SHADOWS AWAKEN
CHAPTER 1: SHADOWS AWAKEN (Part 1)
The city of Avalon never slept. Beneath the neon lights and towering skyscrapers, shadows slithered through the alleyways, whispering secrets only the dead would ever truly know.
Ryan Drake stood at the edge of a dimly lit alley, his back pressed against the cold brick wall. The air was thick with the scent of gasoline, rain, and something metallic—blood. He exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the grip of his gun. His heartbeat remained steady—years of training ensured that. But tonight, something felt off.
A mission gone wrong. A name resurfacing from the depths of his past. And now, he was the target.
Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed. Police? No. They never got involved in this kind of mess.
A flicker of movement made his pulse spike. Across the street, beneath the dim glow of a flickering streetlamp, a black sedan idled. Tinted windows. Unmarked plates. No amateur mistake.
Ryan's jaw clenched. The Phantom had found him.
For years, he had managed to disappear—different identities, never staying in one place too long. But the past had a way of catching up.
His grip on the gun tightened.*Not tonight.
Turning on his heel, he melted into the maze of Avalon's backstreets.
---
The rain drizzled in thin streaks, the neon reflections on the pavement distorting like shifting ghosts. Ryan pulled up his hood, keeping his pace steady. Blending in.
But the feeling wouldn't leave him. He wasn't just being watched. He was being hunted.
A flicker of movement—a figure standing beneath the awning of a closed bookstore. Dark coat, casual stance, one hand in his pocket.
A professional.
Ryan forced himself to keep walking. If they were watching, they'd be looking for a reaction. A stiffened spine. A sudden turn. Hesitation meant death.
His body tensed as he turned into a side street. His mind raced—who betrayed him?
He needed to disappear. Again.
---
Across the city, Eleanor Wade scrolled through her laptop, her brows knitting in deep concentration. The screen flickered as classified files unraveled before her.
Ryan Drake.
His name echoed in encrypted reports, redacted operations, and blacked-out names. Officially, he didn't exist. But Eleanor knew better.
Her coffee had gone cold, untouched. For months, she had followed a trail of bodies, cover-ups, and whispered conversations in intelligence circles. Every path led to one man.
Ryan Drake.
And now, he was in Avalon.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. If the rumors were true, he wasn't just running from his past.
He was running from something much worse.
---
Ryan ducked into a darker alley, his muscles tight with anticipation. He could hear it now—the faint scrape of shoes against wet concrete.
They were close.
The city's heartbeat pulsed around him, a symphony of distant engines, murmured voices, and the occasional burst of laughter from oblivious passersby. But here, in the shadows, only the hunters and the hunted remained.
Ryan pressed his back against the wall, counting the seconds. If they were tracking him, they'd be moving in a pattern—controlled, methodical. He had used the same tactics before.
A single breath. A second flicker of movement.
He moved.
A silent, precise turn—his pistol aimed before the figure even had time to react.
Eyes met his.
Not a soldier. Not a stranger.
Eleanor Wade.
CHAPTER 1: SHADOWS AWAKEN (Part 2)
Ryan moved through the backstreets like a ghost, his boots barely making a sound against the wet pavement. The city was alive in its usual rhythm—muffled conversations, the occasional honk of a car, the buzzing flicker of neon signs overhead. But none of it mattered.
His mind locked onto one thing—escape.
The Phantom wouldn't send a team unless they were certain. Which meant this wasn't a recon mission. They were here to take him in.
Ryan turned sharply, cutting into a narrow alley lined with rusted dumpsters and graffiti-streaked walls. He was already mapping his route—underground transit tunnels. No surveillance. No way to track him.
Then—movement.
At the far end of the alley, a shadow shifted.
A professional.
Ryan's body reacted before his mind could process. He dropped low—a silenced bullet whizzed past his head.
Sniper.
His pulse spiked, muscles coiling. He had seconds.
The air shifted—another shot. Not aimed at him.
---
Across the city, Eleanor's heart pounded as she stared at her screen.
The file in front of her wasn't just a list of names. It was a kill order.
Ryan Drake wasn't just a fugitive. He was marked for elimination.
Her fingers curled into fists. If The Phantom had already deployed their teams, he was out of time. And if she wanted answers—she had to find him first.
She grabbed her coat, her mind made up.
No turning back now.
---
Ryan exhaled slowly, gripping his gun tighter.
One shot. One chance.
His fingers flexed against the trigger as he tracked the sniper's movements.
The alley fell into eerie silence.
Then—he moved.
A burst of speed, a dive, a precise shot.
