Chapter 7: Shadows of the Past

The Undercrown pulsed with a life of its own—a city within a city, where neon lights flickered over cracked pavement and the air carried a mix of oil, smoke, and something metallic. The deeper Leon walked, the stronger the feeling in his gut grew.

Something wasn't right here.

He kept his distance from Wren, watching her closely as she led him through the labyrinth of back alleys and hidden corridors. The woman had saved him, but that didn't mean he trusted her.

Not yet.

Wren glanced over her shoulder. "You always this tense, or just when someone's trying to help you?"

Leon didn't answer.

Wren smirked. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

She took a sudden left, ducking through a half-collapsed passage between two buildings. Leon followed, stepping over rusted pipes and shattered glass. They emerged into a narrow street, where the glow of neon signs barely reached. This place was cut off from the main avenues—no surveillance drones, no patrols.

No witnesses.

Leon tensed. "Where are we?"

Wren gestured ahead. "Your new home. Or at least, the closest thing to one."

She walked up to a metal hatch built into the side of an old warehouse. After punching a code into a rusted terminal, the door let out a low hiss and slid open.

Leon didn't move.

Wren sighed. "Look, you can stand there glaring at me all night, or you can come inside before someone sees you."

Leon hesitated, then stepped forward. His instincts screamed against it.

But he had nowhere else to go.

He followed Wren into the darkness.

---

The Safe House

The moment Leon stepped inside, he felt the difference.

This wasn't just some abandoned hideout—it was fortified. Reinforced walls. Energy shields embedded in the framework. A holographic interface flickered to life as Wren walked past, scanning her biometric signature.

The place was a mix of old and new—scavenged tech meshed with advanced security systems. Weapons lined the walls, and at the far end of the room, a large console hummed softly, its screens filled with data streams.

Leon scanned the area. One exit. No windows. Good for defense, bad for escape.

Wren threw off her coat and collapsed onto a couch, stretching her arms. "Alright, Prototype. Now that you're not bleeding all over the place, let's talk."

Leon remained standing. "Start with the truth."

Wren raised an eyebrow. "Truth is a tricky thing."

Leon's claws twitched. "Try me."

She studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. You wanna know why I saved you? Simple. You're the last one left."

Leon frowned. "Last what?"

Wren leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "The last successful Prototype. The last piece of their experiment still breathing."

Leon clenched his jaw.

Wren continued. "The labs? The ones that made you? They weren't the only ones. There were others. Across the city. Across the continent. And one by one… they've all been wiped out."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "By who?"

Wren shrugged. "The Corps say it's 'security failures.' The Underground whispers about 'rogue experiments.' But me? I think someone's cleaning up their mistakes. And you're the biggest mistake they left standing."

Leon exhaled slowly. He already knew he was being hunted. But this?

This was bigger.

"So what are you? Some kind of rebel?" he asked.

Wren chuckled. "Rebel? No. Survivor? Yeah. I used to run with a crew that broke into labs like yours, pulled people out before the Corps could throw them in the grinder. That's how I found you."

Leon's gaze sharpened. "Then why take me and not the others?"

Wren's expression darkened. "Because there were no others left."

Leon stiffened.

She leaned back. "You think you're special, Leon? That your fancy powers make you different?" Her golden eyes gleamed. "You weren't supposed to leave that lab alive. Whatever happened back there? It wasn't part of the plan."

Leon crossed his arms. "Whose plan?"

Wren sighed. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

She stood and walked over to the console, typing something into the interface. A holographic display flickered to life, showing a digital map of the city. Dozens of red markers blinked across the grid.

Leon frowned. "What am I looking at?"

Wren tapped one of the markers. "Every known lab site connected to your experiment."

Leon's stomach tightened. There were dozens.

All of them… crossed out.

Wren glanced at him. "See a pattern?"

Leon did. Someone had systematically erased every trace of his kind.

And now?

He was the last one left.

---

The First Clue

Leon's mind raced. Whoever did this—they wouldn't stop.

Wren leaned against the console. "Whoever's behind this, they're not done. And if you wanna survive, you need to stop thinking like a lab rat and start thinking like a predator."

Leon scowled. "And what? Join your little war?"

Wren smirked. "You don't have a choice. You're already in it."

Leon's fists clenched.

Then—a sudden alert flashed on the console.

Wren's smirk vanished. "Shit."

Leon stepped forward. "What?"

Wren pulled up the data. "We just got pinged. Someone's scanning the city for your bio-signature."

Leon's blood ran cold.

"They're tracking me?"

Wren nodded, her jaw tightening. "And fast."

Leon cursed. He had been here for less than an hour, and already, they had found him?

No.

This was planned.

Someone had waited for him to run.

And now?

They were closing in.

---

[Vampire System Update]

Threat Detected: Tracking Signal

Hunter Proximity: High

Blood Hunger: 72% – Danger Zone

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