Tamos

"Tamos?" Amber and Zeke asked, confused.

    "Yes…It all started about one year after we learned about Hals's existence. Their numbers were fast increasing, as were the number of reported murders and kidnappings. We were in dire need of information; the situation was beyond our comprehension, and no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't accomplish anything without it…

    At that point, a lot of people wanted to stop this operation, and hand the case to other organization…but personally…I was against this idea…because I gave it a lot of thought and arrived to the following conclusion, if the government refused to help us with such a major problem, what were the chances that other organization would want to take over the case…? The situation rapidly became critical. 

    With a small number of people still attempting to figure out what was going on, I started digging into it, and that's how we found their existence…

    After a long investigation and a lot of time spent in the lab and in the evidence room, one of the guys we were working with spotted something. We discovered a unique behavior in these creatures. We looked at a map and marked down every place where there was a crime recently, and to our surprise….everything was connected. It was too perfect to be just a coincidence, and because we were desperate, we went with this idea in mind, and what a good decision. Apart from that, I noticed that when I looked at these people's personal profiles, they were all either former inmates or drug traffickers, or they had done something to bring them to justice, which I thought was an interesting detail.

    So, because we didn't think it was a coincidence that these crimes were connected, we studied their behavior for a few weeks and discovered something shocking. They didn't have one… We were able to rapidly shoot down a handful and examine their brains before their bodies vanished... When we found they didn't have one, we were terrified…

    As a result, the only reasonable conclusion we could draw was that these creatures were controlled by someone else, rather than acting independently. So we began looking into it as well... until... after approximately ten months of searching... we discovered... people who go by the name Tamos.

    'Tamos,' or 'The Annual Meeting of Secrets,' is an organization that used to deal with drug trafficking, arms sales, and a variety of other crimes that are punished by a lengthy prison sentence... That is, until they obtained a power far superior to what we currently possess on Earth...the Hals...we are still unsure how they created these creatures, but one thing is certain: whoever created those monsters didn't have good intentions with them. Tamos discovered we were following them and began threatening us with a variety of threats... the worst part was when they actually took action…

    At first, we didn't take their threats seriously... but then it happened... One of the gentlemen we worked with wasn't married and didn't have a girlfriend, but he did have a dog that he adored; it was the brightest thing he owned, and when he got home from work one afternoon, he noticed a box in front of his door. "For Eddy, from his favorite organization" was written on it.

    I wasn't with him at the time, so I can't explain his reaction... and it's probably best that I didn't find out until now... All we know is that inside the box was his dog's head, along with a message that said, "You should have stopped when you had the chance, now it's too late." We then received a message from him saying, "Goodbye," and later discovered that he had committed suicide.

    This event shocked us all, and the situation was becoming more serious. Out of the six people who were initially involved in this case, only five remained, and two more gave up... and honestly, I don't blame them; they had families and children to care for, and they couldn't afford to risk anything happening to them. So there were only three of us left.

    At that point, I told the other two that they were free to go if they wanted, as things appeared to be deteriorating. They persisted in pursuing me, though. Their names were Ovid and Andrew. Ovid was a tall, well-built man with brown hair who always wore thick, circular glasses. Andrew is the young man we rescued and who taught us everything we know about Hals, as I previously indicated. I thought they were great gentlemen at the time." Herrler moved away from the three of them and glanced at the floor, his eyes tiny and his voice shaking. "I had no idea how incorrect I was..."

    Amber and Zeke had goosebumps, while Yuki continued to listen quietly from behind Zeke's bed.

    "And…what happened next?" said Amber with a soft voice, "...what happened next?"

    "The rest... is history." The same thing occurred to Ovid as it did to the first guy who left us: his house caught fire, and he lost everything. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, he died two days later in a 'unlucky' accident. Those of us who worked on the case, on the other hand, know exactly what happened…

    Only Andrew and I remained at the moment... That was the same moment I got the letter... 'I told you to stop many times, but you ignored our warnings, and now your buddies are dead; it's too late now; she'll be next.'

    Before starting, Herrler took a deep breath and shook his hands. "Children, there are no words to describe how I felt when I received the letter... My knees began to give out, my stomach started to hurt like hell, my throat stopped allowing me to breathe, my hands trembled, and worst of all, tears began to flow from my eyes.

    I was at the ward when I got the letter, and the next second I turned to Andrew, who was furious, and shouted as loudly as I could with tears in my eyes, 'I'm sorry Andrew, I have to leave!' I got into the car and slammed on the pedal as hard as I could, ready to get home.

    And when I got back home, I found her... She appeared to be in good spirits and looked surprised to see me in such a condition. She asked me what happened and why I was acting so strangely, but I couldn't control myself at the time... I raced over to her in a hurry... I hugged her so tightly that I burst out crying. I was sobbing uncontrollably at that moment... I cried out in a lot of relief that she was okay and that everything would turn out well... Yes…that was exactly how I felt....

