"THE HAECHI'S MISSION"
PRVIOUSLY:
At the hotel, the air was thick with unsaid words. Min Joon slammed his suitcase onto the bed, the sound echoing in the small room. He wouldn't even look at Baekhyun.
"Min Joon, please," Baekhyun started, his voice soft. "It's not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just... the Philippines isn't safe for you right now. Not with what I'm doing."
Min Joon whirled around, eyes red-rimmed. "And what are you doing, Baekhyun? You left Korea without a word. You disappear for weeks, and when I find you, you're hanging out with 'professors' and acting like a stranger. Who is this Ethan person you keep mentioning in your notes?"
Baekhyun felt a cold sweat. He had to explain Ethan—his ally, his fellow hunter, and the man who shared the secret of the Sigbin—to the man who still held his heart.
"Ethan is... a friend. A partner," Baekhyun said, choosing his words like he was walking through a minefield. "He's helped me survive here. But Min Joon, if the people I'm hunting find out about you, they will use you to get to me."
Meanwhile, back at the quiet house, the smell of burnt incense lingered in the air where Calista and Daisuke had vanished.
Akihiko groaned, his head throbbing as if someone had hammered a nail into his temple. He sat up slowly, his naked skin shivering against the floor. His memory was a blurred mosaic of heat, lust, and Ethan's face—but something felt wrong. The room was empty. The "Ethan" he thought he was with was gone, replaced by a lingering sense of violation.
"Ethan?" he called out, his voice raspy.
No answer. Only the ticking of the clock. He looked at the plates of food on the table, now cold and uninviting. A realization began to dawn on him: he had been used. The neighbor, the food, the sudden intense desire... it was all a trap.
He scrambled for his phone, his hands shaking. He saw a dozen missed calls from his partner at the precinct and a news alert about a bank robbery on 15th Street. But more importantly, he saw his own reflection in the dark screen—pale, confused, and deeply vulnerable.
THE CONTINUATION:
In the quiet of the hotel room, the tension finally snapped. Baekhyun reached out, taking Min Joon's hands in his.
"Love, what are you doing here?" Baekhyun asked, his voice a mix of relief and terror.
"I couldn't wait for you to come home anymore," Min Joon whispered, his eyes softening. "I missed you too much." He leaned in, sealing the reunion with a desperate, lingering kiss.
But beneath the romance lay a grim reality. Min Joon wasn't just here for love; he was here on orders from the World Council. The balance had shifted—the Dark Gumiho had begun his quest for the Sigbinan.
Flashback: White Dove Headquarters
Days earlier, at the hidden sanctum of the White Dove, the air had been thick with the scent of ancient incense. Min Joon was deep in his training when a woman in a stark white Zansae—an elegant, high-collared Qipao—approached him.
"Enough training for today, Min Joon," Master Lei said, her voice heavy. "Master Heejin needs to see you immediately."
Min Joon bowed deeply. "I will be there in a minute, Master Lei."
Lei sighed, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. "It has begun. The Dark Gumiho is hunting his first victim to restore his nine tails. The world is about to bleed."
When Min Joon entered Master Heejin's office, he stopped short. Two men stood there, dressed in traditional Filipino Barong Tagalog, their intricate embroidery shimmering. On their heads sat Salakot—traditional wide-brimmed hats that marked them as elite protectors from the islands.
"Ah, Min Joon. My best student," Master Heejin said, gesturing for him to come forward.
One of the visitors stepped toward him, speaking in a low, urgent Tagalog. "Namataan namin ang itim na gumiho sa aming bansa kasama ang kanyang mga alagad, at mukhang punterya niya ang isang vigilante naming na tinatawag nilang The Shadow."
Master Heejin translated into Korean for Min Joon: "They have spotted the Black Gumiho in their country. He seeks a vigilante they call 'The Shadow.'"
Min Joon didn't hesitate. He bowed to his master, his eyes burning with a new fire. "Dakeu gumiholeul maggi wihae pillipin-eulo gagessseubnida," he declared. (I will go to the Philippines to stop the Dark Nine-Tailed Fox.)
"It's time to face him again," Min Joon muttered.
As he spoke, the air behind him began to ripple and glow. A divine blue light coalesced into the form of a massive, lion-like creature with a single horn—the legendary guardian of justice.
"Ang Haechi..." one of the Filipino men whispered in awe, recognizing the ancient spirit.
The haechi is a hybrid between a lion and a watchdog, with a horn in the center of its head. The monster was said to eat fire, and statues of them are often placed at the entrances to buildings and palaces to prevent them from burning down. They are also considered protectors against natural disasters as well as all disruption or disruptive change. However, the haechi is also said to latch onto the past and refuse to let go - because of this, traditional beliefs state that haechi eat children. Because of its status as a being of protection, it has been a symbol of Seoul since 2009. It was also used in old Joseon architecture as a symbol of justice.
In addition,
Haechi, also known as Haetae, is a mythical creature said to have originated in China before making its way into Korea. It has a muscular build and sharp teeth similar to that of a lion but is covered in armor-like scales.
GOING BACK TO THE STORY...
Back at the hotel, the air grew cold as Min Joon looked Baekhyun in the eye.
