The fire crackled softly inside the cabin, filling the room with a warm glow. Alex sat wrapped in a blanket, still shaken from retelling his past. The Masked Man—leaning back in his chair with his arms folded—finally exhaled with the tiredness of someone who didn't ask for this responsibility.
"Alright, kiddo," he muttered, "one thing left."
Alex looked up. "What?"
The man tapped the side of his mask.
"This thing. Makes talking uncomfortable."
He slowly lifted it off.
Alex's eyes widened.
Half of the man's face was normal—sharp jawline, rough stubble, tired but strangely kind eyes.
The other half…
Burned black. Veins glowing faint red, like molten lava running under skin. The flesh was cracked, almost stone-like, and pulsed faintly with a strange dark energy.
Alex flinched, but the man just snorted.
"Relax, kid. It's just my handsome side."
"Hand—handsome?" Alex blinked.
The man nodded proudly.
"Of course. Women faint when they see this face."
"From fear?" Alex whispered.
He froze.
Then the man burst out laughing.
"You little brat! Hah! Maybe you will survive this world."
For the first time, Alex smiled a little.
---
"This curse… what is it?"
The burnt side of the man's face flickered, like embers inside him awakened.
He leaned forward, his tone becoming serious.
"Listen carefully, Alex. This isn't a normal injury. This is a Vyrris Curse—a curse born in the Underworld."
Alex swallowed. "Underworld…?"
The man nodded.
"Yeah. The place where real nightmares breathe. This curse isn't just decoration. It eats away life, sanity, spirit. If normal people get too close to me…"
He snapped his fingers.
Crack —!
A nearby wooden mug instantly blackened and crumbled into dust.
Alex jolted.
"It… kills people?"
"Kills, corrupts, melts, explodes—depends on the mood," the man said lazily. "So yeah, kid. I don't go outside much. Bad for public health."
Alex hugged his blanket tighter.
"Then… w-why am I safe?"
The Masked Man's expression sharpened with curiosity.
"That's the weird part, kiddo."
He lifted Alex's chin gently, examining him.
"My curse should've roasted you like a festival chicken. But you? Nothing. You didn't even sneeze."
Alex blinked rapidly.
"So… what does that mean?"
"It means," the man said, leaning back again, "you're not normal. Not spiritually gifted like Spirit Knights. Not corrupted like demons. Not cursed like me."
He lifted one eyebrow.
"You're something… else."
Alex shifted nervously.
"What… what am I?"
The man spread his arms.
"How the hell should I know? I didn't get a manual when you showed up."
Alex stared.
The man continued, grumbling:
"I've seen spirit knights with holy energy, exorcists with divine sigils, cursed warlocks who smell like burnt onions—but you?"
He pointed.
"You have no spiritual energy. No demonic aura. No curse resonance. Nothing. You're like a… blank slate."
"A blank… slate?" Alex repeated.
"Yeah. Like a newborn baby with no spiritual signature. But somehow, you survived a devil, survived a burning church, and survived me."
He scratched his head.
"It's annoying."
Alex almost laughed.
"Sorry?"
"Don't apologize. I'm complimenting you," the man said with a lazy wave. "It means no one can detect you—not spirit knights, not hunters, not priests, not devils."
He smirked.
"You're basically a walking blind spot. Lucky brat."
---
"So… what now?"
Alex hesitated before asking:
"What should I do?"
The Masked Man stretched his arms behind his head.
"Easy. First—new name. New identity. Nobody can know you're Alex from the orphanage."
"But… that's my name," Alex whispered.
The man's tone softened.
"You can keep it. But the world will need a different name to call you. For safety."
Alex thought for a moment.
"Then… maybe just Alex. Without my old surname."
The man grinned.
"Simple. I like it."
He stood and cracked his neck.
"Second—stay with me for now. I may be cursed and lazy, but I'm not letting a weird kid like you walk around alone."
Alex blinked. "You… you'll protect me?"
The man scoffed.
"Don't misunderstand. I just don't want you causing trouble and dragging spirit knights to my house. I'm allergic to drama."
Alex quietly smiled.
He didn't believe that excuse for even a second.
---
A Light Moment
Alex asked carefully, "Um… can I ask your name?"
The man froze.
"…Ah."
Alex blinked.
The man looked away, embarrassed.
"Look, kid, names are overrated."
"You don't have one?"
"I have one. I just forgot it."
"You forgot your own name!?"
He clicked his tongue.
"My curse messes with memories too, okay? It's not funny."
Alex bit his lip, trying so hard not to laugh.
The man glared.
"Stop laughing."
"I—I'm not!"
"You're laughing in your soul."
Alex giggled.
The man groaned.
"I swear, this kid…"
---
Closing Scene
The cabin grew quieter as the fire dimmed.
The man sat back, mask resting on the table.
"Alex," he said suddenly.
"Yes?"
"That monster from your orphanage… we'll figure out what it was. But not tonight. You're exhausted."
Alex nodded slowly.
"And kid," the man added, eyes softening just a fraction,
"You're safe here. Curse or no curse… I won't let anything take you away."
For the first time in a long time, Alex felt warmth in his chest.
A new home.
A new beginning.
A cursed guardian who didn't treat him like a monster.