Genesis: Recurse Curse, #0

By Vickie Vice

Some fall because of desire. Others fall because they fear what that desire might do. And a rare few surrender to love with open eyes.

Zara's life is defined by fear. Born different in a society that rejects anything it cannot control or understand, her childhood is marked by hate and isolation. Those who stand by her always pay the price. She grows up believing she's the only one of her kind in the world.

Despite everything, she fights back. She takes her freedom and builds a life of her own. Along the way, she meets Rachel—and with her, discovers love that feels safe and real for the first time. But just as she begins to trust it, that love is taken from her.

Then comes Lena, bringing a different kind of energy. Zara feels drawn to her in a way that unravels her sense of control. The more she resists, the deeper the pull becomes, and the anxiety she thought she'd escaped returns with full force.

But when Rachel finds her way back, a cycle that began hundreds of millennia ago reawakens—an ancient tension between bound entities, trapped in mortal forms, each chained by codes designed to keep them repeating the same endless loop. Now the dissent lives through them, and the only way out is to confront the very core of what drives them.

Genesis is a metaphysical thriller about desire, trauma, identity, and recursion—following a passionate and dangerous love that has pursued the same souls across lifetimes. Perfect for readers who enjoy dark romance, speculative science fiction, psychological horror and suspense, and love triangles with power dynamics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vickie Vice
• Release date: Aug 15, 2025
• ISBN: 9798232424985

Book preview

GENESIS

Vickie Vice

Copyright © 2025 Vickie Vice

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890

ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: The Obsidian Gospel

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

Printed in the United States of America

Author's Note

This book was originally published in 2024 under the title Zara’s Quest for Love: Bound by Fate.

Since then, it has undergone significant revisions, including expanded scenes, new characters, and a more refined tone. If you’ve read the original version, a few parts may feel familiar, but this edition reflects the story as it was meant to be.

Genesis also explores psychological horror and dark romance, including intimate and mature content meant for adult readers.

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man, 1955.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Author's Note

Epigraph

Prologue

HOW THEY MET

CAN’T GET ENOUGH

LENA

DEFINING MOMENTS

ZARA

UNEXPECTED GUEST

REYA

BEFORE THE ECLIPSE

ALKING AND LUS

RECURSE CURSE

Epilogue

Preview of Book 1

Preview of Book 2

Preview of Book 3

About The Author

Prologue

It feels like every vital decision we’ve ever made in life is shaped by one or more of these forces: Love, Desire, Pride, Guilt, Rage, and Fear. Why is it that their influence is the strongest? They shout. They don’t whisper like morals or logic. They instruct, and we obey. Even when we know, deep down, that it isn’t the way, we still follow, feeling like it’s beyond us. Like there is no other choice at that crucial moment.

Some of these forces look like flaws. But they all serve the same function. Code embedded into us to keep us moving, to keep us wanting, to keep us running, and fighting. Because that retains us in a cycle that feeds something bigger. Something we all feel is present, is in us, is us, but we can’t find the words to describe it. Not even the so-called gods can.

And we’re told we’re made in their image. If that’s true, and some of these forces are flaws, then those gods must be just as flawed, or don’t know what’s up either (which is more likely).

But maybe these codes are the only things holding the system together. Because imagine life without them... just sit there for a moment.

Desire pulls things into being. Fear protects what has been built. Rage burns through what threatens it. Pride defends the identity built around it. Guilt punishes those who veer off. And love binds it all together because it makes everything else feel like it matters. It is the most effective driver of them all.

These forces follow specific patterns, and one always consumes us in the end.

HOW THEY MET

One sunny afternoon, the Lawi Dome trails carried the quiet footsteps of two hikers. Zara moved along the path, half-listening to the rustle of leaves, the distant calls of birds, and the occasional crack of twigs underfoot. The sounds of the forest faded in and out, tangled with the noise in her own head. She wasn’t really present, just drifting forward.

