A closed fist hit the rotten wood in one of the houses. How long had he been driving around? Twice he returned to the beginning of the village, pondering that he had missed something. After a long time upstairs searching every nook and cranny, he decided to go back to the first house. However, the door still existed and did not open, but the window through which they had entered previous, had disappeared. He didn't even want to know why anymore. Angry, he also went back to where he had gone with Alisha. Without success. The path to his left, which was at the main intersection, went nowhere. Yes, there was a river, a bridge and a large stone staircase that led to a cemetery with no exit. Jack went there, searched for the statues, took a while to see the villagers' graves, but found nothing. His irritation reached its peak and, cursing his bad luck, he turned back, stopping at another intersection that would give two large houses, and a dirt track that cut to his left. A huge corroded steel gate welcomed him. He still pondered trying to open the door, but it required strength not from one mammal, but from three or four.

"This is too much."

It was evident that the more Jack walked, the more he seemed to get lost in on an endless labyrinth. Besides, the rabbit noticed that things changed. When he passed by them, they are in one manner, but as he passed by them again, they are in another way.

Damn it! He shouted in thought and the closed fist went against the wood of the house he went to, but without success to enter.

"Jack?"

At the call of his name, he turned to where it was coming from. He approached the stone parapet and looked down. His eyes glowed when he saw the fox.

"Nick. Thank God you're alive!"

"Where is Alisha?" is what he questioned.

Jack's head bent and the smile, like the expression of happiness when he saw his friend, disappeared, giving way to deep sadness. Nick realized the rabbit's mood had changed. Judy was right. Something had really happened.

"It's a long story!" Jack spoke as he walked down the stairs, approaching the fox. "But to be brief, I'm sorry, Nick, but I couldn't save her!" and he opened his arms to the sides showing the blood already dry and dark on his shirt.

The silence fell on the place for a few moments. The tears didn't invade the fox's eyes, despite feeling great affection for Alisha. The feeling that should be of anguish is sadness, was consumed by anger. He had lost an important mammal for him and was about to lose another if he didn't hurry.

"Where's Judy?"

Breaking the silence, Jack looked back for signs of the rabbit but did not see her.

"It's another long story. However, we need to be quick. Judy could end up with the same fate as Alisha!"

Jack swallowed it dry. Nick's anger was visible in his emerald-green eyes and, looking at the detailed figure of the fox, the rabbit realized that he had already had a hard time.

"Maybe with your help we can open that gate!" and pointed to his right side. "What I'm about to tell you may be stupid, but we'll have to follow the crimson-dyed statues. It will take us to Judy!"

Nick did not ask him who would have warned him about such a thing. He knew in his mind that Natsuhiko had something to do with it.

"So, we didn't waste any more time."

Moving away from the rabbit, the fox went towards the gate. Jack followed him closely.

"At the same time. If we push him, maybe we can open him. A little is enough to get us through!"

Nick positioned himself on the left side and Jack on the right. With their paws and strength, they pushed the big doors. The gate squeaked a little. A little more force and they had a small passageway. If they turned sideways, they could get through.


A nauseating smell made the poor rabbit wake up in shock, turn around and vomit. When her stomach calmed down, she petrified. Under her paws, something viscous and soft. A snap of fingers and the candles in every corner of the room accessed. She froze. She was lying on the bodies of all the villagers, overlapping each other. She wanted to escape. Her instinct was to get out of there as soon as possible, but when she tried to get up it was a mistake. A supernatural force made her fly against the wall. Her wrists were trapped by something invisible in the wall like her waist and feet. Judy struggled to loosen up but was not able. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. There were no more bodies or blood, but a small amphitheater. The stone benches were filled by the villagers. In the middle, a large circle of the earth. In this circle, four wooden stakes. A white sacred ribbon was wrapped around the circle. A melody began to play. On the left side, four small mammals were lined up. On their little paws, a bell rang to the rhythm of the step and the melody. Behind the children, two priests whom Judy recognized. The same ones who dragged Yae up the stairs. Behind them was a female, dressed in priestess's clothes. In her eyes, a crimson-colored mask. On her paws the same bell that the children were wearing but adorned with two ribbons of the same color as the mask. The three mammals passed through Judy with vague steps. But at the same moment, the supernatural eyes of the priestess went against the rabbit and a smile reappeared on her lips. Judy recognized the creature. It was...Yae, and she was already possessed.

"No... you can't take her to the circle!"

Judy shouted. She knew, by instinct, that if Yae stepped on that circle of the earth, things would change. And...for the worse.

The passage to the other side was nice. Nothing happened as they silently crossed the bridge. Both were lost in their thoughts and in their anguish. Under the stone bridge, the river flowed calmly as if nothing had happened. They took hurried steps to the other side. The trees were on both sides. A dirt road followed the small hill above, and a large fire gave visibility to a large house. They had barely gone out into the open air and had to venture into another house.

"Nick?" with a calm voice, Jack called him as they walked up the path. Nick didn't answer, letting his silence be the answer for the rabbit to continue. "Alisha died on the paws of a priestess. The melody was insane, but magnificent at the same time. The penetrating dance in an endless but deadly fascination for those who watched as for the dancing female," he paused a little and sighed. The horrendous images still afflicted his mind. "The female was already possessed when she entered the circle. No one noticed and the dance had begun. The white light in the starry sky on a summer's night gained red as the melody advanced. Attached to the tree, the strings didn't let me out." Nick continued to listen to the rabbit without opening his mouth. Deep down, he knew where the outcome of that story was going to end. "In the middle of the dance, I realized that it was Alisha in those priestess clothes. When I saw her, I tried at all costs to free myself from the tight cords that held my wrists to that wretched tree. But in vain. Suddenly, everything happened. The villagers were killed, the children succumbed to the curse, falling to the ground and the priestess died." Once again, the silence fell on them. Meanwhile, they had already reached the top of the hill. "I'm very sorry, Nick. I could not save her!"

