Cursed Infernal Weep

Grido watched as Akira, torn between curiosity and caution, stood before the array of artifacts. The young star's eyes flickered over the options—gleaming daggers, enchanted armor, and powerful relics that hummed with latent energy. Grido couldn't help but wonder what Akira would choose. Perhaps a weapon to complement his agile fighting style.But what Akira finally chose left Grido utterly dumbfounded.

Akira's gaze settled on a small, unassuming box covered in glowing runes. Inside was no weapon, no armor, no typical magical artifact. Instead, it held a dark and haunting symbol—a tattoo-like design of a black and crimson eye, dripping tears of blood, encircled by flickering, ghostly flames. The mere sight of it radiated an aura so foreboding that it seemed to chill the very air around it.

"I'm interested in this," Akira declared, his voice calm but resolute.

Grido's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "That?" he asked, stepping closer to Akira. "Are you serious?"

Unfazed, Akira maintained his sharp gaze, fixed unwaveringly on the symbol. "Why not?" he replied simply.

Grido sighed, shaking his head. "You don't understand. Even we don't know what that thing is fully capable of. We've only managed to uncover its name—Cursed Infernal Weep. And the way we got it…" Grido paused, his voice dropping. "Let's just say it wasn't a victory we're proud of."

Akira's curiosity deepened. "What happened?"

Grido crossed his arms, his expression grim. "A man—a stranger—stumbled into the guild one night. He was no longer himself. His eyes were hollow, his movements carried an unsettling, unnatural rhythm. At first, we assumed he was just another desperate star seeking shelter, but it quickly became evident… something had taken control of him. He moved like a puppet—unnaturally strong. The harder we fought, the more his strength seemed to grow. Chaos erupted everywhere. Numerous STARS among us sustained severe injuries merely in their attempts to restrain him."

Grido's voice deepened with gravity as he pressed on. "The guildmaster herself, Sylara, had to step in. She succeeded in defeating him, yet the moment he collapsed, his body began to convulse, and he… transformed. He became even more formidable, his power surging beyond control. However, we think that his body couldn't withstand it. Ultimately, he… exploded. Quite literally. And when the chaos subsided, the only remnant left was this artifact mark."

Grido gestured toward the box. "We've kept it sealed ever since. We don't know its rank, its full effects, or even what it truly is. All we understand is that it's dangerous. I can't allow you to take it. Sylara wouldn't approve."

Akira didn't respond immediately. His eyes stayed on the symbol, the dark flames reflected in his irises. After a long silence, he finally spoke—not to Grido, but to the system in his mind.

"Identify it."

A moment later, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his thoughts, cold and precise:

Ding!

[System Processing...98% providable]

[Name: Cursed Infernal Weep]

[Type: Curse]

[Rank: Unknown]

[Description: A malevolent artifact imbued with the essence of a lost and vengeful spirit.]

[Effect: Once activated, the symbol will imprint itself as a tattoo on the user's body. This will grant the user immunity to all curse-based effects. Additionally, each instance of damage sustained will temporarily increase the user's strength by 2.]

[Caution: The spirit residing within this artifact is highly unstable and will attempt to take control of the user's body and mind upon activation. If successful, the user's life will be forfeit, and their body will become a vessel for the spirit.]

Akira's eyes narrowed as he processed the information, his thoughts a mix of calculation and intrigue. "Immunity to all curses... I've heard of awakened beings who suffer from curses and debuffs that are difficult to deal with against monster even against other awakened who have the abilities to cast curses.This would definitely help with that.And temporary strength boosts with every hit? That sounds useful. But a spirit trying to possess me? That's dangerous.He glanced back at Grido, who was still watching him warily.

"Isn't that always how it goes? "Akira thought. "Every power has its cost. The real question is… is it worth paying?"

For a moment, doubt flickered in Akira's mind. He wasn't reckless—he knew the risks. But the thought of gaining power, of becoming stronger, was intoxicating. He had faced death before, stared it in the eye and walked away. This was just another challenge, another obstacle to overcome. And yet… the idea of losing control, of becoming a puppet for some vengeful spirit, sent a shiver down his spine.

"But what choice do I have?" he thought bitterly. "I need power. More than I have now. More than anyone else. If I hesitate, if I falter, I'll never achieve what I've set out to do. I'll never fulfill my vengeance."

Akira clenched his fists, feeling the familiar resolve building within him. He had faced dangers before—monsters, dungeons, even death itself. A cursed artifact and a vengeful spirit? It was just another challenge. And he needed power—power to grow stronger, faster than anyone else.

"If this thing can make me stronger—even a little bit—I'll take it. I don't care what it costs. If there's even a chance of fulfilling my vengeance, I'll rip through anything standing in my way. I will never back down when it comes to gaining power. Not now. Not ever."

The darkness in his eyes reflected a promise. No step back. No hesitation. Just the relentless pursuit of strength.

"No spirit is going to take control of me."

Turning back to Grido, Akira spoke with a calm voice that resonated with unyielding determination. "I'll take it."

Grido's expression tightened, his jaw clenching as he took a step forward. "Akira, don't be reckless. This isn't just another artifact. It's dangerous—more than anything we've dealt with before. It could destroy you. It could destroy everything."

Akira's gaze didn't waver. "I said I'll take it."

Grido's hands balled into fists, his voice rising. "You're not listening to me! This isn't some game. That thing—" he pointed sharply at the artifact, "—isn't just power. It's a curse. It's a burden you can't possibly understand."

