•~○Cursed castle[NCT]○~•

<~°○•

Chapter 10

The air was heavy, like it had been sitting still for centuries. Even the wind seemed reluctant to pass through this place.

Jeno’s voice cracked softly against the stillness.
Jeno: “Your Majesty… a-are you sure you want to join us?”

YangYang, with that restless glint in his eye, had agreed to travel with them—driven by the desperate hope of finding his lost love, and maybe, just maybe, saving his crumbling world. Yet now, the Sea King himself stood beside them, the glimmer of saltwater kingdoms and buried storms in his gaze.

Doyoung: “Yes. I am most certain. And again, just call me Doyoung.”

Mark shifted uneasily, looking between them.
Mark: “Then… I guess we get going. Uh—YangYang, right? Where to now?”

YangYang’s voice was steady but edged with sorrow.
Yang: “I know the path like I know the lines of my own palm. It’s a land broken into pieces… a kingdom with bones showing through its skin.”

Jisung clutched his staff a little tighter.
Jisung: “Then let’s hurry—so we can save it, then find more answers.”

But Kun’s voice cut through, low and warning.
Kun: “It’s not that simple. YangYang bears the curse of the gods themselves. He must remain bound—imprisoned—even among allies. Too much attention, and the gods will notice… and they will not be merciful.”

YangYang’s lips curled into a humorless smile as he stretched his arms forward.
Yang: “Then cuff me. Bind me up like the dangerous thing I am.”

A minute passed. No chains came. No one moved.

Leeteuk: “There is no need.” His voice carried that calm, commanding warmth of someone who had seen too many storms to fear lightning anymore. “Sir Qian, we do not mock the gods’ wrath, but I believe if the prize for his loyalty is being handed to him on a golden plate, he will not run.”

Jeno: “Even if he does, he can’t outrun us. We’re the chosen ones.”

Leeteuk: “Exactly. These three—perhaps the most powerful beings in the afterlife. And the rest of us… well, I’ve survived worse than divine curses.”

Kun hesitated, his sternness cracking just enough to show the ache underneath.
Kun: “…It’s strange seeing him here. YangYang, I still love you like a son. But I didn’t make the rules.”

YangYang’s gaze went cold.
Yang: “Then maybe you should’ve helped me when I begged. Save your apologies. We have work to do—lives to save.”

---

The world changed as they walked. Once-living trees stood as skeletal remains. The ground was soft with rot, the kind that gave underfoot with a sickening squish.

Yuta: “Ugh… what is this place?” he groaned, pulling his boot free from something wet.

Yang: “Told you. This world’s skin is peeling. If you feel something crawling… it’s probably alive. Or it used to be.”

Kun started to speak, but Yang’s voice sliced through before the words could form.
Yang: “Don’t. What’s done is done. Save it for when we have a kingdom worth saving.”

---

It was Jeno who first noticed.
A shadow, half-hidden behind a jagged boulder, breathing. Watching.

Jeno: “…Guys? What’s that?”

The growl that answered was low, almost too low to hear, like the sound of rocks grinding beneath the earth.

Yuta’s voice was barely a whisper.
Yuta: “What now?”

The creature emerged slowly—fur matted, yellow eyes burning through the gloom. Its breath fogged the air like smoke.

Kun: “Stay still, Jeno. It’s not looking directly at you. Slowly—take off your pack. Food first.”

Jeno moved like the moment would shatter if he breathed too hard. His fingers found bread—or maybe something else, it didn’t matter. The growl quieted, replaced by the soft crunch of paws on dead grass as the beast approached.

It ate like it hadn’t seen food in years.

And then—its fur began to withdraw into skin. Muscles shrank, bones reformed, the beast’s bulk folding inward until what remained was a man, bare-chested, head bowed, hair falling over his face.

The silence was a living thing.

Jeno rolled his eyes at the group’s expectant looks and stepped forward.
Jeno: “Hello?”

The man flinched, voice deep and sharp.
??: “Don’t.”

Jeno’s hand lingered on his shoulder anyway.
Jeno: “Are you hurt? I can heal you if you want.”

The man’s eyes lifted—warmer now, uncertain.
??: “…You’re not going to hurt me?”

Jeno: “Why would I? Did someone?”

A nod. Hesitant. Fragile.

When the shirt came off, the group saw the claw marks—deep, raw, like something had tried to tear the soul out through the skin.

Jeno: “It might feel strange. Just… don’t be scared.”

Light bloomed faintly around Jeno’s hands, seeping into torn flesh. The man shuddered, then stared, as if unsure he still believed in miracles.

??: “…Thank you. I owe you.”

Jeno: “No debt. You’re fine now.”

Kun’s voice was careful, curious.
Kun: “Then maybe you can tell us—why were you out here? Alone?”

The man exhaled slowly, the weight of the story pressing out of him.
??: “I’m a werewolf. My pack and I… we traveled far. Too far. When we reached this world, we fought. Our leader… attacked me. His venom was spreading. I stayed in my monster form to survive, but without food, I was fading. They left me. A month alone.”

Mark: “Your name?”

??: “Wong Yukhei. But call me Lucas.”

Doyoung offered him a faint smile.
Doyoung: “Lucas… if you want, you can join us.”

Lucas: “This doesn’t sound like a fun journey.”

Kun: “We’re going to Hell. To save the chosen ones’ chosen ones.”

Lucas’s gaze shifted back to Jeno.
Lucas: “…You’re a chosen one?”

Jeno: “Jeno. My brother Mark. And Jisung—the youngest. We are.”

Lucas: “…Then you saved me. I’ll repay it. I’ll fight for you.”

Leeteuk’s smile was small, but approving.
Leeteuk: “Then let’s begin. We still need to find someone here first.”

Lucas: “Who?”

Yang: “Renjun. And Sicheng.”

And the forest seemed to grow even quieter at those names.