chapter 30: Fortuity of the families.

Ye-Jun rocked himself back and forth as he heard banging on his dormitory door out of the blue but he couldn't pick himself up, he bit his fist. "I forgot his name, but the young man is in there— are you alright?!" Ye-Jun heard shouted from a voice he recognized as belonging to his university's dean. Ye-Jun was shivering, he couldn't bring himself to utter a word or a noise. "Sir, we have to get in there right now!" He heard being shouted by an unfamiliar person outside the door. Within the next ten seconds, the dean rushed to find his keys. Ye-Jun wasn't ready for the light they brought in with them. The mysteriously costumed stranger that Ye-Jun hasn't laid eyes on since he kept them shut sat next to him and gently patted his back as he continued to tremble on his bed. After sleeping with his nightmares reminding him of the monstrosity he witnessed, Ye-Jun woke up gasping, then taking a deep breath. "Modern day Europe, 1969 at this very moment is crawling with the abominations that wanna eat us, kill us, possess us but let me guess, this one is haunting you with frequent nightmares, that—and it just won't let you forget?" Said the mysteriously masked stranger in the white and Gray tactical suit that showed off his averice body wearing something that resembled a cloak and poncho around his shoulders. Ye-Jun sat up holding his knees together as he stared at him with his face turning pale and panicked thoughts.

"Hey pal, I know how you're feeling— sorta kinda— it's important that these questions I have are answered, and I can stop whatever's brought this fear to the campus in the first place. Need me to get you anything to calm your mind? A comfort drink, maybe food for instance?" The mysteriously masked stranger asked in the most soothing manner he's ever experienced from someone, Ye-Jun gathered he was a pro. Ye-Jun looked up at him immediately with a gaping expression.

"Alright. Alright— give me a moment?" Ye-Jun repeated, then asked with his own quiet voice. The mysteriously masked promise maker turned his head like a confused animal. "I'm the—- oh, one in a million change of pace that I'll always welcome. No rush. Feel comfortable first and recollect every detail of the monster if you can." Said The mysteriously masked stranger as he grabbed out a notebook from his side which Ye-Jun found eccentric. "It took place a week ago. My girlfriend, myself and her friend who brought her boyfriend were walking in the halls after hours, to— well, I'm not too proud of this but— to fool around when he suddenly— and I— I was going to back out…" Ye-Jun went quiet as he put his head down. Philip was fascinated by the story while he thought of a theory about where he was heading that ignited hatred in him.

"The guy's eyes turned into something inhuman, he grew four gigantic bat-like wings, the nails on one of his hands grew as sharp as claws as he held me up by my neck with one hand, I couldn't break his grip on my neck. I know that I'm—" before Ye-Jun could finish he was interrupted. "Ugly, which is why you were left with nightmares and spared. We're dealing with an incubus." The mysteriously masked stranger interrupted as Ye-Jun heard blatant fear in his voice in the conclusion of his last sentence. "Magic doesn't exist, mythology doesn't exist, it could have been an alien life form. We could be aliens or mutant freaks, It's what it has to be, what it must be, magic doesn't exist." Ye-Jun whispered and began to refuse. The mysteriously masked stranger stepped to the side and he left a still shadow made of smoke in his place. "Right. Astronomy— errr, science major. Science is about curiosity, endlessly chasing the next question from the last observation. A scientist I did a job for said that to me once. Magic doesn't exist but the fantastical does and I'm the greatest at getting rid of it. Erm— that would've sounded much cooler to you if we had the time for me to tell you all about it, you look like you want to ask something." The mysteriously masked stranger replied as he shook his head. Ye-Jun gave eyed daggers after he felt irritated that he thought he corrected him about science.

"I'll grant you the fact that these Incubus demons exist, what about them have you scared, what are they like, do the myths have anything wrong about them?" Ye-Jun asked as he put his head high in the air and the mysteriously masked stranger realized he was overcoming his survivor's terror. The mysteriously masked stranger chuckled nervously. "Sorry, not sorry, I don't involve the unseasoned and inexperienced into this typically exciting onus of mine. Definitely appreciate your info though, I'll go charge the guy in charge way more now then this'll be a bloodbath for that seductive hell-spawn… hopefully." The mysteriously masked stranger refused as he waved him off while walking away. Beige colored ashes began raining over the mysteriously masked stranger and as they touched on the top of his head, his shoulders and body, he found his exit stymied. Ye-Jun decided to stop abusing his powers as his aunt popped into his mind and when it wore off shortly after, the mysterious masked stranger's mask disappeared and Ye-Jun found his wide eyes and beaming smile in his face. "How old are you?!" Ye-Jun found himself asking and feeling very curious. "Turning Nineteen tomorrow and feeling pretty thankful for it." The mysteriously masked stranger answered. "Come again??!" Ye-Jun shouted genuinely taken aback.