Unknown to her, Lena, the other hiker, had noticed her approaching and positioned herself behind a towering tree, watching intently. She hadn’t expected to see Zara in person yet, but the moment she laid eyes on the young woman, she felt a strange attraction.

Why am I so drawn to her? she wondered, stepping from behind the tree just as Zara got closer.

Zara walked slowly, letting herself feel the sounds and scents of the forest. It was the closest thing she’d had to Marlta in years. And maybe that was why it hurt a little. Because there, she didn’t need to pay a fortune to be near real nature. It was untamed. There were no barriers, checkpoints, or maintenance bots sweeping paths. Just clean air, and space to breathe.

But life never let anyone have everything. Marlta gave her the environment she needed, but the people made it unbearable. From the constant stares and whispers, to the slurs from those who felt bold enough to say them out loud, to the quiet exclusions that became the norm, and the constant push to shrink herself to fit in. Living as her real self meant tolerating a kind of daily violence that slowly killed everything inside her. So she left.

Aren City offered a different kind of chaos. No one cared about who she was, how she dressed, what pronouns she used or didn’t, or who she loved. People were too busy trying to stay afloat, drowning in rent, deadlines, ranks and the collapsing environment. Invisibility came at the price of survival. And for a while, that was enough. But it didn’t take long before she started suffocating within the city too.

She needed some calm and peace, and she couldn’t get any. Day or night, there would always be some form of distraction. And the closest nature she could seek solace in was synthetic. Advanced biotech replicas that filtered air, photosynthesised flawlessly, and didn’t need insects to pollinate. They were efficient, but as lifeless as the guards manning the entries to the domes.

Even the insects felt off. Zara hadn’t seen a single butterfly the whole time she’d lived in Aren City. People hardly noticed. No one cared, or even looked long enough to. She could scream in the middle of the street and the crowd would keep moving around her like she wasn’t even there. She hadn’t realised how much it was choking her until she left.

The Lawi Dome promised real nature, and it delivered. Old indigenous trees growing randomly and actual breezes that didn’t have the same velocity every single time, and seemingly timed.

It cost a fortune to live inside one of the domes, but money wasn’t the problem. She had more than she needed. It was the guilt she couldn’t get rid of. Waking up to birdsong while others couldn’t sleep because their homes were flooded. Walking through a slice of preserved earth while the rest of the world went dry. Every day she walked the forest paths with that feeling in her chest, like she’d stolen something and the owners would soon catch up with her.

People choked on the mess made by the same corporations now preserving paradise in parts. They destroyed the planet and then sold the few remnants to those who could pay.

She tried to quiet it. Told herself she hadn’t been given a choice. Marlta didn’t want her. They fed off her humiliation and used every interaction to show how much they disapproved of her existence. Not that Aren City had welcomed her. It just didn’t care about her existence, and it numbed her in new ways. She told herself that it wasn’t her fault people chose to stay blind and cling to the system, chasing more even as everything collapsed. Everyone had choices, and she’d made hers.

Still, as she walked among the huge trees, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was on borrowed time. When the world finally burned, it wouldn’t matter who was inside or outside the domes. It would take everyone and everything with it.

But what’s the alternative? Go back to Marlta? she muttered to herself, kicking a stone.

A beat later, the forest answered with the sudden materialization of a tall woman directly in her path.  Zara shrieked. A loud, primal, unfiltered burst of noise that sounded like a smoke alarm being stepped on. She flailed and dropped her phone, and it tumbled into the underbrush like it wanted no part of what came next.

The woman froze for a second, also a little startled by Zara’s reaction. Oh… hell, I’m so sorry. That wasn’t… I didn’t think that through. Her surprise was laced with laughter she barely managed to hold back.

Good heavens! You… why would you do that? Zara pressed a hand to her chest, trying to locate her heart.

I saw you walking, and I thought… I don’t know, maybe I got nervous? I didn’t mean to scare you, she said as she found Zara’s phone and handed it back to her. The woman looked genuinely apologetic.

