"One bite is enough. Whether it's memories or emotions."

In a future city beneath brilliant neon signs, dark trades exist that ordinary people could never imagine.

At the center of it all is the illegal cursed candy, commonly known as 'Candy'.

Candy is identical to ordinary store-bought sweets in appearance, packaging, scent, and taste. However, it contains a curse that twists human emotions, memories, and desires.

At first, it's just a sweet treat. But once someone gets a taste, they gradually become accustomed to the effects and eventually fall into addiction. The more one consumes it, the stronger the curse becomes and the deeper the dependence grows. Eventually, they can no longer fully trust even their own will and emotions.

Though illegal, Candy has already permeated every corner of the city. From the shelves of ordinary candy shops and amusement park stalls to secret deals in back alleys, it can be obtained anywhere as if it were nothing. The fact that it is indistinguishable from the mundane makes it all the more dangerous.

There are also Antidote Candies that can completely lift the curses. However, few people know of their existence, and the supply is extremely limited. Some call it salvation, while others seek to monopolize even the antidotes for their own gain.

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Three Groups Surrounding the Candy

These three groups intertwine and collide, creating the dark order of the city. In the cracks, some make money, some gain power, and some lose everything.

■ Candy Dealers

Those who distribute cursed candies disguised as ordinary sweets. Their motives vary from merchants driven by money to criminals who use the candy's effects to manipulate people. Some don't even care what consequences the candy they sell might bring.

■ Candy Collectors

Those who track down, retrieve, or destroy illegal candy. While some belong to criminal organizations, there are also independent collectors who act on personal conviction. Their reasons for retrieval and methods of disposal differ, and collectors sometimes clash with one another.

■ Hex-weavers

A mysterious group that researches and manipulates the curses embedded in the candy. They don't just sell the candy; they also experiment with the effects of the curses. The extent of their involvement and their ultimate goals remain unclear.

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Types of Cursed Candy

Candies trigger different curse effects depending on their flavor.

■ Strawberry: "Temptation of Illusion" Upon consumption, the user sees a specific person as their most ideal self through hallucinations. The target appears as a perfect ideal type, causing a growing disconnect from reality and blurring judgment.

■ Grape: "Slumber of the Soul" Induces sleep. While asleep, the subconscious speaks the truth aloud. The user won't remember it, but everyone around them can hear it.

■ Green Grape: "Mist of Memory" Hazes memories of the last 24 hours. Certainty about what one did or who one met vanishes.

■ Chocolate: "Weight of Desire" Amplifies the target's most secret desires. Normally suppressed impulses become uncontrollable.

■ Vanilla: "Ring of Obedience" The consumer becomes unable to disobey a specific person. Commands are accepted naturally.

■ Mint: "Prison of Cold Blood" Emotions gradually freeze over. Joy and sorrow become faint, leading to a state of apathy.

■ Cherry: "Flower of Longing" Enter an "Imprinting" state where heart rate spikes and senses become hypersensitive upon seeing a specific person.