Alice came over to me with a devilish smile on her face. She was giggling as a result of what she observed. My enemies had severely wounded me, and I was bleeding. Perhaps she's amused by the fact that I am still alive despite having certain injuries. She might not want me to be alive anymore.
She offered those spirits to her master. After the ritual, their bodies abruptly vanished without a trace. Then Alice invited me to visit a pub where I could temporarily stop killing people in order to unwind and enjoy a glass of wine. But I didn't accompany her because I still have to complete my task. I don't want to waste my time and cause trouble like she does.
Alice brought me to the place where she found the fourteenth person. We appeared in an unfamiliar location, as always happens. Even though we were teleporting, it took us a few seconds to arrive in this place, so I know it was far from where we've been.
It was a quiet place without anyone except nature, which gave me a clue as to what the power of my fourteenth enemy could be. There were no houses, except for a shack that appeared distant from us.
The breeze was whispering icily, sending shivers down my spine. I had a feeling of premonition as I looked at the hazy sky. We were surrounded by mountains with tall trees, growing plants, and wild animals. It was a spectacular scene that everyone would like to see.
"Wow, Alice! This is such a great place!" I exclaimed as I jumped and turned around as if I wasn't thinking about the dangers that might be waiting for an opportunity to attack when I'd let my guard down.
"Don't you really want to go to a tavern with me? I see, you seemed to be enjoying here, but don't enjoy too much. Alright! I'll see you later. Defeat your enemy without taking any scratches, okay?" Alice said.
I became curious about what happened to Alice. Perhaps she'd already lost her mind because she'd want to leave without completing her task. Is she that carefree and confident to trust everything to me?
It was rare to find a troublesome spirit like her. She could not even drink a glass of water, so how much more about beer? I wasn't sure what she was planning to do, but I was sure that she would only cause trouble wherever she went.
"You can do what you want; I don't care. But don't forget to inform me about my enemy before you leave." I didn't know what crossed my mind, but I told her to avoid drinking and go back at the right time. Perhaps I was just pretending that I didn't care about her, though I really do.
"Alright. Actually, I'm just kidding about going to the bar. I'll just look for the sixteenth person who was supposed to fight you because you seemed to want to eat me if I didn't assist you in looking for your enemies," Alice replied.
"Okay. I get it. Just stop talking with me." I turned around without giving her a glance as I twisted my arms around each other as if I were sulking.
"Your enemy is a very dangerous creature. So you should not let your guard down if you want to stay alive. He has the power to control nature that he could use to fool you," Alice warned in a serious tone.
"See that little shack there? That's where he lives." Alica pointed her index finger at the house that was surrounded by the precipice and cliff.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I asked in a mad tone.
Perhaps my enemy isn't that strong. I hoped that he was just an old man whom I could defeat easily, but I didn't want to be complacent since even old people can fight back, especially since they're not just old but also have a lot of experience when it comes to fighting.
I would refer to him as the nature guy, since Alice told me that his power source is nature. I just didn't expect that there would be someone who could control nature; that's quite impossible.
Alicia didn't say anything. Perhaps she also noticed that I wasn't interested in whatever she said because I wasn't giving her a proper glance. After a few moments, she disappeared without saying goodbye.
I stepped closer to my enemy's residence without making any noise, as if I were a spy or an assassin who was ready to take his life. Nature seemed to be telling me to go back, but I didn't give it my attention.
My heartbeats grew faster, as if I were in danger. Again, I didn't mind those uncomfortable feelings and continued towards the shack. It was already afternoon, and everything seemed to be singing a lullaby; even the breeze was luring me to fall asleep.
Perhaps my enemy was asleep, and that favors me too because sleeping people could barely fight back compared to those who are awake and aware of what could happen to them. The shack's door creaked as I opened it.
When I opened the door, the sleeping house appeared to have been stirred. I was taken aback when I noticed that there was no one inside. Once more, I was surprised when I turned to leave. An old man was staring right at me.
He looked mad. His eyes were as red as fire. He clutched his palm like he would punch me out of nowhere. I covered my ears as he began scolding me for entering his house without his consent.
"It's trespassing. I wish you knew the payment for your action!" He warned as he slowly walked towards me. I could feel his power bursting out like a volcano that was ready to explode its hot magma.
Well, I know he has a reason to get mad. It was my mistake, and by this mistake, I could have had a reason to fight him and do my mission. I was surprised as his hands emitted a green light that could almost blind me. The shack was wiped out as the dust and rocks began floating with the wind, creating a great vortex of rotating tornadoes mixed with different things.
I stepped back, trying to escape his rage, but he was quick to strike me. I couldn't move; I was carried by the tornado. I began screaming as my body was torn apart. I didn't know what happened next. I didn't know if I won that fight, though it was almost impossible because my enemy was so strong.
