Stolen Fate

A crushing headache slammed into me as I jerked awake, gasping for air. My pajamas were soaked through with cold sweat.

I…came back to life?

I shot upright, my heart pounding wildly as I scanned the room. Then, my gaze locked onto something on the nightstand.

A pink, limited edition teddy bear.

Cecilia Johnson had given it to me for my birthday the previous year.

It had been insanely popular. People could not get their hands on it, no matter how hard they tried. Cecilia told me she pulled a lot of strings to get one just for me. I was so touched I almost cried.

Only after I died in my previous life did I learn the truth.

That teddy bear was never a gift. It was a vessel. A container for a curse that had been draining my luck away, little by little.

My hands started shaking before I could stop them. I carefully tore open the soft, cute plush.

Beneath layers of stuffing, my fingers brushed against something thin.

A piece of paper, folded into a strange triangle.

I held my breath and slowly unfolded it.

Dark red ink covered the page in symbols. At the center, unmistakable, was my full name, written in a way that made my skin crawl. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm, then carefully put the paper away.

I did not destroy it right away. Some curses did not break just because they were torn up. I needed someone who knew what they were doing.

More importantly, I needed to figure out exactly what that thing was.

I started digging through obscure forums and encrypted online communities. After hours of searching, I finally got in touch with someone. A retired occult practitioner with a reputation in certain circles.

He stared at the triangular paper for a long time. His frown deepened, his expression turning serious.

"This isn't something ordinary," he said. "It's a binding curse. A very vicious one.

"It's usually used on people who are close to death. It can't transfer your luck directly to the caster, but it reroutes your fortune to others. By granting other people's wishes, it extends the caster's life.

"When your luck is completely drained, and your life reaches its end, the life force that should have been yours…gets transferred to them."

He paused, then looked at me.

"If you want, I can alter its structure. Break the connection. I can even make it backfire on the person who cast it."

So that was how it was…

No wonder she became some so-called 'lucky streamer.'

She was not lucky. She was burning through my luck, stealing my life.

"How much?" I asked without hesitation.

"I don't charge," he replied, calm and firm. "Stopping things like this is a good enough reason."

I froze for a second, then immediately handed him the paper.

With just a few quick strokes, he made subtle changes at key points.

The moment he lifted his pen, something shifted.

My whole body suddenly felt lighter, like a weight that had been pressing down on me forever had finally been lifted.

Before I left, he gave me one last warning.

"On the night of the full moon, seven days from now, the connection will be completely severed. Until then, she can still draw a small amount of your luck, but it won't cause you any real harm."

I thanked him and walked out.

The moment I stepped outside, even the air felt clearer. The sunlight was almost blinding.

'Cecilia… Your payback is coming. Soon,' I thought.