Blood boiled underneath his skin while the rage waiting within his mind begged to be unleashed. Yet, despite Leo's own anger and fear, he held it all back, only letting the first flames of his bloodlust ignite. For what was about to happen, he needed all the help he could get.

Ruthless Efficiency: Ignite. He hissed as the skill spread through his body, mind, and soul.

The Cloak of True Night left his Soul Well next, once more drowning his form in darkness. True Stealth washed over his skin, finishing his cordon of protection. He might have no idea how well this one item and skill worked against Nightmares, but it would be stupid not to use them.

Alright, it's now or never. He took a few calming breaths, his eyes never leaving the Nightmares waiting beyond the dome. Just wait for me. Please. Adam and Ava. Wait for me...

Just as Leo was about to search for a place where Nightmares wouldn't instantly jump him upon exit, a shout reached his ears.

"Oi! Beasty! Where the fuck are you going!?"

Growling, he threw the Fallen a glare. "Back. Tell Holden something is wrong with the old site. I'm going to check it out."

"What? How the hell do you even..." Frank shook his head, following after him. "No, screw that. Are you bloody mental?! Don't you see what is waiting out there? You are strong, but those things will kill you before you even get halfway there!"

Leo swallowed but didn't stop as his eyes scanned the land beyond the safe zone. They could say whatever they wanted; his mind was already set. He had to risk it. He had to make sure Ava and Adam were still...

Don't think about it. Just don't. He pushed those intrusive thoughts away, letting bloodlust swallow them whole. "I will be fine. They are thirty percent weaker. I should be able to outrun them."

"Should?" Frank laughed. "You're bloody mad, you know that, right? But fine, I know when I lost. A damn shame, but I can respect it. Some things are worth risking your life for..." The man quietened and clapped his back. "Good luck, Hale."

Leo nodded, pausing at the border's edge just behind the warehouse. He could only see a few Nightmares from this side. If he didn't mess up, he had a real chance of getting away without anyone noticing.

"Thanks. I will see you all later."

The moment those words left his mouth, he dashed through the barrier, the safe zone's warmth leaving his body. He slipped into the nearest alley and waved away the System's notification about Void Storm protection granted to him by one of his traits. It didn't matter, not when the Nightmares posed a bigger danger than the weather.

Without stopping, Reinforcement surged through his veins, the power boost combining with Ruthless Efficiency. For a brief moment, Leo wanted to add Limit Break into the mix, but he dismissed the thought. Arriving half-dead due to overuse of abilities wouldn't help anyone.

Besides, I need to save something for when those fuckers will finally notice me.

For now, he stuck to back alleys and empty buildings, slinking from one corner to another. The howling of Nightmares and constant thrumming of thunder accompanied his every move, pushing him to go faster and faster.

More than once, his heart almost burst out of his chest when a Nightmare flew over his head. They hadn't noticed him yet, but all it would take was one wrong turn to change that. Hell, with Scouters' enhanced senses, each second of freedom could be his last...

'Leo... I'm sorry. I can't get in. The barrier burns too strong,' Nyx's voice entered his mind, her shame and disappointment painting their link. 'Forgive me.'

Jumping behind a cover as two Collectors passed through the street, Leo gritted his teeth. It's... it's fine. You tried. That's all that matters... Did you hear anything else?

'I... Yes,' the feline muttered. Echoes of muffled screams rang in his ears, only confirming her words. 'This was the last of them. It's been silent ever since.'

On one hand, no more screams should have been good news. However, considering that something had caused them, their end could also mean the worst possible scenario. He didn't even want to entertain that thought. Not now, not ever.

You did well. Leo swallowed, resuming his run. I will be there soon.

'Please be careful," Nyx begged. 'There are so many of them...'

I know, and I will.

Another chunk of Essence fuelled the already active Reinforcement, igniting his muscles with additional strength. Bloodlust and rage coming from Ruthless Efficiency also burned brighter than before, the ignition slowly turning into a blaze.

Not yet. Can't turn into a psyc- Fuck! Leo threw himself onto the ground as a gust of compressed air flew just an inch above his head. The projectile crashed against a wall, splattering chunks of Vetilim all around.

Shit. That would have hurt. He scowled, already on his feet once more. He didn't even need to look behind him to know what happened. The new System message was enough.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Pursuit in progress.

Screeches and roars exploded all around him as the earth shook. He cursed and threw all caution in the air. With a swift jump, he claimed the nearest wall, and with another, he landed on the broken roof. At least now, he could choose the path he liked the most...

Goosebumps spreading over his skin, he rolled away from two more wind bullets. He broke into a sprint again, bounding towards the nearest Vetilim vine. More compressed air rained upon him wherever he went, sometimes even obliterating his path into pieces.

Not that Leo worried too much about that. At least not yet. The Scouters behind him were sure annoying, but they didn't attack directly. Somehow, they must have known that, at this point, they weren't a match for him in close quarters. Not with thirty percent of their strength missing.

