Cora

The sun is nearly setting. All the kids were gathered around the tables and chairs, having a good time. Madam Madison just arrived. She spent some time playing with children before going inside her office to perform some paperwork. It was a room at the far end of the second-floor corridor, next to the "Torture room," as Axel dubbed it. In her office, Madam mostly handles contributions and orphanage expenditures. She is continuously looking for methods to raise donations for our orphanage.

Madam Madison was Greyblade House's youngest daughter. Greyblades' family comprised of four daughters and a boy. They were well-off and had an excellent reputation in the neighbourhood. They were a happy couple who had been blessed with wonderful children and good fortune. The real issue arose when Greyblades decided to divide their fortune among their children. Things took an unexpected turn when the first and third daughters, together with their son, murdered their father.

They also intended to murder their second sister, but Madam Madison had forewarned her of their plans ahead of time. Madam Madison relayed the conversation she overheard the other night to her second eldest sister. They were then arrested on the scene.

Knowing full well that her children had murdered her dear husband to gain the inheritence, her mother committed suicide the following day.

The two girls and the son were arrested and condemned to life in prison. Later, their parents' inheritance was divided between the second eldest daughter and Madam Madison. The second daughter fell in love with an overseas traveller and married him the following year.

At first, madam Madison was afraid to spend the blood-stained money, the same money that caused her sibling's internal conflict, made them greedy and drove the Greyblade house reputation into the gutter.

Instead, she founded an orphanage for children who had been abandoned or had no place to call home. It was named after her late father, Tieburt Greyblade. Our orphanage is now called "Tieburt Greyblade Foundling home".

She raised me as one of her own. She encountered several challenges in her early years, but she persevered. She is continually looking for methods to contribute more to the children's future.

She is normally a placid person... until Axel gets involved. He always does things that are labelled ‘Do Not’. This irritates Madam... every time.

Madame still calls her second sister occasionally, but I know... their current relationship is too stale to describe them as siblings.

I adore her. She does everything for the sake of others but never expects any praise from others. She treats every child, including myself, as if they are her own... Axel is an exception… I don’t know why.

He is a loose cannon who is difficult to understand by conventional human standards. He can be far more mature than adults, but in the end, he is only a youngster with mysterious origins... Even Madame is unaware of him... at least, that's the extent I know.

I entered the kitchen, which was the size of a bedroom, with little wait. A pleasant aroma of curry greeted my nose. Elle was cutting carrots and stirring a pot of soup at the same time. I put on my apron after pulling it from the wall hanger. I took the vegetable chopping board by the sink and set it on the table in the centre of the room.

I placed some newly uprooted radishes from the fridge on the table. With one hand gripping the knife on the table, I placed a single radish from the pile onto the vegetable board, holding it with the other. I picked another radish and placed it on the board, expertly chopping it.

I cut radishes, tomatoes, chillies, and onions into smaller chunks. Elle took the sliced vegetables from me.

"Is it curry and radish soup today?" I asked, returning to the table.

"Madam Madison instructed me to finish the rotting radishes in the fridge by this week, so radish soup for three more days." With her knife pointing towards the refrigerator, she informed me.

I gave a small chuckle.

I questioned Elle, spreading my arms on the table, "Where is Axel? I told him to go see you. Did you guys meet up?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Ava either, and I haven't met Axel," she said, turning her back to me. "I returned with Madam Madison." She confirmed this while peering outside the room through the door.

What happened to that brat? Is he strolling outside? Ava, as Elle mentioned, did not return either. Nervousness seeped from my breath.

"Did they run into each other along the way?" Elle inquired, perplexed.

It's possible. "Will they be okay... if they're together as you said?" I murmured.

Our orphanage's worst pairing were Axel and Ava. They always argue over trivial matters, giving us headaches all the time. and they are together now?

"The worst duo on the streets, eh?" Elle muttered, slightly worried. She must be concerned about her sister.

"Don't worry, Elle; they'll be back before dinner, and it won't be too hard to find them if they go missing," I reassured her while reassuring myself. "I hope it doesn't take too long." Before turning off the stove, Elle whispered.

I hope so as well, Elle. Be careful, Ava... Be careful, Axel. Before serving the radish soup into bowls, I assured myself once again.

Axel

As I rushed towards Ava, I tried to make sense of what was going on around me. My eyesight blurred, and Ava was the only person in my line of sight. I couldn't put into words what I was seeing. Her hands were visible through the sleeveless top she was wearing, and her legs were exposed from knee to toe because of her short, ripped skirt. H-Her entire skin was turning into a rich brown colour. It wasn't the colour that terrified me, but wherever these brown spots appeared, the flesh began to... rot? That's how it appeared. I did not know what it was or what was going on. I could see more brown patches forming on Ava's body as I neared her. This time, blood oozed from her flesh through those spots.

