To Love A Curse

CHAPTER 6

The nightmares began three days after my engagement. In them, Derek was drowning in a pool of tortured souls, their twisted, clawed hands trapping him, pulling him deeper into the darkness. He would scream my name, begging for me to save him. And I would run, feet tripping against invisible obstacles. But I would always freeze. My legs refusing to move. My hands reaching out to him in vain. And just like that, he would sink beneath the black waters. I would always wake at this exact point, sheets clinging to me, heart racing, sweat cold on my skin.

I tried to convince myself that it was just stress. Moving in together, planning a wedding, starting our lives together as fiancés—it was a lot. But the dreams only grew darker. They lingered even in daylight, a shadow looming across everything I did. Derek was happy; he had been so excited about us moving in together. And yet, every time I looked at him, I could only see the curse that hung over us, the invisible threat I could never fully explain.

It was eating me alive. I couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep. I just could not bear keeping the truth from him any longer.

One night, I told him everything.

“Derek…there’s something I need to tell you,” I said, my voice shaking as we sat in the living room of our apartment. I could already see the concern etched into his face.

“Dina…whatever it is, you know you can tell me,” he said gently. “We’ve already promised not to hide anything from each other.”

I sighed deeply, my hands trembling as I reached for his. “It’s about Mama Joy… the coven… the pact I made. Everything you know about who I am, it's not natural. I… I drank from their cup. I asked for power, for beauty, for respect. And I got it. But…” my voice croaked. “It comes at a cost. They said… if I marry you… you could die.”

Derek shook his head in confusion, “Wait, Dina, I don't understand a word you're saying. Start from the beginning and tell me everything.”

And so I did, I narrated my entire life’s story to him in between sobs.

Derek’s eyes widened. His jaw tightened, and for a long moment, he said nothing. The silence felt heavier than any curse I had ever felt.

“You… you lied to me?” His voice shook, laced with so much anger. “You put me… my life… in danger, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I thought I could protect you! I thought I could handle it!” I got on my knees, tears falling freely now. “I never wanted to hurt you. I love you, Derek, with every fiber of my being.”

He stared at the floor, motionless. “Yet you lied to me, you’ve endangered me. How am I supposed to trust you now? To trust someone who might… kill me in the name of power?”

I could feel my chest collapse. Those words stung, but what was worse was the silence that followed. He was trembling, pale, furious, and the look in his eyes told me he was considering leaving me for good.

“Baby… I can fix this. We can—”

“No,” he interrupted softly. “I… I need space. I can't look at you the same way anymore. I need to think. I… I need to leave.”

Before I could respond, he grabbed his coat and left the apartment. The door slammed behind him like the sound of a guillotine chopping off my heart.

I dropped to the floor, sobbing, my body trembling. My worst fear had come true. Derek had left. My love. My future, gone.

For days, I tried to reach him. I called, texted, emailed. I even went to his office, his favorite cafés, and the park we often visited together on weekends. Nothing, not a single response. Every attempt felt like I was stabbing into the dark. Every message returned only silence.

At night, I couldn't sleep. The nightmares returned with an even greater intensity, more vivid and terrifying than ever before. Derek would still be in them drowning and sinking beneath endless black water, crying out my name. And I still wouldn't be able to reach him. The coven’s voice echoed in my mind: “You’ve made your choice. Live with it.”

But I could not live with it. I could not leave him with his fate, not while I could still act.

I returned to the forest.

The place it had all began, the circle of firelight, the shadows of the witches looming between the trees. But this time, I was not afraid. I was not crawling on my knees. I was a storm, fueled by desperation and fury.

“I will not let you touch him!” I screamed into the night. “Derek is mine! Don't you dare harm him. You'd have to face me first.”

The coven emerged, their cloaks billowing like shadows made of smoke. The coven leader stepped forward, her crooked smile like a knife in the dark.

“Well, well… look at you. The puny girl who begged on her knees is gone. Audacity suits you, but it does not make you invincible.”

“I do not care about invincibility,” I barked as I stepped closer. “I love Derek. I will protect him. You will not touch him.”

