Mystery Man.

"Siargao?" Catherine repeated, a curious frown creasing her brow.

She was lounging on the sofa, a book in her lap, while classical music softly filled the air.

"Yep," Aunt Cassie confirmed, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"Cool," Catherine murmured, her gaze returning to her book. "But what about Amy?"

Aunt Cassie settled beside her on the sofa, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Don't worry, I already checked with her. Her exams got pushed back to next month." She added, "Plus, isn't it their semester break?"

Catherine nodded, a small smile gracing her lips as she resumed reading.

"Our flight is at eight in the morning on Friday," Aunt Cassie announced, her voice brimming with excitement. "So, get ready for some fun!"

"I can't believe you planned this whole thing without even telling us!" Catherine exclaimed, still surprised by the sudden trip.

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise,"

 Aunt Cassie chuckled, "But I'm notoriously bad at keeping secrets, as you know."

"I know," Catherine teased, raising an eyebrow.

Aunt Cassie let out a soft laugh. "I tried my best, but it's hard to hide things from you guys."

Catherine's gaze flickered to Aunt Cassie, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Speaking of secrets," she said, "Keeping our family's unique situation a secret must have been a real challenge."

Aunt Cassie's playful smile faded slightly.

 "That's… a different story," she admitted awkwardly. "But hey," she added, her voice firming, "I'm proud of our family, even if it meant dealing with the occasional curious glance from the authorities."

Catherine returned to her book, her mind already drifting towards the upcoming trip.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Aunt Cassie said suddenly, jumping to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Catherine asked, looking up from her book.

"I have brunch with some friends," Aunt Cassie explained. "Gotta run, or I'll be late and they'll never forgive me."

"So that's why you're all dolled up." Catherine commented, eyeing her aunt's outfit.

"That's awfully sweet," Aunt Cassie replied playfully. "Anyway, look after the house, and tell Amy the food's in the fridge."

With that, Aunt Cassie grabbed her bag and hurried out the door before Catherine could say anything else.

Peacefully settled on the sofa, Catherine resumed reading, enjoying the quietude. A few minutes later, she glanced at her phone, checking for any updates. As she scrolled through her social media feed, her eyes fell upon a news article: "Enormous Wolf Found Dead in Pasig River."

Curiosity piqued, Catherine clicked on the article. Reading about the unusually large wolf, she felt a pang of sympathy for the creature. However, something about the article gave her pause.

The size of the wolf… it was unlike any she'd ever seen. While she initially dismissed it as a possible genetic anomaly, a deeper sense, a primal instinct perhaps, whispered that something was amiss. Was she overthinking it? Maybe. But a nagging feeling lingered, a certainty that this was no ordinary wolf.

"Must be genetic," Catherine muttered to herself, dismissing the article with a wave of her hand.

She rose from the sofa and headed towards the kitchen, craving a quick and easy snack. Browsing through the drawers, she scanned the available options, her stomach groaning. Catherine was particular about her diet, having always been prone to illness from processed foods.

Disappointment washed over her as she closed the drawer. "Guess I'll order something," she sighed, turning to leave.

And then, she collided with it.

Standing in the doorway, towering over her, was the wolf from the news article. Catherine gasped, stumbling back in shock. The wolf, its eyes burning with an intense, almost predatory glint, stared at her with unsettling intensity.

A thousand questions raced through her mind. Why was it here? Was it a threat? Was there some… connection? The thought that it might be a relative, however distant, was absurd. Foxes and wolves? Impossible.

The wolf remained silent, its gaze unwavering, creating a heavy silence that stretched between them. Catherine, growing increasingly impatient, waited for some sign, some indication of its purpose.

"Uh, hi?" Catherine finally broke the tense silence.

"Are you the demon fox?" the wolf rumbled, its deep voice echoing through the kitchen.

Catherine pointed a finger at herself, bewildered. "Demon? Me?" she exclaimed. "I'm a fox, yes, but I'm no demon!"

"I was summoned by the emperor," the wolf declared, its voice stern. "Though my fate was… unfortunate, my duty remains. The emperor demands your presence."

"No introductions, huh?" Catherine scoffed. "Why should I listen to you? You barge into my house and expect me to just follow you?"

The wolf remained silent, its gaze unwavering, an imposing figure in the small kitchen.

"Look," Catherine said, her voice firming, "I know what happened to you. But my house isn't exactly the gateway to the afterlife."

The wolf remained silent, its gaze unwavering. Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from its form, forcing Catherine to shield her eyes. The kitchen was engulfed in a dazzling glow, momentarily disorienting her.

As the light subsided, Catherine cautiously peered through her fingers. Before her stood a man, tall and lean with olive skin, his long, lustrous brown hair framing a face with intense brown eyes. The transformation was complete, the wolf now a man of striking physique.

He regarded her with the same nonchalant expression he'd worn as a wolf.

 "I apologize for the… abrupt entrance," he said, his voice deep and resonant.

