CURSED
Chapter 1
There was a time when love itself was considered the greatest curse.
In the isolated province of Valemont, marriages were never built on affection. Every union was arranged by families, decided by elders who believed emotions only led to ruin. A bride and groom often stood before the altar as strangers, forbidden from speaking to one another until the wedding rituals were complete.
If a marriage failed, the blame always fell upon the woman. She was labeled unworthy, accused of failing her husband, and forced to live with shame for the rest of her life.
But falling in love...
That was a crime no one could forgive.
A man and a woman who dared to love before marriage were declared sinners. There would be no trial, no mercy, no chance to explain. The villagers believed that such love angered God and invited misfortune upon the land.
The punishment was always the same.
For generations, this cruel law had never been questioned. It became tradition. Then tradition became faith.
And faith became fear.
The moon hid behind thick clouds as the cold wind swept through the endless forest.
A young woman in a flowing blue gown stumbled through the darkness, desperately clutching a man's hand.
Branches clawed at her dress while sharp stones tore into her bare feet, leaving crimson footprints behind with every step
？？？
"Love... we have to hurry!" **the man said between ragged breaths** "They're right behind us!"
？？？
"I... I can't..."** she gasped, her voice trembling** "My legs... I can't run anymore..."
Tears blurred her vision as another sharp rock cut into her foot. She cried out, nearly collapsing to the ground.
The man stopped only for a heartbeat.
His eyes were filled with panic and helplessness.
Without another word, he wrapped one arm around her back and the other beneath her knees, lifting her into his arms.
She instinctively held onto his shoulders, burying her face against his chest as he broke into another sprint.
The forest echoed with distant shouts.
"There! They went this way!"
"Don't let the sinners escape!"
The thunder of horses grew louder.
Torches burned like fiery eyes in the darkness, weaving between the trees as dozens of villagers closed the distance.
？？？
**The man's breathing became heavier with every step, but he refused to slow down**
"I won't let them take you," **he whispered, tightening his hold on her**
The woman looked back over his shoulder.
Through the trees, she could see flames dancing in the hands of the villagers. Their angry voices mixed with the pounding hooves of horses.
They weren't chasing criminals.
They were hunting lovers.
And tonight...
The forest itself would decide whether love deserved to live... or die.
The edge of the forest was finally within sight.
Beyond the last line of ancient trees lay the abandoned road that led toward the neighboring province—the only place where they could disappear and begin a new life.
？？？
**The man tightened his grip around the woman as hope flickered in his exhausted eyes**
"We're almost there," **he whispered** "Just a little farther."
Before he could take another step—
Several horses charged out from the darkness, blocking the narrow path.
The riders pulled sharply on their reins, surrounding the couple in a circle of steel and torchlight.
The horses snorted impatiently, their hooves striking the damp earth.
The man came to an abrupt halt.
His breathing grew shallow.
His throat went dry.
He already knew...
There was nowhere left to run.
The woman slowly lifted her head from his chest. As her trembling eyes met the men on horseback, the little hope she had been clinging to shattered.
One of the riders stepped forward.
His face was hidden beneath the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat, but the cold smile on his lips was unmistakable.
So..." **he said calmly** "the sinners thought they could outrun fate."
？？？
**The man instinctively took a step back, holding the woman closer as though his embrace alone could shield her**
**Another rider laughed mockingly**
"Look at him."
"He still thinks he can protect her."
The sound of galloping horses echoed again.
Within seconds, the villagers who had been chasing them emerged from the forest, surrounding the couple from behind.
Torches illuminated the clearing until it looked like a sea of fire.
There were no gaps.
No escape.
Only countless eyes staring at them with hatred.
The man lowered his head for a brief moment, his jaw clenching so tightly it hurt.
His heart pounded violently against his ribs.
Not because he feared death.
But because he knew what would happen to the woman in his arms.
He silently prayed that, somehow...
She would survive.
Even if he couldn't.
Villagers tried to drag the woman away from the man, the man held the woman tightly in his arms, refused to let go one vilager came forward and kick on the man's stomach, then another kick, the man chocked, vilagers held the man and some other villages drag the woman away. Tied her near on a tree
The woman screamed, her fingers clawing at the dirt as they hauled her backward. Her dress ripped at the shoulder, pale skin catching the torchlight. The man's arms those arms that had held her through storms and silences reached for her even as two villagers pinned him down, his face pressed into the mud.
？？？
"Don't you touch her!" **he roared, and the sound was less human than animal, a sound ripped from somewhere primal and raw. His voice cracked on the last syllable, and blood sprayed from his lips where someone's boot had split them open**
？？？
**The woman thrashed, her dark hair whipping across her face as she fought the hands that gripped her wrists** "Let me go to him! Please—he's hurt—"
But they didn't listen. None of them listened. The rope bit into her wrists as they cinched it tighter around the tree trunk, the bark scraping raw against her spine. Tears streamed down her face in hot, silent rivers, and then the sobs came great heaving things that shook her entire body, that made her ribs ache and her throat burn.
？？？
"Leave him alone," **she begged, her voice breaking apart between each word.** "Please, gods, please just leave him—he's done nothing—he's done nothing—"
The villagers turned their faces away. Some stared at their boots. Others watched with the hollow, hungry look of people who had already decided what justice looked like and would not be moved.
