Blood Curse of the Shaman

The night grew darker, but the house was still filled with a bone-chilling cold. While Lucy sat on the wooden floor of the living room, her heart pounded fast after the terrifying event earlier. Meanwhile, Malik stood by the window, his eyes locked onto the darkness outside as if something was still lurking.

Lucy took a deep breath. "They whispered that I can't run from my fate. What the hell does that mean?"

Malik turned, his expression calm but tension flickered in his eyes. "Your ancestors… your family… your mother never finished the final ritual. That's why this legacy passed down to you. You're the last one left. And the trigger? You messed with dark magic, tainted your power, and that broke the seal open again."

Lucy bit her lip. "Ritual? What ritual?"

Malik was silent for a few seconds before answering, "The sealing ritual."

Lucy frowned. "Sealing what?"

Malik let out a long sigh before saying, "The gateway between this world and theirs. The spirits chasing you… they ain't supposed to be here. But since the ritual was never completed, the barrier between our world and theirs weakened. And now, they're after you."

Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine. So, this wasn't just about her mistakes… this was something way bigger.

"I don't get it," she said quietly. "Why me? Why can't they just let me live a normal life?"

"'Cause you got that blood," Malik replied. "The blood that connects this world to theirs. Without someone like you, that gateway ain't ever closing."

Lucy swallowed hard. She had seen enough weird stuff since returning to this house, but hearing it straight from Malik made it all feel too real.

"What do I gotta do?" she finally asked.

Malik stared at her, his gaze deep. "You have to finish the ritual."

Lucy froze, her mind racing.

"And if I don't?"

Malik's eyes darkened. "They won't stop hunting you. Not until you're dead… or until this world burns."

A chill spread through Lucy's veins. This wasn't just some ordinary curse. This was a war between the living and the dead.

And she was caught right in the middle of it.

****

Morning came slowly. The sun barely peeked out before the thick gray clouds swallowed it again. The air was damp, and the house felt eerily silent.

Lucy sat at the dining table, gripping a cup of tea with trembling hands. Malik stood in the corner, his face unreadable.

"I gotta know something," Lucy finally said. "If I do this ritual… will all of this end?"

Malik didn't answer right away. He stepped closer, sat in front of Lucy, and finally said, "Maybe. But there's a big risk."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What risk?"

Malik locked eyes with her. "The ritual needs a sacrifice."

Lucy's stomach dropped. "Wait… what kinda sacrifice?"

Malik glanced at the cup in her hand before looking back up. "Your blood."

Lucy felt her whole body freeze.

"My… blood?"

"Yeah." Malik leaned back. "Only someone with pure blood can complete the ritual. But it ain't free. The bigger the force you wanna seal, the bigger the price you gotta pay."

Lucy bit her lip.

"How much?"

Malik didn't answer right away, but his eyes told her she wouldn't like the response.

"Enough to almost kill you," he finally said.

Lucy rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

So, if she did this ritual, there was a high chance she wouldn't survive.

"Ain't there another way?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Malik shook his head. "Ain't nothing free in this world."

Lucy stared at her hands, her nails digging into the wooden table. She didn't wanna die. She didn't wanna lose herself for something she never even asked for.

But if she didn't do it…

The horrifying things from last night flashed in her mind.

They wouldn't stop.

And that meant… there was no way out.

****

As the ritual began…

That night, Lucy and Malik stood in the backyard of the old house. The damp earth beneath them felt cold. In the center of the yard was a massive circle drawn with white chalk, decorated with strange symbols Lucy couldn't understand.

Malik handed her a small knife.

"You gotta do it yourself," he said.

Lucy stared at the knife, feeling a storm of emotions. "And after I do it… what happens then?"

"If you're strong enough, you'll survive," Malik answered. "If not…"

He didn't finish the sentence. But Lucy knew exactly what he meant.

She took a deep breath. There was no other choice.

She lifted the knife and dragged it across her palm.

*SREETT*

Blood dripped onto the circle.

And instantly, the wind howled. The earth trembled beneath them. And then whispers filled the air.

Lucy held her breath. The ritual had begun. And she could only hope she'd live to see the end of it.

