01 - The Hunter's Mission

The night smelled of death. Burnt flesh, gunpowder, and the lingering stench of monster blood clung to the ruined streets. The city was silent, save for the distant crackle of fires still smoldering in the aftermath of battle.

Elise Dorne stood amidst the wreckage, her breath ragged, twin pistols still smoking in her grasp. Her body was screaming for rest, her limbs sluggish, her vision swimming at the edges-but she didn't collapse. She wouldn't.

Not yet.

A low, guttural snarl shattered the eerie stillness.

Her silver eyes flicked toward the sound, pulse hammering in her ears. From the shadows, something stirred-a massive creature, larger than the others, its sinewy frame shifting unnaturally, as though its body was constantly reshaping itself. Clawed hands scraped against the cracked pavement, carving deep grooves into the earth.

Its sunken red eyes locked onto her, filled with something more than rage.

Hunger.

Elise's grip on her weapons tightened, her chest rising and falling in deep, controlled breaths. Her body screamed at her to run, to stop, to rest-but she forced the exhaustion down, burying it beneath sheer will.

"You bastards never know when to quit, do you?" Her voice was hoarse, but steady.

The creature lunged.

Elise moved on instinct, rolling to the side, her boots skidding against the bloodstained ground. She fired, twin pistols erupting in rapid succession. The bullets struck true, tearing through its chest-but instead of falling, the monster shifted. Its bones snapped and reformed, grotesquely twisting as it absorbed the damage.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. A Regenerator. Fantastic.

It rushed her again, faster this time. She barely dodged, but pain flared in her side as she hit the ground hard. Her breath left her in a sharp gasp. The world blurred for a moment, tilting dangerously.

She had to end this. Now.

Summoning the last dregs of her strength, she raised a trembling hand. Blue sparks crackled at her fingertips, growing into a violent storm of energy. The power coursed through her veins, burning, tearing at her already exhausted body, but she pushed through the pain.

With a snarl, she released it.

A pulse of raw force erupted from her palm, slamming into the creature with the force of a collapsing star. The runes along its grotesque body flickered violently before shattering like broken glass.

It let out a hideous, unearthly scream.

And then-nothing.

Ash scattered in the wind where the creature had once stood.

Elise staggered, knees nearly buckling. She dragged in a breath, chest heaving, vision darkening at the edges. The world tilted again, her body screaming for relief.

But she would not fall.

The battle was over. For now.

The walk back was heavy. The surviving hunters moved in silence, their exhaustion weighing on them like chains. The scent of blood still clung to the air.

Yet, whispers followed Elise.

"She wiped out the last of them with a single blast."

"She's the best hunter we have."

"I don't think I've ever seen someone take down a Regenerator alone."

Elise ignored them. The praise meant nothing.

She only cared about results.

The towering gates of the Elysium Organization groaned open, revealing the stronghold's golden glow. The moment they stepped inside, warmth flooded over them-a healing wave of light that seeped into their very bones.

Soren.

His power washed away the lingering corruption clinging to them. Elise felt the tension in her body ease, the wounds closing, the fatigue dulling.

But the weight on her shoulders? That remained.

The grand hall was alive with movement-hunters tending to the wounded, mechanics repairing weapons, analysts poring over data. Even after a victory, there was no celebration. Only preparation for the next battle.

At the heart of it all stood Soren Elias.

His silver-white hair caught the light, his blue eyes assessing the returning hunters with quiet intensity. The moment he spotted Elise, his gaze darkened.

"You're pushing yourself too hard."

She scoffed, rolling her shoulders. "We got the job done."

Soren stepped closer, raising a hand. A warm, golden glow radiated from his palm, enveloping her in gentle light. The aches in her limbs eased, but not enough to take away the exhaustion buried deep in her bones.

His voice was calm, but firm. "You can't keep burning yourself out like this."

Elise exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering magic. "If I don't, who will?"

Soren's gaze remained unwavering. "We fight to protect, not just to destroy. That includes protecting ourselves."

