Coker sat alone on a small hill watching the sun set. The sky was full of red and orange, but his heart felt cold. He thought about the hero who died because of him. The hero was supposed to be the village's light, the one everyone trusted. But now he was gone, and people only blamed Coker. Their voices were still in his head, shouting that he should have died instead.
Coker closed his eyes. "Why did it have to be me?" he whispered. "Why did I kill him?"
He remembered that day like it was yesterday. The battle was fierce. The hero charged forward, fighting to save him. Coker wanted to run, but he was too scared. The cursed power inside him was wild, like a beast he couldn't tame. When the demon attacked, the hero stepped in front, taking the deadly blow. Coker saw the life leave the hero's eyes, and something inside him broke.
Since then, the village never stopped hating him. They shouted insults every time they saw him. They said he was cursed, dangerous, and evil. His own brother, the new hero, never spoke to him. It was like Coker didn't exist.
The weight of their hate crushed him every day. But inside, a fire burned too. Not the cursed fire, but a fire of hope. He wanted to be better. He wanted to be someone who could protect, not destroy.
"I'm sorry," Coker said softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."
Tears slipped down his face. He had never cried like this before. He was always angry or stubborn. But now, the pain was too big to hold inside.
Suddenly, a voice broke his silence. "You don't have to carry that alone."
Coker opened his eyes. Lira was standing there, watching him with kind eyes.
"I know you blame yourself," she said. "But it's not your fault. The hero chose to protect you. That was his choice."
Coker looked away. "But if I was stronger, he wouldn't be dead."
Lira sat next to him. "You are stronger now. And you will be stronger tomorrow. But you have to forgive yourself first."
Coker shook his head. "How can I? Everyone hates me."
Lira smiled softly. "Hate is heavy, but it doesn't have to stay forever. You have to find your own light."
Coker looked at the sky again. The stars were coming out, one by one.
"Maybe... maybe I can find it," he said quiet.
Lira stood up. "Good. Because the road ahead is dark. And you will need that light to keep going."
Coker stood too, wiping his tears. For the first time, he felt something like hope. It was small, but it was there.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew. The cursed power inside him stirred like a storm. His eyes glowed red for a moment, and smoke curled from his skin.
Lira stepped back, her face serious. "You have to learn control. The curse is strong, but it's not you."
Coker clenched his fists. "I will control it. Or I'll be lost."
Lira nodded. "Good. Let's keep training."
That night, Coker dreamed of the hero. Not the strong, perfect hero everyone talked about, but the man who laughed and cared. The man who believed in Coker even when no one else did.
In the dream, the hero smiled and said, "Don't give up. You are not alone."
Coker woke up with tears on his cheeks. He knew the hero's words were real. Even if the world hated him, he was not alone.
The next days were full of hard training. Lira pushed Coker beyond his limits. He learned to use the cursed fire without losing control. But sometimes, the voices came back, whispering dark things. "You will never be free." "You belong to the Demon King."
Coker shouted back, "No! I belong to myself."
One afternoon, while resting near a river, Coker heard laughter. It was cruel and cold. He looked up and saw a group of villagers from his old town.
They pointed at him and shouted, "Monster! You killed the hero! Leave us!"
Coker felt the old pain rise. But this time, he didn't run. He stood tall.
"I didn't kill him," he said. "He died saving me."
The villagers laughed harder. "You are cursed! You should have died instead!"
Coker's eyes burned red with cursed fire. Smoke rose from his skin.
"Stop!" Lira shouted, stepping between Coker and the villagers.
Coker took a deep breath. The fire faded. He looked at the villagers and said, "I won't let your hate destroy me."
The villagers ran away, scared.
Lira smiled. "See? You are stronger than their hate."
Coker nodded. "But it still hurts."
Lira put her hand on his shoulder. "That's okay. Hurt makes us human."
Coker smiled weakly. For the first time, he felt like maybe he could be more than a curse. Maybe he could be a hero.
But deep inside, he knew the real test was still coming. The Demon King's power was waking. And soon, Coker would have to face what was inside him or lose everything.