┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓

Please stop.

This nightmare I have every night.

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⚠️Trigger warning: flashing image!! and mentions suicide and death

"Luna!!Luna!! We're going to leave you!" Sammy, your obnoxious fifteen-year-old brother, called after you. You got up late today, on all days. If you're late, your brother will be late as well. Fortunately, you called your grandmother and told her that you had missed your bus and had no idea how to get to your new school on foot.

Your summer vacation was over two days ago. You've only been to your new art school for a day. Your quiet demeanour didn't endear you to the other students on the friendship train. However, you were assessed as a test subject in a laboratory. It didn't help that you were a little taller than the average girl with big glasses, long, straight black hair with dark blue hues, and a sunkissed tan skin tone. You're not unattractive, but you're more unassuming amid girls who are stunning and above your level.

You are a Hanlim Art School student. You discovered it was a school for wannabe entertainment trainees. Most are with trainee agencies and aspire to debut in K-pop or K-drama. It would help if you had a variety of skills.

You have a lot of talent as a violinist, and you can even play the keyboard and piano. Recruiters travelled to Mexico for you to audition, which you passed, and you were immediately accepted into the program. Sammy was accepted into a trainee program at a small agency, and he sings and dances flawlessly. You can sing, but instrumental music is your preference.

Your grandmother is well-off, paying for all your tuition and other expenses. She is both strict and loving. Your grandmother went to work early at the street restaurant where she serves the best street food in the world, and she was furious because you were tardy after she urged you to set your alarm clock. You are the one assigned to awaken Sammy.

So your grandmother sends one of her drivers to pick you up for school. There are 45 minutes left. Sammy is going to his new middle school and will be dropped off.

You grabbed your school black and white backpack packed with the necessities. You're starting to feel weary in your bones again, and your head has been throbbing for almost five days.

Since the day you were born, your life has not been easy. You all live in a society where the soulmark system reigns supreme and determines your final destiny. Every citizen has a soulmark, indicating that someone out there is meant to love and protect you. Your strings can choose between red-gold (passion string), blue (protection string), or yellow (platonic friendship string). Those love strings will define your future fate.

Then there's the mark that all coverts, those who want the option or freedom to love, have (tarnished branding-a little cross behind the ear).

At 17, every citizen receives their mark, following or during their senior year, similar to coming of age. It's the most thrilling time in the life of most adolescents.

But how do you know if you'll be branded or not? There is a 'whisperer' pull in the early stages. It's akin to soulmate awareness when you have an unspoken bond with someone-the euphoria of love or the subtle sense of protection towards a stranger.

Before the soulmark appears, teenagers can fall in love naturally; however, dating someone who is not your soulmark is not permitted after 18. It's the system's way of keeping soulmates safe from harm. You can still reject your destined partner if you don't want them. However, it will cost you a lot of anguish and regret in the long term.

You were never charming enough to date because of the curse on your family lineage.

It can neutralise the soul's power.

Nobody in Seoul was aware that you and your brother had fled Mexico. Your Mexican mother died of a disease a year ago on her 38th birthday, and you've been living in Mexico with your Korean father until your paternal grandma persuaded him to send you and Sammy to her. He will join you about three months after he finishes the family business. Your grandfather passed away a few years ago as well. You and Sammy will be alone with your strict grandma.

You met two cute girls who introduced themselves to Mk you at school the other day. You were unassuming and often unnoticed at your last school in Mexico.

Now, let's talk about your family's curse and why it impacts you.

ೃ⁀➷✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧Flashback is a visit to the past.ೃ⁀➷✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧

Your great-great grandpa, José Hernandéz, and a couple of his friends visited ancient Mayan ruins about five generations ago. Young, enthusiastic, and adventurous boys who love to party in forbidden places were familiar, causing a lot of excitement in the group.

However, your great-great-grandfather inadvertently destroyed an old relic that was part of a ruined pillar due to excessive drunkenness. He didn't return it; instead, he tossed it over the high hills into the deep foliage and trees beneath that hill, never thinking about it or giving it another thought.

Your great-great-grandfather has been plagued with vivid dreams of evil that have haunted him since that day. As a young, 25-year-old man, he was always feverish and spoke incoherently, and people thought he was going insane.

Some elders mentioned an Oracle's old curse as he described his weird dreams. Nobody could remove the curse from his life until a traveller stumbled upon the same ruins as he explained the odd visions that he had had. The traveller learned from the young guy suffering from unusual dreams, visions, and hallucinations.

