Aren't we all on the same side?

Curses? I looked around, feeling that my definition of curses must be off. A sense of excitement swirled around the Colosseum, driven by a flurry of energetic whispers and gossip. If the blessings granted by the gods were anything to go off of, then curses could only mean--

"I place a Divine Curse on Fate's hero."

I froze, looking over at the imperious Sun God, whose vehement glare stabbed into the goddess behind me. Chills crawled across my skin as I realized he was referring to me. The lack of hesitation in his voice was frightening, heightened by the unknown meaning of his words.

King shifted on his throne, leaning forward to peer at the Sun God. "A divine curse? Your faction's victory is all but assured at this point. Are you certain about this?"

Fate's hand gripped my shoulder tightly, but I was too anxious to put her off. Her voice had a tight edge, sounding slightly higher than normal. "Our disagreement need not extend to this mortal. Besides, wouldn't a mortal curse be more appropriate?"

Sun's face darkened, his eyes never leaving her. "Hero for Hero," he muttered darkly, then raised his voice and proclaimed, "I curse this hero with weakness in battle. May her magic and body ever fail before her adversaries."

I shivered, clenching my fists tightly as the weight of hundreds of colossal eyes locked onto me. The attention was too much, reminding me of the darker moments in my short life, when I'd fallen out of grace in the alleys.

The Fate Goddess' lips curved downward and her brow creased as she scowled. "You go too far. A Divine Curse during a Demon Incursion? How is anyone supposed to contribute to their defeat with that curse?"

Sun smirked. "Aren't you the goddess of Fate? You tell me."

"I left your Hero with a choice, yet you'd rob mine before they've even begun!" she retorted.

Sun continued glowering at her, only turning his head as King cleared his throat. "The cost of a divine curse isn't cheap. Are you prepared?"

He nodded confidently. "A hundred years of faith is a small price to pay for this matter. I wouldn't care if it took a thousand."

Kind nodded, and my heart sank. The ramifications of such a curse were unclear, but it sounded crippling. Chosen to face demons, but unable to fight. I imagined the twisted portrayals of complete evil that characterized demons on Earth and felt like crying. What kind of world were they sending us to?

A glowing sphere appeared in the Sun God's hand, which flitted over and appeared before me. Before I could react, it exploded, showering me in a sea of sparks. A scorching pain spread over my skin, and I screamed as it penetrated my entire body. A crushing despair wrenched my gut, and I yearned to die again. I'd never have gone for the needle, not if it meant something like this!

Gradually, the pain and despair lifted, and I sagged, almost falling. Fate's gentle hands caught me, and I raised my head to look into her star-filled eyes.

"W-why?" I stammered, betrayed by my broken voice. "Was one death not enough?"

She gazed at me, her tranquil eyes tinged with sadness. "Death is the cheapest currency. Life only has worth as it lived."

For some reason, her words resonated with my soul, and I wiped the unshed tears from my eyes. The sorrow that drove me to that fateful alley just minutes before still filled my mind, but a spark of hope was kindled. Was that why I was called here? Amid the gods, demons, and curses, was there still a place for joy? I searched her eyes, and she nodded.

Taking a deep breath, I relaxed and straightened my shoulders. "What did you do?"

"Nothing particularly significant. I offered a prophecy to one of his favorite heroes, more of a warning really. The hero tried to subvert it but ended up dying and the world was devoured. Sun hasn't let that go, claiming it was self-fulfilling, and the world might have survived without it."

"Would it?" I asked hesitantly.

She smiled. "Who knows? There is no chosen future, where everything goes according to plan. Even the clearest prophecies are simply possibilities, not an accurate representation of Fate. Essentially, whatever happens is meant to happen, regardless of what prophecy claims."

Her words slipped right over my head, and I gave up trying to understand them. What kind of Goddess of Fate couldn't even predict the future? Behind us, another God issued a curse, this one from the audience, and I turned to Fate, filled with worry.

"Is a Divine Curse really that bad? It's not like he can stop me from holding a knife, or a gun, right?"

She nodded. "Worse than you think, and he certainly can. Do not underestimate the power of a vengeful god. But you must not worry about that now. I summoned you to be happy, not to win merit and ascend to godhood. Enjoy what time you've been given, no matter the circumstances you find yourself."

My thoughts blurred, and I stared at her listlessly. "Happy?" The idea that my happiness was a consideration was completely foreign, something I hadn't experienced from even my mother.

"Indeed," she said, smiling kindly. "Perhaps this life will be the second chance you need. Focus on the here and now, while putting aside the future. Your fate will arrive whether you worry about it or not, so simply do all you can to live and prepare."

"I-I don't understand. Isn't this a little too much?"

"If you're meant to win the prize you will, but I would rather you learn to smile." Her lips curved up, demonstrating, and she turned her golden gaze to Sun. "Now, why don't we add a little more to his plate?"

King shushed the other conversations once more, allowing Fate to raise her hand. "If you're serious about the curse, I'd like to-"

Sun scoffed loudly, interrupting her. "Return the curse? Don't make me laugh. You barely have enough faith to call a hero and give a blessing, much less a curse!"

"Let her speak," King said with finality.

"You're right, of course," Fate said, sounding unperturbed. "But I'm not offering a curse. Let me share a prophecy, free of charge, of course. Listen well, or it will end like last time. 'The Sun Hero will be weakest against that which he is strongest.' Make of that what you will."

"Your prophecies won't fool me again," Sun said. "Such words are meaningless."

The hero before Sun seemed just as confused as I was, and met my eyes. He was handsome enough, with a strong cheekline and deep brown eyes. Scarcely had our eyes met then I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. Drawing more attention to myself would only end up hurting me, especially if I were to be vulnerable in the world to come. A shudder ran through me as I remembered all the other men who'd taken advantage of me. Being chosen by the arrogant Sun God, I doubted he would be different than them.

As time dragged on, a few other gods cursed heroes, fortunately targeting others aside from me. A Divine Curse seemed particularly special, as the others were just Mortal Curses, and covered a much smaller scope. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't accept that the gods would place any curses, regardless of type. What kind of deities cursed their own heroes? Weren't we all on the same side? It was hard to imagine that these omnipotent beings intent on saving worlds would sabotage the heroes they themselves had sent.

"We've seen too many worlds to get invested in any specific one," Fate murmured. "The best we can do now is care about the people we've chosen."

A short time later, after all the curses had been laid out, King stood and waved his scepter. "It has come time to send the heroes of their way. When you arrive, locate the nearest church. You will be able to see your abilities and information there. May the strength of the gods travel with you."

Already? There hadn't even been a chance to ask her about the blessing, or the curse, for that matter. But before I could speak, a cold light erupted from the throne, spreading out until it enveloped each of the heroes. Fate squeezed my shoulder as it reached me and gave me one last comforting smile. Again, I was weightless, but more than that, my body lost all feeling. Chaos muddled my mind and everything stilled, leaving me in complete nothingness. Moments later, a rough jolt shook me, and the strange sensations departed. The freedom of death fled as the shackles of life returned. I had arrived in Enusia.