Line in the Shadows

Liam didn't move, heavy breath and heart drumming in his chest like a war march.

The Hunter was gone.

No body. No lingering presence.

Just emptiness.

He tightened his fists and gaped at the place where they had disappeared. He had won — or at least survived — but the victory felt hollow.

"They tried you," Noctis said in his head. "And they learned."

Liam exhaled slowly.

In fact, they weren't killing him. Not yet.

They wanted to find out how strong he was.

And that could only mean one thing.

More were coming.

And Liam headed away from the rooftop into the city's dark alleys himself, walking like a shadow.

The encounter had shaken him up. Not physically—the pain in his ribs and shoulder was already easing up, thanks to Noctis—but mentally.

The Hunters were not mindless assassins.

They were prepared.

They wielded weapons that could slice shadows. They could travel faster than the eye could see. And worst of all…

They weren't afraid of him.

That had to change.

"Fear is a weapon," Noctis said softly. "Use it."

Liam gritted his teeth. He did not know if that was the way to go but knew one thing — he needed to stop running.

He had to push forward.

He had to grow stronger.

And that meant bringing the fight to them.

With a fire under him, Liam dug deeper than he ever had the following days.

He was shadow-trained to control those shadows. He learned how to faster, how to strike without warning.

He pushed them, tested his boundaries.

He could now become completely cloaked, merging in darkness like a ghost. His blows were sharper, his reflexes quicker.

But it still wasn't enough.

Each time he shut his eyes, he saw that blade slicing through his dark.

He noticed the Hunter's emotionless, cold stare.

"You hesitate," Noctis said one night. "That will get you killed."

They made themselves comfortable on the edge of the city, on the rooftop His silver eyes reflected the neon lights.

"Maybe," he muttered.

"Then stop."

Liam shut his eyes and felt the dark rise within himself.

Deliberation wouldn't keep him alive.

Next time, there would be no more restraint.

He would make sure of it.

The next attack five weeks later, when he least expected it.

Liam was just wrapping up another late-night training session when he felt it — the presence, watching.

This time, he didn't wait.

He moved.

The shadows swelled below his feet as he disappeared, arriving in the inky darkness of an alley, back against the wall.

His instincts told him this was wrong.

Someone was here.

And they weren't alone.

Three figures emerged from the alley, their movement glamourous as the predator. Their weapons glimmered in the scant light from the streetlamps: knives, short swords, and something worse yet…

Guns.

Liam's jaw tightened.

Hunters.

They weren't hiding anymore.

"Found you," one of them said, spinning a dagger between his fingers. "It took us a while, and you weren't exactly being careful."

Liam didn't reply. He allowed the shadows to wriggle at his feet, anticipating.

"Not going to run?" another replied, tilting their head. "Smart. You wouldn't make it far."

Liam exhaled.

Running wasn't an option.

This time, he would fight.

The alley erupted into action.

Liam struck first.

A tendril of darkness lashed out, smashing into the first Hunter's chest. They inhaled sharply, crashing backward into a dumpster with a thundering boom.

The other immediately responded, lifting up their gun—

Too slow.

Liam disappeared before the trigger could pull, appearing behind them. His fist, enrobed in shadow, crashed against their ribs with bone-shattering force.

The third Hunter was faster.

They lunged, the blade cutting through the air. The cold steel grazed Liam's cheek as he barely ducked.

His blood hit the pavement.

But he didn't stop.

He turned, the shadows winding about his arm as he deflected the next hit. The eyes of his opponent widened as the darkness solidified, halting their blade halfway through the swing.

"Impossible," they whispered.

Liam smirked. "Not for me."

He turned, snapping the shadow like a whip—launching the Hunter across the room.

It was all over in a matter of seconds.

The Hunters are on the ground, groaning, trying to rise.

Liam climbed over them with cold silver eyes.

"Noctis whispers, "Kill them. "Send a message."

Liam hesitated.

Then slowly he leaned down and took hold of one of the lying unconscious Hunters by the collar.

With a snap of his fingers, a piece of the blackness scribbled a message on the wall behind them.

"Come find me."

Then, he vanished.

The next time they came for him…

He would be ready.