Hi guys! it's been a while... I hope I didn't lose all of you on the way...
I've been having an awful writer's block for a few months... idk yet what I'll do about aff but I'll try to keep my promise to finish at least this story!
I hope you'll enjoy this update! (my english is a disaster and I'm sorry about that)

And because even I needed it, here's a short summary of what happened in the previous chapters.

Previously on The Curse:

Kyuhyun went to see the white sorcerer Leeteuk with Hyukjae and Donghae. Leeteuk helped them meet the fairies, who revealed the Cursed can be freed from their curse only if the Witch who cursed them dies. They also revealed the Witch can be killed by their own magic and Donghae can kill them with his eyes.  They return home but the Hunters found Kyuhyun and captured him. Donghae was almost taken but was saved from the hunter trying to take him by Hyukjae. Donghae looked into Hyukjae's eyes and they found out Hyukjae is immune to the curse. The hunter they captured is named Yesung. He revealed to them that the hunters will wait for the full moon to witness Kyuhyun's shift, and then they'll execute him. They have only 3 days. Donghae decided to save Kyuhyun by killing the Witch who cursed him. Yesung said he'll help them and called over his friend Siwon. The two hunters successfully found the Witch's location in Mexico and brought everyone there (Eunhae + Sungmin + Heechul). They travelled to the village and stopped at its border. Yesung and Siwon went to get some information before they make up a plan, leaving Donghae with Hyuk, Sungmin and Heechul to wait.
 

PS: this chapter is a little different than usual: you'll find multiple POV. I hope you won't get confused!

 

 

          The silence between the four of them was so sharp that Donghae was almost scared to breath, and the tension, suffocating, kept increasing every minute. Fear and distress seemed to fill the air around them, almost palpable. Donghae felt like he was being crushed under a heavy weight.

Yesung and Siwon had been gone for about two hours to meet their contact at the edge of the town and weren't back yet.
The boys didn't know if the two hunters were safe, or if they had been taken, harmed, or worse, killed.

Donghae was so stressed out and anxious that his head had started spinning again. Even Hyukjae's arms around him, holding him safe, couldn't help him to get rid of his nausea. Sungmin seemed just as much on the edge, pacing around them incessantly, his breathing a little too short to fully conceal his growing panic. Donghae could only imagine what was running inside his friend's mind and how he surely was tortured with images of Kyuhyun being lost forever.
On the contrary, Heechul was calm and perfectly still, standing firmly next to Donghae. The boy could feel how tense he was, but also how strong and dertermined he remained. Unwavering.
Hyukjae was tense too, but he was busy trying to appease Donghae and it seemed to distract him a little from the general anxiety. He was holding the cursed boy in his arms, and his warm hands were rubbing Donghae's back, his arms, his nape, in an attempt to soothe the tension in his lover's muscles.

"They'll be back soon", he repeated for the umpteenth time. His voice was a murmur, but Donghae heard him clearly. "I'm sure they're fine", Hyukjae added in a breath and pressed his lips against Donghae's temple, leaving tender kisses on the sweaty skin.

"What if they're not?", Sungmin suddenly spoke. He stopped pacing around nervously and came to stand next to the others. "What if they've been taken?"

Donghae's heart began to pound harder at the idea. The hunters had told them to wait for them three hours and, if they were not to come back in time, they were to be considered as lost.

"If they're taken, we go without them", Heechul calmly said. "If they're taken, we find the Witch ourselves and we take her down."

"How do we do that?" Sungmin cringed, his voice sounding almost like a whimper.

"We find a way. We have to. We do it for Kyu", Heechul simply replied.

The words somehow felt like a slap in Donghae's face. They gave him a reminder that he wasn't brave like Kyuhyun and Heechul, nor strong like Sungmin and Hyukjae, but that everyone relied on him. He was the one who had the power to kill the Witch, and he was the one who would cause them to win or fail. The sudden awareness reignited Donghae's determination.

"I'll save Kyu", he said under his breath. "I'll keep you all safe", he told himself.

Hyukjae's fingers went up to Donghae's mop of hair and softly brushed some bangs out of his face. "And we'll protect you", Hyukjae quietly uttered, lips leaving another gentle kiss on the boy's cheek. "You're not alone. We'll protect each other."

"Exactly", Heechul agreed with a strong voice.

Sungmin only exhaled deeply, but it was clear that his friends' words had given him a new dose of hope.

They waited another half hour before Donghae's sensitive ears captured the sounds of careful footsteps approaching. He tugged on Hyukjae's shirt and muttered quietly that he had heard something. They all tensed as they waited, alert and careful, only to sigh in relief when Yesung's deep and low voice reached their ears.

"... best plan we can come up with, you know it."

"I know", Siwon hushed voice replied, more prudent. "But if we contacted the mexican Hunters..."

"We don't have time, and they wouldn't go against the rules", Yesung argued. "Guys", he added as he walked up to them. "We have more information and we have a plan."

Hyukjae gently pushed Donghae forward, until all of them were standing together forming a circle. No one talked for a moment but Donghae heard something scratch the ground and he tilted his head to the side, confused as to what they were doing.

"He's drawing a map", Hyukjae informed him. "A very simple image describing the town and its surrondings", he added as he realized Donghae was clueless about those things.

"Oh", Donghae only said in reply.

"Okay, this is the town", Yesung spoke after a minute. "And this is her den. We are here."

Donghae could only hear something tapping on the ground every time Yesung pointed to something on the map.

"There's an entry here. And there", Yesung went on. "Most of the citizens have gathered in this area and the few Cursed ones who aren't dead yet have been locked up in the police station, which is located in this area. As you can see, the town is rather small. Hyukjae, you need to remember this map well, you'll have to be Donghae's guide and eyes."