Before she could argue, the alarms blared.

Red lights flashed overhead.

A soldier burst into the hall, panting. "Commander Elise! Another wave is approaching from the south-larger than the last!"

Elise's exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by the cold, familiar rush of purpose.

She reloaded her pistols with a sharp click, eyes gleaming with renewed fire. "Guess rest will have to wait."

Soren held her gaze for a moment longer, then nodded.

"Then let's move."

The hunt was never over.

The whiskey burned on the way down, settling like embers in Elise's chest, but it did nothing to warm her.

The bar was a hole-in-the-wall joint, dimly lit, its air thick with cigarette smoke and the scent of cheap liquor. A flickering neon sign buzzed faintly above the bartender's head, casting red light over the cracked countertop.

She didn't belong here.

Laughter rippled through the room, drunken voices bleeding together, a murmur of normalcy she hadn't known in years. People played cards at the corner table. A group of bikers clinked their glasses in a messy toast. A woman in a tattered leather jacket swayed to the slow hum of the jukebox.

Elise sat apart from it all, her gloved fingers curled around her glass. She watched the ice melt, water trickling into the amber depths.

And then, like always, the past came creeping in.

Blood. A dark pool spreads across the floor.

Screams. Her mother's voice, raw and broken.

Fire. Licking up the walls, smoke choking the air.

The glass in her grip trembled.

Her fingers twitched, the faintest pulse of her power crackling against her skin. The golden glow barely lasted a second before she forced it down, burying it deep where it couldn't escape. Her emotions made her unstable. Soren had told her that a thousand times, but it didn't matter.

She lifted the glass to her lips, ready to drown the memories in another swallow of whiskey-

"Elise."

The voice was calm. Familiar. Steady.

She didn't need to look up.

Soren.

Even before she saw him, she felt the shift in the air-the faint hum of magic, the weight of his presence settling like a quiet storm. His power was subtle, controlled, a steady glow rather than a raging fire. But it was there, and it called to something deep inside her.

She didn't turn around.

"Soren," she acknowledged, taking a slow sip.

He slid into the seat across from her, the wood groaning beneath his weight. He didn't order a drink. He never did. Instead, his blue eyes searched her face, steady and unreadable.

"You look like hell," he said.

Elise smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Good."

Soren didn't react. He never did. He just leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. The dim light caught the faint shimmer of his power-a soft, golden aura barely visible around his fingertips. A constant, quiet presence. Always in control. Always steady.

Elise wished she could say the same for herself.

"Did you visit the doctor like I asked?"

Her fingers stilled against the glass.

She didn't answer.

"Elise."

"I'm not here for a lecture."

"That's not an answer."

She set her drink down with a soft thunk, patience thinning. "Nightmares aren't something a doctor can fix."

Soren exhaled slowly, his gaze never leaving her. "You don't know that if you never ask."

She clenched her jaw. He didn't get it. No doctor could erase the things she'd seen, the things she'd lost. No prescription would make her sleep easier at night.

She didn't want to sleep easier.

So she changed the subject. "I heard you've got a new mission for me."

Soren's expression flickered-brief hesitation, subtle, but there. He didn't like dropping things, but he knew when to.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a file, thick and heavy with classified reports. He slid it across the table.

Elise picked it up, flipping it open.

The air around Elise dropped, the hum of energy beneath her skin rippling outward. The lights above them flickered-a brief warning, a crack in the control she fought so hard to maintain.

Soren felt it instantly. His eyes sharpened, his power stirring in response, a quiet glow forming around his fingertips. Not a threat. A counterbalance. A tether, should she slip too far.

Elise barely noticed.

Her gaze was locked on the name printed in bold at the top of the file.

Vael Laurent D'Rath.

Her fingers curled over the edge of the folder, knuckles white.

Leader of a notorious mafia syndicate. Trafficking, black market dealings, assassinations. A ghost lurking in the underworld, untouchable.

And now-her target.

