The Mark

"Akkkh!!!! It hurts. Stop it!!!" Cherie shouts because the arrow is getting deeper into her body.

"BASTARD!!!" Zack shouts when he found out that the elders used self-propelled arrows. It is the arrow of the ancestor's stash. The arrows could indeed move on their own at the orders of the elders.

"You can't go anywhere else anymore, Zack."

Shit!

....

Srash

"Ah!!!"

Cherie got lashes on her body, so does with Zack. They receive punishment from the Elders for disobeying the rules made by them. This is about the rules that Ghouls can't love each other.

"This is what you will get if you betray the elders. We made the rules to protect all of you. If you ask the reason why we forbid you to love each other, it's all because you will kill each other. I must tell you that a long time ago there was a pair of Ghouls who They love each other. They live happily and have 2 very beautiful daughters. Their life is perfect, in fact... They never feel hungry at all. If two Ghouls love each other, then they can eat each other's bodies. If they die because of it, their bodies will recover as before. This is a very good thing because we don't have to look for food anymore. However, one day something big happened that destroyed the Ghouls."

The Elder brought a notebook that they had been keeping and guarding. It contains historical records.
"This is the proof you want, isn't it? Let me tell you that the story doesn't have a happy ending. Love can make your life happy, but love can also make you suffer of die. It happens when one of them commits betrayal. They were used to eat each other's bodies, but on that day his wife's body did not recover anymore. The body was destroyed and died then . The husband wondered and was confused about it. Why did his wife's body not recover? Even though they have been doing this for years. Then, on the day of the funeral, a strange man came in saying that all along they had been treason, the wife was having an affair."

"After that, the husband gave a curse to any Ghoul who loved each other would end up as sad as he did. I hope you understand that we are doing this for your good."

"I don't think so," Zack suddenly said to the elders.

"What do you mean? Do you doubt our rule?"

"Of course it's ridiculous. The rules were made by you yourself. That's what all of you did for revenge to the past Ghouls with personal reason. Hey elders, just tell the truth."

Srash

Zack got another lash on his body from the elder.

"Watch your mouth! We're doing this for all of you so you don't break the rules. Can you solve the problem if love can be the ruin of Ghouls?"

"Elder, honestly what Zack said is the truth. We respect your opinion and the rules you gave, it's just that we've lived at different times. It's best not to punish Ghouls who love each other. In this world, who doesn't need love? Indeed, people need it. Moreover, there is no one can control love. Someone might to fall in love to another without reason."

A Ghoul named Sarah speak out about her opinion for the elder.

"You dissidents to us!"

"You don't respect us as elders. You will die if one day you don't love your spouse anymore. Whereas if you love a human, you can live forever with them."

"Elder, there is no forever. People come and people go. I bet you already know thiw better than us, elder. I myself lost my husband because he was dead. My grandmoter got divorce from his husband because they no longer love each other. Elder, we always want to warn you about this matter, but suddenly you always kill pople who want to show up about their relationship. How many Ghouls that you were killed when they want to speak up abotu their love story. Elder, fall in love is ain't a sin. You can deny it!"

"Just lets us love the and spend our times with someone we love, elder. It should be our right!"

"SILENT!!!! How dare you said impolite word to the elders," he said.

The elder want to kill the person who has jus spoke up in front of them with his sword but...

Srahhh

"ENOUGH!!!!"

Rosie comes to forward and parried the sword with her hand. She looks into the elder's eyes with eyes that are bloodshot with anger.

"You're crossed the line! We are not your slaves. We don't need elders who are selfish and liars like you."

"What just did you say about us? You are the one who crossed the line, Rosie. You don't respect us as your elder."

Rosie brings her mother diary and show up with the people.

"This is my mother diary's. The two Ghoul that told by elder before were my grandmother and grandfather... Yes, my grandmother was dead because of that but is not the only one fact... The truth why my grandmother was killed is because my grandfather has no longer to love my grandmother anymore."


"Oh, My.... I can't believe it."

Everyone was shocked to hear that. It was a new fact they heard. One more thing that makes them trust Rosie is because....

"I'm their grandchild, I swear in the name of my family," Rosie showed a round black mark on the back of her neck. Everyone was shocked again because the original descendants couldn't lie, if they lied, then the mark would be lost.

"Who do you trust more? Mine or the elders?" Rosie asked.

She approaches Cherie and Zack, the woman untied her two best friends and whispered in the ear of a dying Cherie saying, "I'm sorry," she said.

Rosie couldn't hold back her tears anymore because she was so sad to see Cherie's condition. Hers legs were injured, her body was almost damaged from the whips from the elders. Zack also gets the same amount of damage.

"Rosie...?"

"Yes, it's me... I am so sorry, Cherie."