A Court of Lost Stars - Chapter 5: Fox and The City

Aaron, a wildlife biologist, became a military strategist right after a global war between nations began.He never wanted to participate in the war but he had to, because he wanted to continue his studies on endangered species the moment the war was over, but to his surprise, everyone in his unit were killed, including him, and the next thing he knew, Aaron woke up in the body of a young noble having a similar name to his.However, he also noticed he had awoken in a world different from Earth.In this world, demonic beasts ran rampart with only one thought in mind, causing them to feed on anyone they see, be it humans, elves or even magical beasts as well.During his first encounter with a magical beast, Aaron awakened a system which allowed him to bond with magical beasts and to obtain terrifying abilities from these bloodcurdling magical beasts, so he used his experience as a wildlife biologist to help make it easier for him to bond with these beasts.However, Aaron also noticed he could evolve these beasts if their loyalty towards him had reached a certain level, so he vowed in his heart to grow strong enough to protect those he cared about in this world with the hope of living a happy, peaceful life where he'll be able to focus fully on his passion as a wildlife biologist.

A terrible calamity has fallen onto Zhang Fan, not only becoming one of the three survivors of Grass Temple Village, where everyone else was horribly massacred, he was also tasked to carry one of the most evil artifacts, the Sinister Bead, and taught one of the most secret teachings of the Skysong Sect, the Brahmin Wisdom. Now he cultivates in the Jadeon Sect, his knowledge and possession will draw him into a chaotic story where he will have to carry some of the greatest burdens of the Martial World.

When the Earl’s daughter, Serafiona, met the Holy Beast, she realized that she had reincarnated as the villainess of a fantasy novel that she had read in her previous life. This is the story of Serafiona avoiding her worst fate and her dream to become an adventurer with the Holy Beast, Lu.

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.