With a roll of your shoulders, you sighed as the day's journey finally begins to take its toll.

The pair of you had made it to the kingdom by dusk, the walk not as long as you had anticipated.

You had learnt that the traveller's name was Nihachu, but her friends called her Niki. She was just on her way back from seeing her parents when you met, whom she hadn't seen in over a year. She lived with her partner, Puffy, on the cusp of town in a small cottage that seemed awfully similar to yours.

She had offered her couch for the night once you had told her you had nowhere to stay, but you denied it, muttering something about not wanting to intrude. She insisted you stay, not wishing your first night in what she called 'the most scenic place on earth' to be spent on the streets. Eventually you agreed, making her promise it would only be for the one night.

You would hate it if she fell in love with you so quick, so you would just have to hope that Niki was someone who took much longer to accept the faux feelings.

She took you on a path that seemed to walk straight through the centre of the community that rested surrounding the south of the castle. It was a very lively place despite it being sunset, most people out and about. There was music coming from a place nearby, its inhabitants cheering and singing along. You couldn't help but stare in awe at how much fun they seemed to be having, not noticing yourself stop walking beside Niki.

She didn't seem to have noticed at first too, slowly backing up and whispering in your ear. "Would you like to go get a drink?" she asked, rocking back slightly on her heels.

"Oh- uh... I think I'll pass for today, thank you though," you sputtered, a soft pink dusting your cheeks at being caught so easily. "There are so many people," you mumbled, almost too quiet for your companion to hear.

"Yeah, this time of day is usually the time when people are out the most. I mean, with this weather," she gestured up to the pink-hued cloudless sky, "could you blame them?"

You couldn't help but feel a little envious at how effortlessly they could all interact with each other, not having to worry about them confessing their undying love for the other at any given point. For what was most definitely not the first time, you longed for a life where you weren't the god of love.

You could feel Niki tug slightly on your cloak, pulling you in the direction of her home. You didn't pay much mind to what she was saying, but walked silently by her side. You took a deep breath and zoned back into the one-sided conversation.

"...I promise she is really nice; I think you would like her," she finished with a smile, her ears painted light pink.

"I'm sorry, who?" you asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Cara- sorry, Puffy," she said, unbothered that you hadn't been paying attention.

"How did you meet?"

"Um... it was so long ago, I don't really remember," she chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We can ask her now, because we are here." She began to jog up to the door, opening it up and calling for her partner.

Their cottage looked very warm, very inviting. It didn't seem awfully huge, but bigger than the one you were used to. It had vibrant green vines twisting its way all along the front and the roof, stones peeking out where the vines would miss, many (both potted and not) plants sitting against the wall, a few stone pavers that were made into steps leading down to another wooden door, and a firepit sitting off to the side. There was even a few stray chickens, wandering around and clucking happily at the sight of a new person.

You smiled a little when one pecked your shoe but walked away hastily when quite a few came running to your side. Niki held the door open for you as you jogged past her, quietly giggling to herself.

You looked around the room, immediately feeling warm and safe. The fireplace had a few logs in it, emitting a comforting heat. There were books scattered all around, some opened but discarded. There also somehow seemed to have more plants inside than outside, which brought a silly smile to your lips.

"I apologise for the mess, we were expecting any visitors," Niki says, huffing whilst closing the books.

"Oh, this is nothing, don't even worry," you say, moving to help her.

She lets out a short breath, like a half chuckle. "Hey, Cara, I have someone for you to meet," Niki yells, startling you a little with the volume.

You could hear shuffling around in the other room, along with a nice waft of whatever the other was cooking. A woman popped her head around the corner, a bright smile on her face when she spotted you. She pushed herself out from behind the wall, moving to shake your hand. She had a bowl under one arm, and a very dirty apron. "Hi, I'm Puffy, but you can call me Cara," she said, sticking her palm out for you to grab.

"I'm Y/N," you smiled, holding her hand in yours. Her grip was light, but firm. "Niki has told me a lot about you."

"Ah yes, she can never seem to keep her mouth shut about me," Cara teased, elbowing Niki's blushing form. "I'm assuming you are staying for dinner?"

"And for the night," Niki finished, walking off into the kitchen. "What have you made?"

Puffy was hot on her tail, "Your favourite." They left you alone in the room and you could hear Niki's excited muffled squeals, followed by Puffy's sweet laughter. You also heard Niki yell "Y/N get in here!", and quickly jogged to where you thought they had disappeared to.

The rest of the night was filled with much love and laughter, something you had missed so dearly. You hoped that the love they had for each other was enough to cancel out the curse, or at least hold off until you were gone.

Because, man, losing them would be a devastating loss.

-

Niki had promised the night prior that she would take you on a tour of the town in the morning, so that was where you were headed now.

You hadn't slept awfully well on the couch, but you made sure to thank them both very much for their kind hospitality. Cara also had to go into town for food, so you all set off together. Today was market day, so it would be a perfect time to show off the people of the village.

You and Niki said goodbye to Puffy as she walked off towards a fruit stand, leaving the pair of you alone. As she directed you to the left, you couldn't help but comment on how happy they seemed. "You guys seem so perfect for each other; I couldn't imagine how good it must be."

"Yeah," she sighs, "she is my whole world. I have no idea where I would be without her. But I'm sure it'll happen for you too, you just have to wait it out, and don't force it," she says, handing you a plum she had just bought. "Try it, it's the sweetest thing in all the land."

