I leaned back against the rough stone wall, the remnants of adrenaline still coursing through me. My eyes stayed on Leo, watching him as he wiped the dust off his sleeve like we hadn’t just fought for our lives a few moments ago. The guy was a mystery wrapped in a lot of questions—sure, his past was tragic, but there was more than just survival driving him. Something deeper. And then there was the way he used magic, slinging it around like it was just another tool in his belt.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “what about that magic? Doc says you’ve got the potential to be a full-blown sorcerer, but the way you throw it around, it’s like you’re playing the part of a Hedge wizard.”

I could almost hear Doc smirking in the back of my head, but I wasn’t about to let that distract me. Leo, for his part, just shrugged, unbothered by the observation.

“Sorcerer, huh?” He muttered, brushing off his sleeve. “I never aimed for anything like that. Picked up a few tricks along the way, that’s all.”

“Tricks?” I raised an eyebrow. “You were flinging magic like it’s second nature. That’s not something you pick up in a weekend crash course.”

Doc’s voice chimed in from the back of my mind, smug as ever. “Told you, Kid. The guy’s got raw potential. Those who can wield the Arcane are rare, and with that Yin Physique of his, no wonder he’s been hunted all his life.”

Leo shot me a glance, catching something in my expression, but there was a faint smirk playing on his lips. “What can I say? I’ve met people. Learned things. But I’m no master. It’s just survival. You pick up what you need to stay alive.”

I respected that. No showboating, no trying to puff out his chest. Just a guy who learned what he had to in order to keep breathing.

After a beat of silence, Leo glanced my way and asked the inevitable. “What about you, Seth? You’ve got some serious juice yourself. What’s your story?”

I shrugged, giving him just enough to satisfy without laying all my cards on the table. “Just another guy trying to stay alive in a world full of things that want me dead. You learn, you adapt, or you don’t make it.”

He didn’t press, though I could tell he was turning it over in his mind, probably fitting me into whatever box made sense to him. After a moment, he nodded, the conversation drifting back to something easier.

“We all pick up things along the way, I guess.”

That should’ve been the end of it, but then Leo asked a question that caught me off guard. “By the way, who’s Doc?”

I inwardly cursed. Of course, I’d slipped. Clearing my throat, I gave him a quick grin, brushing it off like it was no big deal. “Doc’s… he’s like a mentor. Keeps me grounded, helps with things.” I tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. “Don’t worry about it. He says someone with your raw potential could do some serious damage.”

Leo didn’t push the issue, but I could feel his curiosity lingering. Still, he let it go. For now.

We moved deeper into the cave, the quiet between us not uncomfortable, but charged. The air grew colder the further we went, the shadows clinging to the walls like they didn’t want to let us pass. Whatever was waiting for us deeper inside, I could feel it pressing down on us, thick and oppressive.

Leo stayed a few steps ahead, his eyes constantly scanning the area, his hand never far from his katana. I followed, every muscle on high alert, the tension settling into my bones.

After what felt like hours of walking through tight, winding passages, we stepped into a wider chamber, the dim light just enough to make out the carnage before us.

Bones. Piles of them.

The air stank of old blood, dark and congealed, smeared across the walls and pooled in thick patches on the ground. But there was fresh blood too, still glistening in the faint light, streaked in thick slashes like someone had been dragged through here recently.

“Damn,” I muttered, taking in the scene.

Leo’s jaw clenched as he took in the sight, his eyes hardening. This wasn’t just a killing ground—it was a slaughterhouse. And whoever had done this? They weren’t amateurs. This was ritualistic.

As we moved further into the chamber, careful not to disturb the bones scattered across the floor, something caught my eye. A glint of metal, half-buried in the blood and grime near one of the walls. I knelt, brushing the dirt away with my hand, and what I found sent a chill straight down my spine.

A symbol. Carved into the stone with dark, precise lines. I’d seen it before.

Vampires.

I stood up slowly, showing it to Leo without a word. He glanced at it, and while his face didn’t change, I saw the tension in his shoulders.

“Fucking leeches,” he muttered, voicing exactly what I was thinking.

It all clicked into place. The coyotes weren’t acting on their own—they were being controlled. Pawns in a much bigger game. A game the vampires were running. And this chamber? This wasn’t just a slaughterhouse. It was a feeding ground.

As the realization hit me, the air around us changed. A sudden, oppressive pressure filled the room, subtle at first but growing quickly. I felt a prickle at the back of my neck, the kind you get right before something bad goes down.

I tensed, every instinct screaming that something was coming. And it wasn’t just one thing. There were two.

