The Kingdom of Ayden and the Omens of Death
he Choi Mansion: A Mother's Sacrifice
Inside the cramped servant's quarters, the air was thick with tension.
"Miss Ara, your father has informed everyone that you escaped from the institute," Charlotte whispered, her eyes darting to the door. "He's put the entire staff on high alert. But... there is someone who needs to see you."
Charlotte stepped aside, and a woman emerged from the shadows.
"Eomma?" Ara's voice broke. She lunged forward, throwing her arms around her mother.
"Ara, my darling," Mrs. Choi said, her voice trembling as she held her daughter tight. "We have no time. You must go to your grandmother's house immediately. I am so grateful you escaped that hell, but you aren't safe here."
"What about you, Mom? And my children? Are they okay?" Ara asked, her eyes searching her mother's face for the truth.
"They are on a mission right now. Don't worry about them—I will find a way to contact Jin Ae and Baekhyun. For now, you must focus on getting out of this mansion alive."
The Hostel: The Aftermath of the Cry
Jin Ae and Catherine stood frozen, staring at the charcoal sketch Jasmine had produced in her trance.
"This is Aling Marites," Catherine whispered, her face pale. "The woman we met this morning."
Beside them, Jasmine groaned, blinking as if waking from a long sleep. She looked at her friends' panicked faces, confused. "What... what happened? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
"Jasmine, do you remember drawing this?" Jin Ae asked, holding up the paper.
Jasmine peered at the sketch and gave a small, dry laugh. "No. Who drew that? It's artistic, I guess, but she looks... well, ugly and terrified."
"She can't control it yet," Catherine muttered to Jin Ae. "The legends say that when a Banshee cries, someone dies. If Jasmine's gift has manifested, then Aling Marites is—"
The wail of sirens cut her off. Red and blue lights flashed against the hostel walls as a fleet of patrol cars sped past, heading toward the outskirts of town—straight toward Aling Marites's house.
"Monday, Jasmine—let's go!" Jin Ae commanded, grabbing her knife and checking her sidearm.
"Wait, where are we going?" Jasmine asked, stumbling after them.
"We need to see what happened to that woman," Catherine said, snatching her pocketbook.
"Fine, fine! But wait—" Jasmine grabbed her "weather pipe" and checked her reflection in a nearby mirror. "Do I look haggard? This stress is bad for my skin."
Catherine didn't answer; she simply grabbed Jasmine by the arm and hauled her out the door.
The Forest of Selvage: The Hunt for Ayden
At the old mansion, Kaito paced like a caged tiger. "Calista, I need you to find me a Banshee."
Calista sighed, leaning over her ancient desk. "Kaito-sama, I'm not even sure they still exist in this era. They are rare, hidden."
"Calista is right," Maverick added, leaning against the doorframe. "We haven't heard a whisper of a Banshee in decades."
Kaito stopped pacing, his eyes glowing with a dangerous, golden light. "Are you refusing me?"
The temperature in the room dropped. Trembling, Calista opened her Book of Knowledge. Ink began to swirl on the blank pages, forming letters that danced before her eyes, but the entries for Banshees remained blurred and empty.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "The book... it's not showing them."
"Then find me a Fairy," Kaito snapped. "A good one."
Calista flipped the pages frantically until she landed on a passage about the Banwaanon. "Here. They are hidden in a realm called the Kingdom of Ayden."
"I know that place," Maverick said, his expression darkening.
Daisuke, leaning heavily on Zac for support, cut into the conversation. "You can't just walk into Ayden. The moment the portal senses your intent, it will expel you. We'll be hunted the second we step through."
"He's right, my Lord," Zac added, his voice weak from the blood loss Kaito had inflicted. "That isn't just gossip—it's a warning."
"Then perhaps we find a good fairy hiding in the city," Calista suggested. "Like the one we encountered before."
"The one you met was a Black Fairy," Daisuke reminded her. "Finding a pure one will be much harder."
"Hmph. Interesting," Kaito murmured. Before anyone could speak, he vanished in a blur of shadow.
"Wait, my Lord!" Zac called out, but the room was empty.
"Calista, we have to help him," Daisuke said, struggling to stand. "He drained himself too much last night. He's powerful, but he's unstable."
"Let me get my things," Calista said, rushing to her room to gather her charms. The hunt was on, and the portal to Ayden was calling.
The Truth of the Last Gumiho
Under the flickering streetlights outside the station, Baekhyun stood motionless. The weight of his identity—the last Gumiho rescued from a forgotten war—pressed down on him.
"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, stepping closer. Baekhyun only responded with a heavy, ragged sigh.
"I wish I could take that weight off your shoulders," Ethan added softly. "But I know it's not that simple."
