INTO THE CITY.

Chapter 11: Into the City

The sky above the ruined outskirts of the city was stained a deep, unnatural red. Smoke curled from distant fires, the skyline broken by towering structures that pulsed with artificial lights. Some buildings still stood tall—fortresses of steel and glass—but many were crumbling, swallowed by time and decay.

Dante stood at the edge of a rusted overpass, gazing at the sprawling chaos below. Even from here, he could hear it—the low hum of drones patrolling the skies, the distant echo of sirens, and beneath it all, the whisper of something else.

Something watching.

Lyra adjusted the strap of her gun, her sharp gaze scanning the area. "We shouldn't be here," she muttered. "This city is a war zone."

Cain smirked, stepping past her. "Exactly why it's the best place to hide."

Dante clenched his fists. "We're not here to hide."

Cain chuckled, tossing him a knowing look. "Right. You want answers."

Dante ignored him. His focus remained on the city. If the Primordials were coming for him, then he needed to understand what he was becoming. And if Cain was right—if others like him existed—then he needed to find them first.

Because the next time someone tried to take him, he wasn't planning on running.

He was planning on fighting back.

—

They moved through the ruins like shadows. The streets were littered with remnants of the past—rusted-out vehicles, abandoned storefronts, shattered glass reflecting the neon glow of distant signs. But the city wasn't empty.

Figures lurked in the alleyways, watching from the darkness. Some were human—survivors, scavengers, those who had been left behind when the world moved on. Others… weren't.

Dante could feel it in his bones.

The wrongness.

"Eyes up," Lyra murmured. "We're being followed."

Dante didn't respond—he didn't need to. He could hear them. The soft scrape of feet against cracked pavement, the faint breath of someone trying too hard to stay quiet.

Cain was unfazed. "They won't attack. Not yet."

Lyra shot him a glare. "And you know this because?"

Cain's crimson eyes flickered. "Because they're waiting for someone else to make the first move."

As if on cue, a distant boom echoed through the city, followed by a streak of light that arced across the skyline.

A signal.

Dante tensed. "What the hell was that?"

Cain exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "The start of the hunt."

Before Dante could ask what he meant, the air split with an earsplitting screech.

The ground trembled.

And then—

They came.

Sleek figures, too fast to be human, dropped from the rooftops, their eyes burning with eerie, electric-blue light. Their movements were wrong—too smooth, too precise. Enhanced. Modified.

Like him.

Dante barely had time to register their presence before one of them lunged.

He dodged, instinct taking over. The figure's fist struck the pavement where he'd been standing a second ago, the impact leaving a deep crack in the concrete. Dante countered, his body moving faster than his mind could process—his hand shot out, fingers closing around the attacker's wrist—

Snap.

The modified soldier didn't even scream. It simply twisted, wrenching its arm back into place with an unnatural click before charging again.

Dante cursed. "They don't feel pain."

Cain's voice was grim. "No. They don't."

Lyra fired, her bullets slamming into another attacker's chest. It barely flinched.

"They're Revenants," Cain said, dodging a strike. "Failed experiments. They should be dead, but the Primordials don't let their creations go to waste."

Dante didn't have time to process that. Another Revenant came at him, faster than the first. But this time, Dante was ready. He moved, faster than should've been possible—his golden eyes flashing as he met the creature head-on.

Their bodies collided.

For a split second, everything froze.

Then—

A burst of golden energy exploded from Dante's body, sending the Revenant flying. It slammed into a nearby wall with bone-shattering force.

Silence followed.

Lyra stared. "What the hell was that?"

Dante's chest heaved. He could still feel the energy buzzing beneath his skin, the raw power burning in his veins.

Cain let out a low whistle. "Well, well. Looks like they gave you more than just strength."

Dante swallowed, his pulse pounding in his ears.

He didn't know what had just happened. But one thing was certain—

The Primordials weren't the only ones changing.

End of Chapter 11.

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