Blood Curse of the Shaman

That night, Lucy couldn't sleep. Her mind was filled with Nyai Suri's voice, echoing over and over.

"You can't run from your own blood!"

She sat in the corner of her room, hugging her knees, while Malik stood by the window, his gaze sharp and watchful.

"You need to sleep," Malik said, his voice gentle yet firm.

Lucy shook her head. "I can't."

Malik sighed. "I know this is hard for you, but the more you fight it, the stronger the curse becomes."

Lucy lifted her face. "So, you actually believe I'm cursed?"

Malik looked deep into her eyes before finally nodding. "This curse isn't just some myth. It's real. And you… you're its heir."

Lucy bit her lip, clenching her fists. "Then what do I do?"

"We need to find the source," Malik said. "This curse didn't just happen. Something is binding it something deeper than just Nyai Suri's death."

Lucy swallowed hard. "You mean… it's not just because my mom killed her?"

Malik nodded. "There's something much bigger that you don't know yet. You need to dig deeper into your mother's past." He explained, even though he already knew the truth. He wanted Lucy to uncover it herself.

Lucy fell silent. That meant… she had to go back to where it all began.

To her old home.

The place where her mother had performed the ritual.

***

The next morning, Lucy and Malik traveled to a remote village on the outskirts of town. The old house still stood, though it was now overrun with wild plants, and its walls had begun to rot.

As Lucy stepped inside, a cold chill wrapped around her body. Her heart pounded.

"I hate this place," she muttered.

Malik walked behind her, scanning the surroundings. "The energy here is still strong. It's like the ritual never really ended."

Lucy made her way to the center of the house. There, she saw a small altar covered in dust, with melted candles and shattered mirrors scattered across the floor.

Her eyes locked onto something sitting at the center of the altar.

A wooden box, intricately carved.

With trembling hands, she opened it.

Inside, she found a piece of red cloth, stained with dried blood… and a dagger.

Lucy's blood ran cold.

That dagger....her mother had used it to kill Nyai Suri.

Suddenly, the air inside the house shifted.

The light dimmed. Shadows slithered on their own.

And then… whispers began to fill the room.

"You have found it…"

Lucy turned her head sharply.

In the farthest corner of the room, a figure stood.

But it wasn't Suri.

It was something else. Something far more terrifying.

The creature was tall and gaunt, its skin pitch black. It had no eyes, no mouth just a smooth, featureless face. But Lucy felt its gaze piercing through her, down to her very bones.

The creature took a step forward.

"Blood heir… you cannot escape…"

Lucy felt her body freeze.

Before the creature could move closer, Malik sprang into action.

He raised his hand, conjuring a golden ring of light that swirled in the air.

"I won't let you take her!" Malik shouted.

The creature let out a guttural growl, its voice reverberating through the room.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, it lunged toward Lucy.

"Kyaaaaaaa!" Lucy screamed.

But before it could reach her, Malik yanked her back and sent a forceful blast toward the creature.

The entity was flung against the wall, shrieking in agony.

Then, it vanished.

Lucy collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Malik stared at her with a grave expression. "This is just the beginning. We need to figure out how to break this curse before it's too late."

Lucy tightened her grip on the dagger.

She knew now this curse was far bigger than she had ever imagined.

And she had to face it… before time ran out.

This dagger… was proof of everything.

Malik knelt beside her, still on high alert. "We can't stay here any longer. This place is drowning in dark energy."

Lucy clenched the dagger tighter. "But… I need to know more."

Malik's gaze sharpened. "Knowing more means opening the door for them to get closer. Are you ready for that?"

Just then, the dark entity returned. This time, there were *more* of them. Crawling along the walls, silent, formless.

Whispers filled the room.

"Heir of blood… we hear your call…"

"You cannot escape us…"

Lucy groaned, covering her ears. The voices stabbed into her skull like thousands of needles.

Malik shot to his feet, forming another golden ring of light in the air. "Lucy! Stay with me!"

But Lucy felt her body grow heavier. Her vision blurred.

A larger shadow began to emerge from the wall.

It took the shape of a woman..her face disfigured, her eyes black and empty, her torn mouth stretching wide into a grin.

Lucy knew that face.

"Nyai Suri…?"

The entity smiled, but it was not a human smile. It was pure malice.

"You've opened the door, Lucy… now, your time is up."

And then, it lunged at her.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh!" Lucy screamed.

Before Nyai Suri could touch her, Malik yanked her back and stabbed the dagger into the ground.

A brilliant blue light exploded from the floor, forcing the shadows to recoil with bloodcurdling shrieks.

Lucy gasped for breath. "What just happened?"

Malik's expression was grim. "They were trying to drag you into their world. If you had given in, your body would've died… and your soul would have been trapped with them forever."

Lucy bit her lip.

She wasn't just being hunted by vengeful spirits.

Something far stronger was coming after her.

***

After that night, Lucy and Malik left the old house. They returned to the city in search of more answers.

Lucy knew there was only one person who could help her understand the curse.

An old shaman named Bu Rahayu her grandma.

Bu Rahayu lived in a humble wooden house at the edge of the forest. By the time Lucy and Malik arrived, the old woman was already waiting on the porch...as if she had known they were coming.

"I've been expecting you, lucy" Bu Rahayu said, her wrinkled eyes sharp as she looked at Lucy.

Lucy swallowed hard. "You know about my problem?"

Bu Rahayu nodded. "I know of your mother's sins. And I know about Suri's death."

Lucy's stomach churned. "Then… what really happened?"

Bu Rahayu sighed and took out a large bowl, filling it with water and scattering jasmine flowers on the surface.

Then, she began chanting.

The water started swirling. Slowly… an image formed on its surface.

Lucy held her breath.

What she saw… was her mother.

But it wasn't the mother she had known.

It was her mother before she was born.

In the vision, her mother was young, sitting in a dark room surrounded by red candles.

And in front of her… was a woman who looked just like Suri.

But it wasn't Suri.

It was her twin sister.

"Your mother didn't just kill Suri," Bu Rahayu said, her voice trembling. "She also killed Suri's twin sister… who was pregnant at the time."

Lucy's world spun. "No… No, that can't be… my mother wasn't that cruel…!"

Bu Rahayu's gaze was piercing. "She didn't do it of her own will. She was ordered by an elder shaman… to end their bloodline."

Lucy felt her knees weaken.

So this wasn't just about Nyai Suri.

This was about their entire bloodline seeking revenge.

"Then… what do I have to do?" Lucy whispered.

Bu Rahayu's expression darkened. "The only way to break the curse… is to complete the unfinished ritual."

Lucy stiffened. "You mean… I have to sacrifice myself?"

Bu Rahayu shook her head. "Not you. But someone with your blood."

Lucy froze.

That meant…

She had to choose someone from her own family to sacrifice.

And then… Nyai Suri whispered:

"I have already found the perfect one."

From the shadows… her sibling stepped forward.