His parents noticed that the negative omens and visions were causing the family distress and assumed that their son was becoming distraught. They brought him to a shaman who recognised the Oracle's mark on him. A mark that can't be seen. He had visions of future tragedies, horrible omens, and the deaths of his family and friends.

He undertook a secret ritual with the shaman, and the curse seemed to lift as he met his soulmate, a beautiful young woman. He married and had two daughters. His parents were ecstatic. However, he acted strangely on his youngest daughter's fourth birthday, kissing his wife and children and disappearing after a bit of celebration with them. The next day, he was discovered hanging from a tree in the surrounding forest. He took his own life. Unbeknownst to his family, the curse reappeared a few months earlier, and he was plagued by horrific visions of his family's demise once more. He had left a journal behind. The curse was relentless and defied all attempts to break it. On her 48th birthday, his wife passed away. Strangely, it was midnight. She had choked on a chicken bone.

The Oracle mark went undetected by the second generation, his two daughters, who grew up to lead pretty everyday lives. You do not know if it was luck or the curse has worn off. The eldest daughter found her soulmate and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. The curse latches on to the firstborn in the third generation.

Your grandmother, to be precise. She took over the role of oracle. Your great-grandmother discovered and read the journal but didn't wholly comprehend her father's writings. Because she was an outcast, your grandma didn't want to embrace it fully. A girl who has visions is seen as an abomination and a blemish on the family's lineage. Her aunts and extended family keep their distance from the cursed family, fearing the curse would be transferred to their children. She met her soulmate and accepted his love.

Still, after a few years of bliss, she tragically lost her husband in a horrific accident at work when a crane caused a steel storage container to fall on his car, and she, your grandmother, died of a heart attack on her 58th birthday, leaving three sons and your mother. She inherited the oracles' curse journal left by four generations of oracles, but she was once again a fortunate generation, and she was spared from the curse but not from the effect.

At an American university in Texas, your mum, Sofia Garcia, met your Korean father, Chai Sung. They were soulmates in red gold. Your father loved your mother so much that he relocated to Mexico and bought a beautiful home near a beach town, far from the stigma of his wife's family curse.

Nobody in the family knew how to break the curse until the Oracle's curse was transferred to you while you were still in your mother's womb. You had a rough childhood because you could see visions of the future and glimpses of death, and you always felt an eerie feeling following you. The kids didn't want to play with you because you were strange. They called you a witch.

You and your Mexican mum, Sammy, go to the local visiting carnival one night on your eighth birthday as a birthday present. You had a fantastic day, enjoying the rides and seeing the shows. Your mother told you to stay by Sammy's side, but not too far from her, while he went to see a magic show.

You chased after him but stumbled upon a strange woman dressed in traditional Mexican attire. When she suddenly and painfully grabbed your tiny hand, her eyes were as wide as saucers. Her brown eyes became a peculiar bluish-white colour and were devoid of pupils. You were terrified, but she grabbed you and dragged you to a nearby tent.

As an 8-year-old, you were afraid that this woman would harm you, but when she touched you, your eyes went rainbow hues, and you experienced a vision of the woman warmly holding you for two seconds. For the first time, you noticed delight in your eyesight. You are happy.

For two split seconds, there was no death. You were stunned and amazed as you watched her gaze into a large, luminous crystal ball. You were startled because you assumed this woman was messing with demonic spirits like your mum had warned you about. She had the appearance of a gipsy.

She was uttering strange things that spiralled out of control in your small world. Her eyes turned a white-blue colour once more, and she spoke in a distant, ominous tone that sounded more like rumbling. She snapped out of her trance and looked at you with regret and an expression of pure sadness. You could still recall the phrases that had left a lasting impression on your young mind.

"My child, the oracle's vengeful curse is upon you. Four generations...four lost souls...two became fortunate, two became cold...the fifth has entered. The oracle has latched once more. What will you choose-a soulmate to love on your 18th birthday, but standing on the verge of death, or embracing the gift and living a life of sacrifice and solitude-choose...choose...choose...choose...choose...choose... I'll be waiting for your call?"

It goes without saying. The gipsy repeated the same phase nearly three times until you escaped the tent in terror. Oblivious to the piercing stare that followed your little figure out...

✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧ೃ⁀➷✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧

You exhaled profoundly and shook your head. Since then, you've taken the private journal your mum gave you on your Quinceanera. It celebrates a girl's 15th birthday, marking her transition from girlhood to womanhood. Those prophecies about oracles were written feverishly by you. Your family's curse was revealed to you and Sammy by your mum.

You've been cursed for years and have no idea why. It isn't a gift to you, although it defends your family against various disasters, including scammers, schemers, and significant and minor household mishaps. You could always see the disasters happening for less than five seconds before they occurred. And you might be able to avoid it if you're quick...

"What the hell (qué demonios), Luna?" You may have heard your brother utter foul language. You abruptly awoke from your daydream and hurried to the backseat after apologising to your grandmother's driver, Guk-doo.

"I apologise, Guk-doo-Oppa, but I was looking for my information folder. We are free to go now." You smile nicely.

"Oh, terrible, you were daydreaming once more! EVERYONE WILL NOTICE MY GORGEOUS FACE when arriving late to school." Sammy's brows furrow exasperatedly. You shove his shoulders into the front seat, where he is sitting. Your fifteen-year-old brother is so corny.

You sat back and sighed deeply while playing random games on your phone. Sammy was dropped off, and you and Guk-doo reached Hamlin Arts School's main entrance. The butterflies in your stomach began to erupt. You're not sure why you're feeling so strange today. A rush of nausea hits you all of a sudden. You took a few sips from your hot water bottle to ease your stomach cramps. It's your second day of classes. Guk-doo stopped in front of the entrance, and you exited the vehicle.

"Luna!!! "Luna!!!" Two excited voices yelled your name. You stood up, and your glasses fell on the ground. You didn't have time to clean them, so you waved to your new friends instead. Chaeyoung and Dahuyn. As you close the door and wave to Guk-doo, you smile wide.

"Oh my goodness, the second tardy bell is about to ring." Dahyun grabbed your hands and pulled you along with Chaeyoung as they raced to the hallways where most kids had vanished. You were out of breath when you passed the monitors and the on-duty teacher.

As you began to catch your breath, you stood behind a pillar near your classes. Your hair was a jumbled mess. You immediately wipe and put your glasses on. Only a few students in your class give you a kind smile. Chaeyoung is well-known for her bright and pleasant demeanour.

You were expecting them to ditch you today because they were only as friendly as the welcoming committee, but you were pleasantly surprised by their attitude. You like them a lot, and you vow you'll never reveal you're a strange gift, lest you lose some excellent potential friends.

"Oh, my goodness, you have no idea who attended school today! I'm excited. "Dayhuyn gushed with dreamy eyes.

"How will Luna know she's still new to Hamlin? Dahyun, we can fill her in during our free period, okay?" With a stern tone, Chaeyoung retorted a little. "Come on in, and we'll get our schedules today. As quickly as possible, we should be in our homeroom."

Dahuyn looks annoyed. "Chae, you're so bossy. I'll tell Luna all about Hamlin Art's gossip." You sprint to your homeroom when she links her arm with yours, and Chaeyoung links your other arm.

Some rowdy boys scurry by you, yelling and bickering. Some wink at Chaeyoung, who instantly makes a disgusted face. You chuckle at her actions. With a shake of her head, Dahyun expressed her displeasure with the situation.

"I detest hormonal boys... let's go. " She pulled you into the class. Your classmates had already taken their seats; fortunately, your teacher had not yet arrived. You were seated next to Chaeyoung.

Dahyun is next to a handsome young guy you did not see yesterday. Her face was flushed. She was full of smiles.

With arched eyebrows, you ask Chaeyoung, "And?" You gesture at Dahyun's new demeanour.

"It's her crush, Soobin," Chaeyoung snickers in her hands and turns to you, saying."She likes him and confessed her feelings to him last year, but he has repeatedly turned her down. He doesn't like her. "

She pointed to a girl in the front seat who was freely conversing with another classmate. "He just had eyes for Eunbin for nearly a year. She likes him also, but secretly. There's no hope for Dahyun there; the TXT group is one of Hanlim's most popular idol trainees, and everyone wants to be their soulmates, but they keep to themselves..." She pressed her lips together. You peered at the girl Soobin had a crush on; Eunbin had beautiful, flawless skin with big round eyes, shiny bangs, and wavy chocolate brown hair. She looked adorable and had a friendly demeanour.

"Oh my gosh! (oy Dios Mio) That's heartbreaking. Now, all she has to do is wait for her soulmate. "You pondered. You look at the Soobin guy as Dahyun candidly explains something to him. He was staring at her with a calm, stoic expression.