"I've had enough for one day," Baekhyun snapped, though his voice lacked its usual bite. "First, Aki heals the witch and my powers wake up. Now, your grandmother tells me I'm not even a Choi. The funny thing is... I always felt something was off. Especially with my grandfather."
Nana Amelia stepped into the light, her eyes filled with ancient sorrow. "Baekhyun, I am so sorry I had to give you to Ara. I wanted to raise you both—you and Ethan—but I was being hunted. I had to hide you to save you."
"Hunted by who?" Baekhyun asked.
"The Black Doves," Amelia said, pointing to the dark suit Baekhyun wore. "Those who have distorted the path of the Bellator. That suit... it belongs to the opposite side of the White Dove. Tell me, are you one of them now?"
"Not yet," Baekhyun muttered. "Not until we capture a Sigbin."
Amelia gasped, grabbing his hand tightly. "No, Baekhyun! That is a ritual. The moment you kill a supernatural creature for them, your soul will be defiled forever."
Baekhyun's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't thinking of himself anymore—he was thinking of Jin Ae, who was at that very moment hunting a Sigbin in the heart of a strange town.
The Investigation: A Dark Presence
In the town, Jin Ae, Jasmine, and Catherine stood at the yellow police tape surrounding Aling Marites's home. Jin Ae flashed a fake ID. "Philippine Investigation Bureau. We're taking over the scene."
The officer on duty looked them up and down. "The PIB? You three look like freshmen. Let me guess, early birds looking for extra credit?"
"We're specialists," Jin Ae lied coolly. "These are my partners, Catherine and Hasmina, from Ballistics."
"Fine," the officer sighed. "The victim is Marites Villa, 36. Local gossip. Neighbors heard a scream and some shouting—a man's voice. Now her husband is missing too." He handed Jin Ae a photo of a weary-looking man. "His name is on the back."
"Thanks, Officer. Can we see the body?" Catherine asked.
"It's already been moved to the morgue on the next street over. Knock yourselves out."
As the officer stepped away, Catherine's eyes narrowed. She looked at the doorway of the house. "A black aura," she whispered.
"I see it too, Monday," Jasmine replied, her playful demeanor vanishing. "It's thick. It smells like rot."
"What kind of creature leaves a trail like that?" Jin Ae asked, her hand moving toward the hilt of her knife.
"We won't know until we see the corpse," Catherine said. "Let's go."
Jasmine lingered for a moment, staring at the police officer. "He's actually kind of cute, isn't he?" She winked at the man, but her expression flickered with a sudden, sharp instinct as the officer's shadow seemed to shift unnaturally.
"Jasmine, stop flirting and move!" Catherine hissed, dragging her away.
The police officer watched them go, his friendly face melting into a cold, predatory mask. "Bellators," he whispered to the empty air.
The Escape: The Garbage Plan
Back at the Choi Mansion, the air was thick with the smell of waste—and the taste of freedom.
"Charlotte! It's time to take out the trash," Mrs. Choi announced loudly, ensuring the nearby guards heard her. "Everyone, give your bins to Charlotte. I want this mansion spotless tonight."
Hidden inside a large, industrial-sized bin, Ara held her breath. She was buried under bags of refuse, the heat and stench nearly unbearable.
"Miss Ara, please... don't make a sound," Charlotte whispered as she began to wheel the heavy bin toward the main gate.
"That looks heavy, Charlotte. Want a hand?" a guard asked, stepping into their path.
"I've got it, thanks," Charlotte said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Madam Choi is on a cleaning spree. You know how she gets about her superstitions. Everything has to go tonight."
The guard chuckled and swung the gate open. "Better you than me. Go on."
Charlotte wheeled the bin far past the estate walls to the designated pickup point. Once they were deep in the shadows, she tipped the bin. Ara tumbled out, gasping for fresh air.
"We're clear, Miss Ara. You have to be fast," Charlotte said.
"Thank you, Charlotte. I won't forget this." Ara watched the girl hurry back toward the mansion before turning toward the dark road. "Now... I'm coming for my children."
The Gathering Storm
Back at the station, Baekhyun turned to his friends. "I have to warn my sister. If she kills that creature, she's lost."
"We're with you, bro," Aki said, his hands already glowing with a faint healing light.
"Aki's right. We're a team," Ethan added.
"Nana Amelia, can you help me find my mom?" Baekhyun asked desperately.
Amelia closed her eyes, tilting her head as if listening to a song no one else could hear. "The whispers in the wind..." she murmured. Her eyes snapped open, clouded with confusion. "Your mother... she's already out. She escaped the mansion."
Baekhyun froze. "Escaped? But Grandpa keeps her in the—" He stopped, the memory of the forbidden dungeon flashing in his mind. "The dungeon. He had her locked in the one place we were never allowed to go."
TO BE CONTINUED...