 "Perhaps an introduction was in order. Poor form on my part." He extended a hand. "My name is Blanco. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." 

"In the fields of arts, there's always need to consider that every art has a thousands of meaning for everyone, but only one to the artist." A professor formally said.

Professor Samuel was teaching infront of the class with a formal tone, his two hands are crossed as he maintain eye contact with all of the students with a natural expression. 

I was sitting peacefully at the classroom, trying to regain focus from the lecture. The subject isn't boredsom, its just i want to go out. I have to stop by a cafe near the university. I badly want to try their strawberry drink that is new to the menu.

"Hey." A voice from behind spoke.

I turned around out of curiousity swiftly, as i made eye contact who it was.

"Check this out." It was my friend, Ella. Ella has been a good friend of mine since the very first time i entered university.

Ella lean her phone closely for me to check it out. I looked closely to what it was, then i saw an article. "Enormous Wolf found on the Pasig River."

I furrowed my brows, as i continue to read the article. I'm not a fan of news or even enteirtainment of some sort but this one caught my eye.

Ella haven't found out my true secret, its not like i'm planning to tell everyone to begin with my closest friends are not an exception. Our origins of half-fox has been our deep secret, although i'am different from everyone. I lived a normal life, I haven't experienced something mystical le even encounter someone like us.

The wolf in the article seems to be an ordinary wolf, but it sure is eye-cather due to its size. I have to share this to my sister. She probably say some weird deep dive theory about it or probably ignore it cause she think its clickbait.

"That's some weird shit, but you know what. I give credit for the effort." Ella snicketed. "Such a lame way to get attention." Ella added, as she took her phone away and put it on her side.

"It looks legit." I protest, as i casually relaxed my body and still facing her.

Ella let out a small chuckle, "You serious?." 

"What? I mean the picture don't look artifically generated." I protest again as i raised my brows and explained with my hands.

The professor's voice carried a formal tone as he addressed the class. "In the realm of art, we must always remember that a single piece can hold a thousand meanings for its viewers, but only one for the artist." His hands were clasped together as he maintained eye contact with his students, his expression neutral yet attentive.

Ella didn't know my true secret—not that I planned on telling anyone, even my closest friends. Our half-fox origins were a closely guarded secret. Unlike the others, I'd lived a normal life, never experiencing anything mystical or encountering others like us.

The wolf in the article appeared ordinary, save for its impressive size. I made a mental note to share this with my sister later. She'd either concoct some far-fetched theory or dismiss it as clickbait.

"That's some weird shit," Ella snickered, pulling her phone away. "But I'll give them credit for effort. Such a lame way to get attention."

"It looks legit," I protested, relaxing in my seat but still facing her.

Ella let out a small chuckle. "You serious?"

"What? I mean, the picture doesn't look artificially generated," I argued, raising my eyebrows and gesticulating to emphasize my point.

"Nah, it looks staged," Ella declared, dismissing the article with a wave of her hand. "Whoever wrote this must be desperate for rent money."

I furrowed my brow but let it go, turning back to the front of the room and focusing on Professor Samuel, effectively ending the conversation with Ella.

Time crawled by, each minute an eternity. Finally, the lecture ended, a sigh of relief escaping me. I'd been practically glued to my chair for what felt like hours.

I quickly gathered my belongings, stuffing them into my bag.

"Hey, you free?" Ella asked.

"Yeah, I'm heading to the cafe near the school," I replied, my attention still on my bag.

"Cool, I'll join you," she said, slinging her own bag over her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, have you come up with any ideas for our photography exhibit yet?"

I paused, lost in thought.

"Hey you two!" A feminine voice cut through the air.

"What?" Ella asked, turning around.

"Have you seen a frog keychain? A big one, with a goofy smile?" Our classmate inquired.

Ella shook her head, while I turned to look at her and did the same.

Ella glanced at me, a curious expression on her face.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Getting old already? Didn't you hear what I said?" Ella teased.

"Oh, right, uh… I haven't thought about it yet," I admitted, finally zipping up my bag.

"Well, I actually have a suggestion," Ella offered, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

 "But you have to promise to hear me out."

"Shoot," I said, eager to hear her idea.

Ella glanced around nervously, then leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, I heard this story about the sixth floor of this building. Apparently, there's a ghost of a woman who killed herself because she couldn't bear the shame of having an affair with her student." She grinned, enjoying the effect of her words.

"And you're the one who claims to be above such ridiculous, made-up stories," I retorted, shrugging on my backpack.

"Hey, this isn't just some silly urban legend," she defended playfully.

I ignored her, continuing to walk towards the door, the sound of her footsteps following close behind.

"Hey, you promised to hear me out!" she reminded me with a playful nudge.

"It's probably just gossip," I dismissed, "There's always some crazy rumor going around."

We navigated the bustling hallway, a sea of students moving in every direction, their conversations creating a constant background hum.