From the edge of the clearing, one of the riders—tall, his armor black as crow feathers—dismounted. His boots sank into the mud without sound. He walked toward the man still pinned in the dirt, and the villagers fell silent as he approached. The clamor of the village, the crackle of torch fire, it all seemed to suck inward, collecting itself around this man. His face was hard and elegant, features sharpened by cruelty or purpose—perhaps both.
He stopped above the man, looked down with a surgeon’s cold appraisal. Then, with a motion so precise it was almost delicate, he drew his sword
The starlight caught on the blade’s edge, a thin blue radiance that made the steel look impossibly alive. The woman’s cry caught in her throat; her whole body went rigid, a marionette with its strings yanked taut
The rider knelt, boots sinking beside the man’s face, and with one gloved hand, he took the man by the hair and forced his head back, exposing the line of his throat. The tip of the sword pressed into the flesh just beneath the jaw. Blood welled in a single, perfect bead
Kim Taehyung
"NOO!!"
**Taehyung bolted upright in bed, a terrified scream escaping her lips, She clutched her chest as her heart pounded violently, each breath coming faster than the last**
Cold sweat drenched her forehead, her neck, even the back of her hands. Strands of black hair clung to her face as she stared into the darkness of her bedroom.
The digital clock on her bedside table glowed.
The same dream.
The same forest.
The same terrified couple.
The same ending that never revealed itself.
Kim Taehyung
**Taehyung pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, trying to steady her breathing**
"Not again..." **she whispered hoarsely,She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a long moment, her bare feet touching the cold wooden floor.l**
Ever since she was fifteen years old, the nightmare had haunted her.
Every single month.
Sometimes every week.
Sometimes for several nights in a row.
She was twenty-nine now.
Fourteen years had passed...
Yet the dream had never changed.
She had never seen the lovers' faces.
Never learned their names.
Never discovered what happened after they were surrounded.
It always ended the same way—
Just before fate reached them.
Kim Taehyung
**Taehyung let out a shaky breath and rubbed her tired eyes**
"It's only a dream..." **she murmured to herself, though the words no longer brought comfort**
Butterfly 🦋
Here is the new story for my sinners
Butterfly 🦋
I hope you will like it
chapter 2
Kim Taehyung.
Age: 29
Occupation: Special Branch Officer
Status: Single
Position: Team Leader
To most people, Taehyung was simply one of the best officers in the Special Branch.
To her team, she was something more.
She was their leader.
Cold when necessary. Calm under pressure. Sharp enough to notice things other people missed and manipulative enough to make even experienced criminals reveal their own secrets.
Taehyung didn't need to raise her voice to control a situation.
Sometimes, a single look was enough.
She was highly trained in hand-to-hand combat, an excellent shooter, and exceptionally skilled at handling dangerous situations. Whether it was chasing a suspect through a crowded street or standing face-to-face with someone holding a weapon, Taehyung rarely lost control.
Her mind was her greatest weapon.
She knew how people thought.
She knew what frightened them.
What they wanted.
What they were hiding.
And she knew exactly which words to use to make them talk.
But behind that controlled personality was a woman who had learned very early not to depend on anyone.
Her parents had died when she was young.
She had no siblings.
No family waiting for her at home.
And at twenty-nine, Taehyung remained single—not because she had never been given a chance at love, but because she had never allowed anyone close enough to stay.
Her life was her work.
Her team was her family.
Kim Lalisa
Age: 25
Position: Hacker & Field Operative
Status: Married to Kim Jennie
Lalisa is one of the most skilled hackers in the Special Branch. She can break into highly protected systems, track digital footprints, recover deleted information, and uncover secrets people thought were impossible to find.
But she isn't helpless outside a computer.
She's also trained in combat and can handle herself during dangerous missions.
Lalisa is a loyal member of Taehyung's team and one of the few people who can casually tease their intimidating leader without getting scared.
Kim Jennie
Age: 28
Position: Disguise Specialist & Intelligence Officer
Status: Married to Kim Lalisa
Jennie has an exceptionally sharp mind and a talent for observation.
Her greatest skill is transformation.
With nothing more than makeup, hair styling, clothing, and the right mannerisms, she can completely change her own appearance—or transform someone else into an entirely different person.
She can make a teammate look older, younger, wealthy, poor, innocent, suspicious, or almost unrecognizable.
She's often responsible for creating disguises during undercover missions.
Calm, clever, and difficult to fool, Jennie is the person Taehyung trusts when a mission requires someone to disappear in plain sight.
Jung Hoseok
Age: 30
Position: Field Operative & Evidence Specialist
Status: Married to Jung Jackson
Don't let Hoseok's cheerful personality fool anyone.
He's an excellent fighter and one of the strongest members of Taehyung's team.
His specialties include combat, evidence collection, investigation, and creating convincing fake identities and profiles for undercover operations.
When the team needs someone to enter a place under a false identity, Hoseok can build an entire background story—name, occupation, history, documents, and digital presence.
He's also extremely observant at crime scenes and knows exactly what evidence to look for.
Among the team, Hoseok is often the one who keeps everyone from becoming too serious.
But when Taehyung gives an order...
His playful smile disappears.
Because everyone knows that behind the jokes is an officer who can become frighteningly serious when the mission demands it.
Butterfly 🦋
First introduction chapter
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