PREVIOUSLY :
Zac and Maverick tracked the good fairy Aidan to the neon-drenched halls of Heaven Entertainment, an unlikely sanctuary for a creature of the forest.
Meanwhile, in a darkened warehouse, Jin Ae's investigation turned deadly. Cornered by Kian and his pack of Aswangs, the girls learned the dark truth: the town's prosperity was built on a blood pact. Mayor Montes—a high-level Dalaketnon—had enslaved a Sigbin to amass wealth, feeding the local scavengers the bodies of his citizens to keep their loyalty. But before the standoff could end, a mysterious figure in a black robe intervened, striking Kian down with black lightning.
Far away on the slopes of Mount Cristobal, Ethan, Akihiko, and Baekhyun took to the air. Guided by the soul-strings of the Amomongo, they began a desperate race to save Jin Ae, with Ethan's Sigbinan speed challenging the ancient power of the Japanese Kitsune and the Korean Gumiho.
The Warehouse: The Shadow in the Robe
The thick fog Jasmine created swirled around the warehouse, turning the stacks of crates into ghostly monoliths. Jin Ae pushed herself up from the floor, rubbing her temple where Kian had struck her.
"The fog... Jasmine, is that you?" Jin Ae whispered, her hand instinctively finding the hilt of her blade.
"Stay down, Jin Ae!" Catherine's voice hissed from the mist. "We aren't alone."
The figure in the black robe moved through the fog without making a sound. The air around them didn't just feel cold; it felt empty, as if the robe was a hole in the world.
"The Bal-bal was right about one thing," a deep, melodic voice drifted through the warehouse. It was the voice of the robed figure. "The Treaty of Peace is a lie. But his mistake was thinking the Dalaketnon was the one he should fear."
The figure raised a hand, and the fog began to dissipate, pulled into the palm of their glove.
"Who are you?" Jin Ae demanded, stepping out of the shadows.
"A friend of the balance," the figure replied. "And an enemy of the Mayor."
The Race of the Three Foxes
Through the dense canopy of the northern woods, three streaks of light blurred past the trees.
Ethan was a shadow, his Sigbinan heritage allowing him to move between the physical and spirit planes with every leap. To his left, Akihiko surged forward, his nine golden Kitsune tails leaving a trail of embers in the air. To his right, Baekhyun moved with the predatory elegance of the Gumiho, his white energy crackling with every stride.
"For a human-hybrid, you're surprisingly fast, Ethan!" Aki shouted over the wind, his fox ears twitching.
"Less talking, more running, Japan!" Ethan laughed, pushing his muscles to the limit. "The red string is glowing—Jin Ae is close!"
Baekhyun's eyes turned a piercing silver. "I smell blood and ozone. The Sigbin is agitated. We're almost there!"
Heaven Entertainment: The Star of the Night
Back at the bar, Maverick and Zac watched as the lights dimmed. A single spotlight hit the center stage.
Aidan began to move. As he danced, the air in the room seemed to change. The scent of jasmine and rain—the signature of the Banwaanon—began to drown out the smell of alcohol and smoke.
"Look at the way the light bends around him," Zac whispered. "That's not stagecraft. That's pure fairy energy."
"He's beautiful," Maverick admitted, his eyes fixed on the stage. "But he's also a target. Look at the back corner."
Zac followed Maverick's gaze. Sitting in the shadows were three men in tailored black suits, their eyes never leaving Aidan. They weren't looking at him like fans. They were looking at him like a resource to be harvested.
"The Black Doves," Zac realized, his hand moving toward his concealed weapon. "Kaito isn't the only one hunting this fairy."
THE CONTINUATION:
The Warehouse: A Twisted Fairytale
Inside the warehouse, the air turned frigid as the figure in the black robe slowly reached for his hood. As the fabric fell away, it revealed a face that was strikingly handsome yet unnervingly cold—the face of Mayor Montes.
"The Mayor," Jasmine whispered, her eyes wide.
