Prologue
No one is sure where they originally came from. Not that it matters. Some isolated factory in China? Who cares. What truly matters is that they went viral. In the age of TikTok and Stanley Cups, the Labubu's fit right in. They became a figurative commodity as soon as they hit the market. Mass-produced and sold in "blind boxes". Rare and limited editions. High demand is fueled by an easily influenced audience obsessed with trends. Scammers, fakes, and resellers flooded the market. People scramble for their chance to own a rare version, spending hundreds of dollars. Only for someone to come along and cut the tag, stealing it.
Then the customization came. Wigs, nails, makeup, clothes, and dyeing tutorials. Anything you could think of to make them human-like. Again, Labubus flooded the market. People who were hesitant to buy the blind boxes worried they wouldn't get the one they wanted, now flocked to get one. Excited about the prospect of DIYing the precious monsters. Other companies and corporations got in on the trend, collaborating with the little creatures. Songs and dances to appeal to the younger crowd. It seemed these things would be the talk of social media forever. Even people against Labubus were talking about them.
Inspired by Nordic folklore, claims that Labubus are evil, cursed, haunted, and demonic started appearing online. With their pointed ears, wide, sharp-toothed grin, and named similarly to the Mesopotamian mythological demon, Pazuzu. Fueled by AI-generated content and a young user base obsessed with thrills. It wasn't that difficult to see how the misinformation could spread on social media. But there's no way the rumors could be true, right?
It all started with one Labubu, named "Roo" and owned by an 11-year-old girl, Abby. Abby lived with her mother, a practicing witch who specialized in herbal remedies and dispelling negative energies. Who would have thought her rituals would affect little Roo? Who would've thought it would set off a chain of events intent on destroying humanity? Who would've thought the little monsters, created from whismy, would become so bloodthirsty?
