The next morning, Elena woke up with a strange, eerie feeling—a chill that didn't make sense. It lingered at the back of her mind, like a whisper she couldn't quite hear. Thankfully, she hadn't had any nightmares.
After baking the morning pastries, she changed out of her working clothes into a simple gown. She tied her hair into a loose ponytail and left the tavern under Kate's keen, watchful eyes.
She walked through the bustling streets mindlessly, barely registering the noise around her. Her spirit was troubled. Without realizing it, she took a familiar detour—and soon found herself standing before Amber's house.
Gerald could wait.
The house looked desolate. Not a single soul was in sight. Moving carefully, Elena stood at the front door and knocked.
No reply.
She knocked again, this time harder. Footsteps echoed on the old, creaky wooden floor inside, then stopped abruptly. She waited.
Nothing.
Something wasn't right. She raised her fist to pound on the door again, but an inexplicable feeling held her back. Her hand trembled before she slowly lowered it.
Instead, she walked around to the back of the house.
Amber usually stayed there often—and Elena was right.
Her bright red hair was tied into a messy bun. She sat on a wooden chair—Mr. Cedric's favorite one. Her hands weren't idle. She toyed with a flower, softly caressing its petals before plucking them off one by one.
"Hey, Amber…" Elena called softly.
Amber raised her head and looked toward her. Her usually bright eyes were dull, lifeless.
Was there a hint of red in them?
Elena blinked and looked again.
No—still the usual green. Perhaps the light was playing tricks on her.
"Elena… what are you doing here?" Amber asked, her brows creasing with worry. "If Kate catches you here, you're going to end up in trouble."
She stood up and moved toward Elena, attempting to push her away, but Elena pulled her into a hug instead.
"Don't worry about me, Amber," Elena murmured. "I can take care of myself. How are you doing?"
Amber smiled sadly and gently pulled away from the hug.
"Please… come in," she said quietly, leading the way inside.
The back door opened into the kitchen.
The entire place was dusty. The floor creaked beneath every step they took. On the kitchen table sat baskets filled with different kinds of food and gifts. Some were half-eaten, others untouched.
On the wall, a red stain marred the surface, oil slowly gliding down from it. Right beneath the stain lay a small, broken bowl, drops of stew still clinging to the shards.
"What are these?" Elena asked, her fingers brushing over the baskets.
"People think giving us food is a good idea," Amber replied bitterly. "We wake up every day to baskets at our door—but not a single person has come to offer condolences."
"Why would they do such a thing?" Elena asked, confused. "Your father was a good man. He never fought with the villagers. He was kind and—"
"That's because they're hypocrites!" Amber snapped.
"Fucking hypocrites! Just because they heard my dad was killed by the curse, they're afraid to come close to us."
"Why?" Elena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"They believe we've been tainted by it. That we contacted the curse."
"That's pure bullshit!" Elena exclaimed angrily. "The curse isn't contagious. It's—"
Her words failed her.
She realized she didn't know much about the curse either.
It had always sounded like a distant myth—something whispered about, something unreal. But now it had reached her village. Worse, it had taken her best friend's father.
An awful sense of loss settled heavily in her chest.
"Look," Elena said, struggling to find the right words. "The curse only comes for those who are evil. Your father wasn't bad. You and your mother are far from evil."
"Forget it, Elena," Amber replied quietly, resting her head on the dusty table.
"Where's your mum?" Elena asked softly. "I knocked on the front door earlier, but no one answered."
"She's probably in her room, crying her eyes out. She's been doing that for a while now." Amber lifted her head. "Come, I'll take you to her. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Most of her friends have refused to visit."
Elena swallowed hard, fighting back tears. How could people be so shallow-minded?
Amber's family had been well respected. Mr. Cedric had helped many people in the village one way or another—and this was how he was repaid.
Amber's mother was in the living room. That must have been the footsteps Elena had heard earlier.
"Elena… you were the one knocking earlier?" Amber's mother asked, trying to force a smile. "I thought it was those bastards. How are you?"
"Hello, Aunt," Elena replied, smiling softly as she gave her a quick hug. "How are you feeling now?"
"I've been better," she admitted quietly. "You should hurry on before that witch Kate finds you here."
"You're right," Elena said gently. "Please take care of yourself. Mr. Cedric wouldn't want to see you like this."
"I know…" she whispered. "Feel free to take anything from the kitchen table."
Elena nodded and left the house with Amber.
Once they were outside, Amber's expression turned serious.
"What exactly happened to you?" she asked. "It's unusual for you to be out this long."
Elena sighed tiredly. "You're right. Yesterday, after I left you, I went back to the tavern and got into trouble with Gerald."
"That idiot! Did he pester you again?"
"I wish it was that simple," Elena replied. "I accidentally spilled ale on him. He tried to harass me, so I… I beat him up."
Amber's eyes widened in shock, clearly trying to picture Elena standing against a man like Gerald.
"How did you—"
"I don't know," Elena cut in. "I was scared. I just did the first thing that came to mind. Aunt Kate told me to go apologize. He's already threatened to destroy the tavern."
Amber stared at her for a moment, then a genuine smile spread across her lips.
"That bastard finally got what he deserved. Do you want me to go with you? You don't need to apologize, Elena. You know that."
"We don't have the power to go against Gerald," Elena replied quietly. "This is the most logical choice. Don't worry about me—I'll be fine."
Amber squeezed her arm reassuringly. "If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."
Elena nodded and walked away.
******
The house stood like a slaughterhouse. Men were positioned at different strategic points, watching silently.
Elena took a deep breath and stepped forward.
It didn't take long before a lanky man wielding a dagger blocked her path.
"Hey, beautiful," he said, his eyes roaming over her body, practically undressing her with his stare. "What are you looking for out here?"
Disgust churned in Elena's stomach, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"I'm here to see Gerald," she said firmly. "Tell him Elena is waiting."
The man's eyes widened in shock. Fear seized him instantly.
Without another word, he hurried into the house.
****
A/N
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It's a motivation for me to do better.