In one of the city’s largest libraries reserved for students, towering shelves stretched nearly six meters high, filled with countless volumes of every subject imaginable—science, philosophy, literature, mythology. But only those with a student ID could enter. Among them, the ID issued by Yelsulin University was the most prestigious: it had no expiration date and granted unlimited access.

Normally, the library was quiet. But today, strangely, it buzzed with energy. Groups of female students and even alumnae gathered in hushed but excited whispers. Their eyes all followed the same figure: a striking tomboy, tall and lean, with sharp features that seemed almost too good-looking for real life. She wore rugged jeans and a black studded leather jacket, prowling the mythology aisle with a serious expression, flipping through books.

“Look at her—she’s so handsome,” a gyaru-style girl whispered, snapping photos of Duyen with her phone while her friends giggled behind her.

“Seriously, she looks like a model. But I’ve never seen her on the alum forum before.”

“I just want her Xaiber account, oh my god.”

The chatter grew, small voices layering into a noticeable hum. Duyen could feel the stares even without catching every word. It wasn’t comfortable. She’d once been invisible, the girl with no looks worth noticing, and that past still lingered in her like a scar. Even though four years had passed and the attention she got now was admiration, the feeling of being scrutinized still twisted her stomach.

She exhaled heavily and tried to focus. She hadn’t expected to return to this library after so long, but there were questions she couldn’t ignore. Even when she asked Mr. Hung and Secretary Oh, their answers had been vague, evasive—like they were just parroting a script. That unsettled her even more.

“Let’s see… Monsters of Asia and General Asian Mythology…” she muttered, pulling out two thick tomes, each nearly a thousand pages.

Even back at her table, the whispers followed her. Faces flushed red, students sneaking glances, as if they had never seen a tomboy that beautiful before. Duyen sighed again and buried herself in the books, searching for just one entry—Nine-Tailed Fox.

“Ah, here it is,” she whispered, finally finding the page.

Kitsune, commonly known as the Nine-Tailed Fox or Holy Fire Fox, is one of the most iconic forms of the fox spirit, a widely known and feared creature in East Asian mythology…

Her eyes scanned the page, fingers tracing the lines.

The most famous record of the Nine-Tailed Fox appears in Investiture of the Gods during the Ming dynasty, where it is depicted as a demon under the command of Nuwa. It possessed the body of Daji, seduced King Zhou of Shang, and led his dynasty to collapse in blood and ruin. Daji was executed, but the fox’s spirit escaped

The illustration made her pause. It showed a blazing red fox crawling out of a woman’s back, splitting her spine open. The drawing was brutal, grotesque.

Later, it fled to India, where it bewitched a king and drove him mad, causing him to sacrifice a thousand men. From there, it ran to China, Japan, and Vietnam. Every place it touched suffered the fall of dynasties, a reflection of weak rulers. And yet, sometimes the Nine-Tailed Fox was seen as an omen of fortune, bringing sudden prosperity to the land. The last known sighting was in Japan, where its spirit was sealed within the “Demon-Sealing Rock,” forbidden to approach because of its danger…

Duyen stared at the image of the cursed stone. The stories painted the fox as savage, destructive. If they were true, Shana’s age must be far older than Duyen dared imagine.

Then a detail caught her eye:

In its true form, the Nine-Tailed Fox carries a jewel in its mouth or tail, called the Hoshi no tama. This gem contains its mystical power and very soul. If someone takes possession of this jewel—or if the fox willingly bestows it—then that person will hold the fox’s heart and her eternal love…

“Forever…” a voice murmured.

Duyen froze and lifted her head. Her heart skipped as she found herself face-to-face with Shana, her beautiful, fiery brown-haired fox spirit, leaning close across the table. She nearly screamed but bit it back. Shana only smiled sweetly, chin propped on her hand as she peeked at the book.

“Well, well… I’ve been searching for you, only to find you here studying me. How romantic. You know you could’ve just asked instead of reading these dreadful stories, right?”

Heat rushed to Duyen’s face. She looked down at the text again. She had learned something, yes, but none of it truly explained who Shana was now. She wasn’t even sure why she was doing this.

Finally, she blurted out:

“These stories… are they all really you, Shana?”

She didn’t need a book to know Shana was dangerous. She had been with Shana long enough to see the abnormalities and even the time Shana saved Duyen's life. And yet, it was hard to reconcile the gorgeous girl in front of her with the monster described in legends.

Shana’s eyes softened with something unspoken, her lips curving into a faint smile.

“If I told you that none of these women in these stories were me—would you believe me?”

Duyen blinked, caught off guard.

“Wars, plagues, the fall of empires… There are always countless reasons behind them. But people need excuses, something to explain the chaos, to make sense of it all. And so what did they blame? A Nine-Tailed Fox.”

The words struck Duyen like lightning. It wasn’t just myth—it was a philosophy, maybe even the truth.

Shana gave a faint laugh, but her eyes shimmered with sorrow.

