Chapter 6: The Hunter in the Shadows

The footsteps on the stairs were slow, deliberate. Every groan of the old wood sent a chill racing down Kai's spine. He could feel his pulse in his ears, loud and frantic.

Jace looked at him with wide eyes, mouthing, What do we do?

Kai didn't answer. His mind was racing, but instinct told him one thing: they couldn't run. The metal door would make noise, the stairs even more. Whoever was coming… would hear them.

They needed to hide.

Kai grabbed Jace's arm and pointed to the far corner of the archives, where old filing cabinets created a narrow gap behind a row of shelves. They slipped into the cramped space, breath held, every nerve on edge.

The footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs.

Silence.

Kai squeezed his eyes shut, willing his breath to slow.

Then the footsteps resumed — soft, measured steps moving between the rows of ancient files.

He could hear faint breathing.

The sound of fingers running along wooden shelves.

And then… a whisper.

"Where is it?"

Kai's blood turned to ice. The voice was low, rasping, like wind passing through cracked stone.

A shadow fell across their hiding spot.

The figure stopped just inches away. Kai could see the hem of a dark cloak, boots worn and muddy. A faint scent of smoke and ash filled the air.

Minutes passed like hours. The figure didn't move.

Then, slowly, it turned and continued down the row, footsteps fading.

Kai risked a glance. The figure's face was still hidden beneath a hood, but as it moved deeper into the archives, Kai spotted a glint of metal — a dagger, hanging from the figure's belt. The blade shimmered with a faint blue light.

Whoever this was… they weren't just human.

The figure stopped near the shelves they'd been searching, running a hand along the spines of old books.

Looking for the journal, Kai realized.

He had to act fast.

Very carefully, he pulled his backpack toward him, unzipped it, and slipped the journal inside. His fingers brushed against the artifact — the strange machine — and for a brief moment, it pulsed with warmth, as though sensing the danger.

Jace whispered so softly Kai almost didn't hear it. "We can't stay here."

He was right.

The figure muttered something in a language Kai couldn't understand. The room seemed to darken, shadows twisting unnaturally.

Suddenly, the lights overhead flickered.

And then went out.

Darkness.

Complete and suffocating.

Kai grabbed Jace's wrist. They moved, careful not to make a sound, slipping out from behind the shelves and inching toward the far wall.

The figure spoke again, louder now. The shadows thickened, coiling along the floor like living smoke.

Kai's breath caught. He could feel them — cold tendrils brushing against his legs, searching.

Not good. Not good.

They reached the far wall, and Kai fumbled for the door to the old maintenance tunnel. His mom had told him stories about it when he was younger — a hidden passage used long ago by courthouse staff. He found the latch, pulled it open, and gestured for Jace to crawl inside.

The tunnel was narrow, damp, and smelled of mildew, but it was their only chance.

They crawled forward, the muffled sounds of the figure's chanting growing louder behind them. The shadows pressed into the tunnel entrance, but the wooden door held.

For now.

After what felt like forever, they emerged into a small storage room beneath the courthouse garden. Jace slammed the hatch shut behind them, and they both collapsed onto the cold floor, gasping for breath.

Kai's hands trembled as he reached into his backpack, pulling out the journal once more.

"Your grandfather knew," Jace whispered.

Kai nodded. "This thing… it's more dangerous than we thought."

Jace swallowed. "And now they know we have it."

Kai opened the journal to the last pages again. Beneath the hurried note, there was a faded diagram — a symbol.

A circle with four runes around it.

Beneath it, scrawled in shaky handwriting: The Key opens the Door. The Door leads to the Nexus. Beware the Hunters.

"The Hunters," Jace repeated softly.

Kai looked up at him. "That's who that was."

A noise above them made them both freeze.

They weren't safe yet.

"We have to get out of here," Kai whispered.

They crept out of the storage room and into the night. The garden was eerily silent, the moon partially hidden behind thick clouds.

But before they could make it to the street —

A figure stepped out of the shadows.

The same cloaked figure from the archives.

They froze.

The figure raised its head. For the first time, Kai saw its face — pale, almost translucent skin stretched tightly over sharp bones, eyes completely black, without whites or pupils.

"You shouldn't have taken it," the creature hissed.

Kai's heart thundered.

Jace grabbed his arm. "Run!"

They bolted, sprinting down the street, the creature's footsteps pounding behind them.

They dashed through alleys, over fences, hearts racing. But no matter how fast they ran, the footsteps stayed close.

Then, just as Kai thought they wouldn't escape —

A blinding flash of light exploded behind them.

Kai stumbled, shielding his eyes.

When he looked back, the creature was gone.

In its place stood an old man, dressed in a long coat, holding a strange staff that still crackled with light.

His face was partially hidden by shadows, but his voice was calm and firm.

"You're not ready yet," the man said. "But you will be."

Kai took a shaky step forward. "Who are you?"

The man smiled faintly.

"A friend. For now, go home. Get some rest. Tomorrow… everything changes."

And with that, he turned and vanished into the night.

Kai and Jace stood there in stunned silence.

Everything was happening too fast.

But one thing was clear — they were part of something far bigger than they'd ever imagined.

And this was just the beginning.