Chapter 1: The Beast Emerges

Eleanor had long been acutely aware of the capricious unfairness of fate. While a cluster of early - blooming girls were still queuing up on the playground, their cheeks flushed with adolescent infatuation as they vied for the attention of the delinquent boys, Eleanor had already earned a notorious reputation in school. Her proximity to these rebellious youths had made her a target of secret resentment among her female peers.

There was a time when she loathed both the delinquent boys and the judgmental eyes of her fellow girls. But as the days passed, she found herself drawn into the very "delinquent" lifestyle she once despised. Decadence and arrogance became her armor, a means to command the attention that had always eluded her. And it was working; even now, as she stood in the street, she had successfully captured the curious glances of passers - by.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beauty before?" Eleanor's voice rang out, sharp and defiant. It was enough to scatter a group of timid onlookers. People scurried past, heads bowed, their hushed whispers and furtive gestures trailing in her wake.

Casually, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and cast a shameless yet somewhat helpless look at Aurelion, who was sprawled on the ground like a beaten dog. "Sister's back to full health!" she declared, a hint of bravado in her tone.

"Eleanor, are you even a woman? Can't you be more gentle when you hit?" Aurelion's Peak jersey was smeared with mud, and one side of his face was swollen to an almost comical degree, resembling a misshapen radish.

"Then are you even a man? With your big arms and legs, you still come here to bully the weak. Grow up, will you!" Eleanor retorted, her expression righteous. She reached out and ruffled the greasy hair of the junior schoolboy standing next to her.

"Pah, what right do you have to lecture me? Don't you look at yourself!" Aurelion shot back, clearly not convinced.

"What's wrong with me? I haven't done anything too terrible—I just like to skip class and occasionally eat egg - filled pancakes during lessons..." Eleanor felt a flush creeping up her cheeks. Sensing the junior schoolboy's puzzled gaze, she grew a bit self - conscious. With a huff, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to teach Aurelion another lesson.

"Alright, alright, don't you just want money? I only took seven dollars and twenty - five cents from him in total. Do you really have to be like this?" Aurelion fished the money from his pocket and shoved it into Eleanor's hand.

Eleanor pursed her lips and shook her head. "The amount is off. Do you want to see the fury of this leader?"

"W - What? I only took seven dollars and twenty - five cents..."

The junior schoolboy piped up, looking up with wide eyes. "He also took fifty dollars from me."

Eleanor crooked her finger. "Hand it over."

Aurelion gritted his teeth, his face contorted with anger. "You, you, you, doing this will bring bad karma. Let me tell you—I curse you to die a miserable death!" Despite his venomous words, he reluctantly fished out the fifty - dollar bill from his pocket.

Eleanor snatched the money, waved him away dismissively, and then stuffed it into her own pocket.

The junior schoolboy tugged at her sleeve, his eyes welling up with tears. "Big sister, that's my money."

"I know—I'm not going to keep it. I'm just—I'm just..." Eleanor stammered, struggling to find an excuse. She offered an awkward smile. "Don't carry so much cash with you in the future. If you do, watch out for us... watch out for delinquent boys like Aurelion!"

She handed the money back to him, and the junior schoolboy skipped away, his face lighting up with joy.

Watching his retreating figure, Eleanor felt a pang of melancholy she couldn't quite explain.

"Sigh! Not even a small tip for me!" She turned her head, scanning the area, and then let out another fierce shout, dispersing the last few onlookers who had been lingering to watch the spectacle.

The sky above was overcast, large, gray clouds rolling in like a menacing army. They pressed the sky down so low that it seemed as if one could reach out and touch it. It was clear that rain was imminent.

"Jiubu Street." Eleanor read the words on the street sign, her voice barely a murmur. She had wandered here aimlessly, but now, a sense of familiarity washed over her. Yes, she had been here as a child. She remembered that there used to be slot machines in the supermarkets down the alley ahead.

She felt the coins jingling in her pocket, slung her school bag over her shoulder, and darted into the alley. Having something to do, even if it was just playing the slots, would help pass the time. And for a moment, her mood lifted.

But as soon as she entered the alley, she knew something was amiss. The alley's atmosphere was entirely different from the modern street outside. High walls towered on either side, adorned with intricate carved eaves. The cobblestones underfoot were clean and smooth, winding away into the distance in a labyrinthine pattern.

Eleanor halted in her tracks. Had she made a wrong turn, or had the alley been renovated? How could such a deep, quiet, and seemingly ancient alley exist in the midst of a modern, high - rise - filled street?

A new sense of curiosity welled up within her. Instead of turning back, she ventured deeper into the alley. She reached the end and turned into another alley, then another. But with each turn, a growing sense of unease crept over her. The alleys all looked strikingly similar, right down to the small ditches by the courtyard walls. The further she walked, the more it felt like she was trapped in a loop, going nowhere. She realized, to her horror, that she was lost.

Glancing up at the gray sky in the distance and the dim, shadow - filled alley, Eleanor's mind filled with all the old legends about fox spirits and ghosts that she had heard as a child. Her palms grew sweaty with fear.

She was about to turn around and retrace her steps when her ears picked up a sound. A large object was approaching from behind. The heavy thud of footsteps, the labored panting, and the low, menacing growl—it was unmistakably the sound of a large beast on the hunt.

Fox spirit? Ghost? Eleanor's heart slammed against her ribcage, her breath catching in her throat. Stiffly, she turned her head to look. The alley was dim, but there was definitely something moving.

Despite her fear, the unknown was too tantalizing to ignore. Just as she was debating whether to approach and investigate, a huge, red - hued creature lunged out of the shadows. Its ferocious fangs were bared, and its eyes glinted with a wild, predatory light.

"Whoa!" Eleanor shrieked, her legs buckling as she instinctively crouched down. The beast soared over her head, and for a moment, she thought her heart would stop. But before she could catch her breath, a second, even larger monster pounced on her, pinning her to the ground.

What on earth was going on? Had the zoo let all its animals loose today? Eleanor was so terrified that her entire body trembled uncontrollably. The monster lowered its head, and the warm, damp breath from its nose washed over her face, causing every pore to prickle with fear.

The monster continued to sniff her face, as if savoring the moment before the kill. Eleanor, her body shaking like a leaf, cautiously opened her eyes. She found herself staring into two deep, black pupils. The eyes were filled with a fierce, almost supernatural light, so intimidating that she couldn't bear to look. A shudder ran through her, and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut again.

A low growl rumbled above her. The monster scratched at her ear with its claw, a feigned gesture that still sent a jolt of terror through her. She felt a wetness on her temple, and a warm, sticky liquid trickled down her cheek and into her neck.

It's blood! It's blood! Eleanor's mind raced in panic. She was certain that she was about to meet a gruesome end. This was all so absurd. She didn't even know what was happening, and now she was being attacked by a wild beast. If this was a dream, she prayed desperately to wake up.

"P - Please... p - please... p - please... p - please... p - please spare my life!" she managed to choke out, her throat constricted with fear.

"This golden cicada's shell trick is not bad. You actually left a human behind and escaped the eyes of this leader." A deep, resonant voice, thick with an otherworldly quality, echoed from above.