Predator and Prey

Liam was breathing in short, ragged gasps. His side throbbed where the Hunter's blade had impaled him, but the agony was fading—dulling too quickly. He could feel Noctis at work within him, knitting flesh, closing wounds.

"You're learning," Noctis murmured, voice low and unreadable. "Good."

Liam didn't answer. His silver eyes focused on the man standing across from him—the Hunter—who was still standing after he had slammed him into the wall.

Their mask was split, and part of a sharp, angular face showed through. Their lips were a tight, blank line, but their eyes, which were one of the only visible features, were something cold.

Determination.

They were here to kill him.

Liam clenched his fists. Not happening.

The Hunter moved first.

No warning. No hesitation.

One moment they were frozen in place. The next, they weren't there—a blur of darkness rushing towards Liam at inhuman speed.

Liam had little time to react.

He guarded himself as the Hunter's blade arced down, a flash of silver slicing toward him. Shadows flowed around Liam's forearm, solidifying into armor at the last possible second.

CLANG!

Steel met blackness, sparks flying off the collision. Liam gritted his teeth as the force rattled his bones.

The Hunter didn't stop.

They contorted through the air, pivoting their form around their outstretched blade and thrusting a second, secret dagger of their own. Liam ducked, the blade coming away from his neck.

He countered.

A tendril of shadow lashed out, striking for the Hunter's chest—

They saw it coming.

The Hunter arched backward at an unnatural angle and allowed the shadow whip to pass over them. Then they flipped back onto their feet in a manner of eerie, almost inhuman grace.

Liam's pulse quickened.

This was not just some mercenary. This individual was trained, each of their movements precise, their reaction time inhumanly fast.

"Do you see now?" Noctis whispered. "They've fought shadows before. They know your tricks."

Liam wiped blood from his mouth. Fine. If they knew his tricks…

Then all he would need to do was break expectations.

Liam sucked in air and looked inside himself — at the abyss that had become a part of him.

He not only summoned the shadows.

He commanded them.

Shadows blossomed at his feet, poured into the street like blood, sucking the light from the world around them. The rooftop had been engulfed in a writhing sea of black, smoky thick, misty dense.

The Hunter stopped moving. Their eyes narrowed.

Liam smirked. "Let's see how you fight when you can't see."

And then, he vanished.

Not physically — but into the darkness itself. His carcass evaporated into the emptiness, his shape faded into the darkness.

He hadn't tried it before, but when he did, it felt natural — like putting on a second skin.

The Hunter's stance shifted. They breathed slower, managed.

They weren't panicking.

That was fine. And Liam would give them a reason to.

He had glided through the darkness like a ghost, silent, invisible. He paced around the Hunter as if examing them.

Then—he struck.

A tendril of shadow shot out from the darkness, reaching for their legs.

The Hunter reacted instantly. They jumped back, spinning in the air, squeezing away from the attack by mere inches.

But Liam wasn't done.

A second strike, this time from behind.

The Hunter whirled, their blade flaring—sleeting the very night.

Liam's eyes widened.

"They can cut shadows?"

A shimmering pulse of silver light danced around the Hunter's blade.

It was not just any weapon. It was enchanted — intended to kill things like him.

Liam barely had time to register this before the Hunter lunged toward him, aimed at his chest.

He dodged—barely. The blade skimmed his shoulder, a firestorm of pain erupting through him. It wasn't just a cut.

It felt like fire.

"Careful," Noctis warned. "That weapon is able to hurt even the dark."

Liam's jaw tightened. So this was what they were referring to by 'Hunter.

The pain was acute, but it only keen him.

Liam forced harder, a wave of blackened tide engulfing the Hunter. It came like a tsunami, sending them soaring high into the air — just as Liam had wished.

As soon as their feet were off the ground Liam pounced.

He materialized out of the shadows and vaulted up. His fist, dripping with writhing black, drove into the Hunter's ribs.

CRACK.

The force knocked them backward, crashing into the lip of the rooftop.

Liam didn't let up.

Before they had time to recover, he summoned the shadows once more—this time, purposefully.

The darkness twisted and grew, becoming chains of sheer shadow that coiled around the Hunter's arms and legs, imprisoning them.

The Hunter floundered for the first time.

There was something flickering in their eyes—annoyance? Surprise?

Liam stepped up, breathing heavy. His body was still sore, but his mind was clear.

"You're not the only one who can adapt," he muttered.

The Hunter exhaled and then — to Liam's surprise — chuckled.

A short, amused chuckle.

Then, suddenly, their body evaporated to vapor.

Liam's eyes widened. "What the—"

Before he had time to react, a cold blade was pressed to his throat.

The Hunter stood behind him. Completely free.

Impossible.

Liam's mind raced. He still could feel the chains — he didn't lose control. But the Hunter was gone.

"Illusion," Noctis realized. "They were never actually caught."

Liam cursed. He had been tricked.

The Hunter's voice had dropped to a near whisper, almost impressed. "You're good," they murmured. "But you're still sloppy."

Liam tensed. Not again.

As the blade pushed deeper, he moved on instinct.

He let go.

The shadows rushed out — exploding like an explosion of black flame.

The Hunter was pushed back, backpedaling. Liam turned, breathless, his hands trembling from the pure energy he had only just released into the world.

When the smoke settled, the Hunter was no more.

No body. No trace.

Only the empty rooftop, the distant rumble of the city below.

Liam released a breath and felt his heart racing.

"They let you live," said Noctis. "For now."

Liam clenched his fists.

This was just the beginning.

And next time, he would not be defeated.