The Cursed RPG Book 1: The Curse
Chapter 5

"Derec, no!" How could PurrBox just know how to get to me? Did he guess? Had he been spying? Could he read minds? I gad no clue.

But the hatred I felt was stronger than a max level character in any game.

That piece of-

I held back tears as I raced torwards Derec. I knelt beside him. Eventually, I did start to cry as Serina gave PurrBox a look of absolute anger and pure aggression.

"You guys shouldn't have come to save me..." I said softly, trying my best to keep my voice from cracking. I looked at PurrBox for a split second to see a small drop of regret flash across his face before being replaced by his bored expression.

That's it, Flared can't be trusted.

Ever.

Like never ever.

I closed my eyes and hung my head. I sat there for a long moment. When I looked up Jac, Evra and Vennia were racing from the trees. Evra came to me and Derec as I stood. I whirled around to face PurrBox. Jac was standing a good distace away from him, lower level or not.

PurrBox didn't speak. He just kept his emotionless expression on his face.

I walked up to stand beside Jac. "Really? No point in killing level threes?"

PurrBox looked away. "I didn't notice he was that low."

"How do you not notice," I said cooly before screaming, "A BRIGHT RED HEALTH BAR AT THE TOP OF YOUR VISION?"

PurrBox flinched. "I didn't see it! I wasn't focused on that!"

I started crying again. "As if them accepting Vennia wasn't bad enough! Now Derec's gone and there's nothing I can do!"

I fell to my knees, covering my face with my hands. I felt Evra walk up beside me. She was crying too, I could hear her. She sat down beside me, putting her hand on my shoulder. "He's lucky if we don't kill him, too," I muttered.

Evra sighed. I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood up with my arms crossed.

PurrBox still seemed to have no emotion. But I knew he did. Somewhere he did feel something he just didn't want it to show.

I didn't say a word to PurrBox. Serina and Jac were whispering about wether or not to kill PurrBox. He began to look uneasy as they talked but he easily put back on his mask.

Well, figuratively. Figurative mask.

I turned my hands into fists, keeping them crossed. "You really think you can get to me like that? You think that's ok?"

"N-" PurrBox paused. "You think I care?"

I glared at him. "Unless you're some random AI that was forced to play the game."

And for some reason, for some reason, PurrBox looked away.

Thatcs when I realized if I acknowledged the life around me for long enough, I could feel everything they were feeling. But weirdly, PurrBox felt... Different.

*** PurrBox POV ***

How did she know? Well, I guess she didn't. Right? No. Technically, she didn't.

I mean, how could she know that I'm technically partially a computer? Nah. There was no way.

Oh, right, backstory time.

My brain was basically half dead so the doctors replaced it with a computer that had AI. I can't be forced to do anything.

It's just not easy for me to feel. And easy for me to bury things. Like feelings. Feelings. Suck. Who needs them? I do perfectly fine thank you.

Uh, well, except for risking my life to kill Zelia's brother...

Don't ask how I knew it was her brother I do NOT want to go there.

I serioysly thought he gad more health! It was just a small Fireball, maybe nine attack. I didn't think it would kill him! I was just trying to scare her, get on her nerves.

Now, I was probably very, very dead. I looked down at the slightly shirter wizard. "I am not AI," I half-lied. "I have feelings."

"Then why don't you show them?" Zelia said, frustratedly. "No, why don't you feel them?"

"I-" I paused for the second time today. "Like I'd tell you. I wasn't trying to kill your bro- friend. I was just trying to scare you." I rolled my eyes.

Zelia's look of shock was slightly satisfying. Yeah, I know, I'm crazy now stop saying that. "Scare me? Scare me? Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

I didn't know how to reply. "I'm PurrBox, in case you didn't know, Zelia." I spat out the name like poison. "I am a fire wizard, so, yeah. That's who I think I am. PurrBox, fire wizard of Flared."

"I- ooh, I hate you do much."

I almost smiled. "Great, looks like we're on the same page."

"We are not- my god, someone kill him."

Yeah, not today. "Assuming you can catch me."

I acted like I was bored, passing my staff between my hands and watching it. I kept my focus on the corners of my eyes, though, watching every move they made. I was secretly afraid. Very, very, very deep beneath the layers of sarcasm and fake boredom.

I am not exactly... What's it called? Stable? Yeah no. I barely feel, trained myself out of it. I always seem to just not care. I don't know why. I know, it's bad but ever since my surgery I just haven't been the same. I remember before I was ten. I was so happy and I cared about people. But my brain, I don't know what happened. Anyways, I got surgery and the only way I feel is through my memories.

If I didn't have those... Would I even still be human?

Anyways, enough shit about me!

I passed my staff a little faster as the warrior unsheathed his sword. Zelua noticed, obviously, she seems to notice everything. But somehow it felt like she was reading everything about me. My emotions, my secrets, everything. Except the things I kept so hidden even I couldn't reach them unless I had to.

