Chapter 6: Into the Unknown

Darkness.

Cold.

A dull, throbbing pain at the back of his head.

Leon's mind drifted in and out of consciousness. He was aware of movement—his body rocking slightly—but he couldn't tell if he was walking or being carried. His senses were slow to return, the last remnants of whatever shockwave had blasted through the lab still leaving his body feeling numb.

Then—a sharp breath.

His eyes snapped open.

And he realized—he wasn't in the lab anymore.

The sky above him was a sickly shade of green and black, filled with swirling artificial clouds and neon lights. Skyscrapers loomed in the distance, their digital billboards flickering with ads for cybernetic enhancements, black-market blood dealers, and bounty notices.

He wasn't just outside—he was in the city.

And not just any part of the city. The Undercrown.

The lowest level of the metropolis, where the law didn't exist.

Leon groaned as he pushed himself up, his limbs still heavy. How the hell did he get here?

His vision was still blurry, but he could make out shapes—figures moving around him. People.

And then—a voice.

"Finally awake, huh?"

Leon turned sharply.

A woman stood over him, arms crossed, her piercing golden eyes studying him like a puzzle she had yet to solve. She wore a sleek black trench coat, and two curved daggers rested at her hips. Her short silver hair was cut unevenly, like she didn't have time to care about appearances.

And something about her scent—it wasn't human.

Leon's fingers twitched, his claws threatening to emerge.

"Who the hell are you?" he rasped.

The woman smirked. "You're welcome, by the way."

Leon's muscles tensed. Had she taken him from the lab?

His mind snapped back to the last thing he remembered—the shattering of the stasis pod, the overwhelming presence that had filled the room. And those eyes… those endless black eyes locking onto him.

"That thing—it woke up. And then…"

Everything went dark.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Where's Vance?"

The woman snorted. "Dead. Maybe. Lab was a damn warzone when I got there."

Leon frowned. "What happened?"

The woman knelt beside him, her golden eyes gleaming under the dim neon glow of the Undercrown. "That's what I'd like to know. By the time I broke in, the place was half-destroyed. The security system was in lockdown, most of the lab was in flames, and—" she paused, watching his reaction carefully. "There was no sign of the thing in the pod."

Leon's heartbeat spiked.

It was gone?

The woman tilted her head. "You wanna tell me what the hell that thing was?"

Leon hesitated.

Even if he wanted to explain, he didn't have an answer.

Instead, he asked, "Why did you take me?"

The woman sighed, standing up and stretching her arms behind her head. "Because you're valuable, obviously."

Leon didn't like the sound of that. "Valuable how?"

She grinned. "You don't know, do you? They really didn't tell you shit."

Leon pushed himself fully upright, his instincts still on high alert. "Tell me what?"

The woman's smirk faded. For the first time, she looked serious.

"That you're not just some vampire experiment, Leon. You're a Prototype."

Leon's blood ran cold.

Prototype.

The word felt… wrong. Like something was missing from his own understanding of himself.

The woman watched his reaction closely, then let out a breath. "Yeah. Thought so. You really don't know."

Leon clenched his jaw. "Then tell me."

The woman crouched down, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'll keep it simple. Vampires? The ones walking around the city, running the blood trade, hiding in their fancy underground syndicates? They're the product of a failed system. A broken attempt at something greater."

Leon's fingers curled against the cracked pavement beneath him. "And what does that make me?"

The woman's golden eyes gleamed.

"The version they got right."

Silence.

Leon's breath came slower now, more controlled, but his mind was a storm of thoughts.

Vance had said something similar—"You're the next step." But now, hearing it like this…

It felt worse.

Like he wasn't just a vampire.

He was something else.

Leon exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. "You still haven't told me who you are."

The woman smirked again. "Call me Wren."

Leon didn't move. "And why should I trust you?"

Wren shrugged. "You shouldn't. But considering I just saved your ass, you might as well listen."

Leon frowned. "Saved me from what?"

Wren's expression darkened.

"From whoever else was coming for you."

Leon's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Wren shook her head. "Dunno. But someone else was headed to that lab before it all went to hell. They weren't friendly. They weren't Corp, either."

Leon's stomach tightened.

"Someone else wanted me?"

Wren stood up and cracked her neck. "I don't know what's in your blood, Prototype, but people are willing to kill for it."

Leon forced himself to his feet, ignoring the way his body still ached from whatever happened back in the lab. He looked around again, really taking in his surroundings.

The Undercrown. The lowest, darkest district in the city. Where the unwanted and the hunted disappeared.

He was off the grid now.

But for how long?

He turned to Wren. "What's your angle? Why did you really take me?"

She crossed her arms, smirking. "Because I need you alive. And whether you like it or not, you're gonna need me too."

Leon's claws twitched.

He didn't like this. He didn't like being played. But right now, he had nothing. No resources. No allies. No idea who—or what—was after him.

For now, Wren was his only lead.

He took a slow breath.

"Fine. Then start talking."

---

[Vampire System Update]

New Status: Fugitive

Blood Hunger: 68% – Control Warning

Unknown Parties Searching for You

---