    Unfortunately, the story does not end here. Because I was too worried about Christine and Luis to go to work the next day, I stayed at home to look after Christine and sent Luis to school with the person I trusted the most at the time... Andrew.

    Andrew was someone who showed me time and time again what a great guy he is, how big of a heart he has, and how much I can trust him. In the end, he helped us with Hals information, case investigations, and he stayed with us when the others left, and I was grateful to be able to gaze at Andrew... and to see Luis in his place in a few years... Andrew, a young man in his twenties with pure orange hair, light brown eyes, and an unmistakable smile…

    He was someone I could have easily referred to as a 'son'... I would have been delighted for Andrew to serve as a role model for Luis and for Luis to learn from him. However, things weren't  like this... Andrew came over the next morning to pick Luis  and take him to school. Luis had never seen Andrew before, but Christine had. They had met several times when she came to the ward to bring me some important paperwork that I had frequently forgotten on my desk at home.

My luck was that Luis was a person who socialized well with other people from an early age, but he seemed to have a problem with the girls," Herrler chuckled. "From the beginning, he and Andrew got along well so far." Before they left, I thanked Andrew once more, and then I went inside to see what Christine did.

Everything seemed to be going well that day, with nothing unusual, but then... that thing happened... It was approximately an hour before Andrew and Luis were to return from school, so it struck me as odd when someone knocked on the door and the door was wide open when I went to check.

I asked her if she intentionally left the door open, but she said she didn't, so I went outside to see if there was anyone on the other side of the door... big mistake... there was no one, and everything was as normal as it had been before. I went inside...  and I informed Christine what had happened. We both thought it was odd, but deliberately ignored it. I went back to work after closing the door behind me.

When I stayed at home and worked in my office, Luis would come to see what I was doing and if I was playing anything with him, which I usually denied. Because I was dealing with official documentation that needed to be completed on time, I couldn't truly stop working. As a result, whenever I saw Luis leaving the office with a sad expression on his face, I felt terrible, but I didn't have much to do... the job's risk.

I thought it was Christine who was knocking at the door, so I told her to come in, but she didn't. After approximately 30 seconds, another knock sounded, and this time I went to see what she needed. It was standing straight in front of me when I opened the door. It was at least two meters tall, its body twisted, its eyes huge and crimson, its head twisted, and it smelled like...yes...I remember that smell till this day...it smelled like blood.

I froze in fear at that point. My legs froze, my stomach and brain ached, and my throat felt as if it were closing in on me. My next memory is of its massive arm throwing me across the office, slamming me into the wall and breaking at least one of my ribs. At that point, it felt like I was going to meet my other two coworkers in the afterlife... Until she came in...her horrific and hopeless cry diverted both mine and the beast's attention, and we both stared at her, each with opposing intentions…

I gathered all of my remaining strength at that point and yelled at her to run as fast as she could... but…" Herrler paused in his speech as tears welled up in his eyes. "...but she didn't...," he said " She didn't run away... She stuck with me until the end, trying to help me... but I'm sure you know how the story ends... A single strike from that massive arm was all it took to break a few bones, which then crashed into some internal organs, causing her to die of hemorrhage…

I thought my world was coming to an end at the time... I was speechless... my body shook... tears streamed down my face as I watched her body slowly losing its strength at that point, I was ready for my life to end...until... that sound stopped everything... The sound of sirens grew louder in the background... and when the beast heard them, it bolted out the back door, leaving me with Christine's body, almost dead in my arms.

In a couple of seconds, six armed and ready-to-fight TSMD agents burst into the house, but the beast had already fled. At the time..." Herrler sneezed and blew his nose with a handkerchief from his pocket, interrupting his discourse. "I'm sorry for interrupting the story, but the following piece is the hardest to tell..."

"Mr.Herrler, you don't have to push yourself to tell us this, it's ok, I think we have a proper understanding of how the situation looks…"

"No" Herrler interrupts Zeke "Thank you for your concern, Zeke, but you need to know everything to understand the situation properly"

For a few fractions of a second, everyone was silent until Herrler continued his story.

At the time, I felt completely useless... As soon as I heard the familiar voices of the TSMD agencies, I shouted out for help so they could figure out where I was. With their weapons aimed at me and Christine in my arms, who was bleeding profusely, the six of them stormed into the room where I was.

I yelled at them to hurry up and get a doctor as soon as I saw them... but they all pointed their weapons at me... as if I was a threat... They threatened to shoot if I even moved a millimeter. I was told to leave Christine on the floor and take a position against the wall with my hands behind my back.

