Unwritten Mythos

No matter what fate had in store for Siren, the outcome wasn't entirely bleak. Once she arrived home, her first instinct was to test her voice, a mixture of curiosity and hope driving her actions. She picked a few familiar songs, ones she had longed to sing, and began her practice. To her surprise, the familiar sensations of her voice gradually returned, and she found herself captivated by the enchanting sound that emerged.

Her singing had improved beyond her expectations. The voice she now possessed was more than just good—it was perfect, surpassing even the boundaries of human appreciation. Siren marveled at the transformation, a touch of disbelief coloring her thoughts. The change had brought an unexpected gift: a voice that was as flawless as it was mesmerizing.

Reflecting on her recent metamorphosis, Siren recalled the sensation of her transformation into what she initially perceived as a mermaid. Her body had adjusted with surprising fluidity, her legs replaced by a graceful fish tail and scales, and fins adorning her form. She gazed into the mirror, enchanted by the sight of her dark blue hair and the otherworldly changes.

The feeling was extraordinary—her legs were gone, but she no longer felt the cold. The transformation into a creature of myth was oddly satisfying. "Adapting to being a monster doesn't seem so difficult after all," she mused, still marveling at her new form.

Yet practical questions soon arose. "How do people with fishtails use the toilet? And how do they mate?" Siren pondered, only to dismiss these concerns as she realized they were not immediately solvable.

Returning to her human form, Siren turned her attention to the computer. The song she had just posted online had not yet garnered much attention. Given her absence over the past month, it was understandable that many of her fans had moved on. However, she was determined to start anew.

With renewed resolve, she said aloud, "The old won't go away if the new doesn't come. I need to rebuild my fanbase and rediscover that original spark."

She was confident that her singing would once again attract listeners, and she hoped for a bit of assistance from those who remembered her. Her optimism paid off sooner than expected. Within half an hour, the data for her new song began to surge dramatically, capturing the attention of many and rekindling interest in her voice.

...

In a modest rental house, a game streamer was deep into a high-stakes shooting game, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he maneuvered through the screen's rain of bullets. His live stream was abuzz with activity, but today, the chat was unusually persistent. The comments section was overflowing with the name of a song, posted repeatedly by seemingly everyone in his audience.

The streamer's concentration wavered. He frowned at the screen. "No need to spam, everyone. I'll check it out later, okay? Let me finish this game first."

But the spamming only intensified. What started as a trickle of song requests had morphed into a deluge. It was as though the entire chat had united in a single, relentless chorus. The streamer was bewildered, his irritation giving way to confusion.

As he was about to address the frenzy again, his cell phone rang.

"Hey?"

"Plums? What's up?"

"Wait, what? Listen to music?"

"What music are you talking about?"

The conversation continued, but the streamer's attention was divided. "Yeah, yeah, I'll check it out," he said, hanging up. He turned off the game and started searching online for the song that everyone was so fervently recommending.

To his surprise, the song had skyrocketed to the top of the trending charts. He clicked on the link, and the moment the music played, a beautiful, haunting melody filled the room. It was a sound that tugged at the heart, natural and deeply moving.

As he listened, the streamer's expression turned blank. The song's allure was overwhelming. "Phat..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "To let more people hear, that's what she wants."

Without a second thought, he began sharing the song frantically. He sent it to friends, posted it on social media, and even broadcasted it to his chat group. Old contacts, friends from ten years ago, received the song, their curiosity piqued.

It wasn't just him. In his friend list, everyone was sharing the song. The internet went into a frenzy. From news outlets to social media, everyone was caught up in the whirlwind of this song's popularity. People who had never heard the music before were intrigued and listened, only to find themselves sharing it further.

Within a single night, the song had captured the nation's attention, spreading like wildfire. News channels, media outlets, and every corner of the internet buzzed with the melody. Siren, who was oblivious to the chaos unfolding, was inadvertently unifying the human race through her voice, her music becoming a shared experience across the globe.

...

The next day at noon, Enko wandered through the city, bewildered by the peculiar scene unfolding before him. Everywhere he turned, the same song played incessantly. It echoed from phones, TVs, and speakers on the street. It seemed as if the entire city was entranced by this melody.

Enko's curiosity grew as he observed the people around him. They were transfixed, eyes glued to their devices, completely absorbed in the song. Not a single person was attending to their usual tasks. It was as if a collective spell had been cast over the city.

