Curse Between Us

17: A Thousand Years

For 1000 years, I've slept in constant darkness; a place where time and space were voided. It was only more than two decades ago that I woke up to another life wherein I didn't remember anything.

In the darkness where I stayed, my life kept replaying over and over again but then the moment I was brought again to the world, I knew nothing.

It's already been 1000 years...how nostalgic. My life was pretty much simple back then, nothing special. I had none of this responsibility, curse, sufferings --- I was only a girl.

That's right...a normal girl who happened to be dragged into the world of sorcery right after I found a demon who ironically got cursed by humans.

"Woah, this is new. A yokai? You're badly beaten up, huh?" I said in a monotonous voice though somehow curious upon seeing a 'being' that resembled a human, though he had four arms and two pairs of eyes. He wasn't wearing any proper clothes on, laying his bare upper body with several markings right in the open.

I can see strange creatures ever since I was a kid, but it was my first time seeing one that somehow looked like a person.

I saw his eyes narrowed at me for a second before his lips then formed into a grin, pure malice now emitting from him.

"You're not that bad, onna. Young and awfully appetizing...come here and let me taste you." He said excitedly, looking at me with lustful eyes.

He knows how to speak unlike the ones I normally see. Unfortunately, his words were foul. I ignored his offensive statements as his arms caught my attention.

Three of his limbs looked awfully different --- shriveled and almost looked like on the verge of decomposing due to its blackened state. It was a curse, I could tell. And it's slowly eating away his own energy, feeding on it as it grows stronger to spread.

"That looks pretty serious," I commented, a bit amazed by the fact he was alive despite his state. "Do you need help?"

Suddenly, I saw him flicked his finger and I also did the same. The tree behind me split up and if it weren't for my technique, I would've shared the same fate as that.

The being raised his eyebrow and looked at me now seriously. "A sorcerer? I should've known...now you must die."

I was just asking if he needed help, he didn't have to kill me that instantly.

"Your personality's really bad. But may you rest in peace." I clapped my hands together and did a little prayer in front of him. He looked dumbfounded from my actions, and probably weirded out.

"Is this a joke?" He said, looking at me like I was stupid.

I ignored him and picked up my bag, now walking away from him. He kept sending me deadly winds, attacks, and even flames, but none of them ever reached me. I walked out unscathed, hoping he'd die already.

"Oi, onna! I'm talking to you!"

Well, looking from the strong curse he got, he probably will.

I live in a remote hut deep within the mountains, almost close to its peak. I live along with my father who weaves and dyes silks for a living and I, his only family, help him deliver our robe products. I sometimes sew as well. Hirotsuji isn't my biological father but nevertheless, he treated me as his own. His wife, my mother, had already died several years ago due to an accident.

"Rest for now, Sayuri. I'm going to the capital tomorrow to deliver the silk; I'll be gone for a week. You always work, have some rest and have fun with your friends at the village." He said while I mend some fabrics.