In the Land of Shadows, where the sun barely touched the ground, and the moon shone brighter than anywhere else, a peculiar curse had hit the people. Here, in this mysterious land, only girls were born, each one arriving into the world with extraordinarily long hair. This hair was not just long; it was a symbol of the curse that surrounded the land for centuries.
The people believed that this anomaly was a sign from the deities, a reminder of a forgotten incident.
As each child grew, her hair grew longer and thicker, surpassing her parents in length and volume. This peculiar trait was considered normal, for it was known that upon reaching a certain age, the girl’s family would present her to the deity’s successors. These revered figures would then cut the girl’s cursed hair with a family knife, passed down through generations. It was a ceremony of deep significance, believed to cleanse the girl of the ancient curse that lingered over their land.
Auctions were held, a tradition as old as the curse itself, where parents bid to have their daughters’ hair cut, hoping that this act would shield the next generation from the curse. Yet, despite their ardent wishes and the many ceremonies conducted, every new child was still born under the same spell.
Among these girls was one who stood apart. She detested the auctions, loathing the idea of being chosen by someone and to get openly “cleansed”. Unlike the others, she was fascinated by the forbidden tales of sorcery and the witches who wielded such powers. These witches, if left alone, would become mighty sorcerers, but their existence threatened the very fabric of their society. A society built on traditions and the deep-seated fear of these solitary sorcerers.
This girl, with hair as dark as the night sky, prayed that her fate would be different. She wished not to be auctioned but to explore the depths of her being and the secrets of the land. Unknown to all, she had begun to harness her powers, channeling them through her hair, which had become thick and strong enough to wield weapons of her own making.
The day of her auction arrived, a day she had dreaded, yet she approached it with a calmness that contradicted the storm she carried inside.
As she stood before the deity’s image, surrounded by her parents, the successor, and the eager eyes of the crowd, she declared herself ready.
At that moment, the deity’s image smiled upon her, and she felt an inexplicable lightness. Wings unfurled from her back, and with a heart full of hope, she soared into the sky, leaving her astonished parents and a shocked successor below.
Among the crowd, a small girl watched in awe. A grin spread across her face, for she too harbored secrets within her cursed hair. She knew then that the Land of Shadows was on the brink of change, a change brought by the girl who dared to defy her destiny.
And so, the tale of the girl with the cursed hair became a legend, whispered among the children of the Land of Shadows.