Later that night, Tarse sat alone in a reinforced cell. No fire. No visitors.
One of the guards passed by. "You're quiet now."
Tarse looked up. "You think I'm evil?"
The guard paused. "I think you're confused."
"Nice answer," Tarse said.
The guard turned to go.
"Hey," Tarse said. "Do you think curses can ever be undone?"
"I don't know," the guard said. "But maybe you're not here to break it. Maybe you're here to live with it."
Another guard approached "
Tarse leaned back against the wall.
"Then I better learn how."
The flames danced in his eyes, and somewhere deep inside him, a voice whispered:
*"We're not done yet."*
---