Eternal Malediction (RE)

Kieran’s breathing remained uneven as he knelt against the cracked wall.

Blood dripped slowly from his chin onto the stone beneath him while his vision blurred in and out of focus. The wooden Nova still stood motionless at the centre of the chamber, staring at him silently beneath that familiar mask.

Watching and waiting.

Then... A hand rested on Kieran’s shoulder, and Kieran’s body tensed instantly. ”...You look terrible.”

The voice was calm. Casual even.

Kieran turned sharply despite the pain still tearing through his skull.

Graham Rose stood beside him. One hand in his pocket while the other rested lightly against Kieran’s shoulder.

Kieran’s eyes widened slightly. ”...Graham?”

Graham glanced at him briefly before smiling faintly. ”Everything’s going to be alright.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a warmth spread through Kieran’s body instantly. Not Prana but something else.

The pain vanished first. Then the pressure crushing his chest disappeared completely. The blood running from his eyes, ears, and mouth evaporated almost unnaturally as if time itself had reversed the damage.

Kieran blinked once; his breathing stabilised immediately, and his vision cleared.

The dizziness disappeared. Even the fractures in his muscles from hitting the wall no longer hurt. It was gone. Kieran stared down at his own hands silently. ”...What?”

Graham walked forward casually past him.

”I knew Nova was decently strong,” Graham said calmly while looking toward the wooden creature.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly. ”But stronger than you?”

A faint smile crossed his face. ”That’s impressive.”

Kieran slowly stood up behind him, still trying to process what had just happened. Across the chamber, the wooden Nova remained perfectly still. Watching them both.

Then... CRACK.

The floor beneath it shattered, and the imitation vanished forward instantly.

Kieran’s eyes widened. It is now far faster than before. The wooden Nova’s blade screamed through the air directly toward Graham’s neck with enough force to split stone apart from pressure alone.

Graham sighed and then tilted his head slightly.

The blade missed him by centimetres. The attack carved through the wall behind him instead, exploding stone outward violently; somehow it was able to bypass the layer of prana over the stone.

The wooden Nova pivoted immediately with a second slash, then a third and then dozens more.

The chamber erupted into motion. Kieran could barely follow it now. The imitation moved like a monster unleashed, dashing across the room in blinding bursts while its blade tore apart pillars, walls, and the floor itself with every missed strike.

And Graham... Walked.

That was all. He simply stepped around each attack calmly like someone avoiding rain.

The difference between them felt absurd. The wooden Nova accelerated further. Its body blurred into its surroundings; it was even creating afterimages.

Wood splintered from its limbs as it pushed itself beyond its own limits. The sword carved downward again.

BOOM.

The ground exploded and dust filled the chamber instantly. Kieran narrowed his eyes through the smoke, and then he saw Graham standing there untouched.

Still relaxed and all casual.

The wooden Nova appeared behind him instantly, its regenerated arm twisting into massive wooden spikes aimed directly toward Graham’s spine.

Finally, Graham moved. He simply raised one hand, and the spikes stopped. Kieran’s eyes widened.

The wooden growths froze inches from Graham’s back like something invisible had caught them mid-motion.

The imitation hesitated for the first time. Graham looked over his shoulder slightly.

”...You’re trying very hard, and I see it, Kieran. Well done for standing your ground so far.”

Then he flicked his fingers.

CRACK.

The entire wooden arm exploded apart instantly. The wooden Nova jumped backward immediately, regenerating again as vines and bark burst violently from the missing limb. Fast regeneration. But Graham didn’t even give it time to finish. He stepped forward once, and the air distorted. Kieran felt his instincts scream immediately.

The wooden Nova reacted too. Its wooden sword shot upward defensively while roots exploded from beneath the floor toward Graham from every direction.

Then Graham disappeared.

One moment he was there. Then next... The wooden Nova’s body froze.

Silence filled the chamber. Kieran’s eyes widened slowly. Graham stood behind it now with one hand resting lightly against the imitation’s back.

”...Too fragile to even imitate the original.”

The wooden Nova convulsed violently.

Then... It evaporated.

Its entire body collapsed into grey particles instantly, blowing away into the air like burnt paper caught in wind.

No cube. There was simply nothing left.

Kieran stared blankly at the empty space where the imitation had stood moments earlier. The entire fight had lasted less than a minute, and Graham barely looked awake.