The sirens screamed in the distance, a warning, a promise. Kyle clenched his fists, feeling the remnants of his blood-forged weapons evaporate into the cold air. He could still hear the faint thuds of unconscious bodies hitting the pavement behind him, but his focus was on her.
Gia.
She stood at the mouth of the alley, her hazel eyes locked onto him, unreadable. The neon lights overhead cast an eerie glow on her face, making her look like a ghost from his past.
"You shouldn't be here," Kyle muttered, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. He could already feel the exhaustion setting in. Blood Weaponry had its limits—his limits. He had pushed them. Again.
Gia took a slow step forward. "Kyle… what the hell did I just see?"
Kyle exhaled, tilting his head back toward the sky. The city was alive with sirens, flashing lights, and distant murmurs. No time for this.
"You saw nothing," he said flatly. "Now go home."
Her eyes narrowed. "That's not gonna work on me."
Kyle clicked his tongue. Of course it wouldn't. Gia had always been stubborn—annoyingly so.
Footsteps. Not hers.
Kyle's head snapped toward the alley's entrance. A black SUV skidded around the corner, headlights flaring as it barreled toward them. His pulse quickened.
"Gia—move!"
Too late. The doors of the SUV swung open before the vehicle even fully stopped. Shadows emerged—more agents. More of The Order.
"Target acquired. Take him!"
Kyle didn't hesitate. His right palm split open in a crimson flash, and blood streamed from the wound, shaping itself into a long spear. He spun, hurling it with perfect precision. The weapon impaled the SUV's front tire, sending the vehicle veering into a streetlamp with a sickening crunch of metal.
The agents, undeterred, moved in fast.
Kyle grabbed Gia's wrist. "Run."
She yanked her arm back. "I'm not leaving you!"
"Not an option." His tone was sharp, final.
Gia hesitated, but the sight of a gun being raised was enough to make up her mind. Together, they bolted.
Kyle led the way, weaving through the labyrinth of alleyways, his mind racing. He had been hunted before, fought before, but this was different. Gia was here. And that changed everything.
"You wanna tell me why people with military-grade weapons are after you?" Gia panted beside him.
"Maybe later," Kyle gritted out.
They turned a corner—only to skid to a stop.
A towering figure stood in their path. Dressed in all black, a mask obscuring his face. But Kyle recognized him instantly.
Commander Graves.
The Order's top enforcer.
Kyle tightened his grip on Gia's wrist. "Damn it."
Graves tilted his head. "End of the line, Kyle."
Kyle bared his teeth. "Yeah? Try me."
And then, all hell broke loose.
_______