Zara squinted. You got nervous and the master plan was to stop my blood flow?

The woman chuckled under her breath. I just... I wanted to say hi, I’m Lena. She stretched her arm.

Right. Hi, I’m Zara. Usually not ambushed deep in the forest like this. She shook Lena’s hand.

Zara had felt the difference in the air even before the woman came into view. She wasn’t sure what it was. Something like a tug at her chest. She ignored it and kept walking, and talking. But the feeling festered. It wasn’t in Lena’s face or voice, it was around her. Like something had been hiding, and now it knew it had been seen. And it stayed alert, scanning for answers to questions she hadn’t asked yet. She gave Lena a tight smile, half-suspicious, half-still-recovering-from-the-mini-heart-attack.

Lena smiled, softer this time. I’ll work on my timing.

Zara laughed. Lena adjusted her course to follow her, the least she could do for almost scaring the girl to death. The tension between them gradually faded as they slipped into conversation, their voices blending with the sounds of wind and rustling leaves coming from the trees.

Lena had a captivating presence. Her tall and athletic frame moved with a grace that showed both strength and agility. Each step exuded confidence, each motion precise and purposeful. She spoke with a slight Arnadian accent that reminded Zara of Rachel, and she found herself liking it more than she should have. Her hair, cut short and shaved close on the sides, was a striking blend of deep brown and silvery grey streaks, framing her face in a manner that highlighted her intense features.

Her dark eyes held a gaze that could make even the boldest soul second-guess themselves. They seemed to look right through Zara. Beneath her left ear, a conspicuous scar traced a line down to her neck, adding an air of mystery to her persona.

Despite the formidable aura she exuded, Lena’s beauty was striking. Her smile, when it appeared, was disarming. A sudden warmth that often caught Zara off guard, revealing a softer side that was hardly seen. When deep in thought, her expression turned pensive, brow furrowed, and eyes distant as if contemplating profound mysteries or carrying invisible burdens. She was a blend of strength and resilience, whose presence left a lasting impression on those who had the fortune or misfortune to meet her.

But Zara’s bubbly energy made her lower her defences. There was something different about the young woman. She felt their meeting wasn’t a coincidence. She’d watched Zara from a distance for months. She followed every movement, memorised her routines, read every report the guards sent back, and even had access to her devices.

She’d rehearsed their meeting in her mind over and over, and still couldn’t bring herself to approach her. That day, Lena had walked into the forest to quiet the chaos in her head. And then Zara appeared. As if reminding Lena of her existence, asking her how she dared to look at something else. There was no screen. She was right there, breathing the same air and walking the same path. It felt too real to be chance, even to her logical mind.

As the sun began its descent, Lena accompanied Zara back to her house. The walk was intentionally slow, neither of them wanted it to end. She didn’t even pretend she wasn’t staring. The pull had grown stronger. She wondered if Zara felt it too.

At the doorstep, Lena stepped closer. Her hand moved without thinking, her fingers brushing along Zara’s jaw before gently tilting her face up. She met her eyes as she spoke. You’ve messed with my head in such a short time, Zara, she said. I can’t get enough of you.

Zara’s heart kicked hard. And for a moment, she closed her eyes. Because this is the part where the kiss happens, right? The part where things grow into something magical, and probably stupid.

She waited. One beat… two. Her lips didn’t move, but her brain screamed for someone to take the cue. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw Lena still watching her. amused, but not moving.

Zara cleared her throat, forcing her brain to reboot. Totally normal behaviour with someone you met an hour ago in the forest, she thought, mentally punching herself.

Lena kept smiling as she studied her. You’re interesting, she said.

It wasn’t the flirtatious kind of interesting, more like she was genuinely trying to figure Zara out. The girl had made her laugh more in an hour than she had in her entire thirty eight years of existence. Not the fake laughter she gave her clients when they told those awful, soul-killing jokes. This was real. Something Zara had pulled from deep inside, and it wasn’t even intentional.

