Side Character's Curse

16|| Another world

JIA

Rowan's face bleached of its colour and he pushed me away, pulling himself up. "She found me much earlier than intended."

"Who has?" I asked, following him inside.

"Vindicta!" he shouted, leaping down the stairs two at a time. "She's the witch I was— argh!"

"Rowan!" I screeched, grabbing his wrist as he almost fell over the landing. "Stop, you'll hurt yourself! Who is Vindicta?"

"I am."

I whirled around. Standing at the top of the stairs was a woman. A long, navy cloak was wrapped around her shoulders and pinched together with a silver clasp in the centre of her chest. She wore a dazzling green dress with a slit running until halfway up her thighs. She slipped back her hood to reveal a shock of curly red hair, the colour of my flames, and keen, violet eyes. Her thin lips were pursed and she studied me like I was a bacteria in a petri dish or a frog in a lab ready to be dissected.

"Rowan," I said, "why don't you give the nice lady her cat back and then we can be on our way."

"I can't do that, Mango." He stepped in front of me, right hand in his pocket and left hand gripping the bannister. "We need her help to solve our problem."

"Mango?" Vindicta's expression melted and a beam replaced it. "Oh, so you're the reason I lost my apprentice! Rowan would not stop talking about you–"

"Vindicta," he warned. "Don't."

Before I could even blink, she flew down the stairs and pushed Rowan aside. Her gelid fingers seized my chin and pulled my face to the side as her warm breath fanned over my cheeks.

She ran her tongue against her teeth and hummed. "Oh, I see now. You're suffering from the side character's curse, no? Final stage and about to Glitch. Not very fun."

Ding!

We turned to see the blue notification angled towards her.

Vindicta, don't do it. This will break the Law of Stories. Her fate has been sealed and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

She cackled. "Oh, System! Your petty laws do not apply to me." She turned to me. "Fate is such a bullshit concept designed by those in power to convince others their mistakes were all part of some non-existent, cosmological plan. It excuses bad behaviour, and I don't like excusing bad behaviour."

"I knew you'd help us, Teacher," Rowan spoke up.

"Silence, boy. Don't think I have forgiven you for your actions. Now, hand over my familiar before I turn you into a caterpillar and step on you."

Rowan rolled his eyes and thrust his hand to his right. To my astonishment, half of his arm disappeared into thin air. He tipped his head to the side and, finally, pulled something out with a triumphant shout.

"Oh, Miss Lilith!" Vindicta swooped down and snatched the raggedy tabby cat from Rowan's arms, holding her tight to her chest. "Oh, my precious cat, I'm so sorry the mean boy took you away!"

Miss Lilith meowed and purred, but then shot Rowan a nasty look with her ears pressed flat against the top of her head. A growl emerged from her throat and her red eyes burned with an unnatural brightness.

"Who are you?" I gaped, my mind reeled with the overload of information. "What are you?"

"My name is Vindicta, and I am a witch. I am the embodiment of every woman taken advantage of by those in power." Her voice shifted to be more melancholy, "I represent the ire of a forty-year-old woman who was diagnosed with hysteria after complaining of repeated aches, only for her autopsy to reveal endometriosis scars filling her body. I represent Medusa's rage after she was assaulted by a man, used as a tool to spite his enemy, and cast away by the goddess she served only to be slaughtered by a hero seeking glory. Millions of girls and women look towards the sky and scream for justice, for vengeance, against those who have wronged them. Weapons forged by grief and rage are the most powerful in the world, which is why the Law of Stories does not apply to me."