The Bloodbath Odyssey; I reincarnated to become the cursed

Simma woke up at the infirmary, eyes blurry at first.

A shrill ringing filled his ears, and his neck was hurting badly.

His eye, which was slowly dilating, fixed with uncertainty at the ceiling.

For a moment there, he was confused.

What was happening? He hadn't seen the normal rusted camera that sat at the edge of the licking dull ceiling, the one he always saw whenever he woke up.

And he hadn't heard the bell toll yet.

He tried to remember, to reach into his memory to understand what had happened, but a sharp ache ran through his head.

He groaned, letting out a wild cough, which attracted Nurse Stacy.

She hurried towards him and helped him sit up.

Simma didn't stop looking at her.

At first, he thought it was Sonja helping him sit up, but on a second look, he realized it wasn't her.

His eyes darted from one place to another. He wasn't sure if it was real, the room he was in was like no other.

It was brightly lit with square light bulbs affixed to the ceiling, surrounded by gadgets he had never seen in his life.

One of those gadgets was right on his face, and he was breathing through it.

Nurse Stacy gently removed the oxygen mask from his face as she asked, very calm and gentle, but still curiously,

"Do you remember who you are?"

Simma stared at her, he couldn't believe that she'd really think that he doesn't know who he was 

"what does she take me for" he pondered

He didn't answer at first; he just stared at her. Her oval face and her wet green eyes gave him the creeps.

It was the same eye color as some Singriths.

"Who are you?" Nurse Stacy asked again, a little more persistent this time.

Simma breathed down.

The right words wouldn't come out of his mouth. Besides, he remembered everything now.

How she had lured the very girl he swore to set free into her death. And that was more than enough to break him apart.

He couldn't help but think that he was cursed. Nothing good followed him. Anyone that got close to him was doomed.

Looking at the inquisitive and pitied eyes of Nurse Stacy, he finally spoke.

"Sonja… did you see her? Did you also get her here?"

Nurse Stacy looked at him confused, as though he spoke in a different language, but glad he spoke at all, she has really began to think he was dumb.

"Whoever your friend is, I think she's safe. But right now, we have to focus on making you feel better," she replied smartly.

What she didn't know was that Simma saw through her calm approach.

Tears drizzled from his eyes. He could still feel Sonja's blood splashing all over him.

He couldn't save her. He had promised to set her free, but instead, he did the exact opposite.

She was killed like an animal, by an even wilder animal.

A rush seared through him as he cursed.

"You shouldn't have saved me. You should've left me there and went for her instead."

Nurse Stacy didn't know what else to say.

"What is this place?" Simma asked, sniffling wildly.

"This is the Great City, and I guarantee you that you are safe here," Stacy replied. She really pitied him. He was going through a lot.

Simma looked at her.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he asked, cleaning off the tears from his eyes.

"You were the one that helped me, that got me out of the woods and brought me here."

For a moment there, Stacy was thrilled, surprised that he remembered what happened. Well, it wasn't like he had any damage to his head or whatever.

"No, I'm just the one that patched you up."

At those words, Simma reached for his neck. It still ached, the pain was still there, though a bit relieved, but there were no bruises.

He looked back up at her, a mixed feeling of whether to trust these strange people or not. But they had helped him. What choice did he have?

Nurse Stacy noticed his face and said,

"I'll make you something for the pain. Just lie back for now. You're going to feel better soon."

Simma had dreaded his life from the very beginning.

His past eighteen years had been filled with agony and suffering. Who in the world deserved that?

He had been put through heavy labour while growing up, and his life played the same way over and over again.

He lay back on the bed, it was soft, unlike the ones at Haydes that made you feel like you lay on rocks.

Maybe his purpose was just starting… just maybe. And whatever it takes, he must avenge Sonja.

....

Sarah paced up and down in front of a huge mahogany door, her pulse racing.

The fear that was in her now, she was sure it was more than the fear she felt in the woods."What if she was banned from the tournament? What if she had to wait till the next round or worse?"

It was clearly stated: no one in Fluxborn rank or below was allowed in the woods during the dark hours.

Yet she had been there.

And now, her fate lay behind this door.

She was deep in thought and didn't notice when Lucy arrived.

"Sarah, what are you doing out here? Come on, let's go in," Lucy said.

"Lucy… I'm scared. This, this is all my fault. Why wasn't I in my room yesterday? Why did I even decide to take a walk in the first place?" Sarah replied.

She was clearly worried. Her voice sounded strained and worn-out.

Lucy crossed her arms over her shoulder and said in a calming tone,

"This is not the time to feel regret. Now is the time to hope we're punished on a small scale."

Sarah sniffled; she almost let the tears fall.

"Come on, let's go in there," Lucy urged again.

Together, they opened the door and stepped inside.

It was Zolomon's chamber, and it was a perfect sight, wide enough to contain thirty people.

The chamber though was already occupied.

To the left, about two inches from the door, was a huge bookshelf filled with books.

Opposite it was a glass cabinet filled with weapons of different sizes, and beside it was another glass cabinet, this one filled with bottles of wine and drinks.

At the far end stood a towering window that nearly reached the ceiling, draped in thick brown curtains.

A few inches from the window was a large study desk, and behind it sat Zolomon. On his desk stood a small, moulded dragon.

Gwen was already there, standing opposite him.

Her eyes were wide and innocent, like someone incapable of hurting a fly.

She folded her arms behind her back, her face shaped into something that would stir pity at first glance.

Sarah and Lucy walked forward and stood beside Gwen, both panic-stricken.

Zolomon looked up at them, his face calm as always, his aura just as dangerous as ever.He spoke with his usual calm and slithering voice,

"Gwen here told me all that happened, how you both attacked her, injured her friend, and then disappeared into the woods."

Sarah and Lucy stood aghast, their mouths agape.

"What a liar," Sarah thought.

With a voice Lucy wasn't sure sounded convincing enough, she said,

"That's a lie. Gwen is lying. She was the one who attacked Sarah, and I came to rescue her, then we accidentally fell into the woods."

Zolomon stared at her, his expression unreadable.

"That's a lie, sir. She's lying. What I told you is what really happened," Gwen chirped in quickly.

Zolomon cleared his throat.

Sarah looked at him. She knew what was coming.

He was about to pass judgment, and she was certain she wouldn't like it.

She would have preferred that monstrous thing in the woods swallowed her than hear his next incoming words.

"Gwen," Zolomon began.

"I'm putting you under detention with hard labour. Meet Mr. Chau for your first task. It will continue until the Wood Hint tournament is over."

Gwen narrowed her eyes in surprise. She hadn't expected to be punished at all. She looked at Zolomon, cursing him silently.

"But sir, they... "

"If you think of throwing out more lies, I will increase your punishment, young lady," Zolomon said, cutting her off.

Of course he knew what happened. If he didn't, why would he be a White Elder?

What truly angered him was the pathetic lie Gwen dared to tell to his face.

"And for the both of you," Zolomon continued,

"You are free to go. And do not ever think of returning to those woods again. You may leave."

Sarah couldn't believe it, she was still in one piece. A bright smile lingered on her face, and on Lucy's as well.

If not for one reason, she would have kissed Zolomon until his lips went sour.

The three girls turned to leave, but Zolomon called Sarah back and told the other two to go.

Sarah returned to where she had stood earlier, but Zolomon ushered her to sit.Her heart skipped a beat. Thoughts began to swirl again in her mind.

Zolomon wasn't someone who talked much, or called someone in for no reason.But why he had called her back, out of the three, was still a black hole in Sarah's mind.

Zolomon took a more relaxed position and engaged Sarah in what will look like a long conversation.