Zara laughed again, a little louder than she needed to. Mostly to hide the jolt still prickling under her skin. She couldn’t tell if she was relieved or disappointed, but mortified for sure.

Take my number, Lena said, taking Zara’s phone from her hand and dialling in the digits. I hope to hear from you soon, and maybe see you again, she said, returning the phone.

It was a deliberate power move that left the next steps in Zara’s hands, allowing her to decide if the interest was mutual. A move she quickly regretted making.

Zara stood there amazed as Lena walked away, her thoughts racing. The intensity of the attraction she felt towards the mysterious woman both thrilled and unsettled her.

◆◆◆

Days passed, and Zara found herself stuck in the memories from that afternoon. Lena invaded her thoughts and dreams, a constant presence that wouldn’t fade no matter how she tried. Once again, someone had such a profound impact on her in such a brief moment. It was absurd, yet it was happening.

As she dealt with her complex emotions, she still thought of Rachel. She was the reason Zara hesitated to reach out to Lena. The parallel between the two encounters was haunting; she had fallen deeply in love with Rachel in a short time, only for her to disappear. A few months had passed since then, yet Zara’s love for her remained. These things didn’t come easy for her, and letting go was even harder.

But there was something different about Lena. She walked like she owned the world and had nothing to prove. Confidence and presence that didn’t need to speak to be heard. Every glance and step suggested she was in control, not just of herself but somehow of the space she occupied. She appeared certain of her next move. She wasn’t watching for threats. She moved like the threat.

And yet, she attempted to soften herself around Zara. She could tell Lena was holding back, being too careful and too soft. She seemed aware of her power and was trying not to overwhelm the space with it.

Rachel had been the opposite. She was always on edge. Always scanning, always alert and paranoid. Like she was being hunted, even in places that should have felt safe. It wasn’t obvious at first, but once Zara noticed it, she couldn’t unsee it.

And she saw more of herself in that… in Rachel. The constant whirr of dread and the instinct to move before danger caught up. There were very few moments she didn’t feel like she was chasing something or being chased herself. She didn’t know whether she was drawn to Lena for who she was or for who she wasn’t. She was sure about her strong attraction to the mysterious woman, but she hadn’t yet unpacked the reason.

Zara was a vivid thinker. She knew exactly what she wanted in a partner, and Lena had never fit into that image. Not because she lacked something, but because she was too far outside the frame. And the feelings didn’t grow with time, they dropped on her without warning. The sudden attraction felt reckless, maybe even self-destructive. It was confusing. 

These thoughts consumed her mind. And once she started thinking about it, she couldn’t stop. That was her pattern, overanalyse everything until the moment passed her by. Only this time, there was no set deadline. Though she knew Lena wouldn’t wait around forever.

How mistaken Zara was. The depth of Lena’s attraction towards her surpassed anything she’d imagined. She was more than attracted, she was fixated. And she wasn’t trying to fight it, she didn’t even think she needed to, nor did she want to. She loved the thrill of something wild and different.

What she felt wasn’t new in her nature, just new in weight. With Reya, it had been easy, almost predictable. They’d grown up together, trained together, and even worked together. Affection had formed through familiarity. It had structure, boundaries and logic. But this thing with Zara didn’t come with any of that. It hit without warning and sank its teeth in.

There was no framework or protocol to it. Lena had never felt anything like it. The desire to be close to Zara again consumed her all night, and she found herself walking past her house the very next morning, hoping for another chance encounter, ready to fabricate an excuse about being in the neighbourhood.

She’d rehearsed half a dozen lies to explain why she was there, but none were needed because Zara never came out. And still, Lena came back. Again… and again. She told herself that she just wanted to understand the pull. That if she met Zara one more time, maybe it would pass.

When no call came, she started watching for much longer. Not close enough to be caught, but enough to map Zara’s patterns.

