Unwritten Mythos

In the apartment, Mei sat by the window, her gaze fixed on the rain streaming down outside. The persistent wail of police sirens cut through the quiet, creating a jarring contrast to the calm she projected as she sipped her coffee.

The chaos beyond her window stirred a hint of curiosity, but her expression remained composed. "Society is shaken," she mused, her tone laced with a touch of derision. "So useless, they can't even catch a human."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden decision. With a sigh, Mei set her coffee aside and reached for a potion resting on the table. She unscrewed the lid with a practiced hand and drank the entire contents in one swift gulp.

The effect was almost instantaneous. Mei's eyes widened in shock as her body began to tremble. Strange spider silk began to weave itself around her, a physical manifestation of the potion's transformation.

...

When Enko opened his eyes, the world around him was blurry, disjointed. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of the harsh lights overhead. He was in the back of a police car, the muted sound of sirens filtering through the glass. His body screamed in pain with every movement, a constant reminder of the battle he had barely survived.

Across from him, Avee stirred, his eyes flickering open. His face was battered, but there was a grim determination in his gaze. He turned to Enko, his voice hoarse but steady. "Awake?"

Enko tried to shift in his seat, but the sharp agony that shot through his body stopped him. Every part of him ached, a symphony of pain that seemed to resonate from his very bones. He glanced down at his legs, barely recognizing them under the layers of blood and torn flesh. The sight made his stomach churn, but at least his bones weren't broken.

He thought of the rubble, the weight that had pinned him down, and how close he had come to being crushed entirely. If it weren't for the strange power within him—the Breath of the Deep—he knew he wouldn't be here now.

"Where are we?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

A police officer in the front seat turned slightly, glancing back at him. "We're en route to the city hospital."

"Where are the Fish-Man?" Enko's voice was sharp, cutting through the haze of pain.

The officer beside him hesitated, avoiding Enko's gaze. "I don't know."

Enko blinked, trying to process the words. "What do you mean you don't know?"

The officer sighed, glancing at the others in the car. "The superiors gave sudden orders—revoked our investigation rights to Nanyan. We were told to withdraw, no questions asked."

Enko stared at him, disbelief flooding his senses. "Withdraw? Why? We can't just—"

"They also said we're not allowed to disclose anything about today's events to the public. They're worried about causing panic."

The words hit Enko like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of him. "But why... we—"

Before he could finish, Avee shook his head, his expression grim. "Stop, Enko. This situation is more complicated than you think."

The officer next to them, his face twisted with frustration, slammed his fist against the dashboard. "Damn it! The superiors must be out of their minds—monsters must have gotten to them! There's no reason for these orders, and they didn't even bother explaining!"

Avee's hand trembled slightly as he placed a small, worn key in Enko's palm. "Enko," he said, his voice low and urgent, "I need you to promise me something. If... if I don't make it, you have to take this key and go to Kyoka 11/37. Find my wife."

Enko's brows furrowed in confusion, his gaze flickering between the key and Avee's face. "Why me? There are other officers here—"

Avee forced a bitter smile. "Because, right now, you're the only one I trust. The only one." He paused, his voice growing quieter, almost a whisper. "Besides... I can't feel any pain anymore. My brain... it's too excited, too much."

"Can't feel any pain?"

"Listen," Avee continued, his voice growing faint. "There's a document in the third drawer on the left side of my room. Use the key to open it. That document... it needs to get to the director."

Enko's breath caught as a chilling realization dawned on him. His eyes widened as he stared at Avee, who appeared strangely calm amidst the chaos.

If everyone else is injured, unconscious, yet Avee seems fine…

A memory from his basic first aid training flashed through his mind. The one who seems fine after a major accident—no pain, no visible distress—is often the one closest to death.

When the body sustains severe internal injuries, the brain floods the system with adrenaline, a desperate attempt to keep the person alive. It numbs the pain, fuels the body, but it's a fleeting, final surge of energy. The calm before the storm.

A flashback before death.

Enko's chest tightened as the weight of this knowledge settled over him. He looked at Avee, who was still managing a strained smile, oblivious to the ticking clock that only Enko seemed to hear.

Time is running out.

Avee smiled weakly and slapped Enko's hand, his grip faint but sincere.

"Just now, you and I went through life and death together. Whether you're monster or human, I've seen it all."

He paused, his breath shallow but determined. "Now you see it too—our ranks have been infiltrated. Anyone could be a monster."