Akira's tone hardened, his words cutting through the air like steel. "And I said I'll take it."

Grido's frustration boiled over. He stepped closer, his voice low but fierce. "Do you think I'm just trying to hold you back? This isn't about fear, Akira. It's about survival. Yours. Mine. Everyone's. Once you take that thing, there's no going back. You think you're ready for that? You think you can handle it?"

Akira's eyes narrowed, his calm demeanor unshaken. "I don't think. I know."

For a moment, Grido looked as though he might physically block Akira's path. His chest heaved, his mind racing for another argument, another way to make him see reason. But then he saw it—the fire in Akira's eyes, the quiet, unshakable resolve that no words could extinguish. It wasn't arrogance. It wasn't recklessness. It was something deeper, something Grido couldn't quite name.

He took a step back, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You're impossible," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. But the fight had left his voice. After a long pause, he finally sighed, his tone heavy with resignation."Fine. Take it. But don't say I didn't warn you, and I really hope that my decision to let you have it wasn't a mistake."

With a deliberate motion, Grido deactivated the containment runes, allowing Akira to step forward, his hand extending toward the cursed mark. Instantly, the air thickened, and the flames encircling the symbol flared as if they recognized their new target.

"Let's see what you're capable of," Akira murmured, a faint, fearless smile playing upon his lips.

As Akira's fingers brushed against the cursed mark, a surge of energy crackled in the air. A dark wave pulsed outward, swallowing the light from the vault. Grido instinctively stepped back, his heart pounding as he watched the mark glow ominously.

The dark symbol leapt from where it was held, twisting like it was alive, and struck Akira's right wrist. It seared into his skin with a loud hiss as the red flames moved and settled in. The tattoo looked like what Akira had seen a scary, dark eye crying blood and surrounded by fire designs. But now it throbbed, alive, as if it was taking energy from Akira himself.

Pain shot through him like jagged glass. Akira grimaced, his knees buckling slightly as he clutched his wrist with his left hand. A scream tore from his throat—raw, primal, and so loud it reverberated through the vault.

Grido's blood turned to ice. "Damn it!" he muttered, sweat running down his face. He tightened his fists, scolding himself. "I should never have let this happen. What was I thinking? He's strong, but he's still just a kid, and that artifact eats the mind, not the body. I trusted him too much after his last performance. This… this was a mistake!"

At the same time, Akira's world fell apart. He could see less and less as darkness took over the edges of his vision. His body stopped following his commands his legs felt heavy, and his arms felt strange. The pain grew worse, moving from his wrist up his arm like burning fire, consuming him. He could hardly feel his heartbeat as everything faded away.

"Shit, I think I fucked up?" he thought, a flicker of regret piercing through the haze of pain.

Then, there was silence.

When Akira opened his eyes—or what he thought were his eyes—he was not in the vault anymore. He floated in a never-ending, heavy emptiness, the air thick with evil and fear. There was only darkness extending forever in all directions. A voice echoed—a deep, seductive laugh, cold and spooky.

"Finally," the voice purred, and from the void emerged a pair of lips, perfect and alluring, curled into a twisted smile. They didn't belong to a body, just floating in the abyss, yet their presence radiated power. "You arrogant brat. Because of your foolishness, I am free and Im thankful for it. Now… sleep. Your body is mine."

Akira's anger flared immediately, his teeth gritted in resistance. "Shut up!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the emptiness. "This is my body. Do you think you can take it from me?!"

The lips curled into a nasty smile. "Oh, how funny. Such boldness… for a kid who doesn't even understand what's going on."

Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind Akira—a ghostly presence that felt overwhelmingly evil. The figure looked like a woman covered in complete darkness, her face unclear except for her bright, threatening eyes. She leaned closer, her cold, ghostly hands touching Akira's head, and he felt a strong force press down on his thoughts like a tight grip.

"You are nothing," the curse hissed. "A mere mortal. Sleep now… and become my vessel."

Akira gritted his teeth, his fury a roaring inferno. "Never," he growled, but the strength was draining from him. He felt her grip tighten, suffocating his resistance. His body slackened, and his vision dimmed. The last thing he heard was her triumphant laugh echoing as he sank into unconsciousness.

But then, the unthinkable unfolded.

The curse was now free and laughed wildly as it took control of Akira's body. "Finally free!" she said, her voice echoing in the air. "This power… this body… I'll—"

Her words stopped suddenly. A shaking went through Akira's body, followed by a strong pressure—an energy so powerful it made her quiet.

"What is this…?" Her confidence weakened. She tried to move, but she couldn't. The space around her changed and twisted, the dark emptiness becoming something different. The air felt thicker and heavier. A strong force pressed down on her from all sides.

"What… what is this place?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Where am I?!"

From the depths of Akira's subconscious, a new presence emerged. It wasn't Akira—it was something far, far more terrifying. The void seemed to bow before it, the very fabric of reality bending to its will. A shape started to appear in the darkness—a light figure with eyes that shone like two white suns. Its presence was so strong, a powerful force that made the curse seem tiny, like an insect next to a god.

Something utterly unfathomable loomed before her, shattering the very limits of her understanding. She had no idea where she had wandered, no grasp of whose territory she had intruded upon, and no way to comprehend the immense power manifesting before her.

It was the entity that resided deep inside the boy's body.

"You thought you could control this body?" the entity spoke, its voice resonating with an authority that made the curse tremble.

"Who decided that?"