“It’s over.” Conrad’s voice carried the weight of certainty, his pale fingers swirling a glass of crimson liquid as he leaned back in his leather armchair. The vast windows of the penthouse framed the cityscape, but his sharp, ancient eyes were focused elsewhere. He turned to Kadir, his lips curling into a smug smile. “Faraday has sent word. The daywalker is in my grasp.”

Kadir stood by the window, his back to Conrad. His arms were crossed, and the faint hum of his Flux aura was a subtle presence in the room. He didn’t turn to face the elder vampire immediately. Instead, he squinted slightly, as if searching the distant horizon for an answer only he could see. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and calm. “What battle were you watching, Conrad?”

Conrad stiffened, his confidence flickering for a fraction of a second. “The one where my agent, a superior vampire, outmaneuvered your Flux wielder like the child he is. Kadir, your defiance is admirable, but it’s wasted. The prize will soon be here.”

Kadir turned, his piercing gaze locking onto Conrad’s crimson eyes. “The future isn’t set in stone. You and I both know that. The battlefield is still moving, and no one can claim victory until Kyon is standing in this room.” He stepped closer, his voice sharpening. “You may have Faraday, but even the strongest predators falter when the prey fights back. You’ve underestimated him.”

Conrad scoffed, setting his glass down with a soft clink. “Defiant to the end. Typical of a damned Flux user.” He waved a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t matter. Your bravado will mean nothing when the daywalker is mine.”

Kyon First Person Point Of View.

The mist swirled around us like a living thing, its cold, damp strands clinging to my skin and obscuring everything beyond a few feet. The vampire moved swiftly, his grip on my neck iron-tight, dragging me through the haze like some phantom. My mind was a storm of disorientation and dread, my Echo Flux straining desperately to make sense of the chaos.

Even through the oppressive fog, I could feel them—the hunters. Their movements were faint blips at the edges of my awareness, deliberate and steady, like predators closing in on their prey. I couldn’t see them, not directly, but I didn’t need to. The cold steel of their weapons radiated purpose, and I could feel the faint, deadly presence of Argent bullets.

The vampire slowed, his shoe gliding over the cracked floor without a sound. A low growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating through the mist. The tension rolling off him was suffocating, and I didn’t need to see him to know why. His body, ancient and powerful, was still recovering from Harvey’s brutal assault. The wounds left by Flux burns were raw, his strength still immense but undeniably compromised.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last. I understood exactly what this meant. The vampire wouldn’t risk a direct confrontation with the hunters, not in his condition. But I also understood something else—if I didn’t act soon, I was going to end up right where Conrad wanted me.

Think, Kyon. Think.

Every instinct screamed at me to stay cautious, to avoid drawing attention to myself. These hunters weren’t amateurs; they were armed to the teeth, and their Argent bullets were deadly to vampires and humans alike. And the vampire dragging me through the mist? Injured or not, he was still faster. Stronger.

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But I couldn’t wait for Harvey to rescue me this time.

The vampire’s grip tightened around my neck as he crept forward, his movements silent but purposeful. The mist thickened, clinging to us like a second skin, muffling even the faint echoes of my Flux. His intent was clear—he wanted to slip past the hunters unnoticed, to carry me off to his master. His cold, rasping voice whispered in my ear, sharp enough to cut through the fog.

“Stay quiet, daywalker, or I’ll silence you myself.”

My breath caught in my throat. Every second that passed, my options narrowed. I had to make a choice, and I had to make it now.

Images flooded my mind: Harvey, his Arkamon Flux blazing like a copper sun in the boiler room. The hunters, their unyielding focus and deadly precision, their weapons designed to bring down monsters like the one holding me. And Conrad… smug, waiting in his penthouse, convinced that victory was already his.

No. That’s not happening. Not to me.

My fingers twitched, my body protesting every movement, every thought of resistance. But I forced myself to focus, reaching deep down into the core of my Arkamon Flux. The energy flickered faintly at first, like a dying ember, but I didn’t stop. I pushed harder, willing it to burn brighter, to spark into something more.

The vampire froze. I felt his head tilt slightly as he turned, sensing the shift in me. His grip loosened just enough for me to breathe.

“What are you—”

I didn’t give him a chance to finish.

I let the Flux surge, a brilliant coppery light exploding outward in a flare of heat and energy. The vampire howled in pain, his claws tearing away from my neck as the searing light burned through his arm. The force of it knocked me free, and I stumbled to the ground, gasping for air.

The light cut through the mist like a beacon, piercing the oppressive gloom and revealing the chaos around us.

Somewhere in the distance, a voice rang out, sharp and urgent.

“There! Bright light, twenty meters south!”

My heart skipped. The hunters had seen it.

“Open fire!”

The air erupted in chaos. Gunfire cracked like thunder, the sharp bark of Argent rounds slicing through the fog. The vampire snarled, his form blurring as he darted into the shadows, faster than the human eye could follow. I hit the ground, pressing myself flat against the cold, damp floor as bullets tore through the air above me.

His voice echoed around me, filled with rage and desperation.

“You fool! Do you think they’ll spare you?”

I didn’t answer. My pulse thundered in my ears, but I forced myself to stay calm. To think.

I knew he wasn’t wrong. The hunters wouldn’t care who I was, wouldn’t stop to ask questions. To them, I was just another target, no different from the vampire they were hunting.

But they were also my best shot at survival.

Through the chaos, my Echo Flux picked up glimpses of movement. The hunters were spreading out, their formation tightening as they advanced. They were disciplined, their movements sharp and precise. The vampire was fast, but they were cutting off his escape routes, their weapons forcing him to stay on the defensive.

I clenched my fists, feeling the faint, flickering heat of my Arkamon Flux still pulsing around me. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep me grounded. I couldn’t face the hunters directly—not like this. But if I could keep the vampire in their sights, force the fight to stay between him and them…

A bullet ricocheted off a nearby pipe, sparks raining down onto the floor. I flinched, my breath catching in my throat. The vampire’s presence was closing in again, circling like a predator, his aura a suffocating weight.

And then, another voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

“Move in! Find the target!”

The hunters’ leader. His voice was sharp, commanding, filled with a confidence that sent a cold chill down my spine.

I barely had time to react before the vampire’s snarl reached my ears, closer now, almost tangible.

“You’re mine, daywalker.”

My jaw tightened. I could feel the weight of his words pressing down on me, but I refused to let them crush me.

Not if I have anything to say about it.