He approached a nearby snack stall, where the owner stood, seemingly oblivious to Enko's presence. Enko waved his hand in front of the owner's face, but the owner didn't flinch. His gaze was locked on his phone, as if enchanted.

"This is not right," Enko muttered to himself. His instincts told him something was off.

He decided to take a closer look. He walked to the counter, grabbed two boxes of chewing gum, and, despite the owner's lack of response, scanned the code to pay. The transaction went through without a hitch, and Enko left the stall, still puzzled.

As he strolled through the city, Enko noticed the strange behavior was not limited to the snack stall. It was the same everywhere he went. He visited a gold shop, where the salespeople ignored him completely. He wandered into a cinema, but even the ticket takers were too absorbed in their devices to notice him. He saw a female student who, caught up in the song, was completely unaware of her surroundings.

"Everyone's listening to this song," Enko thought, his mind racing. "Back at the lab, the people were just as absorbed... It's like they're all brainwashed."

Enko pondered for a moment before heading back to Nanyan. The scene that greeted him was disheartening—Nanyan lay in ruins, abandoned since the last attack. 004 Queen Bee had clearly fled, leaving behind an empty shell of her former lair.

After an unsuccessful search, Enko made his way to the Black Fang bar. The bar, too, was nearly deserted. Only the bartender remained, immersed in the same haunting song that seemed to have captivated everyone. Enko, feeling out of place, left the bar and headed towards Avee's house.

He hesitated briefly before knocking on the door. It was answered by Avee's wife, her face a mixture of relief and concern.

"You're Enko?" she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

Enko nodded, taken aback. She was the first person to address him directly today. Before he could respond, she rushed on, "Has Avee's body been found yet?"

Enko was momentarily confused. "Avee's body? No, it hasn't been found."

Avee's wife's face fell. "The police are still searching for it. Not just Avee, but several other policemen are missing too. The police say they're investigating, but no one has come back."

Her voice trembled as she continued. "Avee kept talking about some monster Fish-Man before he disappeared. He always said it wasn't terrorists but something far worse. I don't believe the terrorists killed him—if they had, there'd be something left."

She looked at Enko with pleading eyes. "You don't have to lie to me. I know Avee trusted you. He wore this key around his neck every day, never letting it out of his sight. If he gave it to you, he must have trusted you with it."

Enko remained silent, torn between his own uncertainties and the raw need for answers reflected in her gaze.

"Avee trusted you," she said softly, her voice breaking. "I believe you're a good person, Enko. Please, tell me what you know. I just want to understand how my husband died."

Enko's thoughts churned as he absorbed Avee's wife's words. The notion of being a "good person" felt hollow and elusive. He knew his own actions, however well-intentioned, hadn't always been virtuous. The label didn't quite fit, and his role in Avee's fate weighed heavily on him.

He looked up, meeting her gaze. "This… I can't help you. I believe the police will find Avee's body in time."

His words seemed to offer little solace, but they were all he could provide. "I came here to confirm something else."

Avee's wife's eyes were filled with desperation. "What do you need to confirm?"

Enko's mind was focused on the pervasive song that had disrupted everything. "Have you heard any song recently? Something that's been going around?"

She shook her head, puzzled. "No, after Avee left, we've rarely even watched TV."

Enko nodded, his mind racing. The song, the overwhelming influence it had, and the strange occurrences seemed connected. If the song had become a phenomenon overnight, could it be tied to the chaos unfolding around him?

"Alright," Enko said, his voice calm but his thoughts turbulent. "Thank you for your time."

...

Enko walked into Tang Yan's room, expecting to find the man under the spell of the mysterious song. But instead, Tang Yan was staring out the window, seemingly in a trance.

"Hey, fatty?" Enko called out.

Tang Yan remained unresponsive, which reinforced Enko's assumption. He moved toward the bed where the diary lay, eager to discover any crucial details. But just as he reached for it, Tang Yan's head snapped around.

"No, what do you want to do?" Tang Yan asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Enko halted, realizing that Tang Yan might not be under mind control after all. "You're fine?"

Tang Yan frowned, lifting a hearing aid from his ear. "What did you just say?"

Enko was taken aback. "A hearing aid? So you've been hearing things differently?"

"Indeed," Tang Yan said with a weary smile. "I dreamed about today's events last night, but when I woke up, everyone else was already under control."

Enko's suspicion grew. "Why didn't you warn anyone?"

