Chapter 9: Shadows in the Dark

Kieran's breath was ragged as he stumbled forward, dragged by the unknown figure. His body screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop now.

Behind him, the woman and the man weren’t chasing—not yet. They were assessing. Watching.

The gunman who had interfered? Gone.

“Who—” Kieran tried to speak, but his rescuer cut him off. “Not now. Move.”

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His vision swam, but he followed. The alley twisted into darkness, a maze of forgotten paths between towering buildings. The sound of the city faded, swallowed by the night.

Only when they reached a hidden space—some kind of abandoned underground passage—did the stranger release him.

Kieran collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His hands trembled, still crackling with residual energy.

His rescuer stood in the shadows, features obscured by the dim lighting. He wasn’t masked, but his face remained unreadable.

Silence stretched.

Then, finally—

“You weren’t supposed to survive that.”

Kieran’s blood ran cold.

The stranger knew. Knew what he was. Knew what had happened to him.

And Kieran had a feeling…

This wasn’t a rescue.

This was an evaluation.