Wrapped in a black cloak, hair tied up, she moved through the night with practiced ease. Her boots barely made a sound on the snow-dusted ground as she slipped through a small side gate, she had unlocked hours ago.
"Stupid system," she muttered. "Curse detected but no location. I'll find it myself."
The forest near the Duchy was vast, quiet, and cold. But Aria's steps were confident. The curse hadn't vanished—she could still feel a faint pulse in the air, like a low vibration under her skin.
That's when she saw him.
A tall figure in a hooded cloak moving ahead of her. Not a guard. Not a knight. And not someone she'd ever seen in the North before.
"Who—?" she whispered, crouching low.
Instead of confronting him, she followed. Silent as shadow, she kept her distance as the stranger moved with fluid, almost graceful precision through the woods.
But then, he stopped.
She froze.
He tilted his head slightly, as if listening… and then vanished.
Before she could blink, a hand gripped her wrist from behind, yanking her into the trunk of a tree.
"What are you—" she hissed, twisting and—
WHAM!
She punched him square in the jaw.
"OW—!" The man let go immediately, but he didn't attack back. Instead, he took a step back, chuckling, rubbing his face. "Damn. Feisty little kitten, aren't you?"
Aria blinked. "What—?"
"I was just trying to say hello," he said, voice low and amused. "Didn't expect to get punched. Though, I have to say…" He tilted his head, his smirk widening. "That was kind of hot."
"…Excuse me?" Aria took a step back, narrowing her eyes.
"Wait—don't run yet. I've only just fallen for you," he added with zero shame.
Aria deadpanned. "Who are you?"
He winked. "Guess you'll have to keep following me to find out."
She seriously considered punching him again.
Aria's eyes narrowed as she studied him more closely under the pale moonlight.Black hair, sharp jaw, piercing blue eyes, and a light wheat-toned complexion—definitely not from around here.
"You're not from the North," she muttered, voice low and accusing.Then, without hesitation, she pressed the edge of her dagger to his throat. A thin line of red bloomed where the blade kissed his skin.
The stranger didn't flinch. "Okay, whoa—choosing violence this early? Bold move." He smirked; eyes gleaming with mischief. "I'll tell you anything. Just… maybe not while bleeding to death. How about a name for a name?"
Aria wasn't in the mood. "System, search for nearby curses," she whispered.Even as she said it, she already knew he wasn't the source.{SYSTEM: NO CURSE FOUND.}
"Tch…" Aria's grip didn't ease.
"Alright, alright." The man raised his hands lazily. "I'm just a merchant. I came here looking for a rare stone. My friend told me I could find it in the North. That's all."
Her eyes flickered with suspicion—but she lowered her dagger, just slightly.
Then, faster than she expected, his arm slipped around her waist."Now that we're being civil… hey, what's your name?"
The casual tone. The smug grin. The hey.
Aria's face twisted in pure disgust. "Are you mentally cracked?"With a practiced twist, she shoved him off and stepped back.
"Don't wander around too much," she warned, sharp and cold. "Get what you came for—and leave. Quickly."
"But what if what I want… is you?" he said, smiling like a fool who knew he'd already crossed ten lines.
Aria stared at him for a heartbeat. Then:"Fuck. Off."
She turned and disappeared into the shadows before he could say another word.His chuckle, amused and echoing, followed her into the night like a curse of its own.
And that night, Aria didn't find the source of the curse.But she found something far more annoying.
The next night, the northern winds were sharper, whispering secrets through the trees as Aria slipped past the guards with practiced ease.
{SYSTEM: Trace of unidentified curse detected nearby.}
Finally.
She followed the pulse—through the edge of the woods, beyond the storage barns near the outer cliff wall—until the signal dimmed near the abandoned watchtower. Her breath misted in the cold as she glanced around, senses alert.
A twig snapped.
Aria spun, blade already out—only to be met with an infuriatingly familiar voice.
"Back for me so soon, dagger girl?"
The man stood casually a few paces away, leaning against a pillar like he belonged there. His hair was a bit tousled by the wind, his clothes dusted with frost. But that same annoying grin was still firmly in place.
Aria groaned under her breath. "You again?"
"You make it sound like a bad thing." He stepped closer, hands raised. "Don't worry, no stones stolen, no laws broken. Yet."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "This is restricted territory."
"I could ask you the same." He tilted his head. "Didn't think proper northern ladies wandered out alone with knives after dark. Are you sure you're not some kind of outlaw?"
Aria didn't answer. Instead, she flicked her wrist, the dagger flashing in warning. "You're following me."
"And you're accusing me without proof. How very North of you." He gave a mock bow. "Scout's honour—I'm not stalking you. But… if we keep bumping into each other like this, maybe it's fate."
"Or a curse," she muttered, half to herself.
"Cute," he said with a grin, but then his tone shifted, a little too casual. "So... what are you looking for?"
"None of your business."
He sighed. "Alright, keep your secrets, sharp girl. Just don't stab me in my sleep."
"Trust me. You wouldn't wake up if I meant it."
He laughed softly at that; the sound warm against the cold air. "You've got bite. I like that."
Before she could retort, the system pulsed again.
{SYSTEM: CURSE DETECTED}The glowing text blinked across her vision mid-sentence, cutting off whatever nonsense the stranger was rambling about.
Aria's eyes sharpened.
She didn't say a word—just spun on her heel and took off like a shadow, her steps light, fast, and silent, trained perfectly for pursuit. She barely registered the man's startled call behind her.
The signal was clear this time.
She followed the curse trail out of the clearing, toward the edge of the Northern border. Beyond the rocky slope, nestled in the craggy terrain, sat a long-abandoned inn. Its wooden exterior was weathered, half-buried by frost and time. But someone had just gone inside.
A figure cloaked in dark robes disappeared through the cracked door.
Aria called forth her golden aura, letting it flicker around her like heat in the snow. Just enough to sense more—until a warm breath ghosted against her neck.
She froze.
Before she could react, she turned—
—and her lips brushed against someone else's.
Her breath hitched. The man's eyes widened too, stunned.
But then—
He kissed her.
Fully. Boldly. Deeply.
Before her brain could catch up, his hand slid gently behind her neck, his lips pressing against hers with a reckless, heated confidence that stole the air from her lungs. Her dagger fell an inch in her grip, completely thrown off.
It lasted no more than a second or two.
But it felt like something ruptured in the air around them.
Then—
He pulled back, grinning like a man who just won the biggest gamble of his life.
"…Well," he said, slightly breathless. "That was—unexpected. But I'm not complaining."
Aria stood there, frozen, eyes wide.
{SYSTEM: CURSE ERROR. COULDN'T LOCATE. SIGNAL LOST.}
Her gaze snapped back to the blinking screen. Gone. The curse signal was gone. The system had lost it.
"What did you just—why—what was that?!" she finally snapped, stepping back, heart thudding too loud in her ears.
He chuckled, unbothered. "Sorry. Reflex. You looked back, I leaned in, and well—fate again, huh?"
"Fate my ass!" she hissed. "You—you kissed me during a curse chase!"
"You say that like it wasn't magical."
Aria stared at him in horror and disbelief, her hand trembling between a slap and a stab.
He winked. "You should probably thank me. That was my first kiss in this kingdom. A warm welcome."
"You're insane."
"And yet… you didn't pull away."
That did it.
She kicked him hard in the shin.
He yelped, hopping back. "Okay! Deserved that!"
Aria, cheeks flaming, turned and stormed off toward the inn—only to find the figure gone, and the curse completely vanished.
Her fists clenched. "Damn it…"
Behind her, he called out again, far too pleased.
"Same time tomorrow?"