Explosivity

The Curse

Bakugou, the leader of the barbarian clan, entered the cave of wonders with one treasure in mind. His land was drought and his people, starving to death, so as soon as the oracle mentioned the sundrop orb, he ventured off to unknown lands on search for the one relic of a long forgotten kingdom that was said to bring eternal blessings to a land. Of course, his quest was full of hardships, but his one companion, Kirishima the mighty dragon, was as strong and stubborn as himself, so, after several moons of a seemingly unending quest, he crossed the tunnel of the cave of wonders, with his loyal friend waiting for him outside.

He had been warned of the many dangers both to the soul and body, that laid inside the cavern, but he was aware that it would all be worth the salvation of his people. With that in mind, he dismissed every temptation of the chamber, and out-smarted every trap. He was not going to give up after his epic trip, and so, he reached the deepest part of the chamber. It was a spherical space, lined with jewels and gold, and in a perfectly round rock, sat the silver statue of a maiden in green silky robes. In her hands, she held a crystal orb, the size of a skull, that shone with eerie light. Bakugou's heart skipped a beat before he walked towards the statue. Her eyes were eternally shut with a frown of pure pain, and the way her shoulders sunk and her hands desperately grasped the orb made him think the statue had not always been silver. He gently placed his fingertips on the warm orb, but as soon as he tried to snach it from its holder, the statue jolted and its eyes opened. From its mouth, a scream of sheer agony escaped, which made Bakugou stammer backwards and fall over his glutes.

"Thief!" the statue called, holding the orb for dear life against her chest.

Her voice sounded like the shreak of a bird when its eggs get stolen, except a thousand times stronger.

"I need it!" He said, unsure of how the guardian would react.

For a moment, he considered going back, but now it was not only his people's sake, but his own. His pride would be for ever damaged if he let a silver statue beat him.

"Lies, all lies, I've seen your heart! It's hollow and full of pride." said the statue, standing up from the rock. The orb shone red, as if mimicking the rage and pain of its holder. "You've never felt an ounce of love or mercy towards anyone or anything"

He shook his head one side to the other.

"Untrue! The treasure will save my people, whom I love dearly. More than life or victory itself," he said, trying to convince both the guardian and himself.

"More lies! I know you, Bakugou Katsuki, you are a young leader. You want to prove your people of how great of a chief you are by bringing them a treasure, but you care not of their salvation. All you ever cared about is victory!"

The orb turned blue, and the statue seemed to relax.

" But I'm willing to give this to you" the statue spoke, its voice a whisper, its eyes gloomy, "in exchange of the one thing you mustn't lose."

His blood froze as she extended the orb towards him. It was only a matter of raising his hands and taking it, but he was smarter than that.

"What do you want?" he asked, standing up slowly.

"Your heart." said the statue, as the orb shone in purple light. "The spell works like this:
Heartless thief shall leave the chamber
Risking apparently nothing worthy
With the precious sun in hand
His hollow chest shall only grow
Till darkness is everything he knows
A beast he shall be
And fear nothing but love
For his heart could be returned
By the kiss of truth of the one he adores
But to choose wisely he must
For glory will be forever lost
Only one love, one kiss
From someone fond of him
The one who shall kiss him, must love the beast
Or it will be all for naught. "