Her laughter was cold, brittle. “And you plan to do this, alone?” she too stepped closer until we were both at eye level. “So brave, yet so foolish. Do you know what you face? You cannot defy us.”

“I will defy you,” I spat, clenching my fists. “Even if it costs me everything. I will not let you take him.”

Hours passed. I combed the forest, performing rituals, collecting herbs, and chanting protective spells I had learned in secret from Mama Joy’s instructions. Every step was a battle, every whispered word a strike against the shadow that threatened to consume my life. I trained every nerve in me to withstand what was to come.

I didn't know if I would survive or if I would return alive. But I had no choice, Derek’s life depended on me, and I could not wait for him to forgive me. I had to act.

Meanwhile, Derek wrestled with his own storm. Although he had left in anger, Dina’s absence was unbearable. Every time he tried to convince himself he had made the right choice by leaving, he would always see her face, hear her voice, feel her warmth. Everything reminded him of her, her laugh, the subtle way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the warmth of her presence.

His anger had not faded, but it was now mixed with fear, longing and guilt. He felt betrayed, yes, but staying away felt impossible. He paced in the new apartment he had rented after he left, staring at his phone, finding the courage to return Dina’s calls or at least reply her messages. But he couldn't. He just wasn't ready yet.

However, days turned into weeks, and the pain of separation consumed him like fire. Each passing hour made the emptiness feel excruciating. He hated her for the curse, but he hated himself more for letting her walk into danger alone. He couldn't just sit idle while Dina fought unseen battles.

Back in the city, I returned home from the forest, bruised, exhausted, but alive. My body ached, my mind screamed, but I felt a strange clarity. I had faced them, prepared myself and survived. But now I was alone. Derek was gone. And despite the strength I had summoned, I could feel the weight of his absence looming over me.

I spent the next few days making more preparations. Protective charms were placed around the apartment. Ritual circles were drawn on paper and etched into wood. Herbs, candles and ancient spells lined every corner. I trained myself, whispering words of power until my voice was hoarse. I was ready to face the witches, but I would have to do it without him.

Every night I called him, but he never picked up. Every message went unanswered. My heart ached with each moment of silence. I missed him so much. I wanted him back. But I couldn't wait for him anymore. I had to act.

It had been three weeks since Derek left when he appeared. Not in the forest, not at some random place where fate might have led us to collide, but at our apartment. He had come back, to finally confront the truth of his own feelings, of the love he could not abandon.

I opened the door to find him there, coat slung over one shoulder, dark circles etched under his eyes from exhaustion and worry. He looked at me, truly looked at me. And for the first time, I saw vulnerability. A human, broken by his own fears.

“Derek…” I whispered, my voice quivering, tears welling. “I… I tried to find you. I… I couldn't reach you… I was scared you'd never come back.”

He didn't say anything at first. He just stared, chest heaving, jaw clenched. Then finally, his voice broke, low and raw.

“Dina, you lied to me. You put me in danger, and worst of all, you didn't trust me enough to tell me. Do you understand what that feels like?”

“Yes,” I replied, tears falling freely. “I understand. I am so sorry. It was never my intention to get you involved in all of this.”

“You should have told me when it happened! I could’ve helped, I could've been there. Instead you faced them alone, and I… I couldn't even protect you,” he said, pain and fear mingling in his words.

I nodded, overwhelmed by the depth of his hurt. “I know. And I don't expect forgiveness. Not yet. Not ever if you can't. But I had no choice. I had to act.”

His eyes softened slightly, “And yet you survived. That much I can see.” He held both sides of my arms. “But Dina, I need you to know, if we are to face this together, I won’t just stand by. You cannot bear this alone anymore.

My breath shook. “I don't want to do this alone anymore. I never wanted to. But I thought… I thought you would never forgive me.”

His hands left my arms and cupped my face. “I am angry, I am scared. But all this has only made me realize how completely and hopelessly in love with you I am. And love… real love, it fights. It endures. And I will always fight with you. We will get through this. Together.

I sighed, relief softening the weight in my chest. My man was back, and for the first time in weeks, I felt whole again. But even as I nodded in agreement, a part of me knew the coven was always watching. The real war had only just begun.