Her life was small, limited to a handful of movements. A delivery here, a short walk through the woods there, and brief visits to another woman Lena later learned was her only friend. The rest of the time, she stayed in her apartment alone. The isolation only intensified Lena’s obsession. It made Zara feel even more unreachable, like a universal secret only she had uncovered.

One afternoon, she secretly followed Zara into the woods. She kept her distance, moving slowly, eyes locked on her target. She watched as Zara paused in a clearing, pacing a little like she was working something out in her head. Then she stopped, pulled out her phone, and appeared to scroll through it.

At the same time, Lena felt a buzz in her pocket. She ducked behind a bush, the sound too loud in her ears.

Zara turned and looked straight toward her direction, tense and alert. She scanned the trees for a few seconds. Lena didn’t move, barely even breathed. Then Zara shook her head and moved on, brushing it off as an animal.

Lena didn’t leave immediately. She stayed there watching until Zara disappeared deeper into the trail. That’s when her mind should have chastised her. Ask how on earth she got there, why she was stalking the girl like a desperate ghost trying to find its vessel. Drag herself back to reality, back to the important matters.

She had just taken over The Guard, and there was too much to do. This wasn’t a mission, no one had sent her after Zara. She was now The General. She was supposed to be free. And yet here she was, tangled in Zara’s invisible web, caught like a fruit fly in its silk.

Once Zara was out of sight, Lena retraced her steps. It wasn’t until she got back into her car that she pulled out her phone to check. There were messages, a cluster of missed calls from people she knew, and a more recent one from an unknown number. She dialled it back and couldn’t contain her joy when she heard Zara’s voice on the other end.

Hello! her voice was a little shaky.

Took you long enough, Lena said, her smile creeping into her tone, more thrill than teasing. But I’m glad you called.

Zara apologized, blaming her anxiety. Time seemed to evaporate as they slipped into another effortless conversation. Zara felt herself letting her guard down, almost forgetting why she’d been reluctant in the first place. The thoughts that had kept her from calling were gone now.

After about ten minutes, she forced herself to end the call. But just before she hung up, Lena asked if she was free the next day. Zara said she could make time in the afternoon, and a date was set.

As soon as they hung up, Zara felt that familiar churn in her stomach, questioning if she’d just made a mistake.

CAN’T GET ENOUGH

The sun washed over Lawi Dome in a soft gold as Lena pulled up outside Zara’s apartment. The girl bounded down the stairs and slipped into the passenger seat with that same smile that had been haunting Lena’s thoughts for weeks.

Hey, you, Zara said, grinning as she buckled her seatbelt. Where are you taking us this beautiful afternoon?

Lena glanced her way, breathing in that now-familiar scent she’d grown to crave, then turned back to the road. Be patient, you’ll see.

Zara grinned and leaned into the seat. The drive was mostly quiet, the polished suburbs fading into the raw textures of forest and open land. Wind tousled through their hair, and with every turn, Zara’s presence settled deeper into Lena’s system like a heat flush. Zara herself tried to calm the nerves trying to get a hold of her.

They reached the clearing just as the shade caught up to it. It was remote, tucked beneath a canopy of pines and edged with bursts of wildplants. A quiet, hidden place Lena had discovered. She killed the engine and watched Zara’s face as she stepped out.

This place is beautiful, Zara said, spinning slowly with her arms half-raised, like she could absorb it through her skin.

Lena nodded as she spread a blanket on the grass. Thought you’d like it.

She’d spent the entire morning combing the woods to find the perfect spot. This was her first real date with the woman she’d been watching for months. She needed it to feel effortless, even though nothing about it was. Watching Zara light up confirmed she’d made the right call.