And it's not like they need to attack me. Just stall and continue the pursuit. He grimaced, the roars of Collectors becoming louder and louder, be it behind or ahead of him.

He risked a glance at the street below and hissed. Here they were. A group of muscled monstrosities following the call of their scouting party.

And this was only the beginning.

----------------------------------------

Leo gasped, dancing away from yet another salvo of wind bullets. With the dozens upon dozens of the Scouters following him, he had taken to diving through any open doors and windows, hoping to catch a breath inside.

Not that such a tactic always paid off. Often, a Collector or two decided to copy his actions, thus cutting off his escape if the building turned out to be in worse shape than he had expected. He earned a few bruises for those mistakes, but at least he was still alive, somehow...

Really? Again!?

Leo growled as he jumped onto the nearest Vetilim web. Up ahead, a group of Collectors, larger than others, climbed on the roof, once more blocking his path. They had tried it once before, but he had managed to slip through them. Only back then, there were two Nightmares waiting for him, not five.

Nonetheless, he couldn't stop or turn around. Stopping meant getting pulverized by dozens of wind bullets, and the other option didn't look much better. Running right into a swarm of Scouters seemed like a great idea. If he wanted to die of course...

The same pretty much applied to the third option: jumping down onto the streets. There, instead of getting swarmed by the legless monkeys, he would get turned into a paste by the numerous Collectors and other Voidlings that joined the chase.

Yeah, fuck that. I will take my chances here. Limit Break to full power.

Pushing past his limits, Leo closed the distance between him and the roof within a second. The first two Collectors swiped at him, their fists coming down to crush his head.

With a slide, he dived underneath them, not even thinking of attacking back as another Nightmare took its turn. The beast moved to grab him, but Leo twirled away, his tails slapping the Collector to buy some time.

Two more. He grinned, watching the remaining monsters move almost in slow motion. Their debuff and his multiple enhancing abilities finally put them at equal standing. The Nightmares might still be stronger, but he was way faster.

And in a race against time, speed was all that mattered.

Or so Leo thought as he slipped past the Collectors, ducking under their swings. They tried to follow up with more attacks, but at this point, he was out of their reach again...

Last straight. Lower Limit Break to one hundred percent.

His heartbeat quicked even more as the golden sheen of a safe zone appeared in the distance. It was still there, still protecting those inside from the horrors of the night. Yet, something went wrong; something caused those screams.

Please let it be just some scared civilians. Please.

Leo dropped to the ground, leaving the remnants of the urban jungle behind. A couple of Collectors greeted him first with their earthshaking roars. But he dodged them, his speed still outmatching theirs.

The same couldn't be said about the Scouters, who never paused their onslaught. A single projectile finally slipped past his defensive instincts, almost drilling a hole in the same shoulder that had recovered from a similar fate not even a day ago.

He hissed, the cracking of bones filling his ears. He stumbled, but his bloodlust quickly consumed the pain. It urged him to turn around and fight, to slaughter those who dared to touch him.

The second and maybe even the third stage of Ruthless Efficiency waited, ready to fan the flames of his rage. And soon, the choice of holding back would be taken away from him. He could feel it.

Not yet! Not now! Leo roared. I will die if I fight.

'You won't,' the whispers of blood echoed in his mind.

'We can win.'

'Slaughter them all.'

'Just let it go.'

'Unleash us!'

No! He snarled, falling to all fours and sprinting the rest of the way like the beast he had become.

He barrelled right into the backdoor he had used so many times before. The hinges held for a fraction of a second, only to burst open, letting him into the old safe zone. Still gasping with eyes closed, he quickly pushed the bloodlust back, disabling Ruthless Efficiency.

Holy shit... I did it. I'm ali...

His entire world came to a stop as Leo opened his eyes, enhanced vision drinking in the sight before him.

Blood, so much blood splattered all over the place. Some was already half dry, while fresh one still dripped from the few bodies scattered on the floor, puddles forming underneath them.

One of the dead survivors stared right at him, dead eyes open wide in fear. Their sunken cheeks and bones straining against the pale skin only added to the macabre. Yet, for Leo, those signs meant something much different.

No...

Jumping to his feet, he ran as fast as possible toward Adam's room. The door was wide open, painted red. And despite that, nothing could have prepared him for what was waiting inside.

A single body lay in the middle, blood flowing out of the multiple holes in its torso. He came closer, collapsing to his knees.

Ava...

Her short hair might have turned almost completely grey. Her body might have lost all of its muscles and fat. However, it was still the woman he had known for years, now dead, never to open her eyes again.

'Leo...' Nyx muttered, but he cut the connection instantly.

Fists clenched, Leo rose slowly, sweeping his gaze over the far-off side of the room. The mattresses that once stood there were almost gone, now covered in a dark, slimy substance that painted everything black. It still bubbled every few seconds, giving him a perfect reminder of where he had seen it before.

He growled even as a lone tear slipped down his face.

Adam... Why...