The cave itself seemed to vibrate with the energy radiating from deeper within, and I knew—whatever was waiting for us wasn’t friendly. My eyes locked onto the source, and I felt my blood run cold.

A massive coyote, its fur rippling with shadows like it wasn’t entirely solid, stepped into view. Its eyes glowed an eerie red, the kind that told you this wasn’t your typical apex predator. This thing was bigger than anything we’d faced before, scars crisscrossing its body from battles long past. This wasn’t just a beast. This was an Alpha.

But the coyote wasn’t what had me on edge. No, it was the figure standing beside it, cloaked in an aura far deadlier than any creature in the room.

He stepped forward, his clothes catching the faint light in a way that seemed almost unnatural. This guy wasn’t some ragged thug. He had style, twisted as it was. A black, pinstriped suit, sharp and tailored to perfection, paired with an open silk shirt. Rings gleamed on his fingers, each adorned with a different gemstone, but what stood out most was the mask.

A plain white mask, featureless except for jagged, dark markings etched into it like some kind of twisted ritual. His face was hidden, but I could feel his eyes on us, cold and calculating.

The coyote growled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through the chamber. “You picked a bad night to go snooping around, boy,” it snarled, its voice grating and rough, the words slithering into my mind like a threat.

I didn’t flinch. “Funny, I was thinking it’s the perfect night for snooping.”

The masked man chuckled, slow and mocking. “Well, well, what do we have here? I send the coyotes out to deal with the riffraff, and what do I find? Something far more… entertaining.” His voice was smooth, lazy, like he had all the time in the world.

Then he spoke my name.

“Tell me, Seth. What brings you and your friend to this fine little gathering tonight?”

My heart skipped. How did he know my name? That set off alarm bells, and I felt the weight of the danger ratchet up another notch. This guy wasn’t just any lackey. He had information—dangerous information.

Leo stepped up beside me, calm but with that quiet intensity. “Who’s asking?” he said, his voice cold.

The masked figure tilted his head, and though I couldn’t see his expression, I could feel the smirk. “How quaint. Let’s go with Rico. It’s as good as any.”

Rico’s voice oozed with confidence—the kind of confidence that comes from someone who doesn’t think they have the upper hand, but knows it. And the coyote beside him? It wasn’t just some beast. It was his enforcer, and it was radiating power.

“What’s the deal with the coyotes?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation going long enough to size up the threat. “You training these things to do your dirty work?”

Rico laughed, a soft, amused sound. “The coyotes? A side project, really. Useful, but hardly the main course. Consider them… appetizers.” He patted the beast’s side, the coyote’s jagged teeth gleaming as it grinned like a twisted predator. “This one here? He’s special. Leader of the pack. We’ve been working together for quite some time.”

The beast growled low, its eyes never leaving me. “I’m no ordinary coyote, boy. I’m the Alpha. And by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be nothing but bones for my pack to gnaw on.”

Leo’s hand shifted to the hilt of his katana, his eyes locked on Rico. “You’re wasting time. What do you want?”

Rico’s gaze shifted to Leo, studying him. “You… you remind me of someone. The calm, the calculation… but no matter. It’s irrelevant. You’ll both be corpses soon enough.”

The talking was done. The air was thick with the weight of what was about to happen.

The cave erupted with movement the moment the massive coyote lunged, its body a blur of shadows and jagged teeth. I was already moving before I had time to think, ducking to the side just as its jaws snapped at the spot I had been standing. Leo moved in sync, like lightning, his katana flashing as it met the first strike, the sharp clang of metal against darkness filling the space.

I barely had time to breathe before the Alpha coyote raised its snout, summoning a wave of dark energy that shot straight toward me. I threw up my arm, bracing for impact. The energy crashed into me with a force that rattled my bones, sending me skidding back, but I held my ground. My body hummed with the power, my muscles tightening under the strain.

“That all you got?” I barked, the thrill of the fight sparking in my chest. The adrenaline was already kicking in, and I could feel the familiar hunger creeping in at the edges.

The coyote gave a low, rumbling chuckle, but I could see it—his posture shifted, and the games were over. “Not even close,” it snarled, its red eyes glowing with deadly intent.

The coyote came at me faster this time, barely a blur of shadow and claws. I met it head-on, my arm shifting into a blade just as its claws raked toward my chest. The impact sent sparks flying, the metal of my blade colliding with the darkness of its claws. But this thing was fast. Too fast.

