A week later, Adrik's investigation is not bearing the fruits he expected. He promised Alex that he would get information in two days and, obviously, he has failed to do so.
The situation is a bit delicate.
It is no longer just a matter of keeping your word, but human lives may be threatened because of your ineptitude, and that is something you cannot afford.
Activating his golden eyes, Adrik takes the eleventh walk through the streets closest to Alex's apartment to try to find a definitive clue. Then, he begins to hear some voices in the distance, accompanied by a scream that chills his blood. This one seems to come from a drowning dog; no, it is from a girl, a rather young one.
In one of the abandoned alleys, Adrik finds the source of his suspicions: five men are surrounding a girl barely eighteen years old.
"What's your name, pretty?" one asks, licking his lips.
"Ellen... ", the teenager answers between sobs.
"Don't suffer, this won't hurt...."
One of the men violently holds the girl's body against the wall and tears off her shirt, exposing her breasts.
Unfortunately, these five men have decided to light a torch so they can find out where they are putting it. However, they have not thought through what territory they are in.
The night mist begins to dance to the breath of a creature with bloodshot eyes and sharp teeth.
"What the fuck is that?" expresses one of the men.
Adrik, thanks to the Golden Light, is able to decipher what is really happening: a Sukobûn. The hunter par excellence of the night, a practically blind monster that is guided only by the gleams of light such as torches or bonfires.
With an elongated snout and showing two fangs ending in what resembles the tip of a dagger, the monster begins to scratch the ground with its claws, ones that would make a butcher's knife look ridiculous.
The five men are still unaware of what is going on, although they let go of the girl out of inertia, as if they smell something strange.
Ellen, the victim of the attack, starts to run but, before she can cross the corner, hands grab her and pull her out of the way. She tries to scream, but a person drowns out her screams. Adrik asks her to keep quiet while offering her his raincoat to cover herself.
"Where's the whore?" one of the men asks.
The Sokobûn finally leaves the mist and stares at its prey without making any sound or movement.
No more words are exchanged. Adrik embraces Ellen with all his strength to protect her from the orgy of screams and dismemberments that flood a street tinged with scarlet and death.
The Sokobûn finishes devouring the remains of its victims and loses itself again in the night mist. Ellen tries to peek out to see the outcome of the contest, but Adrik stops her.
"You don't want to see that..."
"Those bastards tried to rape me. I want to see what they look like now."
Ellen pokes her head out, draws a twisted smile, and returns to Adrik.
After giving her a few minutes to pull herself together and dry her tears, Adrik guides Ellen to Alex's house, who thanks him for the gesture by giving him a bag of coffee. What Adrik didn't expect to receive was a kiss on the cheek from Lara, the girl who a few days ago didn't even want to let him into the house.
While going back home, Adrik pauses in front of the clock tower, his gaze lost in the shadows that enveloped it. Here, in this place of ruin and despair, he always feels more alive than ever. The darkness is his ally, his most faithful friend in a world that had abandoned him when he was but a small child.
But as he stands motionless before the Black Tower, a sound breaks the silence of the night—a barely audible whisper, like the brush of invisible wings in the air. Adrik turns towards the source of the noise, his senses alert for any danger that might lurk in the darkness. And then, emerging from the shadows like a wraith of the night, he sees a hooded figure approaching him with a slow, deliberate pace. Intrigued, Adrik prepares himself for whatever fate has in store for him tonight and draws his rifle at the same time that his eyes start to glow in a golden light.
"Your name and your purpose", says Adrik, rifle in hand.
"I'm not your enemy", a female voice says behind a long and hooded cloak.
Adrik knows one thing for sure: this girl isn't from Umbra.
"Where are you from? Your eyes are pale".
"It doesn't matter where I'm from, the only important matter right now is that I need your help".
"And why's that?"
"If you want to save your people, you must help me".
Adrik's face twitches a little, and anxiety starts to oppress his stomach.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just enjoying the music of the night".
"I know", says the girl, which catches Adrik completely off guard.
"What do you mean, 'you know'?"
"Long story, Adrik. I need to know if you are gonna-"
In two invisible steps, the girl is faced at point-blank with two golden eyes that burn her skin like glowing metal.
"Who are you…?" Adrik's voice deepens all of a sudden.
The girl backs up two steps but doesn't show any kind of fear in her tone or composure.
"You don't scare me, Adrik. If you think these staring games are going to get you anything, you're wrong."
Adrik takes two steps back, confused. This strategy has worked for him all his life. Every time a creature has tried to trap him, hunt him, or any deplorable act, his golden light has intimidated them and managed to ward off such threats. While he knows perfectly well that this explosive glow is nothing more than a façade, for he has no special power, it is what has allowed him to survive in this eternal darkness.
If this girl does not fear his eyes, it is because she knows that deep down they cannot harm her. The question lies in how a person he met a few minutes ago knows more about him than all of Umbra after twenty years.
Before any questions can be asked, Adrik turns out the golden light by instinct but is too late.
A band of Halricis have seen his gold display and now descend with prejudice against him and the hooded figure, which now loses all the composure she might had a few moments ago.
"And what do you propose now?", says the girl.
"Follow me and keep your mouth shut", replies Adrik.