Curses

Truths and a Lie

"What did you do?!"

Yuno jolts out of what he thinks is sleep. He's confused and doesn't know where he is.

It's dark and yet at the same time all too bright. He can see nothing but an endless red void.

"What have you done!?"

That same unfamiliar voice screams at him again.

Yuno turns and falters when he realises there's no ground beneath his feet. He floats in a void of vast nothingness with no clue of how he got there.

"What did you do?!"

A figure he doesn't recognize is screaming at him. They remind him of Asta but it isn't Asta. They're composed of shadow much like his brother and have a similar mop of shadowy hair but crowned at the top the stranger's head is a set of bull horns and his eyes are red compared to Asta's stark white.

"What have you done!? What did you do to him?!"

"Who are you?" It's all Yuno can manage. He's never seen someone else like Asta before.

Instead of answering him the figure curls his lips up and snarls. He too has fangs but they don't look human at all rather all beast.

"What did you do to him!?"

"To who?"

Claws wrap around Yuno and he shouts in surprise.

"What have you DONE to him?!"

Yuno feels the claws curl and push against his chest and he struggles to breathe.

"I promised I'd keep him safe!"

Yuno gasps for breath and tries to find a thread of his magic but fails to locate it amongst the creature's own swarming power.

"You took him from me!"

Yuno gasps awake.

He shoots up in his bed, panting heavily and heart racing in his chest.

Asta makes an alarmed noise at his sudden movements and looks at him startled.

His brother has recovered to the point where he can move freely without pain but he is still small enough to curl up in Yuno's bed.

He's tucked at the foot of the mattress and sitting right by his hands is the five leaf grimoire.

When Yuno's gaze meets the worn cover of the book he feels something shiver down his spine.

Asta blinks slowly at him, tilting his head in curiosity.

"I'm okay." Yuno assures "just a bad dream."

The curse makes a low pitch rumble to voice his displeasure, resting head down against the blankets and watching his brother with sad eyes.

"I'm fine really."

"Shh," Bell mutters on the spare pillow beside him "I'm sleeping."

"Sorry," Yuno lowers his voice and moves to lie back down.

It falls silent after that and Yuno is left staring blankly at his darkened ceiling.

Crickets chirp outside and he can feel a cool draft wafting in from the window.

His dream is already becoming hazy, as most dreams do after you wake but he can still hear the faint anger in the creature's voice.

It makes his stomach twist with anxiety.