Chapter Four: The Pursuit
The hum didn't stop when I left the library.
It followed me down the stairwell, through the alley, across the street.
They were behind me.
I could feel them — not hear, not see, but feel — each footstep vibrating in my bones. Hiveborn don't need to run. They move in perfect silence until they're close enough to strike.
I cut through the market district, weaving between vendors and carts. I kept my head down, my hood up, but the scent was everywhere now. Metallic-sweet, thick in the air, like it was sticking to my skin. People brushed past me without a second glance, but I knew… half of them might not even be people at all.
The hum swelled. My vision warped — edges too sharp, colors too bright. My chest felt tight, like something inside me wanted out.
> Shift, the voice whispered.
Or die.
I ducked into an alley and let go.
The change ripped through me — skin hardening, splitting in thin lines, plates pushing through like black glass. My fingers curled into hooked claws. My jaw ached as it split, mandibles snapping in the air.
"Holy—"
I spun.
There was a man at the alley's end, holding a bag of groceries, staring at me like he'd just seen a nightmare. Not Hiveborn. Human. And now… he knew.
Before I could speak, a shadow fell over him.
The boy from my building stepped into the light. His eyes caught mine — not human anymore — and I knew this was no coincidence. He'd driven me here. He'd cornered me.
The hum in my head deepened, dragging at my thoughts, urging me to join.
But then the other voice cut through, sharp and urgent.
> Run. And take him with you.
I didn't know who "he" was, or why the voice cared. But my legs moved on instinct.
I grabbed the human's wrist and bolted.