"Who are you to do this?" Catherine demanded, her hands trembling as she held her stance. "You are destroying the balance! The Treaty of Peace will collapse because of your greed."
The Mayor let out a soft, melodic laugh that chilled the marrow of their bones. "Funny. That treaty you cling to hasn't existed for a long time. You witches always play the peacemaker, yet you forget: it was your kind that broke the first promise to the spirits."
Without warning, Jin Ae lunged from the shadows, her blade aimed at the Mayor's back. He didn't even turn around. With a casual wave of his hand, a shockwave of invisible force erupted. Jin Ae was thrown backward, her body slamming into the concrete. Catherine tried to counter with a shielding spell, but the Mayor's power was overwhelming. A secondary force-pull snatched her off her feet, while nearby, Jasmine slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"You guys are mere novices," the Mayor sighed, stepping over Jasmine's body. "You can't beat me with parlor tricks. Now... where shall we start?"
His eyes landed on Jin Ae, who was struggling to breathe. A cruel smirk played on his lips. "Well, let's start with the daughter of the Great Bellator."
"Just kill me and get it over with!" Jin Ae spat, her eyes defiant. "I'm not scared of a monster in a suit."
"Kill you? How boring," the Mayor mused. He looked at Catherine. "What do you think, witch? Should I be merciful?"
"Don't hurt her!" Catherine cried, pinned to the wall by his magic. "The other Dalaketnon will punish you for bringing heat to our kind! Please!"
"Punish me?" The Mayor's smile widened. "You've just given me a wonderful idea." He knelt beside the gasping Jin Ae. "Your punishment will be... death. A slow, silent one."
Catherine screamed as she tried to break the binding spell, but the Mayor held up a finger. "I'm joking, witch! Let's give this a twist. Since we live in such a beautiful province, let's have a fairytale ending. I shall be the Maleficent of this story, and Jin Ae Choi shall be my Princess Aurora."
He leaned down and whispered a dark, rhythmic incantation against Jin Ae's forehead. Her eyes immediately glazed over, and her body went limp.
"Princess Jin Ae will now fall into a deep, eternal sleep," the Mayor laughed, his voice echoing in the rafters. "She will only awaken when she receives a kiss from her true love. A romantic ending, don't you think?"
"Undo the curse!" Catherine roared. Her hands began to smolder with the heat of Hestia's fire. "Undo it, or I will burn this entire town to the ground!"
"Oh, I'm terrified," the Mayor mocked. "Goodbye, little witch." With a shimmer of golden light, he vanished into thin air.
Moments later, the warehouse doors burst open. Ethan, Aki, and Baekhyun charged in, only to find a scene of total devastation. Baekhyun lunged toward his sister.
"Jin Ae! Wake up!" He shook her, but her breathing was shallow, her face as pale as marble. "What happened, Monday?"
Catherine tried to speak, but the exhaustion of fighting the Mayor's magic finally took its toll. She collapsed into Ethan's arms, unconscious.
"We have to move," Ethan said, his voice grim. "Get them to a medical facility. Now!"
Heaven Entertainment: The Trap is Set
Back at the neon-lit club, the atmosphere was far more festive, though no less dangerous. Mama Ynez (Mama Ali) approached Zac and Maverick, leading a shimmering Aidan by the hand.
"Alright boys, here he is," she said with a wink. "This is Aidan."
"Hello, sirs," Aidan said, his voice as light as a breeze. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
"Thanks, Mama Ynez," Zac said, putting on his best 'customer' smile.
"I'll leave you boys to get acquainted," she said before disappearing back into the VIP crowd.
Maverick leaned back, eyeing the fairy. "So, you're the famous Aidan, huh?"
"I am," Aidan replied smoothly. He looked between the two men, his head tilting curiously. "Are you two... a couple? You have a very synchronized energy."
"No way," Maverick barked, a bit too quickly.
"We're just partners at work," Zac corrected, leaning in. "We're cops, actually—but don't worry, we're off the clock and just looking for some fun."
