Yeah I'm really bad with titling my chapters, so I'm just going to number then for now XD. Enjoy!!! 💜

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I stepped out of my bedroom into the main room. I tried making my countenance as serious as I could make it, although it was hard. My teacher, a bald short old wise man, stood on the side in his usual robe. My father walked up to me in his formal fashion. "Are you ready?" He asked blandly. I nodded, holding up my suitcase in response. I tried to say 'yes' but I barely whispered it.

"Very well. Your train leaves in half an hour. You had better go now, Ritsuko." I nodded, "Yes, Father." My nervousness was obvious when I spoke. I had to try to be serious. After all, Father wasn't really one to show a lot of emotion.

I left the two with a genial hug and hugged my mother goodbye as she watered her garden outside. "Take care of yourself, Ritsuko." She whimpered, sniffling. I nodded, "I will, mama."

Leaving for the train station, I pondered what this new change would be like. Hopefully, it would be as easy as I was taught it to be. When I got to the station, I paid for my ticket and boarded. I heard the announcer say that we would leave in 10 minutes.

Dusting off my brown coat and white and blue skirt, I couldn't help but feel a little upset. I would miss my teacher and my parents along with my hometown dearly, but I knew what I had to do.

The legend of the Flower of Despair was part of my destiny. The Flower was said to curse any person who touched it. The person would then live the rest of their life in pain and suffering. It was an invariable legend that was actually true. My father believed he could produce a cure for the curse. He used the Flower to make a healer. That's how I was born. I am the healer of those curses. Only I could fix the brokenness of the curses that the Flower of Despair would bestow on innocent people.

In my childhood, Father heard of a few individuals who were cursed and would have an inevitable fate. He did mention several times that they were close to my age at the time. I heard about a young boy, a small child, another boy, and twins. They were all about my age that time. My father knew I could heal them. Changing their lives would be my main goal.

This may all seem fictitious to you, but it is all the truth. I grew up being taught the characteristic and way of the Despair Healer. Father engrafted that in me. So did my teacher. Therefore, I knew what my mission was. I needed to heal those peoples' fate before they deteriorate into insanity. That is why I needed to move to the small village of Crysolia.

The most recent victims were said to live there in that village since it was one of the only places in the country to offer therapy for cursed people. My father kept track of the children that were cursed in my childhood specifically. Once it was confirmed that they were moved to Crysolia and I became old enough, I could transfer there as a new student in Crysolia's local high school.

There was one problem though, I couldn't reveal my identity as the Despair Healer. If I were to tell people about my real reason to be there, news would spread fast and soon everyone would turn on me. I couldn't guess what the cursed ones would do to me if they found out. Living a life full of darkness and suffering and pain then finally having the cure after a long time, I thought it would send them into fits of hysteria, maybe even have them hate me. The mark of the Flower was even imprinted on my back. I needed to hide it, that was another thing.

I sighed, deciding to clear my mind. I couldn't stress myself out for this too long. After all, I just needed to keep everything in order with no one finding out. I could do that, right?

I brushed back a strand of black hair and took off my sunhat. I leaned my head back and relaxed, feeling the train move slowly then accelerate. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. I felt my eyes close as I fell into a relaxing nap. I was tired from all the stress and packing and preparing last night.

Hours later, I woke up to the sound of the train horn blaring with the conductor informing the passengers that we were about to stop at the station in Crysolia. My body tensed up as I looked at the window and gazed at the view of the small town. It was beautiful especially for a place that was not very popular or the center of attention.

My memory tried to find the name of the apartment I was staying at. I still was a little half asleep from my nap. Father told me about the building and what it looked like, but I couldn't remember the name. Oh well, it was a small village, I don't think it would be that difficult to find it.

When the train stopped, I was one of the first ones to get off. I looked around, searching for someone who might know where I am supposed to be. I suddenly remembered the paper that my father gave me. It had the address and name of the places I would need to go to.

Reaching into my small turquoise purse, I pulled the paper out and read it real quick. I walked forward, not really knowing where to go but hoping I would find something.

"Oh, excuse me?" I asked to a man in uniform. It was obvious he worked at the station. The man turned around and cleared his throat, "Yes, ma'am." I looked down at the messily written paper and passed it to him. "Do you happen to know where I can find this apartment complex?"

The man stroked his mustache and studied the name and address. His eyes brightened, "Oh yes! It's just behind here on the outskirt of our town. It's a tall building, I don't believe you could miss it." I smiled in excitement and took the paper back. "Thank you! Your helpfulness is appreciated." I bowed gratefully and jogged off the station, into the village of Crysolia.

The employee at the train station was right, it wasn't hard to miss the apartment building. It was probably one of the tallest buildings in the whole place! The bright green paint stripe on the side of the building made it stand out too. The sign above the door read, "Tanaka's Apartments." I nodded. This is it.

I opened the door and walked through, seeing a pale colored desk at the front. The area was small, and there were some doors on the sides leading to other rooms but it was cozy. No one was present, though.

"Uhm...hello?" I called quietly. Out of the desk, a middle-aged dark haired man stood up. He fixed the collar on his yellow button up shirt and fixed the little bit of hair on his head. "Oh, why hello. Welcome!"

I walked up to the desk and grinned, "Thank you." The man looked down at some papers and offered, "What can I do for you, miss?" I considered my question and replied simply, "My Father said he had informed you early of my coming here. I'm not sure if he gave you a name."

"Ah, yes." The man pulled a paper out and inquired, "Ritsuko Akiyama?" I nodded, "Yes."

