The Dragon's Curse (A Hanzo X Reader Fanfic)

The Final Blow

I'm back bicycles. Hope y'all ready. Sorry for the hiatus!!

You knelt in front of a small candle-lit shrine and bowed low as your palms pressed against themselves in prayer. You closed your eyes, meditating on the innermost thoughts that plagued your head in every single moment that you were awake. You lit some incense sticks, two or three, before you finished all of the ceremonial prayers and finally looked up from the wooden floor beneath.

You were then met with the faces of your late parents, smiling at you through glass sheets framed by wooden vermilion borders.

"Mother...father." You were not quite sure how to begin and instinctively let your gaze wander sideways as though the answer would magically turn up among the flickering balls of flame that resembled droning fireflies against the night sky. "My heart has spoken. I need to know that you have my back in this," you whispered. "It's risky, it's a tad foolish--I might not even make it back alive." Feeling your chest constrict and your heart hammer amidst the statue-like stillness of your body, you heaved out a sigh and continued with the greatest effort of suppressing the mix of emotions that threatened to make your voice crack and your eyes water once more.

"But Hanzo needs me," you said in a sharp whisper, the light press of your palms in reverence turning into a hard clasp that reflected the strength of your resolve. "I'm the only one who can break his curse. I felt it. I brushed it off as delusion but now I know what I experienced was real--when I touched him before I could feel the presence of that oni in him, getting even stronger as it consumed most of his soul, his humanity.

"I felt it dispel with the touch of my light, screeching and screaming inside its mortal prison. And I intend to banish it forever."

The only thing that sounded to your response was the quiet cracking of the fire, only magnifying in volume with the absence of the resounding voice in your head. Other than that, one could drop a pin a mile away and you would still be able to hear it as clear as day.

"I wish I could have met you in person. But instead I only get to see you smile and hear your voice through the cyberspace. I wish to hear your guidance, your support, even your disapproval--especially now with what I'm about to do. Uncle has done so much for me, and I would understand wholeheartedly if he could never bring himself to forgive me ever again, but as I've said... I've already made up my mind. Fear not, for I will make sure that the honor you helped establish in this family will not be tainted by my actions. This is my last goodbye."

Grabbing the handle of your small suitcase, you got back up on your feet, distanced yourself away from the shrine, bowed, and finally turned a heel to leave for good.

You found that taking the first step was easy, but the more you took, repeatedly putting one foot after the other, the more you felt a spine of grief rendering your soles numb, going all the way up to your legs. You could be walking on red coals at the moment and you still wouldn't feel a damn thing.

The wind whistled loudly against your ears, disturbing the peaceful sway of the tree canopies and you realized that you have arrived at your destination: A small hangar far away from the common parts of the palace complex engulfed in the shadows of the night time.

And in that small hangar were several aircrafts: a handful of small fighter planes, a mini jet, and private carrier planes.

You smiled sadly, the stars reflecting upon the dark of your pupils as you made your way further in, deliberately ignoring the lights pouring out from the palace. There was a grand celebration going on in the gardens that was hosted by the emperor himself, all bright and beautiful, but you've already called in sick just hours prior, and to your surprise, he has allowed your absence, albeit with a heavy heart, and so here you stood at last--looking right into the eyes of fate's tipping scale itself.