[Amoux... My brave child...survive and end the curse.]
Ox awoke unexpectedly when he heard a familiar voice. He hasn't heard that voice in hundreds of years. The gentle man's voice that always woke him up in his sleep. Ox is curious about him, but he believes the voice was a hallucination.
He stared up out the small window in his tiny studio room. The sun was beginning to rise. Even though it was very early to go to work, Ox decided to do so because he was having trouble sleeping again. He prepared and then proceeded to the bookstore. The book store appeared to be closed when he arrived, it was as he expected since it is still very early to be open. But he didn't worry because he has a spare key after working here for six years. After another one or two hours, Felix would most likely arrive and open the store, so he just decided to stay inside and start browsing the books he hadn't finished reading the day before.
Ox was well aware that he was not a normal human but instead a half werewolf. He's been in this world for nearly 3000 years and has traveled the globe numerous times, but many mysteries about him remain unsolved. He's spent his entire life running away from the same tribe he came from after feeling the bloodlust they had for him. And he's trying to discover an information about him, but he only found nothing. He's been searching for his true identity for years. Ox was reading and taking a close look at the book he was holding when he was startled by a sudden voice.
"Are you a fan of the werewolf legend?"
Ox abruptly dropped the book and stepped back. His senses were unable to detect the presence of the person in front of him. Ox didn't even hear the woman's footsteps. Like she was a rabbit who moves silently in the middle of a dangerous dark forest. She has no presence at all!
"Did I startle you? I'm sorry..." she said, apologetic and concerned. Her face have an unfamiliar expression that Ox can't understand. Was it they called worry?
After feeling a bloodshed toward this human, Ox calmed himself. At that moment, he stopped himself from becoming a beast. People have avoided him for thousands of years, and he has no idea why. This is the first time someone has approached him without first approaching them. This is far too suspicious, his mind unsettles. After calming himself, he looked at the person in front of him, and, as expected, it was the same person he met the day before. The woman, who suspiciously look for books about werewolves yeasterday, was currently staring at Ox through the empty bookshelf on the other side of the shelf, where Ox was standing.
"...You're Ox, right? My name is Annalisa, but you can call me Lisa for short." The lady gave Ox a soft smile as he gazed at her. Through the empty bookshelf, Lisa extended her hand to shake hands with Ox. Before answering, Ox picked up the book he had dropped. "I am Ox," Ox simply replied, even though Lisa had already said his name, and also he did not accept Lisa's hand and continued reading. Lisa dropped her hand and smiled awkwardly when she realized Ox had no care in her hand.
"So, there you go. Are you a fan of werewolf myth? Do you believe the legends about them? Do you want to know if they're real? I'm the same way! " Lisa exclaimed, even though Ox didn't say anything or give her any answers. Ox just acted as if no one was in front of him, and Lisa felt as if she was talking to the air. "You are, right? So, talk to me! I'd like to learn more about werewolves!" Even if Ox didn't mind Lisa, she still persistently getting Ox attention. "According to legend, werewolves have lived for thousands of years. Do you believe it's true? So, is it possible that werewolves are still alive and lurking around the city today?" Even if Ox wasn't answering, Lisa just kept talking, and for him, it wasn't fine. It's very annoying.
Ox calmed himself by closing his eyes tightly. He can't stand lots of noise! "... Ms. Lisa, right?" Ox asked haphazardly.
Lisa excitedly nodded. She concluded , might be going to speak to her right now. "I can report you for trespassing in a closed store," Ox said callously, pointing to the closed sign on the book store's door. Lisa was flustered, she couldn't believe this Ox she'd just met was such a bastard. She just wants someone to talk to about werewolves with! She took a loud step to the door, and Ox expected this annoying girl to leave now, but instead of walking out the book store, Lisa simply decided to turn the close sign into the open!
Lisa smiled nonchalantly at him after Ox gave him an unbelievable look. "Now that the store is open, can we talk?" she asked, as if she were holding a competition with Ox. Ox walked straight up to the door and changed the open sign to a closed one. He clicked his tongue as he was irritated every time he spoke with this woman. "Felix is the only one who can open the store, so maybe you should leave now and wait for him if you don't want to be reported," he said firmly as he voluntarily opened the door to let the woman out.
Lisa's happy expression changes to annoyance. She gave Ox a death glare as she exited the bookstore, slamming the door behind her. She was irritated even more when Ox teasingly waved his hand at her. At that moment, she almost wants to raise her middle finger. But let's come back later after she's calmed down. In fact, she shouldn't be irritated by these petty things. Since birth, she had been taught to conceal her emotions. Her family was very strict in every way. Lisa had been trained in many forms of physical combat since she was a child; daggers, katanas, knives, martial arts, you name it, and she knew how to use it. Her appearance may be innocent and fragile, but her body will not break down. And she's been mastering the art of masking her emotions since she was a child, but this emotionless man she just met makes her doubt herself for some reason! He certainly gets on her nerves.
Ox was finally at ease when the woman named Lisa vanished before his eyes. His eyes widened; he needed to start looking for information about that woman. It's suspicious how she's attempting to approach him. He then went to a phone booth near the bookstore and dialed a secret number. The phone only rang three times before being answered. "I need information about a woman named Annalisa." Ox said sternly, then hung up the phone. He didn't bother explaining who Annalisa was or waiting for an answer because he is confident that the answer he seeks will be forthcoming soon. Those people worked more precisely than anyone else. He can just wait until night time and the information he wants will be waiting in his doorstep.