Chapter 74: Too Much To Take In All At Once.

As Dua descended the stairs, a wave of dizziness washed over her, causing her to grip the railing tightly to steady herself. She finally made it to the living room, where Shane and her siblings were engaged in a heated discussion. Not wanting to interrupt, she decided to slip past them and head outside. But midway across the room, she staggered, feeling her balance falter. Just as she was about to lose her footing, she reached out and gripped the wall for support.

"Dua, are you alright?" Shane's voice cut through the haze. He had been watching her unease since she appeared at the top of the stairs. His concern drew her siblings' attention, and they turned as well.

"I'm fine," she insisted, forcing a smile. "Just feeling a little dizzy."

"Feeling dizzy, and you still want to go out?" Denise shook her head, her expression filled with apprehension.

"Stay home and rest," Shane advised, crossing his arms.

"Don't worry. It's just a little dizziness; it’ll fade soon," Dua tried to reassure them, but their skeptical expressions told her they weren't convinced.

"You can miss classes for one day, sis," Desmond chimed in, a note of concern in his voice.

"I don’t have classes today. I just have something important to do," Dua replied, her tone a bit sharper than intended.

"That thing can wait until you get better. We don’t want to lose you yet," Shane said softly but firmly, and Dua let out a small laugh.

"Come on, guys, I’m not dying. Dizziness isn’t fatal," she joked, but the underlying worry in their faces muted her humor.

"But still, just rest for a bit, and you can go out when you feel better," Shane coaxed, his eyes piercing into hers.

As she opened her mouth to object, his pleading "please" landed like a soft blow, disarming her. With a resigned sigh, she retreated to a couch across from him.

Taking out her phone, she typed a quick message to Bob: "You got what you wanted; he’s agreed to be the Mafia Lord."

Sinking into the couch and partially eavesdropping on her siblings' chatter with Shane, thoughts of the shocking truth Steven had shared with her began to swirl in her mind once more, getting her thinking again. She rose from the couch, a warm smile lighting up her face as she approached her siblings. "Hey, guys, you'll be starting school tomorrow, so how about some new outfits?" She offered her credit card with a flourish, watching as Denise hesitated before taking it, confusion written across her features.

Denise looked from the card to Dua, then back again. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely! You both deserve it,” Dua replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

In an instant, Desmond threw himself into Dua, wrapping her in a heartfelt hug. “Wow, today is officially the best day!” he exclaimed.

Denise joined in, planting a spontaneous kiss on Dua’s cheek, which drew a chuckle from her sister. "Now go on, have fun! I’ll see you both later."

With delighted squeals, they dashed out of the house, leaving Dua and Shane chuckling at their enthusiasm. But as soon as the door closed, a weight settled on Dua’s shoulders. She took a seat next to Shane, her expression shifting to something more serious. "Shane, we need to talk," she said, her tone grave.

Shane raised an eyebrow knowingly. “Let me guess, something serious? That’s why you kicked your siblings out so quickly?”

She nodded, her heart racing. “It’s about your brother — what I heard and saw before breakfast just won’t leave my mind.”

Shane leaned forward, gesturing for her to continue. “I’m listening.”

Dua sighed heavily, the words catching in her throat. “He mentioned something about living a thousand years, waiting for his first love, who turned out to be me. And it’s not just that—he talked about a curse.”

Shane’s expression shifted to a blend of concern and admiration. "So he finally opened up, huh? That's impressive."

“Is it true?” Dua's voice trembled with curiosity and apprehension.

"Yeah," Shane confirmed with a nod. “But did he mention the remedy?”

“Remedy? For what?” Dua questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Dua… you’re the remedy for his curse,” Shane revealed softly, watching her reaction with caution.

“What?!” she exclaimed, shock flooding her features. “How? Why?”

Shane inhaled deeply, his expression turning solemn. “You're really clueless." He glanced at Dua who nodded in agreement.

"I’m sure he didn’t tell you how he got the curse," he said and she nodded again.

Shane sighed, the weight of his words palpable. "It’s a long story that he needs to share himself. But I can explain the curse," he said, his tone turning serious.

Dua listened intently as Shane continued. "A tragedy unfolded between you and him in your past life. It wasn’t his fault that you died, but your sister — a shaman was consumed with rage, and she cast a dreadful curse upon him. A curse that means he can never age or die."

Dua frowned, unease crawling up her spine. "Wait... that’s not quite what he told me," she replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Shane raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What did he say?"

"He said he’s going to die the day the curse completes a thousand years," she explained, her expression serious.

Shane burst into laughter, but it lacked any humor. "That’s ridiculous."

"It’s true," she insisted, her voice steady yet filled with an underlying tension. "He’s really sick. He has a hole in his heart, and he only has less than 180 days left to live."

The gravity of her words settled heavily over Shane like a dark fog. His eyes widened in shock, disbelief turning his heart cold. "You can’t be serious, right?" he asked, his voice trembling with urgency.

"Why would I joke about something like that?" Dua replied, her tone unwavering as she met his gaze with intensity.

Suddenly, without another word, Shane stood up from the couch, rage igniting within him as he stormed out of the living room. Dua's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of dread and concern as she hurried after him.

He kicked open the door to Steven’s bedroom, his fists balled tightly at his sides. He stormed in, and without hesitation, he delivered a sharp punch to Steven’s stomach, causing him to double over in pain, a gasp escaping Dua’s lips at the violent backlash.

"Why did you hide it from me?" Shane demanded, his voice low and simmering with fury.

"Fuck! Bro! Hide what from you?" Steven’s voice trembled as he struggled to mask the pain etched on his face from Shane's devastating punch.

"The fact that you're dying soon, you son of a bitch!" Shane roared, his fury boiling over.

Steven's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and desperation floodling his expression. "Listen, bro," he began, his voice shaking.

"Fucking listen to what?!" Shane snapped, cutting him off. "You think I care about your excuses?"

A bitter scoff escaped Shane's lips, bitterness lacing his words. "No wonder you don't want to break the curse. You know you’ll be free from it soon—you’ll die. But what happens to me?!" he yelled, his frustration spilling over, shaking the ground beneath them.

Dua stood frozen, confusion washing over her as she struggled to process Shane's words. "Wait, what? What happens to who?" she stammered, panic rising in her chest.

"Because I love my brother so much," Shane continued, his voice cracking, "I stood up for him against the shaman that cursed him. I ended up being cursed too. I share in this brat's curse!" His anger reverberated in the air, causing the earth to tremble ominously.

Dua felt her heart race, her breath coming in shallow gasps as the weight of Shane's revelation sunk in. “No,” she shook her head, disbelief washing over her. “This… this is too much for me to take in all at once,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. As the reality of the situation crashed down, her knees buckled beneath her, and she fainted, slipping into unconsciousness.