I follow Tango through the village. We've left the horses by the gates, looking around the ghost town on foot. I'm given more and more stuff to carry as we raid it, until Tango seems happy. At this point it's night, so we take residence in one of the houses. Even more unease fills me as Tango boards up the door behind. I dump the stuff on the ground, glancing around the wooden shack as much as I can without light. But after a moment, Tango's lit a fire in the hearth, cooking a pheasant he shot outside. I take a seat on the chest in the corner - the closest thing to a chair I can find without moving stuff.

But now I'm able to relax, my brain just gives me images of Cub surrounded by magic. The evil allays. The power I never knew he had. Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me? Is it to do with the necklaces? The Watcher guy was asking a lot about them. Why were people screaming? All I know is something very, very bad happened and the elder brother who always loved and protected me caused it.

'Scar?' 

I blink back to reality, blaming my tears on the ash from the fire.

'Is he ok? My brother? Cub?'

'I hope so.' His reply doesn't reassure me. 'Here, have this.' He hands me some of the cooked pheasant with some bread and a few berries. 'Eat.'

'I had food at the banquet.'

'It's past dinnertime.'

'I'm not hungry.' My stomach growls in protest, but I feel like if I eat anything, I'll throw up. 'You have it.'

'I've got my own. Eat it.'

I have to accept the food, chewing slowly. All I can think about is the party, Cub, running away. The danger I never expected from it.

Am I dangerous too?

And then the emotion I've been holding back the whole journey comes out. I start sobbing, hugging my cloak close as some kind of comfort. Tango sits next to me, hugging me. 

'Hey, hey, it's alright.'

'Cub's gone, isn't he?' I mumble. 

'He's not. It'll be ok. It'll all be ok, I promise.'

'What- what even was that?'

'The Curse.'

'There's a Curse?' I glance at Tango, who sighs and explains.

'Your family are cursed with magic that makes you do bad things. But it's alright.' He adds quickly as my eyes widen. 'The necklaces normally protect you. Except Cub had to take his off for the ceremony.'

'But... Cub's nice.' Even as I speak, he appears in my mind with sharp claws, skeletal wings and glowing eyes. It doesn't matter how nice he is. 'Why- why is there a Curse? Am I cursed? What happened?'

'It's a long story.'

'Tell me.'

'Tomorrow. You need sleep now.'

'I'm not tired.'

'You need to sleep. It's late, and a lot has happened today. Just finish your food and then try to get some rest.

I obediently eat the rest of my 'dinner', my head spinning. I've got evil magic. But why didn't anyone tell me? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything? Not about Potentes being a meanie mean guy, or that I have dangerous magic I can't control. Tango extinguishes the fire, leaving us in darkness. He explains we should sleep on the ground instead of heading upstairs, so we can leave quicker tomorrow. So I'm left shivering under my riding cloak on the wooden floor. Tango's asleep in minutes. I lie awake until morning.

'Scar, wake up.' I must've actually drifted asleep at one point as the next thing I know, Tango's crouched next to me. With a groan I sit up, barely remembering where I am for a moment. But of course. The coronation. Cub. The Curse. Running away. 

'It's not morning...' I groan, glancing at the inky skies through the window.

'It is. Dawn's coming soon. And so will Potentes's guards.'

'Why... what would... wait what?!' It takes a moment to realise what he said, scrambling up as I do. 'Guards?!'

'To arrest us.'

'Arrest us?!'

'Not if we hurry up. Come on.'

I quickly don my riding cloak again, aching from the rough sleep and follow Tango out the house. 

'Why would Potentes send guards to arrest us?' 

'Because you're dangerous. You have the Curse. Whatever Cub did in the castle will've killed people. And, to him, you're just as big a threat.'

'I've done nothing wrong!'

'Your existence is wrong enough to him. He doesn't understand or care to understand that you're protected by the necklaces, or normal people aside from the curse we know how to control.' I glance up at the castle higher up the mountain ahead of us. The castle that must be our final destination. 

'What happens if me and Cub both die?'

'The curse is defeated and Adamas becomes part of Celestus.' 

'What about you? Or the council that councilled while Cub was growing up?'

'The council wouldn't be able to stand against Potentes. They might just give the power to them, or be forced to.'

'And you?'

Tango turns back to me, expression graver than I've ever seen before.

'They'll kill me too. If not for my appearance, but my knowledge.'

'Knowledge?' We've reached the castle walls I note with unease as the same spiked crystal Cub created around our home castle, with no visible way through. Tango disappears behind the closest house. I don't know whether to follow, just staying staring up at the dark fortress we'll be entering. The Cursed Fortress, the Fortress of the Undead, the Gateway to the Underworld, as legends say. Tango returns, holding in his hands a crystal staff. His blue eyes glow with the same light it does as he raises it to the walls. In an instance, an entrance melts into existence in front of us. I'm left in shock as Tango enters.

'The knowledge of the Curse. Come on.' 

I step through the doorway. Behind, it closes up. Ahead, a staircase leads up to the main door. I slowly follow Tango, and then run to catch up as I realise the strange rocks around are bones, and the flickering creatures in the air are the evil allays.

'The vex won't hurt you, don't worry,' Tango assures. A prickle passes down my spine.

'They're called... vex? After my family?'

'You're called Vex after them. They caused the Curse. Well... that and the Sculk.'

'The WHAT?'

'Don't worry about it. This place is completely safe.'

'Are you sure?' 

'I've been here enough times with my parents to learn about the Curse.' We reach the entrance, a black portcullis. Tango holds out the staff again. The portcullis shudders up, glowing as well, letting us enter. It slams shut behind and I jump. 

'If you want to know more about the Curse, read this.'

He hands me a worn leather book. I take it, frowning as I read the title.

The Diary of Etho