I slowly opened my eyes, greeted by the dim light from a small window in the dojo rest area. My head felt heavy, a throbbing pain spreading from my temples to the nape of my neck. My body felt weak, as if I had just been battered by a storm.

Sitting beside the bed was Felix, his expression serious yet filled with concern. His eyes remained fixed on my face, as if verifying that I was truly conscious.

“Kai,” he said quietly, “how does it feel to be struck down by your own curse?”

I tried to process his words.

“What do you mean?”

Felix took a deep breath before answering, “Within you lies a curse with the ability to store and copy the curses of others, but its capacity is limited. When you try to store too many, the system rejects it and causes damage to both your body and mind.”

“I felt pain... like a heavy weight was pressing on my brain,” I admitted, my voice still hoarse.

“That is the consequence of your curse overloading,”Felix replied.

“Great power comes with great risk. You must learn to control this ability carefully, or the curse will end up controlling you.”

I bowed my head, contemplating everything. Until now, I had only been focused on the power that could help me achieve my revenge, without truly understanding its dangers.

Felix reached out and firmly grasped my hand, “I will help you, Kai. We’ll start training gradually, slow but steady. You must gain complete control over your curse if you want to survive in this world.”

***

I glanced at Felix, curious why he could know about me or my curse in such detail. “Your curse, Felix, what exactly is it?” I asked.

He gave a faint smile, then answered, “I am a mercenary with the curse ‘Soul Reader’. I can read and sense the life aura of my opponents. This curse helps me understand their intentions and condition, keeping me always one step ahead.”

I nodded, feeling determination ignite within my chest. “Alright. I don’t want to be in a weak position like that again. I will fight to master everything.”

Felix smile widened, “Good. This is just the beginning, but it’s already a big step.”

Deep in my heart, I knew this path wouldn’t be easy. But I was ready to walk every step of it, with Felix as my guide and this power that I was now beginning to understand as part of myself.

TO BE CONTINUED