Archonix

Golden Mirage
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Since her cubhood, Archonix had lived in an isolated village, where the sun soared with smoldering temperatures and scorching intensity. The villagers wore veils and sun shades in the form of wings to prevent heatstroke from claiming their lives. They all shared a single profession: gold panning. Amidst the oppressive heat, the subtle glimmer of gold could occasionally be glimpsed along the riverbank of the desert's sole source of water. This river supposedly led to a shrine, which was the source of the sweet water and delightful nuggets of gold.

Archonix had always wanted to follow the river to its source, but the village elders scolded her fiercely each time she even mentioned the idea. But one night, after weeks of unfruitful gold panning, Archonix had had enough. The torturous hours under the unmerciful sun left her parched and exhausted. She was constantly tired and hungry from the grueling work. It would be so much easier to find the source of the gold instead of toiling her youth away under the blazing hot sun. Suddenly infuriated, she crept out her den, and began walking.

She walked, and walked, and walked. Night turned into day, and the day back into night. She stopped only briefly to eat and rest, driven on by her dreams of gold. At last, she reached her destination. A shrine sparkled in the distance, surrounded by greenery that was uncharacteristic of the dry desert landscape. Archonix ran over, ecstatic. What greeted her among the heavenly shade of trees was exactly what she had been searching for. A golden tablet rested within a pool of glittering water. She waded through the metallic golden water, the delightfully cool liquid soothing her weary paws.

As she basked in the refreshing liquid, thoughts began to form. If she sold this gold tablet, she would be set for life. She would be the richest lion in all the land. But, as she moved to lift the tablet out of its place within the golden water, she noticed words etched onto the gold surface that hadn't been there before. She peered closer at the carvings, intrigued.

"Midas washed his curse away, but who will be its next victim?"

For a moment, she was confused. Then, a piercing pain exploded through her head. Gold crusted the edges of her vision. The world was engulfed in a yellow filter. She screamed, collapsing into the cursed water and clawing at her eyes in agony. She forced her eyes open, desperately fighting the curse. Everything in her line of sight turned to gold. She screamed again, a horriying shriek that could be heard for miles.
Unable to bear the excruciating pain and the wretched curse, she gouged her eyes out, clawing the flesh from its sockets. As the golden water turned a crimson red, she realized the fatal mistake she had made in coming here. She wept, choking sobs wrenching her heart with grief and regret.

The curse, unable to be contained, contaminated her tears, spilling out with her sobs. Her blood and golden tears spilled into the river, where rushing currents carried the golden nuggets away. The villagers would live their normal lives, panning away in hopes of catching one of her precious tears. But Archonix would bear the Curse of Midas for the rest of time, her heartbroken sobs turning into streams of gold.