I saw Leo, his movements impossibly quick, his katana slicing through the waves of dark energy that Rico was flinging his way. Leo was holding his own, but barely. Every move was calculated, every strike a fluid combination of magic and skill.

The coyote lunged again, its teeth snapping inches from my face. I dropped low, driving my elbow into its side, but it barely flinched. It was like trying to punch a damn mountain. My teeth clenched in frustration. “Come on!” I growled, slamming my fist into its ribs, electricity sparking from my hand. This time, the coyote let out a sharp snarl of pain, but it still wasn’t enough.

Across the room, Rico’s voice rang out, casual and mocking. “You’re outmatched. It’s pointless to keep fighting.”

I ignored him. The power I’d taken from the earlier coyotes was still pulsing in my veins, feeding the raw energy surging through me. This fight wasn’t over—not even close.

Leo was being pushed back, his katana deflecting Rico’s relentless attacks, but I could see the strain in his movements. The room was thick with tension, the air crackling with energy. My instincts screamed at me to stop holding back, to unleash the power inside. I could feel the hunger rising, the familiar darkness edging closer.

No more games. Time to stop pretending.

I let the power surge through me, my body shifting, crackling with energy as I shifted into my Eclipse Hunter Form. Shadows wrapped around me like living tendrils, weaving through the dark energy that now swirled around my limbs. My skin darkened, my claws elongating, sharp as blades. Electricity hummed in the air around me, flickering along my arms and chest, turning the entire cave electric.

This was what I lived for. The hunt.

With a roar, I charged forward, meeting the Shadow Coyote head-on. Our clash shook the cave, the force of our collision sending shockwaves through the stone. My claws dug deep into its fur, the crackling sound of thunder roaring through the air as my electricity met its dark energy. The coyote’s red eyes flared, its body rippling with shadow as it snarled, pushing back with equal strength. Every strike was like hitting a wall of pure darkness, and I realized something unsettling.

We were evenly matched.

For the first time in a long while, I felt shock—real, genuine shock. The coyote wasn’t just strong; it was fast and relentless. Its massive claws sliced through the air with precision that belied its size, meeting every one of my attacks with equal ferocity. Sparks flew as our blows collided, claws slashing against shadows, neither of us giving an inch.

Then I saw Leo.

I almost faltered as I caught a glimpse of him. He wasn’t holding back either.

Leo’s body was wrapped in shadows, but these weren’t the usual tendrils of darkness he wielded so casually. No, this was something else entirely. The shadows had formed a second skin around him, a suit of armor that moved with him, flowing and shifting with every strike. It wasn’t bulky, but sleek and lethal, clinging to him like some kind of assassin’s gear, jagged edges glinting in the dim light. His face was obscured by the shadows, leaving only his eyes visible—sharp, intense, and burning with focus.

This wasn’t just fighting. This was something far more dangerous. Leo had become one with the shadows.

He moved with deadly grace, his katana gleaming with dark energy as it cut through the air. Each slash was precise, the tendrils of shadow forming weapons and shields at his command. The shadows were alive, responding to his will like extensions of his body. He wasn’t just deflecting Rico’s attacks—he was dancing with them, every move calculated, every strike timed perfectly.

I’d never seen anything like it.

But I couldn’t let myself get distracted. The Shadow Coyote wasn’t giving me any breaks, and the force of our battle was growing more intense with each passing second. My claws crackled with lightning as I pushed harder, but the coyote met every blow with equal ferocity, its body rippling with shadow as it lashed out with relentless speed.

We clashed again, the force of our collision sending another shockwave through the cave. My muscles burned, my body straining under the pressure, but I wasn’t backing down. The coyote wasn’t just powerful—it was relentless, every move calculated to wear me down.

I needed more.

With a snarl, I drove my claws into the ground, sending a surge of electricity rippling through the earth. The coyote staggered, its body twitching as the electricity coursed through it, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down. I unleashed a bolt of lightning straight into its chest, the air around us crackling with power. The beast snarled in pain, its body convulsing, but it still didn’t fall.

We were still equals, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold that balance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leo. He was darting forward, his katana flashing as he pressed the attack on Rico. The shadows wrapped around him like living armor, every movement fluid, his strikes almost too fast to track. He was cutting through the air with precision, his katana slicing through the dark energy Rico flung at him with unnerving calm.

Rico dodged and weaved, his body moving with an unnatural grace, but Leo was relentless. His shadows formed blades, shields, and weapons at his command, deflecting every move Rico made with lethal efficiency. The cave was filled with the sound of clashing magic and steel, the tension thick enough to choke on.

The fight wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

But for the first time, I felt the tide begin to turn.