Just a bit of filler before the main part of chapter 4:
“Nero!” screamed Olivar. “Are you okay?”
He climbed down the rocky wall of the hall, slipping several times before running to me. “What happened?” he asked, his voice urgent.
“I… I slipped and fell down the ledge up there,” I said, still lying on the cold stone. “I landed on some glowing teal cube.”
Olivar froze, staring at me. “Your eyes…” he whispered. “Could it be possible?”
“What? What could be possible?” I asked, sitting up slightly.
“Wait here,” he said abruptly. He turned, scrambled back up the rocky wall, and disappeared.
The past days weighed heavily on me. The attack, my parents’ death, the destruction of Rubica, the sword, the survivor’s cryptic warning—and now this strange cube. My head throbbed as I tried to make sense of it all. I didn’t feel any different after falling onto the cube, but Olivar’s reaction was unsettling.
“They’re coming back,” the survivor had said. Who were they? Were the Tiberians planning another attack, or was it something worse?
My thoughts were interrupted by a commotion above. A group of soldiers and medics appeared on the ledge. One secured a rope, and they climbed down one by one. The soldiers fanned out, scanning the hall, while the medics rushed to me. Statilla and Olivar descended after them.
“What were you thinking, coming down here?” Statilla asked, her voice sharp with concern.
“I wanted to clear my head,” I replied, “and I tripped and fell.”
“Glowing teal cube, you say?” Olivar asked, his tone curious but wary. I nodded.
He exchanged a glance with Statilla, then turned back to me. “Well, Nero,” he said, his voice low, “you might just be the key to defeating Tiberia.”
Statilla’s eyes narrowed. “Are you saying… could he have a… sea curse?”
I gasped. “A curse? You think I have a curse? Like the one Winterveil’s king wields?”
“We can’t jump to conclusions,” Statilla said firmly, though her expression betrayed unease.
The medics secured me with ropes and carefully pulled me back up the ledge. They carried me through the dense jungle, their pace urgent. Olivar whispered his theory to the soldiers around him, and though their faces showed confusion, I saw flickers of hope in their eyes.
Back at Camp Gladius, the medics ushered me into a tent, where they conducted strange tests, questioning me repeatedly about what had happened. Whispers of “sea curse” and “the cube” echoed outside.
Finally, a group of soldiers entered. Without explanation, they led me to a small sailboat where Olivar was already waiting.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He avoided my gaze. “We’re going to test something.”
The hours at sea passed in tense silence until we reached a strange island.
The landscape was eerie. Gnarled trees twisted out of the ground like ancient claws. Crumbling ruins dotted the island, their walls covered in moss and cracks. A massive, decayed bridge stretched out from the shore into the sea. The grass was an unnatural mix of gray and yellow, as if drained of life.
We docked, and the soldiers quickly set up a small camp. Without a word, Olivar motioned for me to follow. A handful of soldiers came with us as we ventured deeper into the island’s unsettling terrain.
After we reached an area near the old bridge, the soldiers settled into position, their eyes darting nervously across the strange terrain. Olivar remained standing, his expression tense.
“We’re going to see if you truly have a sea curse,” he said, his voice low but resolute. “Focus all your energy—everything you’ve got—and try to summon a spell.”
I hesitated, unsure of what to expect, but I obeyed. Closing my eyes, I pushed myself to the limit, channeling every ounce of power I could muster.
The air around me shifted, crackling with energy. Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from my hands—a violent surge of teal fire and black aura that roared in the direction I was pointing. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and the soldiers shielded their faces from the searing heat and dark energy spiraling outward.
It was undeniable. I had a sea curse.