Kyon's First Person Point Of View.

The air was thick with smoke and mist, the sharp cracks of gunfire slicing through the oppressive silence like jagged lightning. My breaths came in ragged bursts, the cold damp clinging to my skin as I stumbled forward, every nerve in my body screaming at me to keep moving.

I could feel him—his presence, his hunger—closing the gap with every step. The vampire was relentless, even in his injured state. His aura pressed against me like a shadow with claws, wrapping around my chest and making every breath a battle. But it wasn’t just him.

The hunters were closing in too.

I ducked low behind a twisted piece of metal, pressing my back against its rusted surface. The sharp tang of iron filled my nostrils as I tried to steady myself. They were moving in formation now, their boots crunching against the cracked floor. Through the haze of my Echo Flux, I could sense their deadly intent—sharp, focused, and unyielding.

The snap of Argent rounds ricocheting off nearby debris jolted me. My stomach twisted. The bullets were coming closer, their deadly purpose indiscriminate. To the hunters, I wasn’t a target worth saving. I was just another monster to be put down.

“Harvey… Sia…” I whispered, desperation biting at the edges of my voice. “Where the hell are you?”

The thought of them—Harvey’s unwavering resolve, Sia’s fierce determination—was the only thing keeping me grounded. I scanned the fog, hoping for any sign, any flicker of their presence. But there was nothing.

Instead, I felt the vampire.

A low growl reverberated through the mist, close enough to send a chill racing down my spine. His steps were silent, but the oppressive weight of his aura gave him away. I could sense the faint crackle of his ancient energy, jagged and uneven. He was hurt, the Flux burns from Harvey’s earlier attack still tearing through his body, but his desperation made him unpredictable.

I could feel him circling me like a predator stalking wounded prey. The hunters’ bullets forced him to keep moving, cutting off his escape routes one by one. I realized with grim clarity that they were boxing us in together, herding us toward an inevitable clash.

My pulse quickened. I couldn’t outrun him, not with the hunters closing in.

But maybe…

The idea hit me like a spark in the darkness. If I could keep the vampire visible, keep him in the hunters’ sights, they’d have no choice but to focus on him. He was also a target, after all. And if I was careful—if I moved fast enough—I could use the chaos to slip away.

It wasn’t a great plan, but it was all I had.

I shifted, preparing to move, but a sudden rush of cold air stopped me in my tracks. The vampire’s presence crashed over me like a tidal wave, and before I could react, he was there.

A hand like iron clamped around my throat, lifting me off my feet. His face emerged from the mist, pale and angular, his crimson eyes burning with hatred. The sharp scent of blood and decay filled my lungs as his lips curled into a cruel smile.

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“You reek of fear, daywalker,” he hissed, his voice low and venomous. “Do you think your little tricks will save you? Do you think they will save you?”

I clawed at his arm, my body writhing against his grip, but it was like trying to bend steel. He leaned closer, his breath cold against my skin.

“I can smell your desperation,” he sneered. “But it doesn’t matter. What’s coming for you is inevitable. You will stand before Master Conrad, whether you like it or not.”

The mention of Conrad sent a jolt of rage through me, momentarily overriding the fear. My chest burned with the weight of his words, the finality of them.

No.

Not like this.

Something inside me snapped. My vision blurred, the edges of the world distorting as a familiar but unsettling sensation began to rise within me.

The Psycho Flux.

I hadn’t wanted to use it again, not after what happened earlier tonight with Mika. The memory of her face, twisted in fear as I hijacked her mind, still haunted me. But this time, something felt different.

The energy surged through me, wild and untamed, but it didn’t feel like it was controlling me. It felt like I was controlling it. The fear, the hesitation—they burned away, replaced by something colder, sharper.

Dominance.

Authority.

The vampire’s eyes widened, his grip faltering as he felt the shift in me.

“GET THE F**K AWAY FROM ME!” I snarled, my voice trembling with anger and something darker—something primal.

The vampire froze mid-step, his crimson eyes widening before dulling, the sharp, predatory edge in them fading. His body went rigid, his entire form locked in place as if someone had severed the strings holding him upright. He stood there, unmoving, his chest rising and falling with shallow, mechanical breaths.

I staggered back, the weight of what I’d just done settling over me. This wasn’t like before.

Earlier tonight, when I had lashed out with Psycho Flux against Mika, it had been chaotic and wild. I’d barely been able to control it, and what little I managed had overwhelmed me—visions of her mind had flickered through my head, fragmented and incomprehensible. I hadn’t meant to see them, and I sure as hell hadn’t been able to do anything with them.

But this… this was different.

The Flux coursing through me now wasn’t wild or erratic. It was sharp, deliberate. Focused. When I spoke, it felt like the words weren’t just leaving my mouth—they were carving themselves into the air, embedding into the vampire’s very mind. And instead of fragments, I felt something deeper, heavier—a sense of control.

My stomach twisted as I looked at him, standing there in a trance-like state. The glow of his crimson eyes had dimmed, and his expression was blank, almost empty. He wasn’t fighting back, wasn’t snarling or lunging at me. He was just… waiting.

Waiting for my command.

“What the hell…” I muttered, my voice barely audible.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as the realization set in. Somehow, the Psycho Flux had latched onto the vampire’s mind, not just destabilizing it but taking it over entirely. This wasn’t a lucky accident or a burst of raw power. This was deliberate. Intentional.

And it terrified me.

Was this something I could always do? Or was it the Psycho Flux itself, warping and amplifying my abilities in ways I couldn’t predict? The memory of Mika’s terrified face flashed through my mind, but this was worse. This wasn’t a glimpse into someone’s mind. This was me pulling the strings.

I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the wave of unease washing over me. Whatever this was—whatever I had done—it wasn’t something I could afford to dwell on. Not now.

My hands trembled, the lingering energy of the Flux sparking faintly at my fingertips. Before I could process it, two figures emerged from the fog, their forms sharp and deliberate. Hunters.

Their weapons were raised, the faint silver glint of Argent rounds catching the dim light.

“There he is,” one of them said, his voice cold and detached.

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Target confirmed,” the other muttered, leveling his rifle at me.

The sharp click of a loaded chamber cut through the air, and I felt my stomach drop.