The night air swirled violently around her, carrying whispers that grew louder. The ritual had started. The chalk circle pulsed with crimson light, beating like a living heart.

Her blood seeped into the ground, as if awakening something long buried. The tremors beneath her feet deepened, causing cracks to spiderweb across the earth. Malik stood outside the circle, his eyes sharp, watching Lucy's every move.

"You gotta stay strong," he said. "Don't let them pull you in."

Lucy didn't have time to ask who "they" were.

Because in that moment, something rose from the ground.

A shadowy figure, formless but with glowing red eyes. Its body was made of darkness itself, floating without a solid shape. And its voice whispering, but filled with countless overlapping voices sent chills down Lucy's spine.

"Your blood… belongs to us…"

Lucy felt herself being pulled backward, invisible hands grabbing at her, dragging her toward the cracks in the ground. Her heart pounded wildly.

"No… I can't fall!"

She gripped the knife tighter, trying to fight off the dizziness overwhelming her. The glow of the ritual circle grew stronger, but so did the force trying to drag her into the abyss.

Malik stepped closer. "Focus, Lucy! You gotta finish the sealing chant!"

Lucy bit her lip. She knew what she had to do. She had memorized the ancient script passed down by her mother. But saying the words meant giving up even more of her blood.

But if she didn't…

She'd be swallowed by the darkness.

With a trembling voice, she began to chant the words burned into her memory.

"Papat kiblat, lima pancer,

Kuwatku saka tanah, banyu, geni, angin.

Segel kang wis kabuka,

Kulo kunci kanthi welas asih,

Kanthi daya kang ora kasat mata,

Sak kersaning Gusti, sukmo mulih,

Pangluwih, pangluwih, pangluwih.

Jati wisesa, jati mandhito, jati gumulung,

Segel tertutup, ora tinemu, ora kawetu,

Lunga sira, mulih sira, sirna sira!

Sedo ing asmane jagad."

(Four directions, five centers,

My strength comes from earth, water, fire, and wind.

The seal that has been opened,

I lock it with compassion,

With a power unseen,

By the will of the Divine, the spirits return,

Stronger, stronger, stronger.

The essence of wisdom, the essence of the seeker, the essence of unity,

The seal is closed, unseen, untouched.

Depart, return, vanish!

Perish in the name of the universe)

The shadow shrieked.

The wind howled louder, ripping through the trees and breaking branches.

Lucy felt her body weaken. Blood poured from her wound, sinking into the ground.

But she couldn't stop now.

"Ingsun nyekel sabdo jati,

Saka tanah, banyu, angin, geni,

Manunggaling daya kang ora kasat mata,

Segel iki kulo kunci,

Ora kawetu, ora kawedar, ora kasiliran,

Kang mbukak bakal cilaka,

Kang nyentuh bakal sirna,

Sak kersaning Gusti, sak pepesthening sukmo,

Patembungku dadi, pangucapku kuwoso,

Segel kawengku, segel katutup,

Langgeng, langgeng, langgeng!"

(I hold the sacred word,

From earth, water, wind, and fire,

The unity of unseen forces,

This seal I now lock,

Unseen, unheard, untouched,

Those who open it shall face calamity,

Those who touch it shall be erased,

By the will of the Divine, by the decree of the soul,

My words become reality, my command holds power,

The seal is bound, the seal is shut,

Eternal, eternal, eternal)

Suddenly, a blinding crimson light erupted from the circle.

The shadow let out a final, earsplitting screech before its form began to dissolve, its essence being forced back into the earth. The cracks in the ground slowly began to close.

And then…

Silence.

The wind stopped.

The ground was still.

And Lucy collapsed, her body drained, her skin pale as death.

Malik rushed forward, catching her before her head hit the ground.

"Lucy!" he called.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open, her voice barely a whisper. "Is it… over?"

Malik didn't answer immediately. He scanned the surroundings, making sure no traces of darkness remained.

Only after a few seconds, he nodded.

"For now… yeah."

But deep inside, he knew..this wasn't truly over.

Something far worse was still out there, waiting.