"Yes", Hyukjae breathed out, gripping Donghae's hand tighterly.

"What's your plan?" Heechul asked.

"Okay, so listen carefully", Yesung said. "Our strategy is to get the Witch out of her den, and we need to catch her off guards. We know where she is: right here." Donghae heard another tap on the dirt. "But, Witches can smell cursed souls so basically, she'd smell Donghae if he tried to approach her directly in her den. What we have to do first is to cover up his smell."

"She won't be able to smell you as easily if you mingle with the other Cursed ones", Siwon calmly explained, placing a hand on Donghae's shoulder. "Your curse is powerful and foreign to her, she'll smell it easily, but the other curses she cast on the citizens are fresh and strong. It should confuse her enough, at least long enough to trick her."

"Exactly", Yesung approved. "We'll get you inside the town by using this passage." Tap, tap. "It's a graveyard. Her power is weaker on a blessed ground; we should be able to get in from there."

"And then what?" Sungmin said. "What happens next?"

"Donghae and Hyukjae hide amongst the Cursed ones while we go and bring the Witch to their location."

"So we're the baits", Heechul mumbled.

Donghae's heartbeats went wild but he kept quiet. He was starting not to like this plan.

"Siwon and I will be the main baits, and hopefully the only ones", Yesung said. "You and Sungmin will stay back while Siwon and I drag the Witch out. If we fail, you'll have to finish the job. The Witch must be brought in front of Donghae and then... Donghae, you do your thing."

Donghae pursed his trembling lips, holding back the fear spreading through his body, and only managed to make a small, poor sound of agreement. They discussed some more details about how they would proceed, but the blindfolded boy could hardly listen to them. His heart was pounding into his ears and his head was spinning with fear. If it wasn't for Hyukjae's arm holding him protectively and Heechul's hand rubbing his head, he would have totally panicked.

 

 

Hyukjae's heart ached seeing Donghae trembling and terrified. His heart ached even more knowing the boy would be left deeply distressed even if they succeded. He wished he could just take Donghae away and hide him from the world, somewhere safe and peaceful, and keep him away from everything that was about to happen. But there was no room for doubts and distractions anymore and he pushed those thoughts aside. He needed to focus only on protecting Donghae. His beloved one counted on him to guide him through the city, but also to help him face the Witch.

"No more questions?", Yesung concluded. "Then let's go."

Siwon spun around immediately and grabbed his bag on the ground to gather the weapons he needed. Heechul nodded, face firm and determined, while Sungmin's expression had turned completely blank and he moved mechanically. Hyukjae wished he had the same nerves, the same spirit of bravery, but he had to honestly admit he was utterly terrified. Not only for himself, but for his friends, for the boy he loved and who was standing next to him, just as scared as him. He even worried for the two hunters, who were putting their lives at risk to fight with them against the Witch.

"Come on, Hae", he softly uttered as he took Donghae's sweaty palm and gently sqeezed it. "I'll be with you the whole time."

He wasn't sure if his words really comforted the cursed boy, but Donghae whispered a weak yes and tightened his grip on Hyukjae's fingers.
Hyukjae in a deep breath before he walked toward Siwon, dragging Donghae with him.

"Take this", Siwon said. Hyukjae looked at the gun Siwon was holding out for him and he hesitated a few seconds before taking it.

"Will I need it?" he inquired, trying not to show how scared he was. He was a non-violent person and any kind of weapon made him uncomfortable.

"Hopefully not", Siwon said and gave him a small smile. "The other Cursed ones are all locked up in the cells, so you should be safe, but you never know. It's a safety measure. Use it if you need to."

Hyukjae nodded but he wasn't sure he would have the guts to shoot. He wasn't sure of the things he would be able to do if it meant protecting Donghae.
He listened as Siwon explained him how to use the gun and, once the explanation finished, he slipped it between his waistband and the small of his back.

 

Yesung told them to remain absolutely silent as they sneaked their way down to the town. Hyukjae wasn't sure yet if he liked the strange man, but he had to admit it felt reassuring to have someone trained and used to this kind of activities, someone who knew what to do and how to keep others safe. He was thankful he could count on Yesung and Siwon to lead them, since he wasn't able to observe their surroundings himself, being too busy helping Donghae and making sure the blindfolded boy wouldn't stumble on a stone and fall.

It took them about twenty minutes to reach the graveyard. When they saw it, the sight gave them chills. The walls were old and dirty, completely in ruins, just like the tombs. The grass was wild and dry, withering, just like the trees. The silence was heavy. The whole place had a morbid atmosphere and even Donghae seemed to feel it despite his concealed eyes, as the boy shivered strongly and tugged a bit on Hyukjae's hand, searching comfort.

They quickly sneaked into the graveyard and walked through the ruins, making their way between the tombs. The weather was hot but they felt as if icy hands were sliding on their body, pulling on their limbs, leaving cold trails on their skin. There was some sort of heavyness in the air, as if something was trying to block them and push them out. Magic floated around them.

Hyukjae released a breathless sigh of relief when they finally reached the front gate and sneaked out of the gloomy graveyard. As soon as he stepped out, he felt the sensation of the cold hands on him vanish but the air was still thick and suffocating. The magic around them was even denser.

The town was creepier than the graveyard. The streets were deserted and quiet. Shops and buildings were abandonned. Pain and fear lingered around them. The town was threatening and yet desolated, mocked by the croaks of the crows perched on the roofs.

"Hyukjae", Siwon whispered. "You need to take Donghae this way", he said and pointed to the direction Hyukjae had to take. "The building's not far, but be quick before she