Amber had always wanted to see the world beyond her sheltered life. She had dreamed of adventure, magic, and wonder. But she never expected to find them in the form of a mysterious, brooding drifter who called himself Evey. He had a terrible secret: he was the King of Pain, bearer of the torturous curse known as Exvulnerum.
She didn't know what drew her to him, but she felt a connection that she couldn't explain. She wanted to help him, to ease his suffering, to understand his past. She followed him across the land, encountering danger and beauty along the way. But she also learned that his curse was more than just pain. It was a power that could change the world... or destroy it.
"Where are we going?" Amber asked as they walked through a forest.
"Anywhere but here," Evey replied curtly.
"Come on, don't be so grumpy. This is an adventure! Look at all these trees and flowers and animals!"
Evey glanced at her with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "You're too cheerful for your own good."
"I can't help it! I've never seen anything like this before! Back home, everything was so boring and predictable."
Evey sighed. "You don't know how lucky you are."
"Lucky? How am I lucky? I was trapped in a cage of expectations and rules!"
Evey stopped walking and looked at her seriously. "You were safe. You were loved. You had a future."
Amber blinked. "And you didn't?"
Evey shook his head. "No."
He turned away and resumed walking.
Amber felt a pang of sympathy for him. She wanted to know more about him, but he was so closed off and secretive.
She decided to try a different approach.
"So... what's your favorite color?" she asked innocently.
Evey looked at her incredulously. "What kind of question is that?"
"A simple one. Come on, humor me."
Evey rolled his eyes. "Fine. Blue."
"Blue? That's boring. Why blue?"
"Because it's the color of the sky and the sea and freedom."
Amber smiled. "That's poetic. I like that."
"What about you? What's your favorite color?"
"Pink!"
"Pink? That's girly. Why pink?"
"Because it's the color of roses and candy and happiness."
Evey snorted. "That's cheesy. I hate that."
They bantered like this for a while, until they reached a clearing where they decided to set up camp for the night.
They lit a fire and sat around it, warming themselves.
Amber looked at Evey with curiosity.
"So... tell me about Exvulnerum," she said softly.
Evey tensed up. He didn't want to talk about it.
"It's nothing," he lied.
"It's not nothing. It's something that hurts you every night."
"How do you know that?"
"I can hear you scream sometimes."
Evey looked away, ashamed.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."
"It is my fault. I'm cursed."
"Who cursed you?"
Evey hesitated. He didn't want to tell her the truth.
But he also didn't want to lie to her anymore.
He trusted her more than anyone else in his life.
He took a deep breath and told her everything.
He told her about his father, who passed on the curse to him before killing himself.
He told her about Joe, who was the original King of Pain and who buried his wife alive with Exvulnerum.
He told her about Dzuna, who was bound to him by Exvulnerum and who tried to sabotage his relationships with others.
He told her about Caroline, who was his childhood friend and crush and who he almost killed by trying to give her Exvulnerum.
He told her about West, who was his best friend and protector and who helped him escape from his hometown after Caroline's incident.
He told her about himself, how he felt guilty and angry and hopeless because of Exvulnerum.
He told her about her, how she was different from anyone else he had ever met, how she made him feel things he had never felt before, how she was the only person he wanted to be with... but also the only person he couldn't be with because of Exvulnerum.
Amber listened to his story with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe what he had gone through. She couldn't imagine how much pain he must have endured.
She reached out and took his hand.
"Evey... I'm so sorry," she said softly.
He looked at her hand and then at her face. He saw the compassion and love in her eyes.
He squeezed her hand gently.
"Amber... thank you," he said sincerely.
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. They felt a warmth in their chests that they had never felt before.
They leaned closer and closer until their lips met in a gentle kiss.
They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, forgetting everything else around them.
They broke apart and smiled at each other.
They cuddled together by the fire, feeling each other's heartbeat.
They fell asleep in each other's arms, feeling safe and happy for the first time in their lives.
The next morning, they woke up to a loud noise. They looked up and saw a horror: The sun had exploded into a million pieces.
They gasped in terror and despair. They hugged each other tightly.
They realized that somehow, by some mistake, they had triggered Exvulnerum. They had doomed the world and themselves.
They didn't know how it happened. Maybe it was their love that did it. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was a curse from someone who hated them.
But they didn't care about the hows or whys. All they cared about was that they were screwed. Screwed by pain, screwed by fear, screwed by loneliness.
Screwed by Exvulnerum.