You bit into it, and you had never heard a truer statement. The sugariness of it outweighed the bitterness, the juice swirling around on your tongue and down your throat. That's how the majority of the morning and afternoon went; her buying foods for you to try, and whilst you guys ate, she would point out important things and places.

It was just past midday, and you were both sitting under a tree, enjoying the cool breeze that swept through the leaves. You had your back on the tree, and she was lying on her back on your right. It was quiet, the gentle swaying of the branches above you comforting and relaxing.

"I'm going to propose," she whispered, almost as if she didn't believe it herself.

You froze. ...not to me, right? "What?" you asked, desperate for more clarity.

"Cara," she said, pausing for a moment. "I don't know when, but I am going to ask her to marry me." A soft smile traced her lips, unable to contain it anymore. You let out a breath you hadn't realised you had been holding, relieved she wasn't talking about you.

"I have the rings, would you like to see?"

"Oh, of course," you said, her smile now catching on to you.

She pulled a little red box out of her bag, opening it and showing the two rings sitting inside. They were stunning, golden bands woven around matching gemstones. "The yellow is hers, and the pink is mine."

"Wow," you breathed, practically speechless at how gorgeous they were. Both colours were light, and you knew it would complement its owner perfectly. "They are amazing."

"Yeah, I think so too. Now all I have to do is hope that she says yes."

"Are you kidding? How could anyone turn down you! you guys are made for each other, and if she doesn't say yes then she will have to deal with me," you laughed. She laughed too, thinking you were joking. In a way you were, but if it really came to it, you would work your magic.

"Alright, we should get going, I need to meet her in a bit," she giggled, pushing herself up and dusting off her dress. "Are you sure you don't want to stay any longer?"

"No, I have already intruded enough, but thank you. you are way to kind for your own good," you say, also standing up. She begins to head back towards the centre of town, and you follow right behind her.

"Ah well, I try as much as I can."

You hum in response, kicking a rock as you travel. It wasn't a far walk back, so you were there within minutes. You could see Puffy at a stall for bread and waved once she looked over at you two.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Niki smiled, turning back to face you.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Thank you for everything, I don't know how to repay you," you say, returning the grin.

"Nonsense! Just visit whenever you want, and that will be more than enough."

"I will, no doubt about it. Good luck with Puffy, you got this."

She pulls you into a hug, says a final goodbye, and walks back over to Cara. A bittersweet smile breaks out onto your face, and you turn away to examine what you could do now that you're alone. It was still only early afternoon, so you had time on your side.

You could feel a pair of eyes on your every movement, watching you like a hawk. You stiffened, moving to pull the hood of your cloak over your head. You kept turning in circles, playing it off as if you were looking around at the variety of stalls.

You began to idly walk off to a random store, still trying to find who was stalking you. and then, you found them.

They were tall and broad, easily towering over the rest of the townsfolk. They had long pink hair cascading down their back, sticking out like a sore thumb compared to all of the others. A bright red cape rippled behind them, an odd choice of clothing. From a distance, they even seemed to have gleaming red eyes.

At the sudden eye contact, they straightened up from the wall they were leaning on, turned and walked down an alleyway, the cloak billowing behind them. You knew to follow, and in turn your own cloak flowing as you jogged over to where they had just disappeared.

When you had made it to where they originally were, they were much further down the alley then you had expected. "Hey!" you called, but they kept running. So, naturally, you chased.

You chased them through lefts and rights, occasionally calling for them to stop or slow down, but they never did. You were tired, on the brink or passing out, but you couldn't stop now.

A sharp turn left put him ten paces in front of you, leaping over a massive hole that stretched across the width of the lane. They used a chunk of stone as a temporary step, boosting themselves up and over the hole with ease, as if they had done this multiple times before.

They continued on as if it was just a mere obstacle, quickly disappearing from your eye line.

You halted once you had reached the edge, taking a look down for yourself. Fog and dust opaqued your view, blocking anyone from seeing how deep the hole really was.

Taking a few quick breaths to hype yourself up, you stepped back, then ran and jumped. You tried so hard to copy the person as best as possible, but who knows how many times they had done it before.

Your foot hit the side stone step, and you launched yourself onto the other side. your stomach dropped slightly as you entertained the idea of falling who knows how far, with nobody to ever find your body. Landing rather heavily on your feet, you exhaled in relief, happy to be back on solid ground.

But that relief was rather short lived, the wooden planks snapping under the sudden weight gain.

You felt as if you were being yanked down by an unknown anchor, grappling at your ankles to bring you into the depths of their darkness and despair.

Flailing your arms around until you could grab onto something solid was your only attempt at saving yourself, and you were more than grateful as your hand snagged around a lose bamboo stick hanging from the wall.

Your shoulder jerked out of its socket at the sudden yank, but you paid the pain no mind, to busy trying to think of a damn solution to get the hell out of this damn hole.

You whole body swayed under a slight draft, making everything just that little bit more mortifying. Gripping onto the bamboo for dear life, you could only think of one thing to do: "Help!" you screamed, but it fell on deaf ears. "Help! Please, help me! Please..." a soft whimper cried out of your throat as the bamboo began to break,, no longer willing to hold your weight.

"Please," you cried, a final attempt before inevitably plummeting to your demise.

With a loud crack, your hand slipped, the bamboo pole broke and you heard a scream, which you assumed to be your own.

Before you could even accept what was happening, your arm was being jerked upwards once again. You looked up, and it was that same person from earlier.