"He's cute," you say, chuckling a little. "So the group's name is TXT," you say as you take out your pencil bag and notebook.

Chaeyoung's eyes twinkle with joy from within. "They are, without a doubt, the most sought-after and popular students at school. There are five of them. The eldest was transferred to our school a year ago by their agency. They're adorable and friendly. Some of the most popular girls have expressed an interest in dating them. In the cafeteria, I'll show them to you." When Ms. Shin entered the homeroom class, she quietly whispered but suddenly fell quiet.

"Class, good day. I genuinely hope you've recovered from your summer vacation. I congratulate Y2, class 2, for a job well done this time. Most of you were in the lower 40 rankings. Let us congratulate Soobin on his return to number one, Eunbin on number six, and Chaeyoung on number eight. The others will continue to work hard to place in the top ten Y2 classes."

The class was filled with whooping and whistling. Around him, Soobin's peers playfully shove his shoulders while he smirked and acknowledged their good wishes. You all clapped your hands excitedly. Chaeyoung gets a shove from you for her great position. You may have heard that this school is highly competitive in every area, from academics to art.

The thrill had worn off a little. Ms. Shin informs the class that its academic and artistic leadership will attend its yearly camp in two weeks. It'll be for the weekend only. She was also in charge of taking the roll call." And I want to remind you to get your schedule before leaving for your first period."

You smile as you notice the students' eagerness. When you see a Cheayoung who is emotionless, you wonder why.

You're puzzled by her mood and ask, "Why are you so sulky?"

" Before the break, our creative writing group disbanded. We didn't have enough members to qualify as a club, according to Yeji, our school's head girl. It's a complete waste of time and resources. We were never allowed to attend the most amazing camp ever. A leading entertainment company sponsored the camp. It's just incredible. Your art or academic club must have at least ten members and a chairman, secretary, and treasurer to qualify for the leadership camp. It's such a bummer. We were down to four members when the other three decided it wasn't worth being with Dahyun and me. I'm not sure why no one enjoys creative writing." She sighs dejectedly and rests her head on her table.

You heard some girls in front of you giggling as one turned around and said, "Face it, Chaeyoung, your club is very lame. At the very least, come up with something appealing to cute boys. Even the Korean cooking club is even more entertaining than yours. They have 15 members, and because Yeonjun and Yeji are members, they include the most popular guys and girls".

"No one asks for your opinion, Seulgi," Chaeyoung says, raising her face and looking at the girl with a bitter expression.

Seulgi rolled her eyes mockingly and turned around with a sneer, causing you to widen your eyebrows.

"This girl is very meddlesome," groans Chaeyoung.

"Why don't you start something else?" You said it quietly as you rubbed her shoulder.

Chaeyoung looked at you and said, without enthusiasm, " "I'll just give up because it's too late to start a new club or join one that already exists. The presidents of the clubs do not simply accept any student."

Seulgi spins around to face you. "Well, a successful club can be a drawcard. Every school club has a famous debut idol, if you look closely. Txt debuted a month ago, and with big brothers like BTS, everyone is anxious to join in on the excitement. Just saying, don't stare at me like that."

Chaeyoung nods, and the school bell rings. All the classmates leapt and dashed over to Ms. Shin's table. You shook your head and felt the familiar tug in your subconscious mind as you picked up your pencil bag.

Another vision...

ೃ⁀➷..A charming boy dashed up to the water table near the restroom halls, filled his water bottle up at the middle filter with boiling water, and swallowed some before collapsing a few minutes later ...to the sounds of ambulance sirens screeching. ⁀➷

You don't know who this boy is, but all you know is that you must get out of here as quickly as possible. The filter appears to have failed, and the hot water has been contaminated.

You sprint to the front. Your heart was racing. You were compelled to act by a variety of forces.

Go...!!! Go...!!! Chants a voice.

When Dahyun handed you your schedule, you looked a little flushed.

"Please wait for me at the classroom door; I must use the restroom!" You quickly told them and fled the room to save the unknown boy---

...bringing you closer to destiny.

┗━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━┛

A/n: I hope you enjoy the first chapter, which contains information on Luna's family curse.

Thank you to all of the new MOAs.

Question 1: Will Luna choose to accept her gift or love?

Question 2: Who do you believe is the boy in danger?

Question 3: How do you feel about Luna's new friends?