Aidan's eyes sparkled at the word. "Fun? Well, sir, you've come to the right place. Fun is my expertise."
"Is that so?" Maverick smiled, though his hand remained close to the shell compass in his pocket. "Well then, let's see what you've got."
The Mayor's Estate: A Failed Execution
Back at his mansion, Mayor Montes paced his office, his face twisted in a mask of Dalaketnon fury. "I want them dead!" he roared at his guards. "Those three girls at the warehouse—they are unconscious and vulnerable. Go back there now and finish them before they can ruin decades of my work!"
His men scrambled out, but the silence that followed was short-lived. They returned an hour later, pale and trembling. "Mayor... they're gone. The warehouse is empty."
"What? How?!" the Mayor screamed, slamming his fist onto his mahogany desk. "Search every clinic, every medical facility, and every hospital in this province and beyond! Find them!"
A woman stepped out from the velvet curtains behind his desk. She moved with an ethereal, haunting grace, her long black hair cascading down her back like a river of ink. Her skin had a distinct reddish hue, and her ears were pointed like autumn leaves.
"Calm yourself, Mayor," the mysterious lady said, her voice smooth and cold. "They are novices. We can erase them from this world whenever we choose."
The Mayor turned to her, his breathing ragged. "You say that with such confidence because you are a Tamalanhig."
The woman smiled, revealing teeth that were just a bit too sharp. "Our race is among the strongest, whether it is my sisters or our pale brothers, the Mahomanay. No mortal—or half-breed Bellator—can escape our reach for long."
The Town Hospital: The Weight of the Curse
At the local hospital, the air smelled of antiseptic and old floor wax. The doors to the emergency room swung open as Ethan, Baekhyun, and Akihiko rushed in, carrying the girls.
A doctor met them in the hallway, his clipboard at the ready. "Are you their boyfriends?"
"I'm her brother," Baekhyun snapped, his anxiety flaring. "How are they, Doctor?"
The doctor sighed, looking over his notes. "Two of the young ladies—the ones you call Catherine and Jasmine—are stable and should wake soon. But the third... Jin Ae... she has fallen into a deep comatose state. There is no physical reason for it. Her brain activity is... unusual."
"Can we see her?" Ethan asked, his voice tight with worry.
"You may. I have other patients to attend to, but the nurses can assist you if you need anything."
They hurried to the ward. Since the hospital was small, the three girls had been placed in the same room. Baekhyun rushed to Jin Ae's bedside, gripping her cold hand. "Jin Ae! Sis, wake up! Come on!"
"Calm down, Baekhyun," Ethan said, placing a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder. "Your sister is the strongest person I know. She's still in there. You have to be strong for her right now."
"Ethan is right, bro," Akihiko added. "We have to wait for her friends to wake up. They're the only ones who saw what happened."
Just then, Catherine let out a jagged breath and her eyes fluttered open. Despite her exhaustion, she forced herself to sit up and recount the terrifying encounter with Mayor Montes and his twisted curse.
"You're the grandchild of one of the strongest witches in the country," Baekhyun said, his eyes pleading. "Do you know how to undo a Dalaketnon's curse?"
Catherine looked down at her shaking hands. "My magic... it wasn't enough to even touch him. This is high-level enchantment. I need to talk to my Granny Esther. She's the only one who might know the counter-spell."
Ignoring the protests of the nurses, Catherine swung her legs out of bed. "I have to go. Every minute she's under, the curse takes a deeper hold."
"Catherine, wait! You're still weak!" Ethan called out, but she was already out the door, fueled by pure desperation.
Ethan turned back to Baekhyun. "So, what's the plan now?"
Baekhyun stood up, his shadow lengthening against the hospital wall. His eyes began to glow a fierce, predatory silver, and his white fox ears sprouted through his dark hair.
"We wait for Catherine's word," Baekhyun growled, his voice vibrating with the power of the Gumiho. "And then, I'm going to tear that Sigbin out of the Mayor's hands. He wanted to play a game? Fine. He's about to taste my wrath."
TO BE CONTINUED...