The man smiled, "Great! We've been expecting your arrival. I'm Mr. Tanaka." He bowed to me and I bowed back. "Nice to meet you."

"Here, I'll give you your key and my daughter can show you where your apartment is." He leaned down and pulled a drawer open. "Maiko!!" He called

Almost immediately, a thin teenage girl came through the door on the right holding a metal tray. She was about my height, probably an inch shorter. She wore an apron over a casual green and orange dress with two amber pigtails going down below her shoulders.

"Yes, Papa?" She asked, looking at me and getting an excited look. Mr. Tanaka stood up straight and gave me the key to my apartment. "Please show Ms. Akiyama to her apartment, Maiko." He winked at her.

The girl smiled brightly and put the tray back in the other room then took off her apron. "Ah, great!" She ran up to me and took my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Maiko Tanaka." She bowed to me. I was a little taken aback by her friendliness. "I'm Ritsuko Akiyama."

"Welcome! Here, I'll show you to your place." Maiko offered, taking my suitcase and bag then leading me into another room and walking up the stairs. I followed her and grinned, "Thank you."

Maiko, to break the ice, asked me, "So, what have you come to Crysolia for?" I cocked my head to the side and thought. "My father and mother sent me here so I could go to school here. They wanted me to be a little more sociable since I homeschooled up in my hometown of Baktavia."

"Baktavia? Wow that's far! You came here all alone?" She sounded pretty surprised. "Yeah. That reminds me, I need to go to the school and tell the principal I'm here. They've been expecting my arrival too." The thought almost slipped from my mind but luckily I remembered.

Maiko gasped, "Oh, I go to school here too! That means we'll be schoolmates. I think you would be an upperclassman since I'm sixteen and you are?" I answered, "Seventeen."

"Yep! One grade ahead of me like my brother!" I raised a brow, "Really?" We started down the hall where dozens of doors were at my sides. "Yeah! My big brother would also be your classmate. Speaking of which?" Maiko glanced around, "Where is he?"

I looked around with her but saw no one. "You have a brother?" Maiko nodded, "Yep. He works here too. Mostly cleaning and stuff but you know." My train of thought went off again and jumped to a conclusion. What if he was one of the cursed people? Maiko did mention he was close to my age.

"Akito??" Maiko said in a whispering and calling voice. A door opened in front of both of us, almost out of nowhere.

Suddenly I was bumped backward into a wall and knocked down onto the ground. "Ow!" I cried out, rubbing the back of my head. Maiko gasped and hissed at someone who stood at the door, "Akito, you idiot! You just hit our new guest!"

"Oh my gosh, really? I'm sorry!" I heard a young male voice speak. Looking up from the ground, I was able to identify the person who almost gave me a concussion. However, I thought I would look back down.

A young teenage boy about my age leaned down over me with a concerned face. He had short black hair which was covered in a red and white cap. He wore a white and blue shirt and dark denim jeans, but what got my attention the most was his dark blue eyes. They were a little darker than Maiko's but they seemed more attractive and mysterious like this. I could smell cleaning supplies on him.

"Sorry, miss." He apologized, offering his hand. I was almost hypnotized by him, I grabbed his hand, it felt gentle and soft but firm. "I can...stand up..." I suddenly noticed he picked me up with no effort and I was standing on my own two feet again, "Myself." I felt my face get warm.

The boy took his hand back and reddened. "I didn't see you there. Are you alright?" I blinked a few times as if coming back to my senses and answered, "Yes, I'm fine. It was nothing." Maiko rolled her eyes playfully, "Beside almost killing you."

"Hey!" He called. Maiko giggled and put her hand on his shoulder, "Ritsuko, this is my brother, Akito. He works here too." I chuckled, "So I've heard." Akito leaned against his broom and shrugged, "Meh, it helps my dad around the place so yeah."

Maiko looked back at the empty apartment room that Akito was cleaning and laughed, "Isn't this the fifth time you've cleaned that room?" Akito glared at her, "Hey, I actually try to keep the empty apartments clean."

I covered my mouth and snickered. Maiko took my hand, "Speaking of which, this is your apartment room." She took me into the empty room. Luckily, Father did get the men to move a bed into the room with a coffee table. There was a nice view of the forest through the window and good space for me. "We made sure it was especially clean for you." She nudged Akito who blushed in embarrassment.

Akito stuttered, "Uh, yeah. It's all good for you and the men moved some stuff into here a few days ago so you should be fine." Maiko strapped her apron on again and mentioned, "I'm gonna go back to my workstation, also known as my kitchen, and make sure my muffins aren't burning. If you need anything or have any questions, just ask Akito or me!"

I turned around and smiled, "Thank you both. I hope we can be great friends." I noticed Akito blush a little at this, making me turn a little red too. Maiko gave a wink and waved goodbye before taking Akito with her downstairs.

"Why did you say that?" Akito hissed at her when they went down the steps. "Said what?" Maiko inquired. I shut the door to my new apartment and looked around. This would be great for me. I started unpacking my clothes and getting settled in.

As I set my luggage on the bed and organized myself, I thought about what would happen next. I just got here, prepared for everything yet prepared for nothing. I had no idea who to heal, I just met two new friends, I didn't even know where to go.

So....what now?

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Wow! What a beginning, huh? What do you think? Do you think Maiko is a cute innocent girl, or possibly cursed? Is Akito cursed? Find out in the next chapter! I'll be posting a chapter every week now so stay tuned for that! Thanks for reading!!! Jaa ne, Reader-chan!