"Now to the important stuff, my name's Philip Wiley, care to bet a pretty handsome fifty dollars that I can guess your surname?" Philip Wiley excitedly revealed then asked as he inched a bit closer whilst leaving Ye-Jun lost for words. A mischievous expression popped onto Ye-Jun's face. "You've zero chance, I'm hungry, hopefully you've got my money on you right now." Ye-Jun replied with a smug smile and slightly more joyous tone. "Fortunately I do, hu-bae Hyun, I'll treat you while I catch you up, my Hyun." Philip replied as masked himself again. "Meet me in your university's cafe." He finished before he switched to a gaseous form still shaped like himself and slipped through the bottom of the door. Ye-Jun walked over and grabbed a locket from his desk of him and the woman he lost while clenching his fists.

"Nothing except the title of mouthwatering fit this school's food." Philip started with a satisfied smile as he slumped in the cafe's chair. "Why do I remember details of the event happening but not his face or which of the students that he is, details like feeling his strength and what he yelled but not the color of his hair, moles I saw on his face, height or body?" Ye-Jun as he sat massaging his temples. "One of their extraordinary abilities is appearance memory erasure which settles in 24 hours after being identified, seen, witnessed." Philip answered the question he was struggling to understand. Ye-Jun looked up at him.

"What got you into doing this and how long have you been at it?!" Ye-Jun inquires with more questions on his mind. "Born into it. Stayed into it. Wait—!!" Philip answered before he put his head down and whispered. Ye-Jun surveyed the area for anything out of the ordinary and saw nothing until Philip forced him to put his head down. "An incu-she. Spiritual messengers of the incubus. Taken the form of the women they've made obsessed with them. I know that you can see her searching. For us. My older brother had warned me about eye contact with one, you'll hear the worst screech that could cause your ears to bleed and lead to going deaf. Eyes down." Philip informed Ye-Jun, leaving him with skepticism. Philip raised his hand high in the air, catching the attention of the Incu-she and attracting her once she turned around. "Main hall of the university tonight." The duo heard from the incubus' messenger with a downtrodden despairing. "Mythological logic at its finest." Ye-Jun whispered as he saw the Incu-she slowly walk away then vanish. "Alpha incubus. They're worth nothing but a decent warm up." Philip asserted with slight relief. "How many kinds are there?!" Ye-Jun inquired with a raised brow. "Beta, Alpha and the only kind that as a trimmer, you should feel the need to worry about in the echelon of Incubi— an Omega! Alpha Incubi are loners, they prefer direct confrontation whereas beta incubi would turn this into something like a 'whodunit' story. headaches. Now, let's go get ready for the confrontation tonight." Philip informed then suggested. "Now that the fff— have worn off and my mind is back to being sensible, is it too late for me to change my mind?" Ye-Jun asked with a weak voice and anxious thoughts which he hid well from the supernatural investigator. "No. All of the excitement and the money will go to me and it'll be like an average Friday. My only advice, consider all that's possible that you'll lose by not fighting your demon. Yeah? Hopefully, that superior nose you hold over the other students." Philip answered as he stood up and stretched his shoulders.

As the fog on the outside of the old university seemed to be in the process of continuously growing thicker, so did the smoke flowing around Philip Wiley's shoulders and thighs. Philip noticed a figure approaching him through the mist. The monster trimmer threw out his hand for Ye-Jun. "No. none of that, man. This has been a humbling and trau— mat— experience. Let's just finish this. I can't let him take— the love of my life and dignity. Whatever we have to do to get her back." Said Ye-Jun before he walked closer to the entrance. "Being honest about all of this, I didn't really think you'd come and save the day with me, or I would have brought my favorite Jangchang which I got from a black merchant on the other side of Europe to fend off a dozen black dogs for a wealthy heiress. In case you needed it." Philip nodded in response to Ye-Jun's decision before he shook his head. "Jang's a great name." Ye-Jun thought to himself. "You ready, my Hyun?" Philip asked as he had a beaming smile. Ye-Jun pulled out a hilt from his bag then Philip realized that a blade the color of beige appeared gradually as ashes fell from above him. "Fancy." Philip commented before he opened the door to confront the Incubus haunting the university. The two heard devious laughter followed by a snorkeling. Philip looked up immediately after smelling something familiar. "Of course, he has black dogs!" Philip cried out with frustration in his tone. Ye-Jun surveyed the main hall and saw that the incubus had all of his victims under a trance and grouping around them. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, is there anything which I can help you with since I've been on your minds?" Said the Incubus with squinted eyes as he smelled a lavender flower in his hands. "Release these beautiful women from your clammy clutches and well think about vanquishing you… quickly!" Philip shouted and demanded from the demon as a grin appeared on his face afterwards. "You quite possibly could, then you'd have to face the wrath of my brethren when these girls don't make it back to our omega charmer." The Incubus responded with a devious expression. Philip was taken aback after hearing his words, with wide eyes and his heart pounding, he was left speechless. "Oh, yes, so, come on vanquishers, take your stances and put a stop to me. Incubi will work together when united under the omega charmer but monster mercenaries don't have a king. It'll be two against about three-hundred and rising!" The incubus excitedly taunted the duo. As Philip understood the words of the Incubus, Ye-Jun found himself lost but ready to take action and was left defending the monster vanquishing mercenary until he pulled himself together.