Hours later, soaked and exhausted, B-5 wandered through crowded streets while people stared at her appearance.
One man approached her with bad intentions.
That mistake lasted only seconds.
She left wearing his clothes and disappeared into the city.
Eventually, she found herself inside Luna Bar.
The same place Lucian visited every night.
She drank like someone who had never tasted alcohol before.
Watched everyone like prey.
And when armed men from the Research Center entered the district searching for her…
Lucian noticed immediately.
He took her home.
A palace hidden above the city.
Safe.
Silent.
Ancient.
"Who are you?"
"I don't know."
"Then where did you come from?"
"The people there called me Unit B-5."
Lucian tested her blood himself.
Not human.
Not vampire.
Something else entirely.
Something wrong.
Before he could learn more, B-5 suddenly collapsed in pain.
"They're here."
"How do you know?"
"They put something inside my head…"
"A tracker?"
"…Maybe."
Research Center operatives surrounded Lucian's estate within the hour.
But Lucian had protected himself long before modern governments even existed.
And he didn't protect himself alone.
Deep within the palace slept Fenrir.
A massive black wolf.
Not fully animal.
Not fully monster.
Something ancient.
Something loyal only to Lucian.
"Find them."
Fenrir disappeared into the night.
Minutes later, the security feeds went dark one by one.
The hunters never returned.
Afterward, B-5 stared at Lucian differently.
Carefully.
Suspiciously.
"Who are you?"
"You don't seem human either."
Lucian stood beside the window, moonlight touching his face.
For a moment, his crimson eyes glowed.
"People once called me many things."
"Monster."
"Demon."
"Nightmare."
"But those were names created by fear."
He looked toward the city below.
Ancient.
Lonely.
Tired.
"My name is Lucian."
But elsewhere in the city…
Someone else was watching.
Someone whose heartbeat wasn't human.
Someone searching for B-5 too.
And for the first time in centuries—
Lucian realized he might not be the only monster left in the world.