At that point, I burst into wrath... I yelled at them to stop the nonsense and bring a doctor because we had a seriously injured person on the scene... but just as I finished my sentence, one of those agents shot me in the shoulder... They stated that was the last warning, and if I didn't follow their instructions, the following bullet would hit me in the head.

I had nothing to do at the time... I walked away from Christine, stood up with my hands behind my back, and leaned against the wall...with tears in my eyes begging them to take Christine to a doctor. Three more agents picked Christine up from the floor and brought her outside, while one of the agents approached me and handcuffed me. They were all there when I got outside... a crowd of people who had gathered in response to the sirens that had sounded throughout the area... all of their gazes... fixed on me... until I realized why…

I saw my reflection in the mirror as I got closer to a police car parked near the house... my shirt was torn... with blood on it...blood dripping from my head....  I had the appearance of a murderer...a monster... It didn't surprise me any longer that everyone suspected me of murdering Christine... When I heard one last whisper yelling my name,  I pushed the agent in front of me out of the way and hurried straight to Christine's body.

When I got close enough, I could hear her gently whispering my name... I started crying uncontrollably...tears streamed continually from my eyes without ceasing... At that point, I couldn't control myself... I started crying and apologizing... I began telling her that I shouldn't have had to deal with Hals in the first place...that I shouldn't have done anything that would have endangered her or Luis... I expressed my regret for being such a bad husband... and she...and she...she said…"

'You don't have to be sorry for anything.  You pursue your dream until the very end, and that's what matters. In this cruel world, a man without a dream is just a crying boy. For a long time, you strove to make a better world for me and Luis, so Herrler... thank you, and I love you so much, so before we say goodbye, promise me one last thing'

'Anything!' I screamed at the moment

'Please…take care of Luis…'

'Christine…CHRISTINE!' Fearful and devastated, I began wailing in misery over her body... I started crying uncontrollably when I realized it was all my fault. Even in her final moments, she never held me responsible for my actions, telling me that she was glad I was pursuing my dream of making the world a better place...for her and Luis... The agents then took me and began driving me to my car... but then I realized... Tamos had just won... so, in my despair, I began shouting in my large mouth for everyone around  to hear…

'I told you, I told you all that Hals exist, and how soon more victims will be killed if we don't act, I'm not the one you're looking for, if you don't open your eyes, TAMOS will gain power, and we'll all be finished!' The police, the government, and the special forces! No one will be able to stop Tamos if we do nothing; remember what happens when we don't listen to them! Innocent individuals are killed every few seconds! But we have the power to put a stop to it all; all you have to do is to open your eyes!'

The rest is history…I lost my job at TSMD as a result of this incident, and I had to leave town because of my reputation... but it wasn't enough... They said that a child could learn nothing from someone like me, so Luis was taken into custody and later adopted... So it's been a while since I last saw Luis... Meanwhile, I began a new life as a teacher at Paxton University, one that was far more peaceful and stress-free than the one I had previously.

After a few years, I ran into Luis, who had grown up a lot since the last time I saw him. He was no longer the tiny, timid child I had last seen. I told him everything at that point... I told him what I knew about Hals and Tamos…but his answer… he responded with…

'I see...I could see why you'd lost your job... I don't think it's surprising that people believed you were insane...' That's exactly what he said... I hadn't seen Luis in almost six years, and I desperately wanted to be close to him at the time... but he didn't seem to trust anything I told him... I'm not shocked that he now hates me and acts the way he does…"

The three of them stared at Herrler with aching eyes, wishing they could say anything, but an oppressive quiet had descended upon the room.

"Don't worry about our family problems, kids; all will work out in the end, and the story is nearing its conclusion." "The final thing you need to know is the present," Herrler added, a forced smile on his face.

TSMD agents approached me again a few months ago and informed me that the government has acknowledged the existence of Hals...after nine years...but, as they say, better late than never. They called me to the ward to clarify a few points, and I came to the conclusion that things had gotten out of hand, with an increasing number of Hals appearing in public places and causing disasters like the one in the mall, which is why they had requested me, to ask for my assistance because I'm one of the most active people in this field. They also attempted to locate Andrew in order to assist us, but he was nowhere to be located.

So I was on my own, but offering my skills wasn't easy. Because the TSMD director was about to retire, I told him that I would only help with this case if he offered me the position of executive director of TSMD, which he accepted because of my past interventions at TSMD and our long friendship. So here I am, TSMD's executive director.

After Herrler finished explaining his story, the camera was completely silent. Zeke, Yuki and Amber stared at Herrler, as if with regret, seeing him forcing himself to smile.

"Mr.Herrler…"

"It's ok Zeke, I know what you want to say, but trust me…it's ok" Herrler replied, as if he had already prepared the answer.

