The air in the clock tower felt heavy, thick with the metallic tang of blood and the faint smell of scorched metal.
Kyle stood near the window, his gaze fixed on the city beyond. Dawn was creeping in, but there was no sense of peace. Just that gnawing silence after a storm—temporary, fragile.
Behind him, Felix was crouched over the Hunter's shattered armor, turning pieces over in his hands like he was looking for something.
"You think he left a note saying 'Better luck next time'?" Felix muttered.
Kyle didn't turn. "If he did, it'd be written in someone's blood."
Gia, sitting cross-legged on the floor, gave him a tired but pointed look. "Not funny."
Felix smirked. "Hey, gallows humor's my coping mechanism."
Kyle finally looked back at them. "We can't stay here. They'll send more."
Felix shrugged. "And where exactly are we supposed to go? Hotels don't usually take 'fugitives with a dead elite assassin in tow.'"
Gia's eyes flickered toward him. "I… might know somewhere."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Another portal trick?"
"Something like that," she said quietly. "But it's risky. My portals… they take a lot out of me. And this place is far."
Kyle was about to press her when Felix spoke up, leaning against the wall with that too-relaxed posture he always used when he was hiding something.
"Far sounds good. I'm starting to think being in the same postal code as Kyle is a death sentence."
Kyle's jaw tightened. "You're welcome for saving your life. Twice."
"Yeah," Felix said casually, "and I'm sure Gia appreciates it too."
The way he looked at her when he said it made Kyle's stomach knot—not from jealousy, but from something sharper, something protective. Gia didn't seem to notice, but Kyle did. And he didn't like it.
Bandaging Wounds
They moved to the corner where an old table sat under the cracked clock face. Gia pulled out the small med kit they'd been carrying since the escape.
"Kyle, sit."
"I'm fine."
"You're bleeding through your sleeve."
He glanced down, realizing the cut along his arm had reopened in the fight. Without a word, he sat. Gia knelt beside him, her hands working quickly as she wrapped the gauze.
Felix leaned on the wall, arms crossed. "You know, you two should probably learn how to patch yourselves up. Might save us some time in the future."
Kyle gave him a flat look. "You volunteering to show us?"
"Nah," Felix smirked. "I'd rather watch."
Gia rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
Uneasy Ground
When they were done, Kyle stood and looked between them. "We need to move before nightfall."
Gia nodded slowly, but Felix was frowning now, his gaze fixed on the Hunter's remains.
"You're both missing something," Felix said. "Hunters don't work alone. Especially not the top ones. Someone gave the order. Someone higher."
Kyle's stomach sank. "You think—"
"I know," Felix interrupted. "This wasn't just about taking you down. This was a test. And now that we passed…"
"…the one who sent him will come next," Gia finished softly.
Kyle felt it like a cold weight settling in his chest. The final enemy. Whoever they were, they had to be powerful enough to control people like the Hunter—and twisted enough to keep sending killers after them.
He stepped toward the window again, the sunlight catching the faint red shimmer along his skin where the blood weapons had burned hot during the fight.
"Then we'd better be ready," Kyle said. "Because if they're coming for us, we make sure they regret it."
Felix's eyes lingered on him a moment, unreadable. Then he gave a slow, thin smile. "Oh… you'll regret it too. Just in a different way."
Kyle didn't ask what he meant, but he felt it—the undercurrent. The bigger threat wasn't here yet, but it was moving. And when it arrived, it wouldn't come quietly.
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