The fog clung to them like damp cloth, muffling the world into a low, constant hum. Every shadow looked like the Hunter waiting to pounce.
Kyle led the way, keeping his head low, his eyes scanning the path ahead. Gia followed close behind, her fingers twitching now and then as if itching to open another portal. Felix trailed on her other side, his blades sheathed but his attention clearly split between watching their backs and… watching her.
Kyle noticed. He always noticed.
They'd been moving for over an hour when the outline of something massive emerged from the mist. It wasn't a building—it was the twisted skeleton of a structure, rusted beams jutting at strange angles, the remnants of walls long since torn apart.
"This is it?" Felix asked, tilting his head. "Doesn't exactly scream 'safe house.'"
Kyle didn't look back. "It's safer than anywhere else. The Order abandoned it years ago. No surveillance, no patrols. Just… memories."
Gia frowned. "Memories?"
Kyle didn't answer.
Inside the Ruins
The interior smelled of rust and wet stone. Moonlight spilled in through holes in the ceiling, revealing scorch marks along the floor and walls. Felix ran a hand over one of them.
"These weren't from guns," Felix murmured.
Kyle's voice was flat. "No. Blood weapons."
Gia's gaze flicked to him. "Yours?"
Kyle shook his head, jaw tightening. "Someone like me. They didn't make it out."
Silence hung in the air for a moment too long. Felix broke it with a sharp clap of his hands. "Alright, mood's officially depressing. Let's set up camp before we all start writing sad poetry."
Kyle ignored the jab and began checking the upper walkways, making sure no one—or nothing—had claimed the ruins. Gia started laying out blankets near a corner shielded from the wind. Felix sat beside her, close enough that Kyle's teeth clenched.
Unwanted Tension
As the night deepened, the temperature dropped. Kyle returned from a final perimeter check to find Gia sitting beside Felix, sharing the warmth of a single blanket. Felix was telling some story, his voice low and confident, his grin a little too easy.
Kyle dropped his pack a little harder than necessary. Both of them looked up.
"You're sitting in the draft," Kyle said to Gia. "Move closer to the wall."
"I'm fine," Gia replied, her tone neutral but her eyes curious.
Felix smirked. "Relax, lover boy. I'll keep her warm."
Kyle's blood heated instantly, a faint red glow curling around his fists. "Say that again."
Felix leaned back, clearly enjoying himself. "You heard me."
Gia stood abruptly, stepping between them before Kyle could take another step. "Both of you—stop. We have bigger problems than your egos."
Kyle looked away first, but the fire in his veins didn't fade.
The Whispering Fog
The wind outside shifted, carrying with it a faint, almost human sound—like whispers just beyond the walls.
Gia's head tilted. "You hear that?"
Kyle did. It wasn't the Hunter. This was softer… coaxing.
Felix drew his blades. "Please tell me that's just the wind."
"It's not," Kyle said grimly. "This place isn't abandoned. It's haunted."
The whispering grew louder, threads of sound curling into words none of them could fully understand. The shadows along the far wall began to move—stretching, twisting, peeling themselves free.
Gia stepped back instinctively. "Kyle…"
"I know," he said, his hands already dripping with crimson blades.
Felix grinned like he'd just been given a gift. "Finally. Some fun."
The first shadow lunged.
________