CHAPTER 1: THE FATEFUL NIGHT

The once-bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur had metamorphosed into an eerie and disquieting place as darkness descended upon the city. The towering edifices loomed above, casting elongated shadows over the poorly-lit thoroughfares. The air was thick with the distant clamor of sirens and the scent of cigarette smoke and inexpensive perfume. It was a place where peril lurked around every corner, where the unwary could easily succumb to the seedy underbelly of the city. A woman emerged from a motel and found herself meandering through this treacherous landscape, her heart pounding with trepidation and fatigue. Her feet throbbed, and her head pulsed as she endeavored to navigate her way through the labyrinthine alleyways and neon signs of the notorious red-light district, a place recognized for its illicit activities and dubious characters. The darkness appeared to be encroaching upon her, and she struggled to keep moving forward.

As she stumbled toward an alleyway, hoping to find some reprieve from the pandemonium of the street, a wave of nausea washed over her from the libation she shared with her previous client. She leaned against the wall for support, frantically attempting to prevent herself from collapsing. Her vision blurred, and she felt as though she was on the verge of losing consciousness. It was then that she observed something rolling towards her. Initially, she believed it was merely refuse, but as it drew nearer, she realized with horror that it was a human head. Her thoughts raced as she attempted to comprehend the situation. How had this occurred? Who was responsible? Was the perpetrator nearby? Despite her terror, she understood that she couldn't abandon the head there. She had to take action. But what? She stood paralyzed, her mind racing as she attempted to formulate a plan. Shortly thereafter, she relinquished her efforts and emitted a piercing scream for assistance. Passersby were drawn to her cries and congregated to observe.

Voices began to circulate around the area as people talked amongst themselves in hushed tones, some gossiping while others were too shocked to even form coherent sentences. However, a man with a clear head and a sense of urgency in his voice shouted, "Quick, call the police department and an ambulance!" The people around him started to act, some rushing to find a phone while others stayed close to the scene in case they could be of any help.

Not long after, a patrol car arrived on the scene, its siren wailing through the night. The policemen jumped out of the car, their guns at the ready as they surveyed the area. They quickly assessed the situation and began to secure the area, questioning anyone who had witnessed the incident.

Somewhere in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, the stillness of the night was broken by the incessant ringing of a phone in a nearby residential area. A young man, in his mid-twenties, stirred in his sleep, disturbed by the noise. He slowly opened his eyes, realizing that the phone was right next to him on the nightstand. He groggily reached out to pick up the phone, feeling the coolness of the air on his bare chest. As he struggled to focus his blurry vision, he wondered who could be calling him at this hour.

As he answered the phone, he heard a familiar voice on the other end. "Fawkes, it's Officer Wong. We have a case and I need you to come to the spot right away."

Fawkes groggily rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the sleep. "What's the situation, Wong?"

"It's a homicide. We found a body in an alleyway in the red light district. It's a mess down here and we could really use your expertise."

Fawkes sighed, knowing he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

As he hung up the phone, Fawkes could feel his heart rate increase. He knew that when Officer Wong called him in the middle of the night, it meant something serious had happened. He quickly got dressed, throwing on some clothes and grabbing his coat on the way out. He made his way through the quiet streets of Kuala Lumpur, the only sound the hum of his car's engine.

As he drove, Fawkes glanced at his watch. It was nearly 2am, and the city was eerily quiet. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping over him as he got closer to the crime scene. He knew that Officer Wong would have called him if it was something urgent, and the fact that he had been woken up in the middle of the night only added to his anxiety.

When he arrived, Officer Wong approached him and briefed him on the details they had found.

"Certainly, what can you tell me about the victim?" Fawkes asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Officer Wong sighed heavily before responding. "Unfortunately, not much. We don't have any identification on him and our forensic team hasn't been able to come up with anything yet. It's like he just appeared out of thin air."

Fawkes nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing as he considered the possibilities. "And the scene itself? Any signs of struggle or evidence of what might have happened?"

Wong shook his head. "No struggle, no blood, nothing. It's like he was placed there, almost staged. We're still going over the area with a fine-toothed comb, but so far, nothing."

Fawkes chewed on his lower lip for a moment, his mind racing with possibilities. "Alright, keep me posted on any updates. I want to know the moment anything new comes up."

Wong nodded, a look of determination crossing his face. "You can count on it, Detective."

After the conversation, Fawkes walked towards the crime scene, his mind still racing with questions about the bizarre case. He approached the decapitated head and examined it closely, trying to make sense of the strange circumstances surrounding it. As he was deep in thought, he heard a group of people in the crowd murmuring about something called the "Penanggalan," and it caught his attention.

Intrigued, Fawkes walked over to a young woman who seemed to be particularly spooked by the mention of the word. "Excuse me," he said, trying to sound as friendly as possible, "but I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the Penanggalan. Would you mind telling me more about it?"

