Obliterate: The Open Curse

A dark cloud blanketed the sky, followed by a massive explosion that engulfed a small town. In an instant, everything was gone. Countless lives were lost, and countless families were torn apart. Among the survivors was a twelve-year-old boy named Shidow. He had lost consciousness for a short while after the explosion. When he finally opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw. The entire town had been reduced to ruins. Buildings lay in rubble, including his own home. His body was covered in wounds, but he paid no attention to the pain. He immediately began searching for his family. Just moments before the explosion, he had been playing outside with his two younger siblings. They were the first people he desperately tried to find. Then he stopped. His knees hit the ground. The memory came rushing back. He had watched his two siblings explode right before his eyes. Slowly, Shidow turned his head. Not far away, his mother lay motionless on the ground. She was already dead. A scream escaped his throat as tears streamed down his face. Everything had happened so quickly that his mind refused to accept it. Later, he buried his mother's body with his own hands. His tears soaked the earth as he covered her grave. When it was finished, he collapsed to his knees once more, pulling at his hair and pounding his fists against the ground. "Why would I live in a world full of darkness? Maybe I don't belong here. All of my family and friends died because of me. I'm the only monster in our family. I know I'm cursed... but why did they have to kill them? Why?" Suddenly, a voice echoed through the silence. "You can't blame anyone but yourself, Shidow. You might find friends again, but they will all die in front of you. And you will do nothing but watch." Shidow froze. He quickly stood up and looked around. "Who's there?" he shouted. No one answered. Then the voice whispered again, as though it were standing right beside him. "You can't blame anyone but yourself. So blame yourself." Without warning, a brilliant beam of light shot toward him. It was called a Magic Beam. Being struck by one felt as though he had been shot a million times over. Everything went dark. --- Three days later, Shidow awoke in an unfamiliar house. He lay on a soft bed inside a quiet room. A little girl smiled warmly as she sat beside him. She gently held his arm while removing the bandages wrapped around it. "Glad you're awake. It's been three days," she said. Shidow slowly sat up. "What happened to me? How did I get here?" "My brother and I found you lying on the ground. You looked like you were already dead," she replied calmly. "So we brought you here and treated your injuries. You were badly wounded. I didn't think you'd survive, but my brother insisted you would. And now, after three days, all your wounds have healed." She studied him for a moment. "I guess it's because you're a curse too." Shidow frowned. "Curse too? Are you saying you and your brother are cursed?" At that moment, a teenage boy entered the room. He pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down before gently lifting the little girl onto his lap. "We were victims of that explosion too," the boy said. "They branded us as cursed and tried to wipe us out. But the truth is, the explosion wasn't meant to kill us. It was meant to kill the normal people and leave only people like us alive." He paused before continuing. "They want us to join their organization. It's called the All Curse Army... or ACA." Shidow's expression turned grim. "An army of orphans?" "The unknown leader of ACA caused the explosion," the boy explained. "They s*******r innocent humans, then pretend to rescue the children who survive. But no ordinary human can survive an explosion like that. Only curses can." Shidow's eyes darkened. "So they're separating curses from normal humans by killing everyone else... then acting like heroes?" "I'm afraid that's exactly what they're doing," the boy replied. "They want to train us and use us to fight monsters known as Tama that suddenly appeared in Florida. They already know we're strong enough to survive. All that's left is to train us." The boy smiled faintly. "My name is Krone. Just call me Krone. This is my little sister, Eyana. She's eleven, and I'm fifteen." He looked at Shidow. "And you're twelve... right?" "Yeah," Shidow answered. Krone nodded. "We're leaving this place soon. It isn't safe anymore. ACA will search for survivors and force them to join. I won't let my sister become part of that organization. She's all I have left." "I'll protect her no matter what." --- Shidow decided to stay with them. Together, the three of them left British Columbia and settled in Ontario. Krone trained both Eyana and Shidow. He taught them how to fly, teleport, and control their powers. He also showed them how to concentrate their magic and unleash a Magic Beam. Shidow learned at an astonishing pace. He possessed remarkable physical strength and unwavering determination. His magical power seemed almost limitless, something that even surprised Krone. For the first time since the explosion... Shidow was no longer alone. But deep within him... The voice still remained.