"There's no point in materializing anymore, Jack!" Nick finally spoke, but he didn't face the rabbit. He went astray and went straight to the door, "We'll have Alisha's funeral later to give her soul rest. Right now, we have to save Judy and get out of this village!"

Nick might seem insensitive, but they couldn't waste any more time. The loss of Alisha, a childhood friend in whom he had deep feelings, hurt him, or he thought until Judy began to be made out of prey to these creatures. He couldn't bear to lose another loved one and wouldn't let Yae or anyone else take the life of his bunny. Jack no longer foresaw the matter and joined Nick. In front of the door, they didn't take long to open it and enter that house that looked like a castle. Once inside, the darkness received them in a bad mood.

The melody continued to play. The bells began to sway with greater exquisite elegance. The priests withdrew, giving way to the priestess. Judy continued to struggle to break free. She had to stop the situation. Yae would kill them all and complete her curse. The wolf entered the circle, positioning herself facing the villagers. With both paws on the bell, she lifted him above her head. The melody stopped. The silence fell on the place. The moonlight bathed the bell and, in one movement, Yae rang it. The melody restarted and a fascinating dance began. Judy could be glimpsed with such elegance and perfection that the dance was performed, but she could not waste her time admiring a deadly dance. Taking a deep breath, she tried to release herself as she shouted loudly for Yae to stop it. Judy wanted to reach Yae saying that is a solution for breaking the cursed, that she could be saved, but her heart was already corroded by the curse, by hatred, and by revenge. So, she wouldn't hear her. The dance continued. At first, they were slow and coordinated movements. However, as time went by, the steps became faster without losing their grace. The melody and the bells become fasters. Judy continued to struggle. Her wrists, waist, and feet were already aching from the effort. She had to stop and hurry. Yae could not complement the curse. If it did, there'd be no way Judy could save her and Nick would have his life stolen. No. She had to make it, she had to let go. The moonlight started to turn into a different color. The starry sky gained very thick, gray clouds. The rain began to fall without mercy. Many of the villagers saw it as a miracle, as months ago, drought prevailed in the village and was destroying the crops. However, other villagers began to realize that something was wrong. Some began to stand up calmly, but soon it became a rush. The once white moon turned red. The once transparent rain became blood. An immense shadow appeared behind Yae. The whispers and lamentations came together in a deafening and frightening sound. Without explanation, the villagers began to fall to the ground. Pools of blood filled the amphitheater and became a sea of blood. Judy, at that moment, had stopped struggling. Her attempts failed and the curse had been complete. There would be no more solution to save Yae. Natsuhiko was right. This was not how she would save Nick. And it would not be otherwise that the ritual would not take place. Everything fell. Judy died inside. Hopes had been dashed. She knew she had to continue the ritual if she wanted to get out of there alive and save Jack since Nick's fate had been traced. Sae would have to be returned and Nick would have to die.


Jack was sitting on the floor with his left leg stretched out. Nick tried at all costs to put the bandage wrapped around the wound after he had disinfected. The pain was agonizing, and the tears were already flowing down his face.

"Try to keep quiet!"

Without losing his composure, the fox was working on a solution that wasn't working.

The moment before, when they entered the house, the lantern was their salvation. The entrance of the house didn't have much to watch. So, they decided to take the small three steps in front of them. They ended up going to a dead end. The two doors on both sides were the solution. The one on the left remained closed without wanting to give signs to open, but the one on the right smiled at them. On the other side, some stairs that would lead to the upper floor. In front of, another corridor without a view of an end.

"We climbed?" suggested Jack. They'd have to start somewhere.

Twenty steps and they were already in the kind of small storage room. Old junk everywhere, several chandeliers scattered around and a chest.

"Nothing interesting," said Nick, turning his way back to the ground floor.

Jack still looked once shrouded and followed the fox. Only, at that moment, the ground gave way under his feet and Jack fall, unparalleled, on the ground. Nick ran to his.

"Damn it!"

Jack said in a tone of pain. Nick helped him lean against the wall. Then, he checked the damage. The result was a big tear in the leg from the knee to the ankle. At least, he hadn't broken the leg, but it would make his mobility more difficult.

"Done!" Nick packed his things back in the emergency kit and put the bag back on his back. "Can you get up?"

With his help, Jack tried, but the pain took over and he had to lie down again.

"Forget it!" Jack spoke in a disappointed sigh.

"There's no way I'm leaving you here. Let's try one more time," Nick replied and put himself back in position to help him, but Jack refused.

"I'll only slow you down! Go get Judy and I'll wait here."

"Are you crazy?" Nick raised his voice, "I won't leave you here to the mercy of those creatures!"

"You will waste precious time. Every minute counts and I don't see that you want to lose Judy too!"

True. Nick thought

"But I don't want to lose you either."

"I'll be fine."

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he removed the camera from his neck and passed it to him.

"This will help to keep those creatures away. At any movement, look at the camera. It will focus on the creatures automatically and you just have to shoot. No matter how many times, don't stop shooting until the creature disappears."

Turning the camera on his paws, Jack smiled at Nick and nodded his head positively. Nick smiled back at him and, squeezing Jack's paw, continued his way.

An unbreakable curse. Desperate suffering. The ritual will have to be performed to give rest to the innocent. For this, a sacrifice will be necessary.

To be continued…