Avee coughed, a painful rasp escaping him. "I only trust you now."

Avee's lips curled into a faint smile. "One last thing... Tell my family, when they visit my grave, don't bother with incense. Too vulgar... just light a cigarette for me..."

"But if it rains... Don't come."

...

In the final moments of his life, Avee handed his police badge to Enko, the weight of the gesture heavy with unspoken trust. The badge was a symbol of duty, of sacrifice, and now, of a final plea to carry on in his stead.

In the driver's seat, the police officer's knuckles turned white as he gripped the wheel, pushing the car to its limits. The hospital loomed closer, a beacon of hope in the night. Faster, they needed to go faster.

But then, out of nowhere, a truck materialized in front of them—a massive, hulking vehicle that seemed to defy logic. There had been no other cars on the road. Ordinary people instinctively cleared the way for a convoy of police cars. Yet, this truck had appeared as if from thin air, an unseen force propelling it forward with terrifying speed.

There was no time to react. The police driver's foot hovered over the brake, but it was too late. The truck, devoid of a driver, barreled toward them with unnatural precision, as if guided by some malevolent hand.

Boom!!

The collision was catastrophic. Flames erupted into the night sky, a deafening explosion swallowing the convoy whole. The inferno raged, consuming everything in its path.

In that split second, instinct took over. Enko flung open the car door and hurled himself out, just as the explosion rocked the air around him. He hit the ground hard, the heat of the flames licking at his back, his breath knocked from his lungs.

When he managed to look up, all he saw was fire and destruction. His pupils dilated in shock, his heart pounding in his chest.

There was no time. There was no chance to save them. The others were gone, and there was nothing he could do to change that.

That invisible truck...

"003."

"Ha ha, ha ha!"

"Good, since you all want to make me die, then I will accompany you to the end, come, come out, I know you are here, 003!!"

"Don't you all want to kill me, come!"

"If you don't kill me now, sooner or later there will be a day, I will kill all of you!!"

Enko roared in the heavy rain, but no one responded to him.

The rain hit Enko's face, he knelt on the ground in his eyes there was only anger.

Still too weak.

Too weak!

Must become stronger!

If he wants to defeat monsters, he can only become a monster!

Enko's yellow eyes flickered, the scales growing on his face due to the Breath of the Deap also trembled.

But even after a squad of police cars arrived, no one came out to attack Enko.

...

Raven's phone buzzed with a new message, drawing a curious glance from Chino. The screen illuminated with Mei's urgent message.

"Ah?" Raven muttered, puzzled.

Chino looked over, his expression shifting to concern. "What is it?"

Raven placed the phone on the table, the message now visible for both to see. "Lord sent a message."

Chino's eyes narrowed as he read the message. "End the plan?"

Raven nodded, frustration evident in his voice. "It seems Lord Aurora is already aware of our situation here..."

Chino's face darkened, but a glimmer of relief was visible. "Enko will alive then,"

Realization hit both of them simultaneously.

"Wait a moment..." Raven said, a look of sudden panic crossing his face.

"What are we forgetting?" Chino asked, his brows furrowing as he tried to piece it together.

"Like... Wait!"

They both abruptly stopped, the gravity of their oversight dawning on them.

"003!" Raven exclaimed, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Quick, quickly call him to come back!" Chino added, his tone sharp with concern. "Don't let him ignore Lord Aurora's orders!"

...

The scene outside the city hospital was one of chaos and devastation. A massive car accident had caused a pile-up of police cars, leading to numerous casualties. The situation was exacerbated by the black smoke and fire rising from the wreckage.

Amid the turmoil, Han surveyed the scene with a cold, detached demeanor. Lighting a cigarette, he took a drag and then turned toward the hospital entrance, his mind focused and resolute.

"Bingo..." he muttered to himself, acknowledging the success of his plan.

"There's one left."

Just as Han was about to enter the hospital, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hey," Han answered, his voice steady.

"003, is everything over?!" came the urgent voice on the other end.

"It's over," Han confirmed.

"What about Enko? Is he dead?"

"No, he's preparing to be killed by me."

"The plan ends now."

Han took a long drag from his cigarette, the smoke swirling around him. "What's the point of all this? What about Enko?"

"No need to worry about him. This is what the Lord wants," the woman's voice replied with finality.

"Alright," Han said, extinguishing the cigarette on the ground with a grim expression.

...

