Thousands of years ago, there was a royal couple popular throughout their reign, who held an enormous army of great warriors. They ruled over a kingdom so rich and prominent everyone with power wanted to possess it. The couple, driven by paranoia and greed, blinded by power itself, ordered their men for incursions. They started raiding small villages, slaughtered those they believed were trying to overthrow the crown. Magic was a familiar shit that time, but according to Ji-yong, there was only one person who had the ability to actually do it, he was called Shaman. The only one left of his kind, apparently.
He changes his face the way he changes the tourniquet of his wounded patients. Nobody ever knew his true identity, according to the rancid bitch Chaerin. But she has a habit of overreacting things so I'm not really sure what to believe now. The next thing that happened to the royal couple is the only shit I'll believe, because it leads to what we are now. The once mighty couple stoop down so low for power they murdered innocent people, children and unborn infants. Villagers had to run away for their lives and those who stayed to beg forgiveness for the sins they didn't commit, got sentenced to death too.
The Shaman watched as blood flowed in every corner of the land for so long until he couldn't tolerate all the royal's unspeakable actions anymore. The night before another attack transpired, he drew great power from the bright moon and casted a spell upon the royal couple. A curse that would make them thirst for human flesh and blood for all eternity, that everyone too close to them, everyone who consumed their cursed blood would eventually turn into a monster with white eyes, sharp canines and will suffer the same voracity as them. They became the true embodiment of greed and excess; never satisfied, forever killing and searching for victims.
With the terrible hunger, they feasted on everyone they could get their fangs on, and before they knew it, there was nothing left of the kingdom they've built−not even a single, breathing soul. Eventually, they moved and brought chaos to other lands, turning people with their blood as they pass. The Shaman ashamed of what he had done, ran off to the highest of the mountains and hid himself away from the world. He was devastated and weakened, almost drained of power from the spell he casted. But with all the strength he had left, he waited for another full moon to come, drew enough power from the moon light and casted a spell to a family living in a vale just underneath the mountain.
He showed them visions of vile creatures raising havoc on the land. He gave them the same strength of the monster he created. He gave them speed, agility, and immortality. And with his last breath, he showed them visions on how to kill and wipe the entire existence of the wendigoag.
"Chae.." She mumbled, slowly walking to my direction. I sat immobile on the bar stool, afraid of what I might do to her if I decide to move a single muscle.
"You're a hunter." I began as I looked at her intently, making her throw a gaze at me. She didn't say anything. I chuckled in sarcasm. "You don't even have the decency to deny it."
"It's true, so why would I?" She shot back, raising her chin so our eyes could meet.
"So that's the fucking mystery as to why the wendigo curse doesn't affect you one bit." I stated. Nimrods are immune to wendigoag curse, which means their soul doesn't cripple from the darkness caused by our existence. She nodded. "You had every chance to kill me in my deep sleep, and you hadn't, why?"
She chuckled. "Don't be silly now, Chae. You're my best friend and I will not do anything to harm you. Besides, my nimrod curse is latent still. I will never hurt you even if I'm all psychotic and on killing spree right now."
"What? So you're telling me, you haven't activated your curse yet?" I asked, perplexed, not giving an effort to sugarcoat my words as I described both our situations as curses. It was true, I'll spend my whole life killing people and running away. She'll spend hers killing people like me and chasing after us. It's what we were built for.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you." She said, laughing as she continued. "You're lucky I'm not one of those pure blood nimrods with curse-activated since childbirth."
"And you're lucky I'm not one of the first royal-blooded wendigoag, either. Otherwise, we'd be tearing at each other's throat right the fuck now." I smirked, making her roll her eyes.
"It's so weird you know, how we're not throwing off empty threats. We should be trying to kill each—" I cut her off.
"Not weird at all." I grinned. "You're a hunter, I'm a wendigo and we're best friends. Let's not make it weirder than it already is."
"Agreed." She says and finally sat down beside me, giving me a look I've never seen before. Fondness, hope, I don't know. "Chae, I'm so sorry you had to find out about that from your family. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was just scared how you'd react, and I was hella terrified I would lose you."
"Hey, it's okay, Lisa. No harm done, I'm not mad." I honestly replied, she smiled.
"And chae, theres's only one thing I haven't told you yet." She announced that made the thing in my chest, hammered loudly in anticipation. I never knew it could ever beat so fast, I was slightly horrified it might stop beating suddenly but that's just silly. The only thing that could make the beating stop and kill me, is a stake in my heart, if Lisa decided to act on her instincts.
"I like you." Lisa mumbled, her shaking hands reaching out for mine that was resting on the dark marbled counters of her bar. She intertwined our fingers, slowly and cautiously. "God forbid, not as a friend."
And just like that, I realized she didn't need a wooden stake or silver dagger—her words struck my bones and cut a path in my heart, her words did more damage than any deadly weapon ever could.
I knew what she meant at once, and I know at this very moment, I fucked up.
