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English
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Published:
2025-06-13
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813
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1/1
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the karma you owe

Summary:

The first in a collection of Love Curse: Find Your Soulmate drabbles.

Selene's nightmare, and Nyx's thousand-year vengeance.

It only takes a thought to tap into the swirling well of power laying dormant in her chest. Those poisonous emotions—humanity’s resentment, all their rage and evil and obsession—flow like a current through Nyx, into Selene. It’s a mere drop compared to the powers she wielded a thousand years ago, but this small amount is more than enough to deal with a mortal.

And that’s all her jiejie is now: a mortal. A mortal who can’t remember her, much less stop her.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Selene falls asleep shortly after lunch.

She makes a valiant effort to stay awake and keep Nyx company, but the fight is over once her head starts to droop and her lashes flutter with the effort of keeping her eyes open. Before long, Selene is slumped against the arm of the couch with a blanket over her lap, humming with soft, barely-perceptible snores.

Nyx creeps to her side. Selene doesn’t stir, hands tucked demurely beneath her head, like a little animal curled up in its nest. Nyx gingerly pulls the blanket up, holding her breath when Selene shifts. Selene mumbles indistinctly, rubbing her cheek against the back of her hand, but continues to sleep without once opening her eyes.

Nyx smiles. She tucks the blanket around Selene’s shoulder, then sinks down to her haunches and rests her head against the edge of the couch, close enough for her breath to mingle with Selene’s. Nyx can see every detail of Selene’s face from this distance: the shadows cast by her lashes, her rosy cheeks, the soft fuzz on the surface of her skin, as tender as a child’s. It’s like looking down at a ripe peach; Nyx’s teeth itch with the urge to take a bite.

“Jiejie?” She nudges her nose against Selene’s arm. She doesn’t budge. Good. Selene has been so tired lately, between preparing for graduation, working, and a constant trickle of obligations that pull her away from spending time with Nyx. Selene deserves to have a nice, long rest. She’s earned it.

“You know,” Nyx pouts, “you wouldn’t be so tired if you spent more time with me.” Nyx tugs at Selene’s wrist, freeing it enough to slip a cushion under her head. She lays Selene’s newly-freed hand palm-up over her chest, then pinches the base of her ring finger. “I would never let you work so hard. I can cook, I can clean, and I make money too, Jiejie, you don’t know how lucrative streaming is. You wouldn’t have to do anything but stay with me.”

Perhaps Selene isn’t quite as asleep as she seems, or maybe Nyx’s voice is just too loud. Nyx notices Selene’s eyelids twitching. A frown begins to pull at her brows, until Nyx begins to smooth them out beneath her fingertips.

It only takes a thought to tap into the swirling well of power laying dormant in her chest. Those poisonous emotions—humanity’s resentment, all their rage and evil and obsession—flow like a current through Nyx, into Selene. It’s a mere drop compared to the powers she wielded a thousand years ago, but this small amount is more than enough to deal with a mortal.

And that’s all her jiejie is now: a mortal. A mortal who can’t remember her, much less stop her.

Nyx laughs. The sound is low and desolate, even to her own ears, echoing strangely in the sun-drenched apartment. “Do you remember,” she says slowly, as though tasting the words as they emerge, “when you were eight and I was six, and our parents said they would marry you to me?”

No answer, of course. It doesn’t matter. Nyx continues to speak, one hand intertwined with Selene’s, the other stroking Selene’s forehead.

“I put a ring on your finger—right here. It was the wrong hand. You taught me how to weave one out of flowers, and we put them on each other.”

Selene’s skin grows clammier beneath her hand as she begins to sweat. Selene groans, the noise strangled into a whimper as Nyx’s magic stirs within her. Nyx sees what Selene sees—or rather, what Nyx wants Selene to see: a field of flowers and her younger self, with her hair done up in bristling pigtails. Still ignorant, with her eyes full of her favorite person.

“You thought it was a game, but I was serious, Jiejie. You promised me forever. You promised, and then you left.” Nyx lowers her head to Selene’s chest. She listens to Selene’s heartbeat surging and swears she can almost feel the blood in her veins flowing faster, rich with fear and unease. Good.

The seeds of her thousand-year vengeance have long since taken root. She sees the dark circles growing under Selene’s eyes, becoming deeper and deeper by the day. Nyx knows she must be dreaming of the past—their past. How long can a mortal mind hold up under the strain?

It can’t. Nyx knows that very well.

And when Selene finally breaks, and the resentment and betrayal of a thousand years have been avenged? Then Nyx can pick up the pieces, and mold a jiejie who will finally, finally choose her above anything and anyone else.

“You were the one who did this to me,” Nyx murmurs, nuzzling into Selene’s chest. Each word is whispered over her heart, as solemn as a prayer.

“So you need to take responsibility, okay?”

Notes:

edit: formerly a multichapter drabble collection, now the first oneshot in a series of short fics and character studies. see you in the next one!

to be honest, it's been two years since i've published anything. it's a little vulnerable putting out something that you know isn't your best work, but i'm considering this an exercise in letting things be imperfect, so i'm resisting every impulse i have to rewrite this piece.

but i also wanted to say that i've already seen a few AI fics in this fandom, and like. no matter how insecure i feel about this fic: at least i'm not letting a machine write for me, lmfao

thank you for reading!