grey_igorot

Fate and the Cursed Child


---

On a dark, stormy night, a child named Ye Ling is born in a remote village. His arrival is marked by thunder and shadows, and the village elder warns that he is a cursed child, destined to bring calamity. Despite the villagers’ fear and mistrust, Ye Ling’s mother believes he is innocent and protects him, allowing him to grow up on the village outskirts.

As Ye Ling grows, he begins to sense a strange power within him—a dark, primal force that stirs under intense emotions, granting him unusual strength but at a dangerous cost. This power draws the attention of mystical creatures, spiritual clans, and beast tribes, who see him as either a weapon or a threat. Seeking to break his curse and uncover his origins, Ye Ling embarks on a journey beyond the village, determined to control his “beast” within and to understand the destiny that binds him.

On this path, he encounters allies and rivals: a mysterious girl who attempts to tame his power, a beast king who views him with equal parts fear and respect, and an old friend bound to his fate. Through battles, trials, and sacrifices, Ye Ling transforms from a rejected boy into a formidable force. As he learns to tame and harness his cursed nature, he discovers that his curse may be the key to reshaping his destiny.

But as he approaches the truth, Ye Ling faces an ultimate choice: to fully embrace his power and control his own fate, or to sacrifice himself to prevent the foretold disaster. In the end, he will decide if his curse is truly his doom or a path to freedom and redemption.

Fate and the Cursed Child

Ye Ling set out at dusk, leaving the village behind and heading towards the distant mountains marked on the invitation. After days of travel, he reached his destination: an ancient fortress, veiled in thick, impenetrable fog. Its presence was almost otherworldly, as if it existed on the edge of darkness itself.

As he approached, the fortress gate opened slowly, and a figure cloaked in black waited in silence.

"Ye Ling, we have been expecting you," the figure said in a low voice, almost as if the shadows themselves were speaking.

Without a word, Ye Ling followed, led through dim hallways to a shadowed great hall. League members lined the walls, watching him with unyielding expressions. At the far end of the hall stood the League's leader, his eyes piercing like a hawk's as he observed Ye Ling.

The leader spoke in a slow, deliberate voice: "Ye Ling, while you possess the power of a curse, you lack true mastery. To join us, you must undergo the League's trial."

With a gesture from the leader, a darkened corridor appeared, leading to a closed chamber. "Inside, you will face the limits of your powers—and yourself. Each of us has faced similar trials. Those who succeed emerge stronger; those who fail… remain in darkness forever."

Ye Ling stepped into the corridor, his footsteps echoing as the door sealed behind him. The air grew thick with a strange, whispering energy, pulling at his thoughts and awakening the shadows he had tried to suppress.

Inside the chamber, visions from Ye Ling's past surfaced—the loneliness of his childhood, the fear in villagers' eyes, and his constant battle to control the darkness. Each memory came alive as if he were reliving it, suffocating him in a web of despair.

Suddenly, a figure emerged, identical to Ye Ling but exuding a dark, malevolent aura. Its eyes were cold, and a twisted smile played on its lips.

"You cannot escape me," the shadow figure sneered. "You desire power but deny the darkness that fuels it. Sooner or later, we will become one."

Ye Ling steadied himself, replying with calm resolve. "You are the part of me that I have feared… but I need to control you, not destroy you."

The dark figure's expression wavered, but it persisted, drawing closer as if to consume him. Yet as the struggle continued, Ye Ling understood that the answer wasn't resistance; it was acceptance.

As Ye Ling confronted this darker self, he realized that the darkness was not solely evil—it was also a part of his strength, a power he had inherited for a reason. Only by acknowledging it could he wield it without losing himself.

"Perhaps I don't need to fight you," Ye Ling murmured, looking into the shadow's eyes with a newfound clarity. "You are a part of me, and I will master my fate by accepting you."

The shadow's sneer softened, and it nodded, its form gradually merging into Ye Ling's. For the first time, Ye Ling felt a deep calm. He now knew that to control his curse, he had to embrace the darkness within.

When Ye Ling opened his eyes again, he was back in the great hall, surrounded by the League members. The leader observed him with a satisfied expression.

"Well done. True strength lies in accepting the darkness rather than rejecting it," the leader said approvingly.

Ye Ling gave a faint nod, knowing he had earned not only the League's acceptance but also a new understanding of his destiny.

Now, he would undergo even harsher training with the League, diving into the mysteries of his curse and unlocking the secrets of his power. His path grew ever darker and more uncertain, but he moved forward with a confidence that only came from facing his deepest fears head-on.

Chapter 10: The Trials of the Shadow League