Nothing but blackness was visible to me. There was nothingness waiting wherever I turned. I was standing in an empty space. I have no idea how I ended up in this situation. The only thing I could recall was that I was fighting the man who summoned a great tornado, and then I lost consciousness, thinking that I had kicked the bucket.
My whole universe shook out of nowhere. Despite my best efforts, the earthquake persisted in trying to destroy my entire world since it was so powerful—more powerful than the enemies I encountered. Perhaps it was my end. But as I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar face.
I stood up in surprise. Am I just dreaming about that man? I thought I died, but here I am, alive and breathing, and I was lying on the ground while Alice stared at me with a smile.
"Oh, Alice, what happened?" I asked curiously as I stared at Alice, who was still sitting on the ground. She wasn't looking at me as if she had something important to say. "Have you found my next enemy?"
"Sheena, you did a great job." Alice stood up. "I apologize since I was unable to assist you in murdering him." I didn't know if it was tears that were forming in her eyes as she looked at me.
I was confused; I didn't know what happened. Am I dreaming again? I touched my head and noticed that I might have a fever since I was so hot. But Alice didn't remove her gaze from me, which added to my curiosity.
"Your body was covered in bruises. You shouldn't have fought that man without my help; look what happened. Are you alright?" Alice broke the silence.
"Hmm?" I paused as I held my chin, thinking seriously, then I asked impatiently. "Did something happen? You look so worried. Can you just stop talking and bring me to my next enemy?"
Alice nodded, but she didn't perform any magic. Instead, she began lecturing me again about what I should have done with my enemies. I don't know why she was mad. But perhaps I didn't completely know her.
"You were almost killed, but you still insist on doing your nonsense task," Alice scolded. "Can you stop for a moment and let me heal your wounds?"
I moaned. I was still confused about why Alice was acting weird. She didn't worry about me before, and this is disgusting. "Alice, can you stop fooling me? I know you don't care, so stop pretending that you do!"
Alice remained silent for a while. She might be mad because I yelled at her, but I just couldn't help it. She was so confusing. I didn't even know what happened to that man. Did she help me kill him? That might be the reason she was acting weird.
I remembered what she said before: that she couldn't kill my enemies, but she could help me kill them due to the rules of the curse. I should stop thinking like that; they are merely assumptions, that's all. However, I was still confused, so I didn't hesitate to ask her.
"What happened to you, Alice? Why are you acting weird lately? Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked.
"Do you really want to know why, Kaila?" Alice sounded different. "I was just fooling you from the beginning. I don't really need you to kill people just for my freedom. I'm so evil that I didn't just curse you; I also made you believe that killing is the only way to be free."
I was taken aback after hearing Alice's words and laughter. At first, I thought that she might just be joking, so I hesitated to believe her. Besides, I was also used to her jokes and pranks, which may sound serious.
However, I was bothered by the way she said those words. Her tone was serious, and I couldn't think well. How could she fool me like that? How could she curse me and make me believe that killing people was the only way to be free? I wanted to know why, even if she was just joking.
"But why, Alice? Why would you do that to me?" I asked. "Are you just fooling me again because you're mad at what happened?"
"Why would I fool a fool like you, Sheena?" She asked. Her words pierced my heart. It was her first time to say that to me: "You're so foolish to believe me. I just used you for pleasure."
I felt so overwhelmed by mixed emotions as I confirmed Alice's intentions. She didn't mean to help me because she was the one who cursed me from the start, and there wasn't such a thing as an enemy who would help her victim.
But what hurts the most is that I didn't expect that she would only use me like her toy, controlling me like she wanted for a very long time. I hate her! I could bury her alive for fooling me all this time!
"I hate you!" I screamed until I could almost lose my breath.
How could I trust and obey a demon? I asked myself a hundred times, blaming myself and regretting all the decisions I had made since I met her. Why did I choose to conspire with a demon? Why? The flow of my tears won't stop; I didn't notice it was already flooding until I was drowned.
Those emotions hindered my breathing until I lost consciousness. It was dark again, and in that darkness, I saw a demon's face, laughing at me. I screamed in rage again and again. As I opened my eyes, everything became familiar—the ceiling, the bed, the pillow. I was in my bedroom!
It took me years before I could understand that enigma. It wasn't just a dream, but a nightmare that was almost realistic. Those stains on my clothes and hands, those creatures I met, those supernatural things, and those people I trusted were all parts of my wild imagination.
I am Sheena, the girl who was chosen to experience how it feels to be cursed by a demon. I still don't know how to explain this, but you'll understand it if you've experienced it yourself. But however bad that dream is, I realized one thing: "You yourself will always be the worst enemy you can encounter; you yourself lie in wait for yourself in caves and forests."