Chapter 7 – Curse

  In the Castle

  A faint light burned behind Daniel’s eyelids as he stirred. His body felt heavy, his mind fogged. When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw were faces—dozens of them. Professors, students, even the Headmaster stood around his bed, whispering anxiously.

  The hospital wing was filled with tension. The soft clinking of potion bottles and the faint scent of healing herbs filled the air.

  “Look! He’s awake!” someone whispered.

  Scarlett and Tom rushed forward, their faces pale with worry. Beside them, Mrs. Elizabeth, the Defense professor, stood silently with furrowed brows.

  Daniel blinked a few times. “W–Where… where am I?”

  A calm but firm voice answered, “You’re in the hospital wing, Mr. Cruse.”

  It was Mrs. Marry, the castle nurse. She stepped closer, adjusting her spectacles. “You’ve been unconscious for nearly two days. Now, everyone, please—quiet and clear the room.”

  Students murmured and shuffled out until only Scarlett, Tom, Mrs. Elizabeth, and Headmaster Albus Christ remained.

  Mrs. Marry turned back to Daniel. “Don’t try to move yet. You’ve suffered a deep wound on your right shoulder.”

  Daniel tried to sit up—but a sharp pain shot through his arm, making him gasp.

  “Easy,” Mrs. Marry said quickly. “You need rest.”

  She gently rolled up his sleeve to check the injury. The moment the fabric moved aside, a strange mark shimmered faintly on Daniel’s shoulder—dark, intricate, and glowing with faint crimson veins.

  Mrs. Marry froze. “Headmaster…” she whispered.

  Albus Christ stepped closer, his expression tightening. When he saw the mark, his eyes widened slightly. For a moment, his calm composure faltered.

  He looked directly at Daniel. “You must rest for now. When you’ve recovered, come to my office immediately. We have much to discuss.”

  Daniel frowned. “Sir, what’s happening to me?”

  The Headmaster’s voice was quiet but heavy. “Something ancient has touched you, Daniel. And not by accident.”

  He turned sharply, his cloak sweeping behind him as he left the room.

  Mrs. Elizabeth lingered for a moment, placing a hand on Scarlett’s shoulder. “Stay with him. I’ll speak to the Headmaster.” Then she, too, departed.

  After Everyone Left

  The room was quiet again, lit only by the soft glow of candlelight. Scarlett sat beside Daniel’s bed, her hands clasped together, while Tom leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

  After a long pause, Tom spoke in a low voice. “Alright, Daniel. You’ve got to tell us what happened. From the start.”

  Daniel stared at the ceiling for a moment, then nodded slowly. “It all started when I saw that strange brown book. I felt… drawn to it, like it was calling me.”

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  He took a shaky breath. “When I touched it, everything shook—like an earthquake. I blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was somewhere else… an old stone chamber. That’s where I met the elf.”

  Scarlett’s eyes widened. “You met an elf?”

  Daniel nodded. “He said his name was Dawn. He told me he’d been waiting for me—for thirty years. He said my father gave him something to protect… something meant only for me.”

  Tom frowned. “Your father? What kind of thing?”

  Daniel hesitated, his eyes distant. “He gave me a book. It was floating in the air, bound in brown leather. The title read—” he paused, voice dropping to a whisper—“Arcanmere: Secrets of the Hidden Library.”

  Scarlett leaned closer. “So… what did you do?”

  Daniel’s voice trembled. “Dawn told me to open it—to turn to page three hundred and forty-five. There was a picture of a man… tall, pale, with dark eyes. The name written under it was Lord Umbragon.”

  Tom repeated the name slowly. “Lord Umbragon… sounds like someone from a legend.”

  Daniel nodded faintly. “That’s what I thought too. But when I looked at the picture… it felt like he was looking back at me.”

  Scarlett shivered. “And then?”

  Daniel clenched his jaw, remembering. “Then Dawn told me to place my hand on a bronze door behind us. He said it was the gateway. I didn’t understand what he meant—but when I touched the door…”

  He paused, his breathing quickened. “I felt something pull me—like all the air was being sucked out of the room. My body went numb, my vision turned black, and I heard a voice whispering something… ancient.”

  Tom’s voice was barely audible. “What did it say?”

  Daniel looked at him, his eyes dark. “It said, ‘The seal is broken… the curse begins.’ Then everything went blank.”

  Scarlett’s hand flew to her mouth. “The curse?”

  After a Few Days

  The cold morning light crept through the tall stained-glass windows of Arcanmere Castle. The snow outside had just begun to melt, but the whispers inside the corridors hadn’t. Students still talked about the strange event in the library—the boy who vanished, the lightning that struck without a storm, and the book that disappeared.

  Daniel, now much better, walked slowly through the long marble hallway leading to the Headmaster’s Office. His shoulder still ached faintly beneath the bandage, the strange mark occasionally burning with a pulse that felt almost alive.

  When he reached the large oak door carved with the crest of Arcanmere, he took a breath and knocked softly.

  “Come in,” came the calm but commanding voice of Headmaster Albus Christ.

  Daniel stepped inside. The office was dimly lit, filled with the scent of old parchment and candle wax. Ancient scrolls floated mid-air, quills scribbling notes by themselves. A fire flickered in the hearth beside the Headmaster’s desk.

  Albus Christ looked up from a dusty book. “Ah, Daniel. You seem stronger today.”

  “Yes, sir. Mrs. Marry said I’m fully recovered,” Daniel replied politely, taking a seat as the Headmaster gestured to the chair across from him.

  The Headmaster leaned forward, fingers steepled. “Good. Now, tell me everything again—from the very beginning. Leave out nothing.”

  Daniel nodded and began to speak. He told him everything: from the moment he saw the strange brown book in the library, to meeting the elf Dawn, to the glowing chamber and the Book of Arcanmere, the page that showed Lord Umbragon, and the words that cursed him before everything went black.

  As he spoke, the room grew colder. The fire dimmed slightly, as if reacting to the name Umbragon.

  When Daniel finally stopped, the Headmaster remained silent for a long moment. His expression was unreadable.

  Then, a soft click echoed from the shadows behind them. Daniel turned his head—and froze.

  Standing near one of the tall shelves was Mrs. Elizabeth, arms crossed, her expression sharp but curious.

  “I hope you don’t mind, Headmaster,” she said smoothly. “You asked me to attend, after all.”

  Daniel blinked. “You were… listening?”

  Elizabeth smiled faintly. “Observing,” she corrected. “I needed to hear the boy’s account myself.”

  Headmaster Christ exhaled slowly. “Mrs. Elizabeth is one of our most trusted professors. She has experience in… ancient matters.”

  Daniel frowned slightly but nodded. “I understand, sir.”

  “So what do I have to do now, sir?” Daniel asked curiously.

  “When the time is right,” he said softly, “this will tell you what you need to know. But for now, leave this place. Do not speak of Umbragon to anyone. Not yet.”

  Daniel stood slowly, uncertain but respectful. “Yes, sir.”

  As he turned to leave, he glanced once more at Mrs. Elizabeth. She was watching him—intently, almost as if studying every move.

  When he stepped out and the heavy door closed behind him, the Headmaster finally spoke again, his tone low and troubled.

  “He has the mark,” he said quietly. “There’s no doubt now.”

  Mrs. Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “Then the curse has already begun.”