The Voice

I kept my eyes on the ground, tracing back Aiden's words in my mind before rolling them in frustration.

"We'll find a way to break the curse."

Easier said than done.

"Should I send you back home?" Yosuke asked, his tone gentle but laced with concern.

I biffed him on the head without hesitation. "I'm already cursed, you lunatic!" I hissed.

We all fell silent, the weight of our situation settling in. We had been summoned to Sheol—the abode of the dead. The very place where the last descendant was sealed.

As much as I hated to admit it, I had to stay here. My duty wasn’t finished yet. I had to tame him... even if it meant my death.

"You guys can back out, though," I sighed, trying to offer them a way out.

"Don't get too familiar with us, milady," Ryuu hissed, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. "You might deny it, but you’re still our master. Our loyalty is bound to you."

I bit my lip in frustration. Was I truly the strongest tamer, or did they only treat me this way because I was a half-blood? Doubt clawed at my chest. I didn't know. I didn't know anything anymore.

I glanced down at my wrists, tracing the cursed marks etched onto my skin.

Am I really bound to be his prey?

No matter what, I had to survive. I had to leave this place. I would search high and low, do whatever it took to break this curse. Mother needed me.

"If that's what you all want, then fine. Just don’t blame me for what happens next." I bit my thumb, allowing the blood to trickle onto my palm before waving the constellation sign.

"I command you to return to your realms."

One by one, eleven different gates opened, swirling with celestial energy. My companions hesitated for only a moment before stepping through, their forms vanishing into the void.

And then, I was alone.

I stood beside the training field, contemplating my next move. The book from my dream… if I wasn’t mistaken, it was the Sorcerer’s Book—the one kept by Adonis’ daughter, Chelsea. The smartest person to ever live.

Inside that book were spells to break any curse marks that bound souls together. The very book I had been searching for all these years—the key to breaking the curse Heather had cast upon my mother.

Heather, another of Adonis’ daughters, the Lady of Wild Things. She had stripped my mother of her goddess powers and banished her from both the Demon and Spirit Realms, all because of a false accusation from Lindy, one of Adonis’ concubines. They had blamed my mother for stealing the Amber Flask—the potion of destruction Lelith was supposed to give Carter to ruin his wife’s life.

Now, my mother was aging like a mere human, growing weaker with each passing day. Soon, her body wouldn’t be able to take it anymore. I had to find that book. I had to break the curse before it was too late.

Even if she could never regain her divinity, all she wanted was to sever her ties with the Demon and Spirit Realms and die in peace. And I would make that happen. Even if it was the last thing I did.

A furrow formed on my forehead as a new memory surfaced from my dream.

“That boy…” I muttered, pressing my fingers to my temples. “Why can’t I remember his face?”

“If it’s the half-blood.”

I tensed, whipping my head around to see someone standing a few meters to my right.

Genesis. My so-called "rival." Or at least, that’s what she considered herself to be. She was the strongest of the C-Class tamers.

She smirked. "What brings you here, your grace? Have you finally made up your mind and decided to have a real fight?"

I groaned, straightening up. "I’m not here for stupid fights. Now, will you please excuse me?"

“I’m not letting you go this time!”

Before I could react, a chain wrapped around my ankle and yanked me into the air. My stomach lurched as I was swung with full force toward the ground—an instant death sentence if I didn’t act fast.

My lips curled into a smile.

The Reaper’s Chain.

If she wanted a fight, then she was getting one.

I smeared the blood on my palm. "Descendant of Scorpio, Lee—I summon you!"

A celestial gate burst open, revealing Lee with his deadly scorpion tail. He lashed out in an instant, snapping the chain before it could slam me into the ground. I landed smoothly, skidding to a stop before facing Genesis.

Lee stood beside me, his tail retracting as he smirked. "Thought you weren’t going to fight her?"

I groaned. "Don’t you see the situation? I’ve been dragged into this."

Genesis wasn’t alone. Jennie, the descendant of Ursa Major, was gripping the broken chain, her crimson dress as scandalous as ever.

"Standing up to a demi-god? Feeling feisty today, aren’t we?" Jennie chuckled, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

I exhaled sharply. "Are you two really that eager to fight me?"

Genesis sneered. "Nope. I just want to see you lose against me."

She hurled a knife at the force field surrounding us. The barrier flared with multicolored light. A duel to the death. No way out.

Genesis bit her thumb, summoning another descendant. "Descendant of Gorgon, Lisa—heed my call!"

A woman in a flowing white dress stepped through a celestial gate.

I cursed under my breath. Lisa—a Gorgon. One wrong move, and I’d be turned to stone.

I clenched my fists. "Descendant of Scorpio, Lee—return to your realm."

Lee hesitated. "Why? You won’t stand a chance alone."

"And neither will you." I met his gaze. "I can’t risk your life. Please, obey me."

Reluctantly, Lee stepped back into the gate and vanished.

"Descendant of Pisces, Tyler—I summon you!"

A ripple of water formed beside me, and Tyler stepped out, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Finally! A real fight," he beamed.

I sighed. Pisces descendants were the only ones immune to a Gorgon’s gaze. A necessary advantage.

Genesis grinned. "Clever choice."

I ignored her. "Tyler, can you break the force field?" I whispered.

"You know I can’t," he whispered back. "I’m not as strong as Kevin. Just summon him."

"I can’t risk it," I muttered. "Lisa would turn him into stone."

Tyler frowned. "You should also worry about yourself, you know."

Before I could answer, a voice rang in my head.

"Tabitha..."

I tensed. That voice… the one from my dreams.

"Kill her. I want her blood on your hands."

Pain exploded through my body. Fire surged through my veins, consuming me from the inside out.

I gasped, clutching my chest as the world around me spun.

"Tabitha!" Tyler called, but I could barely

hear him. Darkness clawed at the edges of my vision.

"Tabitha..."

The voice whispered again.

The last descendant had awakened.