The Hunt begin (Part Three)

Akira shifted in her sleep, a faint frown creasing her brow. A soft wind rattled the window, though no storm was forecast.

She blinked as sunlight filtered through the curtains.

Afternoon already?

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly. Her body still felt heavy, but lighter than it had in days. The couch blanket had slipped to the floor. Austin was gone — only a folded note waited on the table in front of her.

SOS call from Dad. I had to leave. Call me when you wake up. Rest up, enjoy your weekend.

PS: God, you snore like a pig. Also, Izzy found out about the movie night you tricked me into — she's mad at YOU!

"Austin!!!" Akira groaned, flopping back onto the couch dramatically. In her half-sleepy roll, she slipped and hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Ugh," she muttered, face-down on the carpet.

She got up, gathered the blanket, and began tidying the living room. For the first time in a long while, she felt alive. That power nap had done wonders.

As the sun began to set, a new energy stirred in her. She cleaned her room while blasting music and dancing with her headphones in. She watered her dad's plants, rearranged her desk, and even found herself humming along to a random playlist.

Finally, as the light outside turned golden and the sky grew cloudy, she decided to go for a walk near the park. The weather was just her kind — a cool breeze, clouds hanging low, and the hypnotic smell of wet mud after an earlier drizzle.

She tucked a book into her tote bag, popped in her earphones, and set off — unaware of what waited in the shadows.

She tried calling Austin, but he didn't answer. So she left a voice note:

"Well, thanks a lot, Aus — for yesterday. I really needed that. And by the way, I did not snore like a pig. I was gently exhaling in rhythm with the ghosts, thank you very much.

Anyway, I'm heading to the park for some fresh air and mental recovery. If you and Izzy wanna come over tonight, we can finally have that movie night without me dozing off mid-scream. Fingers crossed.

Okay, love you — call me when you get this.

Unless Izzy already killed you for ditching her… in which case, I call dibs on your hoodie collection. Byeee!"

Akira sat on a quiet park bench, feeling lighter than she had in days.

Headphones in, her eyes scanned the pages of her book while "The Night We Met" played softly in her ears. The cool breeze, the smell of wet mud, and the fading daylight made everything feel calm — too calm.

She was so focused, she didn't realize it was already past 8 PM.

With a sigh, she packed up her things and began her walk home.

But peace, she would soon learn, was short-lived.

As she passed a narrow alley, something caught her attention — a hiss. Low and wet. She froze for a second but quickly shook it off and kept walking, not daring to look back.

Just a sound. Probably a cat... or trash… or something normal.

She was only a few blocks from home.

Then something stepped out in front of her.

Huge. Misshapen. Towering.

Its body was twisted — half-dog, half-wolf, with limbs that stretched too far and skin that shimmered like smoke. Its mouth split into a grin, too many teeth gleaming in the dark.

Akira froze. A cold sweat trickled down her neck.

Then it screamed — a shriek so loud and unnatural it rattled her bones.

She stumbled back, took two steps — and ran.

She dashed into the alley without thinking, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Brothers, let her run," one of the demons hissed behind her, its voice jagged and gleeful. "Let's have some fun."

Two of them followed. One loped behind her like a starving beast; another darted alongside the buildings, staying just within her peripheral vision.

Akira's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what to do — her phone was useless, and she couldn't scream. No one would hear her here.

She turned a corner—

—and the largest demon landed right in front of her, blocking her path. Its breath was thick with rot.

She was surrounded.

Panic surged in her chest, but then—

A blast of white light shot through the alley, striking one of the demons and knocking it back into the wall with a furious snarl.

Akira blinked, shocked.

She dropped into a defensive stance, not even knowing what she was doing — just following instinct.

The demons laughed. One stepped forward and sneered, "You think you can fight us, little girl?"

Akira clenched her fists. Her whole body buzzed with heat — with something rising inside her.

"I will," she said through gritted teeth.

And suddenly — as if her body remembered something her mind didn't — a surge of light burst from her hands, brilliant and blinding, slamming into the creature's chest and sending it sprawling.

Akira didn't wait to see what happened next. She ran, ducking into an empty alley, heart pounding, light still sparking at her fingertips.

She didn't know what had just happened.

But something had awakened.

Rain began to fall, light at first, then steady.

Raindrops trickled down Akira's face as she crouched behind a stack of crates, trying to still her trembling breath.

She could hear them — the low hisses, the wet footsteps. The demons were still out there, searching.

She pressed a hand to her mouth and stayed hidden, praying they wouldn't find her.

Then came the thunder. A loud crack tore through the sky, and lightning followed, illuminating the alley in sharp flashes.