The sniper collapsed with a muted grunt, body slumping onto the rooftop above.
Ryan didn't wait to confirm the kill.
He ran.
His mind raced through the possibilities. The Phantom had planned this. He had underestimated just how determined they were.
Footsteps pounded behind him—more were coming.
Ryan pushed his body to move faster, weaving through the alleyways. His lungs burned, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
He vaulted over a chain-link fence, landing hard on the other side. His muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself forward.
The city stretched before him in endless lights and shadows. He needed to think, to plan. He had been running for years, but this wasn't just survival anymore.
This was war.
The thought settled deep inside him as he turned onto an empty street, his breath steadying. The Phantom wasn't going to stop.
Neither was he.
Ryan adjusted his grip on his gun, jaw clenched.
No more running.
He needed answers.
He needed to find Eleanor Wade.
---
Eleanor sat in the backseat of a black sedan, staring at the encrypted drive in her hands. The weight of it felt heavier than it should.
Her contact had warned her.
Once you open this, there's no going back.
She knew that. But the moment she had started digging into The Phantom, she had already crossed the line.
She exhaled, her fingers tapping against the cold surface of the drive.
Ryan Drake.
If he was still alive, she needed to reach him before they did.
She pulled out her phone, hesitated, then made the call.
A single ring.
Then a voice—calm, deliberate. "This line is not secure."
Eleanor's grip tightened. "Then I'll make this quick. I know who you are, and I know why they want you dead."
Silence.
Then a slow, measured reply.
"Who gave you my number?"
Eleanor smirked, though her heart pounded.
"Let's just say I have friends in low places."
She took a breath, forcing steel into her voice.
"You want to live, Ryan? Meet me at the subway entrance in fifteen minutes."
She ended the call before he could answer.
Outside, the city pulsed with life.
But in the shadows, the real game was just beginning.
CHAPTER 1: SHADOWS AWAKEN (Part 3)
Ryan reached the entrance of an old subway tunnel, his breath steady despite the adrenaline burning through his veins. The walls were slick with grime, the scent of rust and decay thick in the air.
This wasn't the first time he had disappeared underground.
But something told him it might be the last.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Ryan turned sharply, gun raised.
A woman stepped into view—Eleanor Wade.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Eleanor broke the silence. "They're coming for you."
Ryan studied her, his grip unwavering. He knew.
She took a careful step forward. "I can help you."
Ryan's jaw tightened. He had heard that before. And it had never ended well.
Before he could respond, the air exploded with the sharp crack of gunfire. The Phantom had found them.
Ryan moved on instinct, grabbing Eleanor's wrist and yanking her behind cover as bullets tore through the air.
Eleanor gasped, pressing her back against the cold concrete. "You really know how to piss people off."
Ryan smirked, checking his ammo. "You have no idea."
The tunnel shook as their attackers advanced.
No way out.
No more running.
Ryan exhaled, his mind razor-sharp.
"Stay behind me," he told Eleanor.
Then, he stepped into the fire.
---
Gunfire rained through the tunnel, echoes bouncing like thunder trapped underground. Ryan ducked low, moving fast, his shots precise, lethal.
The first attacker went down, the second barely had time to react before Ryan's bullet silenced him.
Eleanor clutched her laptop bag, her pulse hammering as she watched him move—efficient, relentless, deadly.
The Phantom's soldiers weren't amateurs, but Ryan wasn't just anyone.
A bullet grazed his shoulder. Pain flared, but he didn't slow down.
Another enemy appeared at the far end of the tunnel, rifle raised.
Ryan saw the muzzle flash a split second too late.
Impact.
A sharp sting shot through his ribs as the bullet punched into his side. Ryan stumbled, but caught himself, his vision flickering.
Eleanor gasped. "Ryan!"
His grip tightened around his gun, forcing himself upright. Pain was secondary.
The soldier hesitated, realizing his mistake.
Ryan didn't.
One shot. One kill.
The last enemy collapsed.
Silence.
The tunnel reeked of gunpowder and blood.
Ryan exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to his wound. His fingers came away wet. Sticky.
Not good.
Eleanor hesitated, eyes darting between him and the bodies surrounding them. "You're hit."
Ryan huffed a short breath. "I'll live."
She swallowed, then glanced at the carnage. "They won't stop coming, will they?"
Ryan met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "No."
Eleanor clenched her jaw, gripping her bag tighter. Whatever she had gotten herself into, it was far worse than she imagined.
Ryan reloaded his gun and nodded toward the dark tunnel ahead.
"We need to move."
Eleanor hesitated for only a second before following him into the abyss.