By the time the streets quieted, the storm had passed, leaving the city slick with rain and smoke. Lucien crouched near the demon's remains, fingers brushing over the crumbled ash. Something gleamed faintly in the residue.
A shard—black, jagged, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"Don't touch that," the girl warned, her voice unusually serious. She knelt beside him, fiery eyes fixed on the shard. "That's not normal demon junk."
Lucien studied it, his jaw tightening. The shard thrummed with an energy that made the air feel heavy. "It's a mark," he muttered. "A sign that something else is controlling them."
She tilted her head, smirking despite the tension. "Guess the big bad wants to leave us breadcrumbs. Cute."
Lucien pocketed the shard. "Or a warning."
Before she could tease him again, a sudden clang rang from the rooftops. Instinctively, they both drew weapons, scanning the skyline.
A figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight. Cloaked in shifting black, its eyes glowed faintly crimson—eerily familiar from the whisper they'd heard earlier.
"Hunters," the voice rasped, low and distorted. "You bleed well. But you bleed for nothing."
The girl raised her blade. "Oh, I hate dramatic speeches."
The figure tilted its head, then extended a hand. Instantly, the air warped. From the shadows, more demons spilled forth—smaller, faster, crawling like spiders across the walls.
Lucien and the girl fell into motion without hesitation. Pistols cracked, blades flashed. The narrow street filled with snarls and gunfire, sparks hissing against wet pavement.
One demon lunged for the girl's throat, but Lucien shot it clean through the head, the corpse dissolving inches from her.
She spun, smirking at him. "Saving me now? Careful, Vale, you'll ruin your broody image."
He fired past her shoulder, dropping another demon. "Don't flatter yourself."
By the time the last creature crumbled into ash, the cloaked figure had vanished. Only its laughter lingered, carried on the wind like ash.
The girl wiped her blade clean, then glanced at Lucien. For once, her smirk softened. "So. We're officially in over our heads."
Lucien holstered his guns, silver eyes cold. "Good. That means we're finally on the right trail."