The woman looked at Fawkes nervously before hesitantly replying, "It's a kind of demon, sir. My grandmother used to tell me stories about it when I was a little girl. They say that it's a creature without a body that feeds on the blood and souls of its victims. It looks for a body that it likes and takes it over, leaving the original person lost and without an identity."

Suddenly, Fawkes felt a telepathic message in his mind. "Master, do you sense it? A strained spirit," Flemix said urgently. Fawkes became cautious and replied, "Yes, but it's too faint. I couldn't sense much of it. Flemix, can you search for it?"

Out of nowhere, a sparrow-like flaming bird appeared. As the bird came out, the crowd started chatting about feeling suddenly hot in the cold night. No one knew the heat was generated by the bird as it could only be seen by Fawkes. Flemix nodded its head and replied, "Yes, master." Swiftly, Flemix soared around the sky, scanning the area to pinpoint the location of the strained spirit.

Fawkes watched Flemix soar and felt a sense of gratitude for his companion's unique abilities. As the bird scoured the area, Fawkes felt a tingling sensation in the back of his neck, a sign that they were getting closer to the source of the spirit.

Meanwhile, the chatter in the crowd grew louder, and Fawkes could hear people whispering about the "Penanggalan." The mention of the demon piqued Fawkes' interest, and he wondered if there was any connection between the strained spirit and the urban legend. He made a mental note to do some research on the topic later.

As Flemix flew around the bustling town of Kuala Lumpur, her sharp eyesight caught sight of a naked man in his twenties walking unconsciously in a particular direction, passing through every person he touched. She screeched loudly, and the sound caught the attention of Fawkes, who was waiting for a signal from the bird. Without wasting any time, Fawkes said goodbye to Officer Wong, who had been assisting him in the case. He instructed Officer Wong to update him as soon as possible if there were any updates on the case. With Flemix leading the way, Fawkes ran towards the source of the strained spirit, he knew that they had found what they had been looking for.

As they ran towards the location, the screech not only caught the attention of Fawkes, but it also caught the attention of the spirit. Suddenly, the man regained consciousness, and he was surprised to see the strange creature flying above him. He had never seen anything like it before, and he was shocked. As he started to freak out, he ran in the opposite direction, shouting to everyone nearby to run with him. However, nobody seemed to be listening to him.

It didn't take long for Fawkes to arrive at Flemix's location, and together they gave chase to the spirit through the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur. Passersby were perplexed at the sight of Fawkes running towards nothing, but the duo knew exactly where they were headed. Suddenly, the spirit collided with a man while sprinting, and it passed through the man's body, causing him to stop in his tracks. The man was now thoroughly confused, his mind filled with a multitude of questions.

The spell "Barrira" was known for its defensive properties, as it prevented anything from entering or leaving the circle. Fawkes had hoped that the spell would contain the spirit without causing any harm. He chanted the spell, the magic circle appeared with the man in the middle, and the white vertical cylinder surrounded him, effectively trapping him inside. The spirit pounded on the walls of the cylinder, but the spell held strong. Fawkes approached the trapped spirit and spoke in a calm voice, "Please, calm down. I'm not here to hurt you." His words were meant to reassure the spirit and make it understand that he wasn't an enemy. Fawkes knew that he needed to find out more about this spirit.

Fawkes' voice reached the man, who began to calm down. He regained his senses and felt depressed, asking Fawkes, "What happened to me? Why am I able to pass through people, and why can't anyone hear me?" Without waiting for Fawkes to respond, Flamix answered on behalf of her master, "You are no longer among the living, mortal. You have passed away and are now a spirit." The man was shocked and initially denied the truth, but it slowly began to sink in, impacting his mind. He dropped to his knees and started to cry uncontrollably.

The man slowly stopped crying as he became more emotionally stable. Fawkes then asked him a series of questions, "Do you know what happened to you? Why are you here? Are you related to the crime scene nearby? Do you know what a penanggalan is?" However, the man was unable to provide any answers. Fawkes sighed, and finally asked him if he remembered his name. The man struggled to remember and eventually answered, "H... Hu...". A sharp pain shot through his mind as he tried to recall his name. Fawkes comforted him and suggested they take a break for now, with the hope of finding answers when he is more stable.

Fawkes dismissed the "Barrira" spell he had cast earlier and said to the man, "It's almost 4am in the morning, let's go back to my house first and I'll help you find your identity." The man agreed, and they walked in the direction of Fawkes's car. While walking, Flemix yawned and asked if there wasn't any more business, as she was going back to the magic realm. Fawkes agreed, and Flemix vanished into thin air. They reached the car, and Fawkes started it, but the man was unable to touch the door handle. Fawkes noticed this and concentrated his magic energy into the man's body, helping him to materialize. They then drove towards Fawkes's house.