"Right now, our priorities are different. After the mall incident, everything altered radically. We can't afford to make the same mistake twice, therefore from today, all four of you will be kept at TSMD.

Herrler's words appeared to stun all three of them, for various reasons.

"Mr. Herrler, you can't do that; if my parents find out I was detained by the police, they'll kill me!" 

"Don't worry, Amber; we're detaining you for your own safety, not because you did something wrong. Don't worry about your parents; I'll speak with them personally and explain everything."

"Mr.Herrler…"

"What is it, Zeke?

"Usually I wouldn't mind the idea, but this time I really don't think it's a good idea to keep us in TDSM without being able to get out of here"

"But I never said you couldn't get out of here"

The three were again surprised by Herrler's words.

"You see, normally, we would have had to hold you here without allowing you to leave, interrogate you, and so on, but since I am the director of this organization, I will personally handle everything. And, because I understand how valuable these years of youth are, I will occasionally let you out, but only if you are accompanied by other properly trained agents to protect you. So don't worry, you are much more favored than the rest of the people here."

After everything that had been spoken earlier, the three were still buried in thought. Yuki, who had been silent for some time, thought that now was the best time to speak.

    "I…think that Mr.Herrler is right, this is our best solution for now"

    "Yuki?! You too?"

    "Zeke…right now you don't have the right to speak; consider the stage you have reached as a result of one Ha... that incident" she stammered "You should be considerably more careful in your actions!"

    According to Yuki, a big smile began to take shape on Herrler's face.

"As I previously stated, everything is for your own good; neither your parents nor I want to put you in danger, therefore it's better for everyone to stay here for a while. Regarding the parents, I promised you that I would speak with them in person and that I would even allow them to visit you on occasion, how about that?"

    "That would be perfect!" Amber said.

    "Well then, everything is settled. As for you Yuki, I will also talk to your parents, so you don't have to worry about this"

    Yuki suddenly became silent again.

    "Did something happen?" asked Herrler.

    "I'm afraid you won't be able to do that…I'm the only one left…my parents…are dead"

    The entire room was enveloped in a crushing silence. Zeke's eyes widened as he tried to persuade himself that he had merely imagined what Yuki was saying, but unfortunately it was real. Yuki and Zeke had known each other for several months already, but this was the first time he had heard Yuki talk about her parents. 

Deep in Zeke's mind, a memory began to arise, it was the moment he told Yuki that she still didn't know him at all, and that she still didn't know a lot about him, to which she answered in the same way. At that moment, Zeke remembered that he really didn't know much about Yuki.

"Oh…I'm so sorry to hear that Yuki…I'm sorry that I reached such a sensitive point."

    "No, no, it's fine, you had no way of knowing, it's fine," she says.

    "In this situation, we all know what we need to do; I'll accompany you two to your new apartments within TSMD, where you may unpack your belongings" Herrler said to the girls "As for you, Zeke, you can continue your activities as soon as you're discharged"

"Understood"

    "Wait, new apartments?" both Yuki and Amber exclaimed, amazed.

    "Yes, as I promised, I'll take care of everything for you from now on, so please let me know if you have any problems."

    Yuki raised her hand slowly, as if she wanted to say something.

    "I…would have request"

    "Anything you want"

"Could I live in the same apartment as Zeke?"

    Hearing this, Zeke became red in the face.

    "Of course, there isn't a problem. And you Amber? Would you prefer to also share an apartment with Luis?"

    "If it's possible" she replied with a small smile on her face.

    "Then it's settled, when you are ready, look for me at the office, I'll take care of everything by then. Then, if you'll excuse me, I'm done here." he said as he made his way to the door, but in her doorway he stopped and turned to Zeke. "Get well as soon as possible"

    "Thank you Mr.Herrler" after which Herrler disappeared.

    "Then I think it would be time for me to leave and pack my stuff. Yuki, don't you want to come with me?" 

    "M..m…me? Why"

    "It's going to be a lot more fun! Come on! Zeke, I hope you don't mind me stealing your girlfriend"

    "Not at all, she needs that"

    "HEY!"

    "Oh come on! We'll have fun!"

    Amber and Yuki rushed out the door, and Yuki gave Zeke a sidelong glare as if to say, "You'll pay for this."

    "Hmph, she appears to be a lot more alive than before, which I'm grateful for." Zeke had thought but something had prevented him from feeling joyful and at ease. "I was able to defeat a Hals for the second time... But, just like the last time I needed her assistance...and there will be many more fights in the future... not even the situation we're in is ideal for secretly fighting Hals. The more I think about it...the more problems I find..." Zeke took a deep breath and breathed deeply. "Tamos you say…it seems like we're gonna meet soon"