[Branded Curse]

Hours had passed before Aura came back. As he heard her footsteps approaching, he looked at his profile one last time.

[Accursed Novice 978/1000] 

He was almost there, just a little more, and he would finally reach the maximum amount.

It had taken some time, as he tested many theories, but now that he understood the process it wouldn't take long.

Weird.

It wasn't the first time he heard her coming, but her footsteps were dragged and heavy.

The doorknob turned, his heart pumping faster as he hoped it was her entering.

She finally did, but he barely recognized her.

The first thing he noticed was the ankle on her right leg was completely broken. It was swollen and purple, her foot was at a weird angle as she dragged it.

Her right leg was covered in shades of grey, blue, and purple.

As his eyes went up her body, her right arm left him speechless.

It was broken too, bending backward and smashed in several places. It was mostly dark grey, her usual smooth skin was now rough and cut everywhere.

Her face was no better, the right half badly injured. Her lip was busted, her eye closed as it had swollen, her cheek and temple dark blue.

He quickly looked at her clothes, but they seemed fine.

She dragged herself to the wardrobe, sliding her dress down her body as if he wasn't even there.

Luckily, beside a few broken ribs, nothing else added to her injuries.

"What happened?" he asked.

But no answers.

She didn't bother putting on a nightgown, she turned toward him, staring.

She's gone.

Her eyes were a bottomless void. She was staring at him with a face expressing no emotions, not even pain.

She stood still, looking at him as if she couldn't process him being there. 

It felt like her mind was gone, but her body acted automatically. 

Seeing his captor hurt pleased him, but it would cause more problems than it would solve.

"Drinking my blood will heal you, right? Just take it."

She didn't move or flinch. 

He noticed her eyes and lips were pale, almost the same way they were before she drank his blood.

He was annoyed, deeply.

He sighed, contemplating the naked vampire standing in front of the wardrobe.

This is just great. She's a broken doll.

[Accursed Novice 999/1000] +1

[New Path Unlocked]

[Cursed Path: Hexed Initiate]

Finally.

[New curses unlocked]

He sighed again in relief.

He truly hoped that reaching 1000 would unlock something new. 

Staying locked in that room with a broken vampire wasn't in his plans, now all he needed was any spell that could let him out of these cuffs.

He quickly opened his spell list.

Let's see. Weak curses, brands, bad omens, weak hallucinations, weak seals... Most of these have conditions to activate.

His eyes stopped on something.

"But this... this could work."

He looked up again. She was still there, immobile.

He cast his first spell.

"[Posession]"

It felt like his 'spiritual' body was pushed outside his physical one. 

He couldn't properly see around like he could while harvesting, but he could 'feel'.

There were a lot of soft glows, some bigger and some smaller; all living things. 

Right in front of him, where Aura stood, was a soft red hue. It was calm and still.

Without overthinking it, he collided with her.

His consciousness clashed with hers, fighting over control. 

She barely fought back.

<~~ >

He reopened his eyes. His point of view had totally changed. 

Before him was someone chained to a wall - him.

As he looked down, he could see Aura's naked breasts, and to his right were the broken arm and leg.

He tried taking a step but fell forward.

He couldn't feel any pain as he possessed her, but he could tell something was wrong.

How did she even make it back here?

Her body could barely move. His right side was mostly unresponsive, and his vision was limited because of her swollen eye.

He looked up at his own body. 

I do look ambiguous.

His body was extremely pale, and his hair was short and white, just like hers.

He tried opening his profile, and surprisingly it worked.

He could see his stats, and his Cursed Energy was slowly depleting.

[Memento Mori] [Level 1]

[Class: Cursed Sovereign]

[Cursed Path: Hexed Initiate 1000/2250]

[Health points: 5/5]

[Cursed Energy: 998/1000]

[Magic: 10]

[Strength: 3]

[Defense: 2]

[Agility: 1]

He didn't wait any longer and started crawling forward using the only arm and leg working.

He dragged himself, pulling on the wooden floor the best he could with the strength she had left.

When he reached his own body, he climbed it, and put her arm around his back, lodging her head on his shoulder.

He went toward the neck, and planted her teeth into it, quickly stopping the possession curse as he did.

He automatically traveled back to his own body, which resembled an empty puppet.

He opened his eyes. Her naked body was on top of his, and her teeth were still planted into his neck.

She wasn't moving, she just hung in there, as blood slowly dripped down his chest and shoulder.

It took a minute, but eventually he could feel her slowly moving.

At first it was her tongue, then her lips, followed by her hand instinctively grabbing his neck.

As the taste of his blood awakened her, she fervently started drinking. 

Her nails slowly sunk into his neck as she lost control. Her drinking became messy and chaotic.

"Aura?"

She didn't answer, her nails kept sinking, drawing more blood than necessary while she savagely drank what she could.

He tried moving but her grasp was tight, and the chains quickly reminded him of his predicament.

[Health points: 3/5] -1

Already? She'll kill me before she realizes it...

His main option was to possess her again, he had more than enough Cursed Energy remaining.

However, there was another spell he wanted to try, while he was unsure how useful it would be, it could prove useful.

Without overthinking it, he cast it.

"Thanks for telling me your name, and drinking my cursed blood, Aura," he whispered. 

"[Branded Curse]".