Tang Yan's expression was one of helplessness. "I meant to, but the control took hold too quickly. It was already too late."

Enko raised an eyebrow. "You could've at least given us a heads-up before it happened."

Tang Yan's face tightened. "Ah… I usually forget most of my dreams after waking up. It's hard to remember everything so clearly."

"But you remembered the lottery numbers?"

"That's because I wrote them down immediately," Tang Yan explained. "Otherwise, I'd forget them too."

Enko pressed on, "Regarding this song, what else do you know?"

Tang Yan shook his head vigorously. "I only knew that everyone lost their minds on the second day. The mastermind is a girl with the stage name Hope…"

"Do you know where she is now?" Enko asked urgently.

Tang Yan's expression was grim. "I don't know. But I have a feeling that you'll find something this time."

"Is this what you saw in your dream?" Enko asked, skeptical but hopeful.

"Yes," Tang Yan confirmed.

Enko scrutinized Tang Yan, sensing that the man was being genuine. Despite the peculiar circumstances, Tang Yan seemed to be forthcoming.

"I'll take your word for it, for now," Enko said, deciding to give Tang Yan the benefit of the doubt.

Tang Yan grinned with a mix of relief and satisfaction. "Heh, then you can completely trust me! You don't need to rush; just wait 2 more days, and everyone will be back to normal!"

"Stop being lazy," Enko said with a hint of exasperation. "Get some rest and see what the next few days bring. Don't waste your abilities."

With that, he turned on his heel and left Tang Yan's room, the door closing softly behind him.

...

Two days later, as Tang Yan had predicted, everyone returned to normal. It seemed that having a future diary was incredibly useful. If Enko could get his hands on such a diary, it would be a significant advantage. But was it worth killing Tang Yan for it? It seemed a bit extreme, even cruel.

Tang Yan suddenly shivered. "Strange," he muttered, "I have a awful premonition."

Tang Yan hurriedly flipped open another diary—a record of all the information he had seen in his dreams. Every morning, he would write down the details of his dreams in this book.

As he scanned through the pages, he read faster and faster, his eyes widening with each line. "Ah... Take action, capture a female, then... someone comes... kill us all?"

Tang Yan's heart raced as his pupils dilated in horror. "What the hell?!"

With a frantic shout, he clutched the diary tightly and bolted out the door.

In the experimental area, Varian had just regained his senses and was fuming. "Damn, that song... It's a memetic attack, isn't it?"

"Everyone's been controlled, and the control lasted for nearly seventy hours?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "This is even worse news. We're now potential victims of mental pollution, temporarily classified as 007-1. We need to stay vigilant."

"Block all information about the song on the internet immediately!"

The team was under the impression that 007 was merely a song, and those affected by it were considered 007-1—individuals who had been mentally polluted.

Enko then entered the meeting room, interrupting their discussion. "Everyone, I hate to break it to you, but the problem isn't just the song. The real issue is the person who sang it."

"The singer is 007—a mermaid, or perhaps Siren. The song is merely an action of 007."

"And the profile for 006 should be updated. It's not Aurora; it's Fateweaver."

"How do you know that?" Varian asked.

Enko sighed, covering his face. "I guess."

Varian's eyes widened in confusion. "?"

He quickly shook off the moment of doubt. "Never mind. You've been right so far. If you say she's Siren, then she must be."

"007 Siren is extremely dangerous. We should move immediately to capture her."

He turned to Enko. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Enko shrugged nonchalantly. "As long as you wear hearing aids and avoid hearing 007's singing while on the move, you should be fine."

"Got it. If you have anything else to add, let me know before we head out."

Varian nodded curtly and turned, readying himself for action. Finding 007 shouldn't be too challenging. With the song's release, they could trace her network IP to locate her.

"Everyone, let's go!" Varian's command rang out, and the team set off with purpose.

As Varian and his team departed, Enko stifled a yawn, expecting the day to continue in its usual rhythm. But then, Tang Yan burst into the room, breathless and frantic.

"Where did they go? Where are they headed?!"

"On their way to capture 007," Enko replied, trying to calm the sudden chaos.

"No, that's not good!" Tang Yan's face was pale with anxiety. He bit his nails nervously. "If they capture 007, the monster will come after them!"

"Done for, done for—" Tang Yan's voice trembled. "We have to run quickly!"

Enko's eyebrows knitted together. "What did you see?"

Tang Yan's teeth clenched. "A bee!"

"A bee?"