The day after the chaos, the events of the previous day were casually dismissed in the news as a simple fire and traffic accident. The Beiling police's losses and the bizarre circumstances surrounding the incident were buried under layers of indifference and misinformation.

Queen Bee's influence had woven an extensive web over Beiling City, with her body fluids mixed into the alcohol consumed by residents and officials alike, effectively controlling them.

The Beiling police, overwhelmed and frustrated, found their reports dismissed and their pleas for help ignored. They were powerless against the vast network of control that had been established.

...

The next day, Enko awoke in a sterile hospital room, his legs tightly bound in bandages. His head pounded with dull pain, but the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the weight in his chest. In his hand, still clenched as if by sheer will, were Avee's police badge and the key he had entrusted to him.

A policeman sat beside his bed, his face lined with concern. "How do you feel?" he asked softly.

Enko stared at the ceiling, his eyes hollow, his mind somewhere far away. He didn't respond.

The policeman sighed, shaking his head. "The doctor said it's a miracle you survived. And... your body... it's different. Not quite human anymore."

Enko remained silent, his grip tightening ever so slightly on the badge.

"You should rest," the policeman continued, though his voice was tinged with the frustration of talking to a brick wall. "If you need anything, come find me at the station."

With that, the policeman stood and left, leaving Enko alone in the suffocating quiet of the hospital room.

Days passed, and Enko still hadn't uttered a single word. Nurses came and went, doctors checked his vitals, but he remained distant, locked in a prison of his own making.

On the third day, despite the hospital staff's protests and offers of rewards for his cooperation with their tests, Enko silently packed his few belongings and left the hospital.

Enko followed the address Avee had given him, arriving at a modest residential area that felt worlds away from the chaos and darkness he had recently escaped. Each step up the narrow staircase seemed to weigh him down, not just because his body was still recovering, but because of the emotional burden he carried. How was he supposed to face Avee's family? What could he possibly say?

He paused at the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath to steady himself. For a moment, he considered turning back, but the key in his pocket seemed to burn against his leg, reminding him of the promise he had made. With a resigned sigh, he pressed the doorbell.

The door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged woman with red-rimmed eyes. Her grief was palpable, hanging in the air like a heavy fog. She stared at him, waiting for him to explain his presence.

"You are?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Enko hesitated, the words caught in his throat. How could he possibly begin to explain? "I... I came to get something. Avee asked me to," he finally managed to say.

Her expression softened, though the sadness in her eyes deepened. She stepped aside to let him in. "Come in... Are you Avee's colleague?"

Enko shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "I am... his friend."

Enko stepped into the room, his eyes falling on a small child, no more than five years old, who was sitting quietly in the living room, arranging toys with the innocent concentration that only children possess. The sight of the child made Enko's heart twist, and the words he had been rehearsing in his mind seemed to vanish. How could he deliver this news, this final message from a man who should have been here with his family?

He turned away from the child, his movements heavy with the weight of his task. He carefully placed Avee's police badge on the table, the gleam of the metal a stark reminder of the man who had once worn it with pride.

"This... this is Avee's badge," Enko said, his voice rough with emotion. "He also had a message he wanted me to pass on. He said... if you want to visit his grave, don't burn incense. It's too... too vulgar. Light a cigarette instead. And if it rains... don't come."

The woman's face crumpled as she listened to his words. She covered her mouth with trembling hands, but it couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks, each one a testament to her grief. A sob escaped her, raw and broken, as she tried to process what he had said.

"Wuwu... Ah, I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Two days ago, the police came by. They said... they said Avee saved a few children, right?"

Enko nodded slowly, the reality of what she had been told hitting him hard. The truth had been hidden, sanitized for the sake of comfort. "Ah... Yes," he replied, though the words felt hollow in his mouth.

Enko took a deep breath and pulled out the key that Avee had entrusted to him. "Avee... wanted me to retrieve a document. It must be something very important."

The woman's eyes widened as she took in the key, her expression turning to one of realization and confusion. "He gave the key... to you?"

Enko hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I... I'm not sure how to explain."

The woman's gaze hardened, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and determination. "Wait, you need to tell me—did my husband really die fighting terrorists?"

Enko's heart ached as he looked at her. "I... I don't know how to say it."

The woman seemed to come to terms with something unsaid, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Okay, I understand."

Without another word, she led Enko to a door at the end of the hallway and opened it. Inside was Avee's room, a space filled with the quiet echoes of a life once lived.

