Loved cursed

The First Sign

Chapter 3: The First Sign

Daniel stayed the whole night, sitting on the porch while Marian watched him from the doorway. Neither of them spoke of the curse again. They talked about small things instead: his hometown by the river, the songs his mother used to hum, the foods Marian had never tasted.

By dawn, Daniel looked paler, but he was smiling.

"You should rest," Marian said.

"And miss the sunrise with you?" he teased. "Never."

She laughed, a real laugh, and the sound startled her. She could not remember the last time she had done that.

"He is inside," the old woman said quietly. "He collapsed this morning."

But she opened the door anyway.

The path felt endless. People stared as she passed, whispering and pulling their children inside. She ignored them all until she reached a small house at the edge of the village, where an old woman stood at the door, as if she had been waiting.

"He is inside," the old woman said quietly. "He collapsed this morning."

Marian's knees almost gave way.

"Is he...?"

"Alive," the old woman said. "But the curse has noticed him now. If you truly love him, child, there is something you must know about how it began."