Dumal-Hubb. The tears that fall from Anastasia's eyes when she was separated from her lover.
The liquid that, when two people bathe in it, can make them lovers for eternity.
It changes their body, soul, fate, and destiny.
So, they could be a perfect match for each other.
There are two pools of her tears: one for the female and one for the male.
...That's what I always thought.
"What the fuck happened!?"
My startled voice echoed within the place as I looked down at the two pools.
One of the pools was filled with slightly pale golden liquid to the brim, but...
...The other one.
"Why is this empty!?"
I squatted down as I looked inside the pool, which was completely empty without a single drop of golden liquid.
Is this so kind of joke?
Am I being pranked or sothing!?
"Inna, co out!"
I exclaid as I waited for her.
I was too confused to think properly, and I had so other questions I wanted to ask her.
A humming sound echoed beside , taking my focus, as a cluster of red and gold conjured.
It turned into a tall lady with a srizing face, pale and soft skin.
She had voluminous, flowing golden blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, touching the ground.
Her crimson eyes stared at .
"Inna!" Still squatting, I pointed at the empty pool. "What is this!?"
Inna blinked innocently, her beautiful brows knitted together as she mumbled in confusion. "An empty pool?"
"I can see—!?"
I drew in a deep breath to suppress my irritation.
I don't want to yell at her.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
"I can see that, Inna," I replied, smiling sweetly. "But where the hell is the golden liquid inside it!?"
Never mind.
I can't keep myself calm.
Inna replied, still as confused as . "Soone already absorbed this one."
"..."
I quietly sat down beside the pool, my mood turning worse than I thought it would be.
"...Who was it?" I asked as I turned to look at her.
"I have no idea, Qais," Inna replied, shaking her head.
"Christina didn't know about this?" I asked, my mind still foggy with confusion.
"No." Inna replied as she sat down beside . "...She had no idea about this either."
"...."
I rubbed my temples as my frustration kept on piling up.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, this happened.
"...What should I do now?" I asked, gazing at her as she gently sat beside on the ground. "My last shot at getting better just got crushed."
Inna blinked innocently, tilting her head. "What do you an? The one that is already used was the female one."
I tilted my head in confusion.
She mimicked my movent.
"No way," I mumbled.
"Qais."
"Nope, not happening, Inna," I snapped as I stood up, walking away from her. "I am not going inside that thing!"
She too stood up while letting out a tired sigh. "Are you going to walk away after coming this far?"
"Are you for real!?" I raised my voice as I looked at her in disbelief. "Do I have to remind you what that liquid signifies?"
"..."
She quietly looked at without saying anything.
"I can't beco a lover with a random girl for a whole eternity," I explained myself, even though she should already know it.
"Wait, what if it's a lady orc!?" I exclaid in horror.
My body visibly shuddered at the very thought of it.
Urgh.
"Are you dumb?" Inna asked in annoyance. "How would an orc get here when a dragon was guarding the place?"
"What if she sneaks in?" I countered as I walked around. "Fuck, I don't want to marry an orc."
"Why are you fixated on the orc?" Inna asked bitterly. "You are thinking of the worst-case scenario—."
"That's not the worst case, Inna," I cut in her words. "What if she is a werewolf or a fucking elf!?"
"...Why is an orc better than a werewolf?" she questioned back.
"You won't understa—Cough, Cough."
My words died out as I coughed violently, a burning pain coursing through my body, making kneel down.
A viscous liquid leaked out of my mouth, making wipe it in confusion.
...It was blood.
"Hah."
I tiredly sat down on the glowing flower to catch my breath.
My insides felt like they were twisting in on themselves.
Inna walked closer as she gently rubbed my back. "I warned you not to use my blessing in your current condition."
"I am fine," I groaned as I felt weakness creeping into my body.
Without saying a word, Inna sat beside while she continued to rub my back.
"You sure are down-to-earth for a goddess," I comnted as I glanced at her sitting beside .
She smiled, making quickly avert my gaze. "Trust . You don't want to see my usual self."
I can't get used to her.
Even after seeing her almost daily for six months...my heartbeat still skips a beat.
She is way too beautiful.
