Escalating Hunt

The night in Viremont tasted like metal. Cold, sharp, and heavy on my tongue.

I kept moving, boots scuffing against cracked pavement as the neon lights overhead flickered like dying stars. The city was restless. Rogues skulked in the alleys, whispers followed me like smoke, and every step felt like a warning: You’re being watched.

Roman’s voice replayed in my head from hours earlier. “They’re not going to stop, Nora. Silver Ash doesn’t just hunt—they purge. You need to be ready to do the same.”

I hated that he was right.

The streets stretched long and empty, but I could feel them—shadows trailing, pressing in. My pulse quickened, a predator’s rhythm. I wasn’t sure if I was more afraid of them catching me… or of what I’d do when they did.

A sound cracked through the quiet. A bottle rolling across the street.

I spun, claws half-sprung before I even realized it. My eyes burned amber, my wolf pushing forward with a growl that wasn’t entirely mine.

Out of the dark stepped Kael, casual as e