“But I can’t deny everything. I did cause tragedies. Women died because of me. History and mythology weren’t entirely wrong.”

Even as she smiled, the guilt weighed heavy in her gaze. Duyen’s chest tightened. She wanted to believe Shana wasn’t as terrible as the stories claimed—that maybe Shana had simply made mistakes she couldn’t undo.

Then Shana asked quietly, almost pleading

“Duyen… If one day I lose control—if I hurt you… would you be afraid of me?”

Duyen looked into her eyes, filled with pain and fear of herself. Fear? Should she be afraid?

Maybe

But without hesitation, she answered firmly

“No. I’m not afraid of you, Shana.”

Shana’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing pink. She laughed softly, masking her emotion with playful teasing.

“Careful. I might eat you alive one day!”

Duyen smirked

“If you really wanted to, wouldn’t you have done it already?”

“Well then,” Shana leaned back, arms crossed, lips curling slyly. “Look at you, talking back to me now. But you never know what the future holds, silly girl. Maybe you just like dangerous women with mysterious pasts. You’d better be careful.”

Duyen laughed. Shana always teased, always flirted—but Duyen found it strangely endearing. Maybe the Nine-Tailed Fox wasn’t so terrifying after all.

Outside, a purple crape myrtle blossom drifted past the window. Duyen sighed and shut the book. Why try to understand Shana through dusty legends? She wanted to know her through reality, without secrets.

She stood abruptly, startling Shana, then gently took her hand.

“Come on.”

Shana flushed, aware of all the stares around them.
“Duyen—where are you taking me?”

“To make up for that disaster of a ‘bad luck cleansing’ trip last time.”

Hand in hand, they walked out of the library like a perfect pair, Shana’s heart pounding with an unexpected sense of pride.

At the entrance, Duyen’s motorcycle waited beside Secretary Oh’s black Mercedes. Seeing Shana with Duyen, the poor secretary panicked, rushing to open the car door. But Shana only turned away from the Mercedes, grinning as she accepted a Hello Kitty helmet from Duyen and climbed onto the bike. She pressed herself close, wrapping her arms tightly around Duyen’s waist, chest deliberately pressing against her back.

“Hold on tight, okay?” Duyen muttered, blushing.

The fox girl nodded obediently with a satisfied smile.

The bike roared to life, leaving the flustered secretary behind.

Neither of them noticed the red Maserati MC20 quietly pulling out of the lot, tailing them.

Shana’s embrace tightened as they rode. Despite her immense power, sitting behind Duyen like this made her feel strangely small, safe. She let the human girl lead. The streets blurred into waves of purple crape myrtle, petals drifting in the wind, their fragrance spilling into the air as they reached the wide riverside. Families and couples picnicked, the scene like a dream in the heart of Starfall City.

Duyen slowed, letting Shana take in the breathtaking scenery. Even after centuries of travel, countless seasons of flowers blooming and fading, Shana found herself humbled. The blossoms carried a shy, mysterious beauty—fragile yet pure. Just like her own heart now.

“You brought me here?” Shana teased softly, cheeks pink. She pretending to be pout. “I thought it’d be a fancy restaurant or a private hotel for two. Turns out it’s just… flowers?”

Duyen chuckled, eyes lingering on the blossoms.
“Crape myrtles only bloom once a season. In winter, the trees are bare and forgotten. But when this season comes, they explode with beauty. Every time I pass here, I’m overwhelmed by it. And it always feels like I’m alone. But now… I’m here with you.”

Shana’s heart skipped. Was Duyen confessing? She folded her arms, pretending to smirk even as her ears turned red.

“Smooth talker! Is this new confidence because you know everyone’s obsessed with you now? Nice try.”

“No! That’s not what I meant—” Duyen stammered.

Shana laughed, catching petals in her palm, holding them. It tenderly like fragile human fate. Flowers bloom and then flowers fade, that is the natural philosophy of life. Then her smile faded. Nearby, a bride and groom posed under the blossoms for wedding photos. The sight froze her.

“…I once thought the same,” she whispered. “That I could hold on to my destiny.”

The petal slipped from her hand. Her eyes grew misty. A memory long buried surfaced: Shana, in a crimson wedding dress...

She glanced at the red Maserati lurking nearby. Of course she’d noticed it

Mina was watching

“Duyen,” she said suddenly, brushing away a tear. “Can you promise me something?”

“What is it?” Duyen asked softly.

“No matter what happens…” Shana hesitated, then smiled—a smile so beautiful it left Duyen breathless.

“…don’t betray me.”

“Huh?”

The wind rose, carrying blossoms around them, Shana’s fiery brown hair swirling like a living painting. Her eyes locked on Duyen’s, full of unwavering trust. Duyen’s chest ached, as if something inside her was crying out.

A promise was made in that moment. Or maybe it will be a curse.

But from the distance, Mina gripped the Maserati’s steering wheel, eyes burning with rage as she watched them.