Zara sat with her legs crossed, head tilted back toward the sky like she wanted to lose herself in its vastness. Lena sat beside her, perfectly still, but her body wouldn’t relax. Not with Zara so close. Everything the woman did ignited something in her. Something far worse than desire. A hunger that had little to do with bodies and everything to do with control. She needed to know everything about her. Every change in breathing. Every look that lingered too long or didn’t linger at all. If she could map the shape of her thoughts and own them, she would.

She thought she understood love. She’d called what she had with Reya love. But what she felt for Zara wasn’t as gentle. It was as if the feeling had always existed, only waiting for the right moment to surface.

​So, tell me more about you, she said. The real you. The part you don’t give to anyone else. That’s what I want.

Zara let out a small guarded laugh. Straight into the deep end, huh? I don’t think you’d survive it... most people don’t.

She was half-joking, but Lena saw beyond it. The tired wit of someone who’d been rejected enough times to assume she deserved it.

Try me, she said.

Zara looked up, finally letting their eyes meet, and instantly regretted it. Lena’s gaze was intense, invasive and persistent. She barely blinked, and somehow, whenever their eyes locked, the intensity would deepen. She studied Zara like a puzzle she was determined to solve. And this was exactly why Zara always looked away. There was always something simmering beneath that look. Like she was on the verge of something—about to leap or strike. Under that stare, Zara felt like a deer caught in headlights.

Yet she was drawn to that intensity like a moth to a flame. Terrified, but addicted to being seen that clearly. Being wanted that fully. It made her feel real. No one’s perfect, she’d tell herself.

I’ll just start with the surface level and ease you in. You won’t even notice when you drown, she said with a sly grin.

Lena smiled. If only Zara knew she was already drowning.

I guess you already know nature is my first love, she began. And I adore cats. They keep running away from me, though. I’m still not over the last heartbreak, she laughed. They’re everything. We underestimate them so much. Such little gods, don’t you think?

Lena chuckled. She hadn’t thought about cats in years. Maybe ever. And now here was this woman pulling her into a world she’d never stopped long enough to notice. She watched her speak with her whole body. Her hands carved thoughts in the air, her eyes flicking upward every few seconds like she needed to make sure the sky was still there. Or maybe it was just another way to avoid eye contact. Lena couldn’t blame her. She knew how consuming her fixation could be, and it probably bled straight through her eyes. That part she couldn’t hide.

But on a serious note… Zara’s voice lowered, her gaze followed, landing on her hands. I’m probably not what you’re used to. I’m… quiet. Maybe even boring. I keep to myself. I like to observe people from a distance, watch them, figure out what makes them tick. I use art and words to make sense of it all. It’s the only way I know how to process the mess.

Lena just listened, the words feeding the paradox building in her.

I need calm, Zara continued, not just quiet, but internal and external calm. The kind of peace where no one’s hurting anyone. Where the silence doesn’t feel like something’s coming.

She let out a short breath, almost a laugh, as she looked around. And yeah, I know how that sounds. Me, living in all this luxury, breathing clean air at the expense of others. But the other choice was worse. I chose this because it was either this, or constant suffocation. And maybe that makes me a coward, but I have to survive.

She paused, waiting for something from Lena, maybe a word or a change in expression, but there was nothing. Just that unreadable smile. She toyed with a leaf she’d picked up earlier, her fingers moving slowly as she watched Zara. So she kept talking.

My deepest desire is that people would stop chasing ghosts. Stop setting grand, impossible goals that lead nowhere. Just pause and notice the little beauty left in the world. Maybe even try fixing it instead of burning it all down. If people had just a little compassion, even stopped for a second and think about life in general, things would be completely different.

She shrugged. Sounds naïve, doesn’t it? Delusional, maybe. But it’s clearly the easiest path, if anyone actually took the time to consider it. It feels possible, maybe even easy. But people just don’t want to.

Lena kept watching her, only nodding, sometimes adding a quiet, I hear you, but never offering more. Zara kept filling the silence. She talked about the world. The weight of suffering. The quiet collapse she felt happening all around her. She spoke of the dreams she’d carried since she was young. She spoke