"This is his room," the woman said, her voice steady but tinged with sorrow. "He asked you to find the document. It should be in this drawer."

Enko moved to the drawer, his hands trembling slightly as he inserted the key and turned it. The drawer slid open, revealing a single document resting inside.

"Kitsune Project?"

Enko opened the document and found a letter clipped inside. The preface read:

"If this document is not personally delivered by me, then I should have died. This letter is my last message."

"I apologize to the country for not achieving greatness, to my parents for not fulfilling my filial duty, to my wife for not living to old age with her, and to my descendants for not leaving a legacy."

The letter mentioned everyone but Avee himself.

Enko handed the letter to Avee's wife, who took it with trembling hands and retreated to the kitchen, trying to hold back her tears.

Enko then turned his attention to the remaining documents.

Enko continued to sift through the documents.

The text began:

"Humanity has been evolving for 25,000 years, but only the last 4,000 years have truly been meaningful. So, what were we doing during those vast millennia?

We hid in caves, gathered around small fires, fearing the unknown. We explained the sunrise and the strange beings—those with bird heads, monsters, and living rocks. We called them 'Gods' and 'Demons,' begging for forgiveness and salvation.

As their numbers dwindled and ours grew, we began to view the world more rationally, even dominating it. Yet, the inexplicable did not disappear. It was as if the universe itself conspired to manifest the absurd and unimaginable.

Humanity cannot afford to live in fear again. No external force can protect us; we must protect ourselves.

Be clear-minded in addressing this issue. I'm not speaking idly. In our world, there are monsters—some may appear human, others may change forms, seamlessly blending into today's society.

The tragic truth is that only now are we beginning to uncover their existence."

"I cannot fathom the extent of their power or the scale of their expansion, nor can I imagine how deeply they have infiltrated us. What future society will look like is beyond my capacity to predict.

However, it is clear that if we do not respond proactively to these supernatural beings, our problems will no longer be merely social but fundamentally human.

If we are to avoid being overrun by monsters, we must first understand their origins and purpose.

Therefore, I propose the immediate establishment of an organization dedicated to combating these monsters—an organization focused on analyzing, understanding, destroying, or controlling them.

This initiative is called... 'Kitsune.'"

...

In the police station, the Director was absorbed in writing a report, his face etched with frustration and despair.

"The entire city of Beiling feels like it's been ensnared in a gigantic net," he muttered. "Someone is pulling the strings from above, concealing everything and suppressing all dissent."

His fists clenched, he slammed them onto the desk. "We're trapped like fish in a net or dogs in a cage. Our cries for help go unheard, our deaths unnoticed. Clearly, someone is aiding these monsters."

The Director's voice grew louder, filled with anger and desperation. "High-level officials are compromised! We need to escalate this to the capital immediately!"

Just then, a policeman entered, holding a document.

"Director," the officer said, his voice subdued. "This is what Avee entrusted to you before he died."

The Director stared at the document with trembling hands. Avee, who had miraculously survived the building collapse, had met his end in a mysterious car accident. The irony and the crushing weight of it all left him seething with anger and frustration.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath.

The document, bearing two large words—"Kitsune Project"—seemed to pulse with significance. The Director's heart pounded as he opened it and began to read.

The first lines of Avee's final words:

"If I hadn't personally handed over this document, I would have died anyway. There's no need for any sorrow. From the day I became a police officer, I understood the risks."

The document went on to detail Avee's last thoughts and findings. It laid out a chilling hypothesis about the nature of the monsters they faced, presenting a comprehensive dossier on their behaviors and abilities. His words were a call to action, a plea for a paradigm shift in their approach to these supernatural beings.

Avee's final recommendation was bold and audacious: to form an organization specifically dedicated to understanding, researching, and controlling these creatures. The approach was not just about confronting them but about deeply comprehending their nature and leveraging that understanding for a strategic advantage.

"Break free from the shackles of conventional thinking," Avee wrote. "Do not apply human logic to beings that defy human reasoning. Monsters are not bound by our rules; they operate on a different plane of existence."

He continued with a fervent appeal:

"We must first envision the unimaginable. The monster's abilities are alien to our perception, and therefore, defeating them requires an approach that is equally unconventional."

Avee urged them to think boldly, to embrace the strangeness of their enemies as a means to uncover their vulnerabilities. The key to overcoming these monsters, he argued, might lie in understanding them from within their own realm of existence.

"Seek answers from the monsters themselves. To understand, contain, and eventually control—this is our path forward."