From her decaying cheeks to her naked feet, what was visible of Ava was now turning into something awful to look upon. Her entire gown took on a scarlet tinge from the inside. She fell to her knees; her smile fading. I slid on my knees to grab her in my arms before she collapsed on her face. It seemed like an eternity to close the ten-foot distance between us.

I could still picture Ava's perplexed expression as I held her in my arms and gazed at her face. I could see muscular strands wherever her flesh was exposed. Her face resembled that of mashed potato, but it was made of flesh and blood. The hair dried and fell like autumn leaves in an instant. She was dying, and she was dying quickly at that. Her face was expressionless as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her. I had no idea what I had to do. Should I call an ambulance? Solicit help from a bystander? Or should I take her to the orphanage? Will she even be alive by then? I didn't know fucking know about anything! I did not know what hell had befallen upon her or how much anguish she was in.

I placed my palm on her chest, determined to take her to Cora and madam Madison at the orphanage right away... her heart was still beating. Calming myself, I hung her on my back with my shirt tied to us and began running down the path ahead of me.

Every fibre of her being was soaked in blood. In a matter of seconds, my shirt turned crimson. As I moved forward, I could feel her heartbeat becoming fainter. I didn't want to look behind at Ava. I was afraid that she'd be in far worse shape than I had thought. I just wanted to get out of this bizarre situation. My mind was at peace right now. I'm neither afraid, anxious, depressed, nor confused. Even though I couldn't see myself, I could tell I had a blank expression on my face. My mental state is practically incomprehensible to me now.

At the end of the road, I took a right turn.

Bam!! A car sped past me, slamming into a traffic pole. The front glass of the car shattered, throwing a mangled man from inside. All I could see was a slurry of blood-splattered flesh. I couldn't even tell where his face was in that mess. That's when my vision widened and... I saw... the world in front of me.

The sky was gloomy, with a brownish haze concealing what little light was coming from the sinking sun. It appeared as if dust clouds were forming all over the place, but there was not a single breeze to be found. The air remained frozen like the calm before the storm. It felt heavy, weighing down my lungs and making my breathing more arduous by the minute.

Everything was in turmoil. The roads were deafeningly silent. All I could hear were vehicles toppling and horns bonking. There was a splatter of crimson painted all over the place. I could see lumps of flesh and blood everywhere, and they were twitching, showing that it was once a living creature. Even street dogs and cats are no longer in sight. The soaring birds collided on the walls and roads, spattering their innards like a water balloon. Their feathers were ripped apart like a stuffed toy.

The odour... It was horrifying... sickening. I puked on the sidewalk. The scene in front of me was revolting. My concern for the kids in the orphanage shook me to the bone. I was terrified of what Cora, Madam Madison, Elle, and other kids my age were going through. I was terrified even thinking about it. I could only hope that they were eating dinner with a smile on their tired faces. But the scene in front of me was eroding my only hope. My face was gradually turning pale with fear. "Let's go, Ava," I growled, gritting my trembling jaw.

I wasn't sure whether she could hear me, but I wanted to give her whatever consolation I could muster. I didn't know how long she would live, but I had to try... to protect... to be brave... to figure out whatever the hell had happened here. It's time to act more mature than my years.

"Ahhhhh! " I exclaimed as I stood up, clutching Ava in the back. I let out a scream to determine my next course of action. With all the strength my legs could muster, I dashed towards the orphanage. My sweaty face was being washed clean by tears that fell like rain. I ignored every emotion I was experiencing.

Maybe... if only... I had been smarter, I could have saved everyone who perished in front of my eyes.

The sight of the orphanage gate caught my attention as a guilty notion ran wild in my thoughts. I accelerated forward and kicked the black gate in front of me. The corroded lock gave way, allowing the gate to open with a creek sound. As I passed through the gate, the ripped shirt that was binding me and Ava together became entangled in the gate's hinge. In a rush, I drew myself forward with enough power to tear the red-tainted fabric. Ava collapsed as the piece of cloth tore. After what seemed like an eternity, I saw her body for the first time. It was completely wrecked. Three of her limbs were missing. Her skull bone protruded from her head. With the fleshy mass she lost, her torso was as thin as a feather. Her hair... was missing. 

I took small steps towards her to check her heart rate. A thin stuttered murmur escaped from my parched lips as I placed my both hands on what I believed was her chest.

"Wh-What should I do now?"