, and I had to swallow hard before continuing. "There's something I need to tell you."
She crossed her arms, her expression softening. "I'm listening."
I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, a sharp pain shot through my head. I stumbled, clutching my temple as the world blurred around me.
"Yuki!" Aoi's voice was distant, panicked. Her hands were on my shoulders, steadying me as I tried to stay upright.
The visions hit me again, more vivid this time. The forest, the pool, the shadowy figure—but now there was something else. A voice, soft and melodic, whispering words I couldn't understand. It sent a chill down my spine, and then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.
When I opened my eyes, Aoi was staring at me, her face pale. "Yuki, what the hell was that?"
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I couldn't keep it from her any longer. Sitting on a bench in the quiet corner of campus, I told her everything. About the hooded figure, the curse, the pendant, and the transformation that was already taking hold of me.To her credit, Aoi didn't interrupt. She listened, her expression unreadable, as I stumbled through the story. When I finally finished, the silence between us was deafening.
"So," she said slowly, her voice steady but strained, "you're telling me that you're cursed. That you're… changing. And that this is all because of some ancient debt your family owes to a spirit?"
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
For a moment, I thought she was going to laugh or tell me I was crazy. But then she reached out, her hand covering mine.
"Okay," she said.
I blinked, startled. "Okay?"
She shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You're my best friend, Yuki. If you say this is real, then I believe you. And if you're going through this… thing, then I'm going through it with you. You're not doing this alone."
Her words hit me like a tidal wave, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt a flicker of hope. Aoi had always been there for me, and now, even with this impossible truth hanging between us, she hadn't wavered.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking.
"Don't thank me yet," she said, squeezing my hand. "We've got a lot to figure out. Starting with this hooded figure of yours. You said they told you to look into your family's past?"
I nodded. "They said the answers are there. That's the only way to break the curse."
"Then that's where we'll start," she said firmly. "But first, we're getting you something to eat. You look like you're about to pass out."
Despite everything, I couldn't help but laugh. Aoi's determination was infectious, and for the first time in days, I felt like maybe—just maybe—I wasn't completely doomed.
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As we walked toward the cafeteria, the pendant in my pocket pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. The weight of the curse was still there, heavy and unrelenting, but with Aoi by my side, it didn't feel quite so unbearable.Whatever came next, I knew I wouldn't have to face it alone.