"But this one's real," Ella insisted, her voice dropping to a hushed tone. "Last week, I went up there myself. And you will NOT believe what happened."

I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"The moment I got there," she continued, her voice taking on a theatrical whisper, "I heard a voice. Not loud, but definitely there. It kept repeating this name… 'Adrian.' And it was crying."

Adrian? The name seemed strangely familiar. I was sure I'd heard it before, but where?

I furrows my brows but let it go, as i turn to face front and made eye contact with the professor leaving the conversation blank with Ella.

An hour or two passed, Our period is done. I've been waiting for this, luckily it was a short lecture or else i've been hurting my bad from sitting such a long hours.

I fixed my things and put it on my bag ready to go.

"Hey, you free?." Ella asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to the cafe near the school." I said, as my focus is on the bag.

"Cool, I'll tag along." Ella said as she grab her bag.

 "Oh, btw do you already have a photo idea for our photography exhibit?." Ella added, as she faced me.

I remained silent for a moment, as i think about it.

"Hey you two!." A feminine voice from behind spoked.

"What?." Ella asked, curioused.

"Have you seen a frog keychain, the frog is a bit larger with a goofy smile?." The girl classmate asked.

Ella shooked her head in response, while i turn to looked at her and shooked my head as well.

Ella then took a glance on me as i eye on her in a moment.

"What?." I said confused.

"You getting old? didn't you hear what i said?." Ella said playfully.

"Oh, right, uh. I haven't think about it." I said closing the zip in my bag.

"Well, i actually have a suggestion." Ella proposed, "I can only share it, if you hear me out." Ella added.

"Shoot." I said, attentive to her words.

"Probably her toy boy," Ella shuddered, "I wasn't scared, but it was definitely unexpected."

"Hey, are you even listening?" Ella interrupted, her voice cutting through my thoughts.

"Yeah," I mumbled, startled.

We resumed walking, but my mind was still preoccupied. The name "Adrian" kept swirling around in my head. Was it just a familiar name, or had I encountered him before? Perhaps he was a classmate I barely remembered?

We continued to walk as I'm still thinking about that name 'Adrian'. I was still in debate to wether i was familair with it or he was a classmate of mine. 

"Damn, didn't expect it to get on your nerves," Ella joked.

"No, it's like...That name sounds familiar," I said, a nagging thought lingering in the back of my mind.

"If I don't remember it, then it's not familiar," Ella brushed off, changing the subject.

I looked at her, about to voice the nagging suspicion, but something stopped me. Maybe she was right. Or maybe I was simply mistaken.

"You ready to go?" Ella asked, a playful lilt to her voice.

"To the cafe, of course," I said, starting to walk faster.

"Uh, no, genius. To the sixth floor," Ella said, grabbing my hand in a swift, unexpected move.

"What? No, get off!" I exclaimed, annoyed, trying to pry her grip loose.

"Come on, it'll only be quick. You promised to hear me out, right?" Ella insisted.

"Yeah, hear you out but not actually believe your shit," I grumbled, finally freeing my hand.

For the next few minutes, we engaged in a playful, albeit slightly chaotic, struggle in the hallway, drawing a few curious glances from passersby. 

Suddenly, a shiver, intense and inexplicable, ran down my spine. I froze, my annoyance forgotten. Ella, mid-sentence, seemed to freeze too, her hand hovering inches from mine.

The hallway itself seemed to hold its breath. Time itself seemed to stutter, every person in the vicinity frozen in place, like a scene from a bizarre movie. 

The atmosphere, once bustling, was now heavy and eerily still. I glanced around, my heart pounding. Was I dreaming? I hoped desperately that I was, but the chilling reality of the situation was undeniable. My body felt strangely cold, as if I were experiencing a sudden, inexplicable fever.

"Ella! Ella!" I called out, my voice echoing strangely in the frozen tableau. No response. Ella remained frozen, her expression fixed, her eyes wide and unblinking.

I yanked my hand away from her, fear gripping me. I looked around again, desperately searching for an explanation, any explanation, for this bizarre phenomenon.

Who did this?

Shit

"Blanco, huh?" Catherine repeated, her gaze lingering on the wolfman standing before her.

Blanco nodded, his face an impassive mask.

"So, are you the fox?" Blanco inquired, his voice returning to its businesslike tone.

Catherine nodded cautiously, trying to maintain a cool facade despite the unsettling presence of the man before her.

"Come with me," Blanco commanded, his voice deep but lacking any real authority. His good looks, she realized, were not enough to sway her.

"I already told you no!" Catherine retorted, her voice rising in annoyance.

Blanco looked at her blankly, a quiet sigh escaping his lips before he turned away, seemingly sulking.

Catherine furrowed her brows, confused by his sudden shift in demeanor.

"If you think you can sway me with a little puppy-dog pout, think again," she declared, unconvinced.

"Goodbye," Blanco murmured, turning away and disappearing without a trace.

"Hey-!" Catherine called out, her voice trailing off as he vanished.

Rude