secrets under the silver mist

intro - 0

the wind cried gently for most of that chilly october day, the gentle breeze making its way through the district of gyui as gracefully as a swan glides across a lake. gloomy clouds enveloped most of the pale sky, yet the persistent gold of the sun trickled through gaps of fluffy grey cotton. despite the mourning skies, the people of gyui were as lively as ever, the scent of danger in the atmosphere helping to fuel the mood of the people.

rumors and urban legends circulated across the distinct, at one point becoming too difficult to control or suppress by authorities, naturally leading to a mixed reaction of mass hysteria and excitement. the idea of a supernatural rebellion, emphasis on the apparent success so far, stirring from the roots of the district was terrifying, considering the strange, inexplicable crimes that were on the rise. yet, people were vaguely aware of the corruption that sullied the fertile soil of the district and the thrill of a revolution against those lusting for power and those faux leaders fed them the ripe fruit of anticipation. the mainstream opinion was that these rumors and urban legends of monsters existing alongside them were real. but, how exactly can one define a monster in a world where everyone is tainted by the blank ink of immorality in one way or another?

through long eyelashes and pink-tinted sunglasses (they enhanced her vision especially at night), eyes the color of rich, fertile soil were glued to the dark sky, an unidentifiable allure drawing her to the darkness of the infinite above. without realizing it, the woman furrowed her thick eyebrows and her lips were drawn into a thin morbid line preserved only for the comfort of her own home, thinking of the seeds of sin not quite ready to be cultivated within her yet. she was squatting on the cold concrete beneath her pink platforms, arms crossed over her knees. with her right thumb sitting lightly on her chin, she started to squint at the sky, a mind slowly deconstructing without being fully conscious of it.

suddenly, she felt a slight tug on the sleeve of her beige fur-lined jacket, which brought her back to reality. her eyes detected a small, chubby girl staring at her with big eyes a shade or two lighter than her own, one small arm hiding something behind her back. the woman's face quickly morphed into an expression of delight, although it did not reach her eyes, and she winked at the child, "hey! well, why don't you look at that! it's an adorable child! how do you do, young one?"

the child's face reddened and she slowly revealed the hidden object, which turned out to be a plushie of the woman. the girl averted her eyes as she held out the plushie, "is it possible to get an autograph, sal? i'm a really big fan of yours..."

"why, of course!" salma, known by the public as sal, laughed and dug a gloved hand through her jacket pockets in search of a marker to write her initials on the plushie, at the very least.

salma worked as an agent for the epu (enigma pursuit unit), a governmental department that focused on solving cases relating to unnatural phenomena. she was one of many who were put in the spotlight to ease the throngs of fear and uncertainty. there was a lot that remained surreptitious about the epu, even concealed from those that worked under them, yet people still saw them as saviors of society. after all, the people were being fed lies that could not be proved wrong unless things started to leak. and that they will, just not yet. but with every passing day, the epu gets closer and closer to getting exposed, getting smeared with the consequences of their cover-ups. all people knew were pretty faces and heroic ideals that upheld the pristine reputation of the epu, not of the dirt that lay underneath. at some point, these agents in the spotlight were thrown into the position of a celebrity, which the epu eagerly took on since it meant less spotlight on them, and more on their "models."

finally, salma found a permanent marker and gently took the plushie from the child's hand to sign. she stared at it for a moment. the plushie reduced her to a cute object for comfort while only capturing her public persona, but the meaning within it to that child partially made up for the uncomfortable feeling that was rising in her chest as she started to put her initials and a smiley face on the miniature jacket. it had her olive brown skin, deep dark eyes, and messy long black hair. unsurprisingly, it had her work outfit down to the core as well- with her signature pink-tinted sunglasses, a thin turtleneck the color of pink lemonade underneath a beige jacket, beige cargo pants that matched her jacket, and the pink platforms she always wore.