Cursed by Love

I had always known something was different about me. It wasn't anything I could explain-just a feeling, like I didn't quite fit in. But I never imagined that my life was connected to something ancient, something dangerous.

It was my 18th birthday. I should have been happy, right? I mean, it was a big day. Everyone says turning eighteen is a fresh start, a new chapter. But for me, the day didn't feel like a celebration. There was a strange weight in my chest, like something was coming, and I couldn't shake it off, no matter how hard I tried.

The sky outside was already darkening as I sat on my bed, staring at the few balloons my mom had tied to the chair in the corner. They looked out of place in my small, quiet room. I should've been downstairs, smiling with my mom and maybe even enjoying the small cake she bought for me. But instead, I stayed here, staring out the window, watching the sunset.

The sun sank behind the hills, leaving streaks of red and purple in the sky. It was a beautiful sight, but there was something strange about it. The red in the sky was too deep, too dark, almost like the sky itself was bleeding. I rubbed my arms, trying to push away the weird feeling that had settled in my chest.

I pulled my sweater tighter around me and stepped away from the window. Maybe I was just overthinking it. Maybe it was just one of those days where everything felt off for no reason.

"Talia!" My mom's voice echoed from downstairs. "Dinner's ready! Come down, sweetheart."

I sighed and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My dark hair fell in soft waves over my shoulders, and my brown eyes stared back at me with a familiar look of uncertainty. My face looked pale, more than usual. I tried to smile at myself, but it didn't feel right.

"Everything's fine," I whispered to my reflection, even though I didn't believe it. "It's just your birthday. Nothing weird is going to happen."

I smoothed my hair back and headed downstairs. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, the smell of pasta hit me. My mom loved to cook pasta on special occasions, and birthdays were no exception. I stepped into the kitchen, where she was waiting with a bright smile, the kind of smile that said she was trying a little too hard to make me feel better.

"There she is," she said, waving her hands toward the table where the pasta sat in a big bowl. "I made your favorite. Thought it'd be nice for your big day."

I gave her a small smile and sat down. "Thanks, Mom. It smells great."

She sat across from me, watching closely as I took a bite. "You okay? You've been quiet all day."

I shrugged, poking at the pasta with my fork. "I'm fine. Just... I don't know, today feels weird."

"Weird how?" she asked, her face growing more serious.

I hesitated. I didn't want to worry her, especially since I couldn't even explain what was bothering me. "I don't know, it's probably nothing. Just a weird feeling, that's all."

She frowned but didn't push it. "Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," I said, trying to sound more upbeat. "Really, it's nothing."

She nodded, but I could see the concern in her eyes. She had been acting like this for days, like she was waiting for something bad to happen. Maybe it wasn't just me who felt weird.

We finished dinner in silence, and I helped her clear the table. It was a quiet evening, but that strange feeling in my chest didn't go away. In fact, it seemed to get stronger the closer it got to midnight.

After dinner, I went back to my room and tried to distract myself with a book, but I couldn't focus. My eyes kept drifting to the window, where the moon was now high in the sky. It looked bigger than usual, shining brightly through the darkness.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming, something I wasn't ready for.

At exactly midnight, everything changed.

It started with a sharp pain in my chest, like something was pulling at my heart. I gasped and clutched my chest, falling to my knees beside the bed. The room spun around me, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. My head throbbed, and my vision blurred as the pain spread through my entire body.

"What's happening?" I whispered, though no one was there to answer.

Suddenly, images flashed in my mind-memories that weren't mine. I saw a woman standing in the middle of a dark forest, her arms raised toward the sky. She was chanting something, a spell, but I couldn't understand the words. Then I saw her face-my face. It was like looking into a mirror, but this woman was dressed in old, tattered clothes, her eyes filled with pain and anger.

The vision shifted, and now I saw her running through the woods, being chased by a group of men. They were shouting, calling her a witch. She stumbled, falling to the ground, and then everything went black.

The pain in my chest was overwhelming now, like my heart was being squeezed. I cried out, but my voice barely made a sound. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain was gone. I collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily, my body shaking.

I stayed there for a long time, too scared to move. What had just happened? What did I see? I knew, deep down, that those visions weren't just dreams. They felt real, too real.

When I finally got up, I stumbled to the mirror, my hands trembling. I stared at my reflection, half-expecting to see the woman from the vision staring back at me. But it was just me-Talia.

Except... something was different. My eyes-they weren't just brown anymore. A faint glow surrounded my pupils, like a flicker of light was trapped inside them.

"What...?" I whispered, leaning closer to the mirror.

That's when I heard the voice behind me.

"Talia."

I spun around, my heart racing. A figure stood in the shadows near my window, tall and still. I couldn't see his face, but I knew-this wasn't just some stranger.

He had come for me.