The Forbidden Light [BL] Chapter 16: The Hunger Of Wishes

Gigantic tentacles tore the prince’s chamber in half, splitting the building and leaving a gaping hole.

They were on the upper floor. Below were the servants’ quarters. Maids, cooks, and footn, not knowing what was happening, scattered in panic.

The mysterious woman floated in midair. She pointed her staff at Aya and Shion.

"You are the dream I dream. And he–,"she pointed at Haru "– my nightmare."

Aya stepped forward.

"They have nothing to do with you!" she shouted as loud as she could. "You know very well Haru is innocent. If you must take soone, take ."

Shion drew the blade of the allied god, then revealed his eyes, locking them straight on the mysterious woman.

For a mont she pretended to be dead, as if her corpse was suspended in the air. She even managed to pull off a convincing expression of shock. But then she snapped back, laughing loudly.

"Oh, foolish prince, do you really think you can kill with the very thing I gifted you? I’ll forgive you, since you’re doing it to protect your Key."

"Who are you... or rather, what are you?" Shion replied, shocked.

"You know , and yet you don’t. But that won’t help you much," she said, then sighed. "Aya killed two gods, and I devoured their mories and their dreams. "Since then I’ve followed Aya, but I felt the breath of the Key upon . I knew I had to erase his light at its root."

Haru motioned for Gari to set him down.

"I never did anything to you!" he replied in confusion and anger. "I don’t even... know who you are!"

"I was born on the day only you and Aya rember. Every ti you soothe Shion’s pain, it causes suffering."

"Then you must be... the manifestation of the curse. It’s afraid of being erased, isn’t it?" Aya wondered.

"Don’t make laugh. Why would I be afraid of anything? I am neither your enemy nor your ally. When our eting ends, everything will return to normal."

"Am I the only one who feels this is making less and less sense?" Gari asked.

"You cannot comprehend my existence, half-beast," the woman answered with disdain. "I am here to reaper the tear in reality, between what truly happened and what was only a dream." She stretched out her hand toward Haru and Aya.

An invisible force lifted them from the ground and pulled them closer. Haru and Aya scread in pain, as though crushed by unseen limbs.

"Haru!" Shion called, his heart aching as he drew his blade. He almost leapt at her, but stopped at the last mont. He couldn’t simply jump from the second floor onto the stone courtyard.

"Don’t be afraid, prince. I’m not what you think I am. And now..." She fixed her gaze on the two of them.

"Damn it, boss of boss, what do we do?!" Gari shouted, panicked.

"Forget that day. Forget it. It never existed. I never existed," the woman said, her eyes glowing burgundy.

Haru fell under her spell, hypnotized. But Aya avoided her gaze.

No, you’ll still rember, won’t you? she heard the voice in her head.

That is your curse, your blessing and your punishnt.

You will rember. Maybe it will help you free your brother from his curse. Or maybe it will drive you mad.

Look into my soul, Aya. What do you see?

*

Haru awoke in a completely different place, one that was...

...a black void. His body glowed with a golden aura.

Am I... dead? he thought with sorrow.

And then, in the middle of nothingness, the sa woman appeared before him.

"At last, the tear in reality will be sealed."

Fear shadowed Haru’s face, but for so reason he also felt relief.

A strange, terrifying kind of relief.

Haru clenched his teeth.

"Am I dead?" he asked. Just the thought of losing his future with Shion made his lips tremble and tears stream down his cheeks.

"No, Haru. Between the two of us, it is I who must die by your hand, that is the order of things. I’ve co to heal the breach Aya created. One day you will learn more about my being."

"Then where the hell am I?!"

"In a dream. Yours or mine, I don’t even know. You’ll be back in your own world soon. I took away your mory of your true first kiss with Shion, on the day that should never have existed. But in return, I will give you sothing too."

"I don’t want anything from a weird creature like you!" Haru shouted, fists tightening.

"Do you really think I’m nothing more than that? I was born from one of the four primal fires, so I carry not only evil, but also good. Because Shion suffers, he was able to et you. He can marry soone he truly loves, not just soone chosen for him."

Her words touched Haru deep down. He didn’t answer. He sniffled, then wiped his tears with his sleeve.

"W-what do you want to give in return?" he asked after a mont.

"I devoured many dreams and wishes, and I constantly hunger for them. But I’ll give you one wish. Use it well."

"So I just say what I want?"

"No. If you speak it aloud, it will never co true. You’ll use your wish at the mont your heart desires sothing most - caught between two conditions, just like our conversation, which both exists and doesn’t exist."

"None of this makes sense. And how am I supposed to know you’re not lying?"

"Ti will tell," she replied with a smile. "And now, forgive . I must speak with Aya."

"Wait, weren’t you... hunting her?" Haru asked nervously.

"Just as you’re hunting , Haru, without knowing it. I am her curse, because Aya can see into the future and manipulate dreams. I am Shion’s curse, because he inherited a throne blessed only for gods, though he had no choice in it. And you, Haru, you are my curse, simply because I exist. Farewell, Haru. I’m glad it will be your hand that ends ."

"W-wait! My head’s spinning, I don’t even know what any of this–"

He couldn’t finish, feeling consciousness slip away.

*

The next day...

Haru sat up. His head ached as if from a heavy hangover. A soft breeze drifted through the room.

He rembered nothing of yesterday right after going to town with Gari and Maldie.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

"Co in," he said.

Gari entered, holding her face.

"Damn, Haru, we drank way too much yesterday. I don’t rember a thing and my head’s about to explode," she groaned miserably.

"Yeah... too," Haru muttered with a grimace.

Even though the day seed ordinary, Haru felt sothing was... off.

Sothing tugged at him from inside, though faintly for now.

Maldie suddenly barged in. A subtle unease made Haru glance at her right hand. The maid’s hands were both whole and healthy. For so reason Haru breathed a sigh of relief.

Maldie was holding a wedding dress, the one they had bought yesterday at the prince’s expense.

"Haru, what the hell?! Don’t tell I just woke up!" she yelled at him with slight irritation.

"H-huh?!" Haru stamred, confused.

"I understand that we drank wild during your bride’s night out party yesterday, but it’s ti to get yourself together. Get into the bath right now. You need to be cleaner and sll better than ever, do you hear ?!"

"B-but w-why the rush?" Haru asked, even more confused and slightly frightened by Maldie’s commanding tone.

"’Why the rush?’ Hold back, or I’ll explode! Haru, do you seriously want to be late to your own wedding as the prince’s bride?"

"Wait. Its t-today?!" Haru exclaid in shock.

His cheeks flushed in surprise.