A dilemma

As the gruesome war neared its bitter end, a sinister force erupted from the depths of the unknown. This malevolent power, wielded as a tool of destruction, it bore a name that sent shivers down the spine: the "Talapher Curse."

Like a plague it unleashed across the globe, corrupting even the purest of souls into harbingers of chaos.

In response to this power, Bastilia, in a desperate attempt to safeguard humanity, assembled a formidable strike force. 

Seven elite assassins were handpicked and rigorously trained to confront and extinguish these cursed entities.

Those hunters were dubbed 'the Days' —silent guardians against the threat to Bastilia’s order.

 Even now, the Talapher Curse looms ominously. Parents and educators teach their children about these horrors to this day.

They instil fear into the hearts of children, warning them of the evil influence of this cursed occurrence.

 They are whispered to be the offspring of the founder of this curse, the devil himself, James Talapher.

"C'mon Tom, are you gonna cry and tell the teachers?" taunted Rick, his words dripping with disgust.

 Tom's cheeks flushed with humiliation as he attempted to retreat from the group of bullies. They closed in on him like wolves encircling their prey.

Months of enduring relentless bullying had worn him down, yet fear held him captive. He knew better than to tell someone about this, he didn’t dare.

"Leave me alone, Rick!" Tom's voice cracked with frustration, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The other bullies revelled in Rick's torment, their laughter piercing the air as they shoved Tom around.

Suddenly, Tom's head collided with the wall which sent him crashing to the ground.

"Hahaha, did that hurt, Tom? I bet you’ll start crying again!" jeered Rick, his fists clenched, readying himself to hit Tom.

In that moment, the unthinkable occurred. Tom, driven by instinctive self-protection, reached out to try to block Rick's hand.

 And just like that, Rick vanished into thin air, leaving the remaining bullies frozen in shock. Wide-eyed and trembling, they turned their gaze to Tom. They knew immediately what to make of this.

"Tom is cursed, he killed Rick!" one of the bullies screamed, the words echoing in stunned silence.

 The chorus of condemnation swelled as the others joined in, branding Tom a monster. Tom's heart raced with confusion and terror as he watched the bullies scatter in fear.\

Lost in a whirlwind of disbelief and uncertainty, he fled home, his mind awash with unanswered questions.

"Did I kill Rick? Where did he go? Am I really cursed?" The questions tormented him, gnawing at his sanity as he grappled with this unexplainable event. 

It wasn't until he mustered the courage to confide in Liria that he dared to confront the terrifying truth lurking within him.

"Cursed? Tom, what are you talking about!?" I gasped, my heart pounding with dread as I witnessed my little brother's fearful expression. 

Something was seriously wrong, and the urgency of the situation sent a shiver down my spine. Without hesitation, I relayed the unsettling news to Marx.

The entire building now devolved into chaos, with Mr. Marx's frantic cries piercing the air. "Tom is cursed!?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with desperation “Are you sure!?”.

Liz, one of the caretakers, interjected with concern, "Has the police been informed yet?"

"Most likely," I replied, my mind racing with the implications. "Tom's school has surely reported the incident by now."

Hera, another caretaker, hesitantly voiced her worries, "As much as I hate to suggest it, perhaps we should consider surrendering Tom to protect the other children."

"No, that's unthinkable!" I protested fiercely. "Would you sacrifice one of your children to save the rest?"

Hera nodded in reluctant agreement. "You're right, Liria. But what alternatives do we have? We are trapped in this dilemma with no way out."

The room buzzed with frantic deliberations as everyone proposed solutions in an uproar.

The cacophony persisted until Marx's commanding voice rang out, silencing the commotion.

"Silence, everyone!!" Marx's authoritative command echoed through the chamber. With all our attention, we awaited his decision.

"We cannot abandon Tom," Marx declared resolutely. "Sacrificing one child is the same as forsaking the entire orphanage. I cannot stand by such a choice."

Turning to me with unwavering trust, Marx continued, "Liria, you know the children better than anyone else. I entrust you with a critical task."

I stood there, dumbfounded by the weight of responsibility thrust upon me.

“Take these children and run away. I entrust their safety to you.” He added, his expression was full of sorrow and his voice was filled with worry.

Why was I chosen for this daunting task? Doubts gnawed at my resolve and I felt nothing but fear throughout my body.

Marx placed his hands on my shoulders as reassurance. "Liria, only you can accomplish this," Marx insisted. "Lead the children northward to Dalico.”

When I was little, Marx would tell me about the city of Dalico. He spun vivid stories about a girl who lived there, he referred to her as his daughter.

Despite his desire, Marx never fulfilled his dream of visiting her. It always left me to wonder why. 

“Seek out a group known as STAB.” He continued desperately. “There you will find my daughter I always told you about. Her name is Cherry, Cherry Lime.”

“Why? Who is she? What will happen after?” My mind filled with a continuing line of questions. Anxiously I stood there, frozen by uncertainty.

Marx calmed down for a second before answering. “She too was cursed, just like Tom. At the time I didn't know what to do, so she fled. That was 9 years ago." I always remembered Marx' voice to be gentle and warm whenever he talked about her. "She will take care of you, I know it!"

He turned around to address the group. "As for the rest of you," Marx concluded solemnly, "Lime Family Orphanage is hereby disbanded. Your final duty is to wake up the children and equip them with provisions. Then, return to your homes and erase this nightmare from your minds."

The weight of Marx's task settled heavily upon us. I was left with a grave responsibility. But thanks to Marx' assurance my heart filled with determination. I steeled myself for the difficult journey that lays ahead.

“I won’t disappoint you, sir!” I announced, with tears forming in my eyes. “I will guarantee you their safety!” 

In the hills beyond the village, a looming and mysterious figure stood over Rick's lifeless body. They stood out, unclear against the rugged landscape.

Emerging from the shadowed foliage, a second figure approached—a woman cloaked in a sleek black suit. Her face remained hidden behind a distinctive mask, resembling the face of a rabbit. 

"Have you found anything out yet, Thursday?" inquired the woman, her voice tinged with urgency as she approached the man. He turned his head towards her.

"You're late, Tuesday," he replied, his words filled with a sense of strictness. "Take these matters more serious."

Clad in a matching black suit, the man, like the woman, concealed his identity behind an animal mask. While she represented a rabbit, the other wore a mask resembling a bear.

With their peculiar animal masks and their cryptic titles of Tuesday and Thursday, the truth became apparent. They were none other than two of the hunters known as 'the Days', summoned to investigate the sudden appearance of a curse.

"Looks to me, like the target has some type of teleporting powers. Reports indicate Rick Mickels vanished." Thursday uncovered, "It’s likely he got teleported on this tree, explains broken branches on the ground. He sustained fatal injuries, with six bones—"

Interrupting, Tuesday interjected, "Enough of the details, Thursday. You’ve spent this entire time to point out the obvious?" She asked, annoyed. "Even a single glance at the body would confirm your stupid deduction.”

Undeterred, Thursday persisted, "Indeed, but I've also found where the suspect lives—he's an orphan at the Lime Family Orphanage." He gestured towards the distant building nestled within the village.

"Lime Family Orphanage huh?" mused Tuesday, “ You remember this place right? This is about to get a whole lot more interesting.”