She flipped through the pages with slow, deliberate movements. Grainy surveillance photos. Crime scene reports. A list of missing persons, all traced back to his syndicate.

Then she saw it.

A familiar insignia.

Small. Almost unnoticeable.

But she knew it.

The same mark was left behind at the scene of her family's murder.

Her pulse thundered in her ears. Her breathing slowed. The room around her faded, dimming until all she saw was that cursed emblem burned into the corner of the report.

A flicker of movement-Soren's fingers tapping against the table, a grounding force.

"This is connected to them, isn't it?" she asked, her voice quieter now. Tense.

Soren didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened, eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, finally-

"We traced some of the assassins involved in your family's murder back to his organization."

The words hit harder than she expected.

The air crackled.

Elise swallowed, forcing the lump in her throat down.

For years, she had searched. Dead ends. Nothing. A trail went cold before she could even begin to chase it.

But now-

Now she had a name. A face. A target.

Her fingers traced over the printed letters, the quiet crackle of her power making the paper tremble.

This was it. The truth.

Soren watched her carefully. "Elise-"

"I'll handle it." She closed the folder with quiet finality.

Soren sighed. "I know what this means to you, but-"

She pushed back her chair and stood before he could finish. Finished her whiskey in one smooth motion, the burn of it barely registering.

Her silver eyes met his, steady. Unwavering.

"If this leads to the truth," she said, voice like steel, "I won't stop until I have it."

No matter what.

A pause.

Soren exhaled slowly. His power pulsed faintly, a steady warmth brushing against hers, a silent warning wrapped in concern.

But he didn't argue.

He just nodded once.

"...Be careful."

The night air was crisp, biting against Elise's skin as she stepped out of the bar. The city stretched before her, neon lights flickering against the damp pavement, the hum of life continuing as if the world weren't rotting beneath it.

She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, her fingers still tingling with the remnants of her power. She needed to move-needed something to keep the fire inside her from consuming her whole.

She reached into her pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a snap of her fingers. The golden flame flickered at her fingertips before she snuffed it out. A useless habit. She didn't even need to smoke. But the routine gave her something to focus on, something to keep her from spiraling.

She was already heading toward her bike when a voice cut through the night.

"You're slipping."

Soren.

Elise didn't turn. "You're following me now?"

His footsteps were quiet, controlled. He came to stand beside her, arms crossed over his chest. "You didn't even notice I was behind you."

She took a slow drag, exhaling smoke into the cold air. "Doesn't matter."

"It does," he said, tone steady. "Your power reacted in there. If I wasn't with you-"

"I had it under control."

A lie.

Soren didn't call her out on it, but the way he looked at her said enough.

She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "You don't have to worry about me, Soren."

He didn't answer right away. His eyes glowed faintly beneath the streetlights, the same quiet, unwavering light he had always carried. The same one that had kept her grounded when she had nothing left.

Finally, he spoke. "You're walking into dangerous territory, Elise. Vael Laurent D'Rath isn't just some criminal. He moves into the shadow. He's killed people like us before."

Elise smirked. "Then I'll have to make sure he doesn't kill me."

"You think this is funny?"

"No." Her expression hardened. "I think this is justice."

A charged silence stretched between them.

Soren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know what this means to you, but you're not doing this alone."

Elise arched her brow. "You're coming with me?"

"No," he said simply. "But I'm sending someone."

She frowned. "Who?"

"You'll meet them soon enough."

Typical. Soren always played things close to the chest.

Elise tossed the cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath her boot. She turned to her bike, swinging her leg over and gripping the handlebars. "Fine. But don't expect me to slow down for them."

Soren didn't try to stop her. He just stood there, watching as she revved the engine, the roar of the machine filling the empty street.

Before she sped off, he said, "Elise."

She glanced at him.

His gaze was serious. Steady. "Don't let this turn into vengeance."

Her lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"It already is."

Then she was gone, tearing into the night, leaving Soren standing beneath the flickering streetlights, watching as she disappeared into the shadows.