"I take that back," I whispered softly, looking down. "That's not the worst case."
"Then what is?" she curiously asked,while her hand moved towards my hair, she started weaving them together making small braids.
"What if...I actually fell in love with that person," I replied quietly, staring at the ground. "...I don't want that."
Both Senara and Christina died protecting .
I loved them both, and I couldn't save either.
"I am tired," I whispered with a soft smile. "I am tired of making everyone happy, tired of falling in love...Tired of losing."
She gently patted my head in assurance.
I was way too naive to think everything would go according to my plan.
Things would have been a lot better if both the pools were completely filled.
"Argh."
I groaned as I felt a burning pain in my gut.
"Why did you stop using Anastasia's Avatar ability?" Inna asked concernedly. "You could have killed that dragon—."
"I don't know how to explain it," I cut in as I shifted my focus toward her.
"But sothing abnormal happened when I was using her ability."
Her expression turned serious as she asked, "...What?"
"I felt my body...absorbing her divinity," I replied, staring into her srizing crimson eyes. "It's like I am making her divinity my own."
"..."
She just quietly looked at without uttering a word.
"This never happened before," I said while she quietly stood up. "...Are you hiding sothing?"
"Do you want to be blunt?" she asked, her gaze locking onto mine, unflinching.
"As blunt as you can," I replied, averting my gaze. "El used to keep too many secrets from . I don't want you to do the sa."
She turned around as she walked toward the pool, her voice trailing behind her.
"You know, Qais, there are seven curses on you placed by seven different beings."
"What?" I frowned as I stood up as well. "Seven of them?"
She nodded, glancing back at . "One on your body, one on your mind, and four on your soul."
Wait, what?
Why would soone curse so many tis?
That doesn't make any sense.
"Wait, that's only six." I frowned as I stood beside her.
She looked into my eyes as she replied slowly, "The last curse is your blessing."
"....."
My mind buzzed with confusion as I tried to make sense of her words.
"Are you saying one of them who cursed was Amun-Ra?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
Inna didn't reply but kept on staring at the golden pool.
After a while, her gaze slowly turned toward . "You can lift at least two of those curses if you bathe in that."
"That doesn't answer my question," I frowned. "You can't just drop a bomb and act like nothing happened."
She stepped closer. "Make a decision, Qais. If you don't want to bathe in that, then we can find another way to help you."
"..."
I stared back into her eyes.
Honestly, I don't think there is another way that can help with my broken life source.
There might be a way sowhere in Lumina, but the problem is I don't have much ti.
I barely have two years to live, and I have to do a lot of things...
But most importantly.
"Gosh, why are you so tall?" I groaned, rubbing my neck that started to strain.
She was a head taller than , making it harder for to look at her.
"Your decision?" she asked, stepping back.
"Let's just hope she isn't an orc," I mumbled as I turned toward the pool. "Or any race that I hate."
"Which race do you like anyway?" Inna asked, making shut my mouth.
"Sigh."
I sighed as I stepped inside.
....
....
....
The mont Azariah stepped inside, the golden liquid rippled violently.
The further he went, the more it rippled.
And as the golden liquid reached his chest, it flared, subrging Azariah completely.
"Uh."
Azariah gasped, only to find himself breathing.
The liquid filled his lungs but didn't choke him; instead, it saturated every fiber of his body.
And then, it began.
Azariah imdiately lost consciousness as his left hand started to burn.
Tendons stretched, bones knit together, veins wove themselves back, and the hand he had lost grew anew.
"Hm?"
Inna, who was keeping an eye on him, gently lifted her head.
She smiled faintly, sensing sothing.
The golden liquid lifted Azariah's unconscious body upward.
A crimson layer slowly began to form around his body.
It trembled violently before cracking and scattering into millions of pieces.
At the sa ti, an invisible hand that had tightly clenched Azariah's mind twisted.
The golden liquid surged, swallowing the hand completely.
Inna blinked.
Azariah's body began to transform in earnest.
His hair gradually regained its so of its purple color, and his body shifted, altering itself.
His fate changed, binding him to soone he was never ant to be with.
Two parallel lines erged on his right hand.
They slowly morphed into a sentence.
Found you.
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