Not far away, a demon snarled, crouched low as it stalked an unaware human.

"Flesh…" it growled.

Just as it lunged, a glowing arrow whistled through the rain and struck it in the chest. The demon let out a high-pitched screech before vanishing into black mist.

"Nice shot, Ash!" Kyros called out, standing beside Alaric, sword already drawn.

"This isn't the time, Kyros," Alaric said coolly, eyes scanning the alley. "There are more."

And he was right.

The first demon's scream had drawn others. They emerged from the shadows, encircling the two warriors with twisted grins and gleaming teeth.

"Well then," Kyros muttered with a smirk, twirling his sword, "let's send them back to where they came from… Hell."

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he lunged forward.

The fight began in a flurry of motion and steel. Kyros moved like a storm — wild, fast, impossible to follow. Alaric was the opposite: calm, precise, deadly.

The two separated, chasing down the demons as they scattered through the rain-slicked alleyways.

Akira's breathing was shallow. Rain fell harder now, soaking through her clothes, but she didn't care. She crouched behind a dumpster, clutching her side where she'd scraped it during her fall. The alley was cold, shadows stretching in every direction, and the hissing from the demons still echoed in her ears.

She peered around the corner.

Nothing.

Maybe they gave up.

Or maybe they were just waiting.

She took a shaky breath and stepped out carefully. One foot, then another. Just get to the street. Almost there.

And then — a low snarl behind her.

Akira turned and saw a smaller, fast-moving demon leap at her from the shadows. Her eyes widened. Her body froze.

But before it could reach her — THWACK — a blast of bright blue energy slammed into the creature, flinging it against the alley wall with a disgusting crunch.

Akira flinched.

Someone landed in front of her. A figure — tall, with a long coat and a ponytail and twin swords strapped across his back. He didn't look back at her. Instead, he kept his focus on the creature that was already disintegrating into black ash.

"Go," he said sharply, his voice low but firm.

Akira blinked. "Wha—?"

"I said go!"

And that was all she needed.

Heart racing, she turned and ran. Water splashed under her feet as she darted between buildings, never once looking back. She didn't see the stranger glance over his shoulder, confused by the strange, flickering energy still clinging to her footsteps.

Kyros narrowed his eyes. "Who…?"

Before he could move after her, a guttural roar echoed across the alley, and two or three demons came rushing toward Kyros.

Meanwhile, Akira was running blindly through the rain until she suddenly skidded to a stop — a dead end.

A wall.

Her heart dropped. That's it, she thought. It's over. I don't know what they want, but I'm done here.

Thud!

A heavy form landed behind her. She turned, breath catching in her throat, and saw the big demon standing there, smiling with rows of jagged teeth.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The demon grinned wider. "What I want… that depends on you."

He started moving toward her, slow and confident. Akira backed away, raising her hands instinctively. Then, without thinking, she struck out again — that same strange white force burst from her palms, pushing him back a step.

But it wasn't enough.

Her eyes darted around in panic — and then she saw it. A broken steel pipe is lying near the wall.

She dodged the demon's clawed hand with a reflex she didn't know she had, snatched up the pipe, and swung.

Clang!

The hit landed — hard.

The demon screeched and turned toward her with fury. They began to fight. Akira kept swinging, dodging, and hitting, every move faster than she thought herself capable of. It felt natural. Too natural.

How am I doing this? she wondered. What is this?

But it wasn't enough. The pipe couldn't finish the job. She was tired. Her breath came in shallow gasps. Her arms ached. Her vision blurred.

And then—

A sound.

A whistle.

Soft. Faint. Familiar.

Her mind reeled. That lullaby… I've heard it before…

The whistle grew louder — and louder — until it echoed like a scream in her skull. She dropped to her knees, clutching her ears, the pipe clattering to the ground. Rain soaked her hair and skin, but she barely noticed.

Then—

FWOOSH.

A red flame tore through the alley, slamming into the demon and sending it flying backward into the wall with a crash.

Akira blinked through the haze and saw a pair of calm, bare feet standing before her.

She looked up slowly.

A woman stood over her — tall, powerful, wearing a flowing black and red robe. Her silver-white eyes burned like stars in the dark.

Akira's lips parted in confusion, but her body gave out before she could speak. She collapsed.

"Well done, my children," Ursula said softly, eyes still fixed on the wounded demon.

The demons nearby bowed their heads.

"Now," she added coldly, "finish those little foxes. They're becoming… annoying."

Then, without another word, Ursula lifted Akira into her arms — and vanished into the darkness.

The heavy rainfall starts with thunder strikes and winds.