Chapter 9

I leaned over the holographic projection of Axel Gi-oen's deceased form for the twentieth time, my brow furrowed, a faint line appearing between my eyes as I traced the jagged edges of the neck wound with a finger. "Jeesh…" I whisper. 

I took a deep breath and began to read the forensic diagnosis again, "Patient, identified as Axel Gi-oen, presents as a male individual, deceased. Inspection reveals a primary wound to the neck: a severe, deep laceration consistent with a bite, observed along the anterior aspect of the cervical region. The wound displays ragged margins, indicative of tearing rather than a clean incision…"

Looking back at the hologram for a moment, I focus on the two puncture wounds on the neck. Before going back to reading, I sigh and take a moment to breathe. "...Pallor is pronounced across the entirety of the skin, suggesting significant blood loss. Examination of the surrounding tissue, particularly the periwound area, shows signs of extensive trauma and discoloration. There is no evidence of defensive wounds on the upper extremities. The overall presentation is consistent with exsanguination due to a fatal neck injury."

From the description, in my mind I'm picturing the rogue monster to be a large spider with large fangs. However, there aren't any signs of resistance, struggle, or poison… or webbing at the scene. I scrolled through the other case files in my right hand and the table: notes detailing other disappearances and deaths within the Lotus Fang Union's during and related to this investigation. The inconsistencies gnawed at me. "It doesn't make any sense," I mumbled.

"Monsters have always turned to dust when they leave the towers. This… this is different. And the other casualties… slit throats and wrists, signs of struggle. Like someone's *imitating* it. But why?" I tapped a finger against the holographic image. "Maybe the one that attacked Axel was a boss monster. That would make more sense since we have had breaks of boss monsters escaping but that has only happened due to the tower itself crumbling. That still doesn't explain the other victims though… what or who is doing this?"

The door to the room slid open with a soft hiss, and a slim, slightly shorter young adult man walked in, a clipboard held tightly in his hand. His short silver hair, with a distinctive black stripe curl covering a portion of his forehead, bounced faintly with each step. He wore a semi-formal outfit, the familiar Lotus Fang logo embroidered on his chest pocket.

I turned, my expression shifting from intense concentration to a more neutral, if still weary, gaze. "Investigator Jin Sao!"

He startled slightly, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. "U-um, hello Miss Ji-Chon." He cleared his throat, adjusting his grip on the clipboard. "I have an update regarding the Axel Gi-oen case. The ID found at the scene has been tracked in the system. His name is Tristan Bao, and he's reported to act as support for one of the union party raids for new recruits in a couple of days."

My brow furrowed again. "What does that have to do with anything? And since when are we accepting new recruits? I didn't get a memo."

Jin Sao took a deep, shaky breath, his gaze flicking to the holographic projection of Axel. "The new recruits… they're to replace the casualties from this investigation. It's coming from the higher-ups, a direct order to increase our numbers as we look for the rogue monster." He paused, meeting my eyes. 

"But the important part is… this means there was a survivor at the scene. He could have had eyes on what exactly happened." A flicker of hope, or perhaps just urgency, crossed Jin Sao's face. "He might be our only direct witness."

Instinctively I gasped, though I quickly covered my mouth with my free hand. So he did survive huh… "Jin Sao, I say we should get in contact so we can ask him a few questions. As soon as possible, of course."

He nodded, a sweet smile perked along his lightly strawberry blushed cheeks. "I'll get my team on it! 

I nodded back at Jin Sao and watched him leave, the door sealing behind him with the same soft hiss. Alone again with the hologram, I let the silence settle over me like a heavy blanket.

"Tristan Bao…" I whispered the name aloud, letting it roll off my tongue. Something felt like a puzzle piece that didn't fit. There was something too convenient about this—survivors weren't usually just found days later... Let alone without notifying the police or anything… My fingers danced over the control pad, pulling up his file.

Name: Tristan Bao

Birthdate: November 7th, 2026

Sex: M

Rank: F

Spark: Feather Dance - Minor speed enhancement. Agility Spark.

"F rank, huh?" I muttered, skepticism heavy in my voice.

His ID photo loaded—an older image, timestamped around two years ago. He looked… ordinary. Slouched posture, that look around the eyes like he didn't quite believe he belonged here. Not the kind of person you'd expect to walk away from a massacre. I glance back at the body once more before quickly looking back at the file. I take a deep breath in to steady my thoughts.

Then, with a soft beep, the screen blinked. File update detected.

I frowned, not upset, just confused. The ID did expire soon so perhaps this is because he renewed it before joining the Lotus Fang? I tapped the notification and the screen refreshed.

New ID registered.

Name: Tristan Bao

Birthdate: November 7th, 2026

Sex: M

Rank: F

Spark: Unknown name – Electric element.

"What the hell…" I muttered as I glanced at the details. Then, I froze, staring at the updated image. His posture was the same, but everything else had shifted. The ears were sharper, almost… elf-like from old fairytales. And the red eyes—vibrant, unnatural, and glassy—were so far from the dark eyes from the previous photo. 

Red eyes are pretty natural when Sparks started appearing but then changing, along with the ear shape is unsettling. Plus, Sparks don't change. Especially the type of spark. Sure there have been people changing their file because they found something new about their spark but that was usually the occasional, "My spark did this because of a different reason than I thought" or, "I learned another thing my spark can do when I ranked up" but never practically turning their spark from fire to water!

I sat back slowly, a chill crawling across my skin despite the sterile warmth of the lab. Something was very wrong with this picture. Was it even still the same Tristan? Perhaps the rouge monster that escaped is actually a parasitic monster that latches onto humans. Or perhaps a demon type monster with the ability to possess humans? I've never heard of that but that does make sense given the context here. How else would a monster leave? 

I pulled my tablet closer and began typing a request for immediate detainment and questioning, then paused. No—too aggressive. I can't immediately jump the gun, I could be wrong here and lose our only lead.

Instead, I drafted a controlled field request.

> Subject: Tristan Bao

Priority: Medium

Directive: Observe discreetly. No uniformed agents. Approach with care. Record all biometric activity. Bring for questioning.

Escort directly to me. No third-party interviews.

Flag: Unregistered Spark Mutation / Physical Alteration

I hit send. Something was off… I had the gnawing feeling in my gut that whatever Tristan saw… or perhaps is the rouge monster.