8: The Cursed Prince’s Fall

"Hyung, you lied to me!" My voice echoed through the desolate hall, rage sharpening every syllable. "All this time, you knew about the curse, and you said nothing?"

Seok Hoon stood at the end of the room, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His expression was unreadable, but his silence spoke louder than any denial.

"Say something!" I demanded, my fists trembling at my sides. "Tell me you didn't do this to me."

His gaze finally met mine, cold and calculating. "Do you think I wanted this, Min Soo? Do you think I had a choice?"

"Aniya!" I spat, stepping closer. "You always had a choice, Seok Hoon. But you chose power over your own brother!"

"You don't understand," he snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "This kingdom needs a strong leader, not someone cursed and broken. You brought this on yourself when you defied Appa's will."

"Don't you dare blame this on me," I growled, the curse pulsing in my veins, a reminder of the darkness creeping closer. "You used me. You used our family."

---

The doors burst open, and Hyejin stormed in, her eyes wide with fury. "What is going on here?" she demanded, her gaze darting between us.

"Ask our dear crown prince," I said bitterly, not taking my eyes off Seok Hoon. "He's the reason I'm cursed."

"Seok Hoon," Hyejin said, her voice trembling. "Tell me it's not true."

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, with a heavy sigh, he said, "It was necessary, noona. Min Soo is... unstable. The curse keeps him in check."

"In check?" she repeated, disbelief and anger warring in her tone. "He's your brother! How could you—"

"I did it for the kingdom!" he interrupted, his voice rising. "Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I enjoyed watching him suffer?"

"You didn't just watch," I cut in. "You orchestrated it."

---

The tension in the room was suffocating, and I could feel the curse tightening its grip on me. My knees buckled, and I stumbled back, clutching my chest as the darkness surged.

"Min Soo!" Hyejin rushed to my side, her hands hovering over me helplessly. "What's happening to him?"

"The curse is reaching its peak," Seok Hoon said, his tone devoid of emotion. "It's binding him to this land. There's nothing we can do now."

"You did this," Hyejin hissed, her voice trembling with fury. "You killed him!"

"I saved the kingdom," he shot back, but his words rang hollow.

---

The ground beneath me felt like it was crumbling, the world spinning as the darkness consumed me. I could hear their voices, but they seemed distant, as if I were already slipping away.

"Min Soo, stay with me," Hyejin pleaded, her hands gripping mine. "You're stronger than this. Don't let him win."

But her words couldn't reach me. The curse was too strong, pulling me into an abyss I couldn't escape.

Seok Hoon's voice cut through the haze, cold and final. "It's over, noona. He's gone."

---

The void was endless, a dark expanse where time and space ceased to exist. I was trapped, my spirit tethered to the place of my death. I could feel the kingdom crumbling around me, the weight of Seok Hoon's betrayal pressing down on everything we'd fought to protect.

And yet, even in the void, I felt the faintest flicker of something else—a spark of defiance, a reminder that my story wasn't over.

---

As Seok Hoon ascended the throne, the skies darkened, and a chilling wind swept through the kingdom. The shadow of Min Soo's curse loomed over Goryeo, a silent warning of the darkness yet to come.