All Chapters of Shadows and First Blood: Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

The world felt empty. Not the quiet of the night, or the stillness of a deserted alley, but the kind of emptiness that gnawed at the edges of your soul, leaving hollows where laughter, warmth, and life once lived. Travis was gone. Every corner of my mind replayed the last moments—the weakness in his grip, the faint smile he gave me as life slipped from him, the final whispered words that now haunted my every breath: “Alive… together… always…”I sat on a rooftop overlooking the city, knees pulled tight to my chest, rain beginning to drizzle, cold droplets soaking through my coat. The fog rolled in from the streets below, curling like fingers around the buildings, hiding the world from view. And yet, the fog didn’t hide the memories of him—his laughter, his stupid, charming grin, the way he teased to mask his worry.I let my head fall into my hands. The city noises were distant, almost meaningless. Every siren,

The streets had a new edge to them now—sharper, meaner, less forgiving. Travis was gone, and the world hadn’t softened because of it. The city hummed around me, indifferent to loss, indifferent to survival. The alleys that had once felt like shortcuts now seemed like labyrinths lined with invisible traps.I moved cautiously, every sense alert. Hunters still prowled, still tested boundaries, still sought me out. I kept to the shadows, learning every corner, every flicker of neon, every shadowed doorway. I carried Travis’s memory like armor, a fuel that mixed grief with something sharper: determination.A man stepped from a doorway, cigarette smoke curling from his lips. He didn’t see me at first, just lit the tip of his cigarette and exhaled a lazy stream of smoke. But instinct had me pressed against the wall, knife tucked into my coat, eyes tracking every micro-movement.He glanced my way, suspicious. I held my breath, letting the fog and shadows blend me into t