But I knew she knew my emotions because I saw a look of confusion and something else flash across her face before being replaced by the anger and hatred I knew she felt torwards me.

I wouldn't say I was evil nesaccarily. Just nearly emotionless. I kept passing my staff between my hands as the warrior took a step torwards me. I backed away slughtly and Zelia noticed because of course she did! I kept breathing calmly even if I felt fear buried inside myself.

I looked for a split second at Zelia, who seemed to be reading me like a book.

*** Zelia/Katy POV ***

He was hollow, completely hollow. No feel of life surronded him. He was just dark. Like, darker than the trees. But deep inside him I could feel his fear beginning to ruse as Jac got closer. And an even smaller part of him felt sympathy for me. He felt bad for killing my brother. I almost didn't want Jac to kill him.

Well, almost.

He stopped passing his staff between his hands as Jac got too close to him. He raced off, faster than me but not too fast like Vennia. Jac sighed and raced after him, though he was very far behind.

Ugh, what am I thinking? I can't seriously kill him. I hung my head and called for Jac. Jac stopped and came back torwards me.

"What?" Jac asked. "I thought you wanted me to kill him."

"No, I have a better idea." I walked over to Derec. "Please let this work..."

I grabbed all the life energy whatever from inside me and pulled it into Derec. This had to work! Slowly I felt the energy get pulled into Derec and he slowly sat up.

"Derec!" Evra cried.

"Wha- what happened?" He asked.

I felt PurrBox closer than he'd been before. Happiness and relief coursed though the small part of him that wasn't hollow. But also, confusion?

He seemed pretty intrested now. "That was a max level spell you just cast you know," he said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Ressurection is only a nature wizard thing and for level one-hundred fifty."

*** PurrBox POV ***

Glad that's over. But how? How had she ressurected the paladin and how had she known how?

Ok, it was about time I learned their names.

Character Stats

Name: Jac

Level: 30

Experience: 50/3000

Health: 400

Damage: 10-25

Speed: 5

Mana: N/A

Kingdom: Gateway

Class: Warrior

Ok. Jac, that was the warrior. Weird name. At least mine's unique.

Character Stats

Name: Serina

Level: 10

Experience: 10/1000

Health: 70

Damage: 10-12

Speed: 3

Mana: 70/70

Kingdom: Gateway

Class: Healer

That was the healer.

The others gad about the same stats as Zelia. Their names were Derec, I guess I knew his already, and Evra.

Meh. My name was better.

Jac glared at me but Zelia looked at me curiously. I sqaushed my growing feelings back to where they belonged. Her curious look grew.

Not what I intended. I swiped my foot through the sand in an attempt to seem bored. Boredom was better than all those other feelings I couldn't control. But I wanted to feel them jyst as much as I didn't.

Which was a problem.

And I didn't like it.

"Can you stop that?" I asked Zelia, nicely in my opinion but maybe I snapped because Jac was looking at me like I was the rudest person on the planet.

"No."

I almost sighed but didn't. I looked at Jac with the most emotionless expression I could make.

Which was pretty emotionless seeing as I didn't have any.

Ok, anyways.

I kicked up some sand that accidentally got into Derec's face, making him cough.

No, I'm not joking. It was seriously an accident.

And everyone glared at me- except Derec- like I was the worst person ever!

Weird.

Well, maybe I'm not the best person but I'm not that bad!

Anyways, that's when I started being treated by some prisoner forced to join them.

***

I bit my lip as we walked down the path. Vennia said she assumed this was the way to at least part of the storyline but I wasn't too sure. At one point I picked up a grassblade and burned it because I was just genuinely bored and Zelia winced. I got a few rude comments but not much else.

I kicked a rock as we walked, eventually picking it up. It was smoot and white. It glittered as I moved it between my fingers. We were going back to Gateway because those five needed health potions. Vennia and I were both uneasy about going to Gateway.

When we got there, no one seemed to take notice of us. Which was good, don't get me wrong. Maybe they thought we were prisoners? Who knows?

I did get a few strange looks from the people of Gateway though.

Just a few, like three or four.

We walked into a place called The Shack. Wow. Never would've guessed. Jac bought the health potions. Even some for me which was nice I guess but he almost broke thrm when he threw them at me so...

I guess he had every right to.

We got a room with eight beds which meant it was a huge room.

When we got there, Zelia told me to sleep in the bed near hers. "Come on, surely you need sleep."

I was reluctant to sleep at first, especially in an enemy kingdom. But eventually U kaid on my side in the bed. Whenever I closed my eyes however, my fear got stronger. I kept trying to bury it deeper. Right now was not the time for feelings. Wether fear or happiness or sadness whatever!

Zelia was looking at me with the usual confused look. I sighed and covered my head with the practically-a-rock pillow. Eventually, I fell asleep. But it was a very light sleep so it wasn't the best.