The first shadow moved like smoke—but with weight. It hit Felix square in the chest, knocking him back into a rusted beam.
"Okay—wasn't ready for that!" he grunted, rolling to his feet.
Kyle didn't hesitate. He swung a curved blood blade upward, slicing the creature in half. Instead of dying, the two halves wriggled and reformed into something leaner, sharper.
"They multiply when cut," Kyle warned, his tone cold but edged with frustration. "Aim for the head. If it has one."
Gia's eyes darted between the shifting shapes. "These aren't normal ghosts."
"They're not ghosts at all," Kyle muttered. "They're fragments—leftover rage from whoever died here."
Felix smirked while dodging another swipe. "Great. So basically, your angry ex-roommates."
Kyle didn't even bother with a comeback—he was already moving, his blades dripping and reshaping into a long glaive. He spun, slicing through one creature's neck. This time, it let out a screech that vibrated the metal around them before dissolving into ash.
The Fight in the Bones
Gia crouched low, trying to keep out of the main chaos, but one of the shadows spotted her and lunged. She instinctively thrust her hands forward, a small shimmering oval of portal energy flashing into existence. The shadow slammed into it and… didn't come out the other side.
The portal collapsed in on itself like a mouth snapping shut.
Kyle froze for just a second. That wasn't just transportation—it was erasure.
Felix noticed too. "Remind me never to tick you off, Portal Princess!"
"Not the time, Felix!" Gia snapped, summoning another jagged tear in the air and tossing it like a disc. It sheared through a shadow mid-leap, making it vanish entirely.
Kyle cut down another, then stepped in front of Gia as two more came for her at once. His glaive spun in a crimson arc, severing them before they got close.
Her voice was softer this time. "Thanks."
Kyle just gave a short nod, his focus locked on the last of the creatures.
Felix darted forward, dual knives flashing, and pinned the final shadow to the ground. "Your turn, Blood Boy!"
Kyle didn't hesitate—his glaive slammed down, and the shadow's form broke apart, scattering into black mist that the wind carried away.
Aftermath
The ruins went still. The whispering faded. Only the sound of their breathing remained.
Felix sheathed his knives with a grin. "Well, that was fun. Creepy, but fun."
Gia shook her head. "That wasn't normal. If they were fragments from people like you, Kyle… then whoever the Order hunted here—"
"They were slaughtered," Kyle finished, his voice low.
There was a pause. Gia glanced at him, and for the first time that night, Kyle caught something unguarded in her eyes—a flicker of worry. Not for herself. For him.
Felix's gaze lingered on her too long for Kyle's liking, but he didn't say anything this time.
Night Watch
Later, while Felix dozed against the wall, Kyle kept watch near the entrance. Gia quietly approached, a blanket draped around her shoulders.
"You don't have to stay up all night," she said softly.
"I'm not tired."
She studied him for a moment. "You threw yourself between me and those things."
"I didn't think. I just… moved."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Guess your instincts aren't all bad."
Kyle looked away, hiding the heat that crept into his chest.
In the far corner, Felix shifted in his sleep, his hand resting on one of his knives. Even in dreams, he looked ready to fight.
Kyle wasn't sure if the next battle would be against the Order… or against whatever was quietly building between the three of them.
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