"I know the truth, Baekhyun," Min Joon said quietly. "Your hal-abeoji sent you here. He wants you to capture the Sigbin."
Baekhyun felt the world tilt. He had told no one—not his bandmates, not his fans—the real reason he had abandoned the spotlight to return to the Philippines. "How did you know?" he whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs.
While Baekhyun faced his past, his sister Jin Ae was looking toward the future. In her makeshift workshop, she held up a pair of sleek, high-tech eyeglasses.
"I've done it," Jin Ae said, her eyes gleaming. "Even if a Sigbin turns invisible, these lenses will track their thermal signature. They won't be able to hide."
"You're brilliant, Jin Ae," her friend Monday said, leaning in. "But how do you test a device for a creature that hasn't officially existed for centuries?"
Jasmine, their third friend, rolled her eyes and pointed to the television. "The news says The Shadow is at the bank robbery on 15th Street right now. If he's what we think he is... that's your test subject."
"Perfect timing," Jin Ae declared, grabbing her gear. "Let's go."
Inside the bank, the air smelled of ozone and sweat. Ethan, in his vigilante form as The Shadow, stood mere feet from the desperate gunman.
"Mister, please," Ethan said, his voice calm but commanding. "You're bleeding. Put the gun down and let me help you."
"You don't understand, Shadow!" the man screamed, his hand shaking as he pulled a terrified customer into a chokehold. "If I don't do this, they will kill my family!"
"Who? Tell me," Ethan urged, taking a slow step forward.
Suddenly, a thunderous CRACK echoed from outside. A gunshot.
The distraction was all Ethan needed. In a flicker of light, he invoked his Sigbin heritage and vanished. The gunman spun around, gasping. "Where are you?! Shadow, show yourself!"
The Partner Returns
Outside, Akihiko lowered his service weapon, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was still pale from the spell Daisuke had cast on him, but his mind was clear. When he had woken up to a house full of empty echoes and a phone full of Ethan's frantic texts, he knew where he had to be.
"Sato! Where the hell have you been?" his partner barked, rushing over to him. "We've been calling you for an hour!"
"I had a bad dream," Akihiko muttered, his eyes fixed on the bank entrance. "One you definitely don't want to hear about."
Nearby, a car screeched into an alley behind the building. Jin Ae hopped out, sliding the specialized glasses over her eyes. The world turned into a grid of blue and violet, and then—she saw it. A glowing, orange-heat silhouette moving through the bank walls.
"This is suicide, Jin Ae!" Catherine cried, trembling. Jasmine followed silently, her face a mask of cold indifference.
Inside, Ethan moved like a ghost. He reached out with invisible hands, wrenching the pistol from the gunman's grip. With a surge of strength, he pulled the hostage to safety and shoved the gunman hard. The man hit the marble floor with a heavy thud, the wind knocked out of him.
While the chaos unfolded at the bank, a different kind of storm was brewing at the mansion.
"Useless human!" Kaito's voice boomed, echoing off the high ceilings like a crack of thunder. He stared into his scrying pool, watching the police tackle the bank robber he had been puppet-mastering.
"Kaito-san!" Daisuke stammered, his voice trembling.
Kaito whirled around, his nine tails lashing behind him like whips. "And you! You swore you could smell the Sigbinan on that Japanese policeman. Instead, you spent your time indulging in his flesh, and for what? Nothing! Your mission was a failure."
Daisuke dropped to his knees, his forehead pressing against the cold floor. "Forgive me, Kaito-san! I will do anything—I will find him. I will bring you the Sigbinan's head!"
The Vigilante's Exit
Back at the 15th Street Bank, the sirens were a deafening chorus. With the gunman neutralized and the hostages safe, The Shadow stood amidst the swirling dust. He turned his head, his gaze locking with Akihiko's for a fleeting, heavy second. There was a flicker of recognition in Aki's eyes—a pull of the soul—before the vigilante flickered and vanished into the gray afternoon.
Ethan moved like a blur, darting toward the alleyway behind the building. He didn't know that three pairs of eyes were watching his every move.
"I see him! Quick, hide!" Jin Ae hissed, pulling her friends behind a stack of industrial crates.
"Where is he? I can't see anything!" Catherine whispered, her heart racing.
Jin Ae adjusted the dial on her specialized glasses. Through the lenses, the world was a map of heat and shadow. "He's there... behind that large parked truck," she pointed, her hand steady.
The Secret Revealed
Ethan reached the cover of the truck, his chest heaving. He looked around to ensure the coast was clear, unaware of the high-tech lenses focused right on him. He took a deep breath and began the reverse incantation:
"I call the light, wrap me with your harmony and bravery. To serve the light and fight the darkness. Ethan!"
In a flash of soft, white radiance, the dark, armored form of The Shadow dissolved. The mask melted away, revealing the sweat-streaked, familiar face of the man who had been sitting in the coffee shop only an hour before.
Behind the crates, Jin Ae's breath hitched. She slowly pulled the glasses down to her neck, a triumphant, dangerous smile spreading across her face.
"Now I know who you are," she whispered into the wind. "Shadow."
TO BE CONTINUED...