The eerie, shattering sound echoed through the apartment, freezing Aiden in his tracks. It was unmistakable—a Hunter had breached the protective layer of reality and was now inside. The air grew dense, humming with the unnatural energy of the System's enforcer.
Mira stood frozen by the door, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Aiden, what is that?"
Aiden tightened his grip on her arm, his heart pounding in his chest. "There's no time to explain. We need to move, now."
But before they could take another step, the light in the room dimmed, flickering unnaturally as though the energy had been sapped from the air itself. A cold, sickening sensation washed over Aiden as the temperature dropped.
He turned slowly, knowing what he would see.
At the far end of the hallway, a Hunter emerged from the shadows. Its featureless, pale mask gleamed in the flickering light, its body a mass of shifting darkness, constantly phasing between solid and ethereal. The Hunter was taller than the ones Aiden had faced in the dungeon, more refined in its movements—faster, deadlier. Its hollow eyes fixed on Mira.
"Anomaly Detected. Termination Imminent."
The System's cold, mechanical voice echoed from the Hunter's form, a declaration of intent. Aiden could feel the malice radiating from it, as if the very presence of this creature warped the space around them.
Aiden's pulse raced. It's after her.
Mira's breathing grew ragged, panic setting in. "Aiden… what is that thing?"
Aiden stepped in front of her, shielding her from the Hunter's gaze. "Stay behind me. Don't look at it."
Mira nodded, trembling, her hands clutching the strap of her bag as if it could anchor her to reality. Aiden had to act fast. He could fight the Hunter, but with Mira here, it complicated things. She was an anomaly, and the System wouldn't stop until she was erased.
But Garvey had said they weren't alone. The others would come. Aiden just had to keep them alive until then.
He felt the Anomaly Stone in his pocket, still warm with residual energy from their earlier battle. I can't afford to lose control now.
"Mira," Aiden said, his voice steady but urgent, "when I tell you to run, you run. Don't stop until you're outside. Do you understand?"
Mira hesitated, fear flashing in her eyes, but she nodded. "Okay."
The Hunter moved closer, its body flickering between physical and intangible, like a specter of death. Aiden could feel the weight of its presence, the relentless pressure of the System bearing down on them. It was designed to erase anomalies like Mira, and if it succeeded, there wouldn't be a second chance.
[Phase Shift Available.]
The System prompt flickered in Aiden's vision. Good timing. He couldn't take down the Hunter in a direct fight, not with Mira here, but he could buy time.
"Now, run!"
Aiden activated Phase Shift just as the Hunter lunged. His body shimmered and flickered out of physical existence for a brief moment, and he darted past the Hunter, pulling Mira with him. They raced down the hallway, their footsteps thundering against the wooden floor.
The Hunter didn't waste time. It phased out of sight, reappearing at the far end of the hallway, cutting them off. Its speed was terrifying.
"Anomaly Detected. Elimination Required."
Mira gasped, panic threatening to overwhelm her, but Aiden tightened his grip on her arm. "Keep going! I'll handle this."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and faced the Hunter head-on, his Phase Shift ability still active, making him momentarily untouchable. The Hunter swung a clawed hand at him, its shadowy form distorting as it passed through Aiden harmlessly.
[Phase Shift Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
Aiden gritted his teeth. He couldn't stay intangible forever. The cooldown was short, but in a battle this intense, it felt like an eternity. He needed to delay the Hunter long enough for Mira to escape.
Garvey's words echoed in his mind. "Strike from the shadows. Don't fight fair."
Aiden darted forward, his dagger gleaming in the dim light. He aimed for the Hunter's mask, the only solid part of its body. If he could disrupt its form, even for a moment, it might give them the opening they needed.
The dagger connected, scraping against the Hunter's mask with a harsh, metallic sound. The creature recoiled, its body flickering violently, as if struggling to maintain its physical form.
"Aiden!" Mira's voice cut through the chaos.
Aiden turned just in time to see two more Hunters phasing into the room from the shadows. They moved with eerie precision, their hollow eyes locked on Mira.
His heart sank. Three Hunters.
Aiden's mind raced. There was no way he could take them all on, not with Mira in the room. He activated Phase Shift again, but the cooldown still had time left. Not yet. He clenched his fists, feeling the pressure build. He had to do something. Anything.
Just then, the air in the room changed—a sudden shift in energy. Aiden's vision blurred for a split second, and then, out of nowhere, Garvey burst through the apartment's window, his massive sword gleaming in the low light as he crashed into the room with brutal force.
"Get down!" Garvey bellowed.
Aiden yanked Mira to the floor just as Garvey's sword swung in a wide arc, slicing through the nearest Hunter with devastating precision. The creature let out a guttural hiss before its form disintegrated into a cloud of dark mist.
"You always did have a dramatic entrance," Aiden muttered, breathing heavily as Garvey positioned himself between them and the remaining Hunters.
Garvey smirked, his eyes cold and focused on the two remaining enemies. "I told you I'd handle the Hunters. You just had to keep her safe."
Aiden couldn't help but feel a surge of relief. Garvey was a force to be reckoned with, and with him here, the odds had just shifted in their favor.
The two remaining Hunters circled, their bodies flickering in and out of visibility. One lunged at Garvey, but he was ready, his massive blade meeting it mid-air with a thunderous impact. Sparks flew as his sword clashed with the Hunter's claws, but Garvey didn't falter.
Aiden scrambled to his feet, pulling Mira up with him. "We need to go, now!" he said urgently.
Mira, still in shock, nodded, allowing Aiden to guide her toward the door. But as they made their way to the exit, one of the Hunters phased directly in front of them, blocking their path with a twisted, shifting form.
Aiden cursed under his breath. There's no end to them.
Garvey, still locked in combat with the other Hunter, shouted across the room, "Use the Anomaly Stone! It's your only shot!"
Aiden fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the stone. It pulsed with the same strange energy as before, but this time, the pressure around it felt heavier, more intense. He didn't have time to think. He focused on the stone, willing it to disrupt the System's hold over the Hunter in front of them.
The stone flared with light, and for a brief moment, the Hunter's form flickered violently. The creature let out a distorted, mechanical screech as its body warped and twisted, struggling to maintain its existence.
"Now!" Aiden shouted, pulling Mira through the opening as the Hunter's form glitched and flickered behind them.
They burst through the door, racing down the apartment's narrow stairwell. Aiden's breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding in his chest. We made it. For now.
But as they reached the bottom floor, Aiden knew it wasn't over. The System wouldn't stop. The Hunters would keep coming, and Mira would never be safe as long as they were after her.
Outside, Garvey appeared moments later, his sword still dripping with dark mist. He glanced at Aiden and Mira, then scanned the area for any signs of more enemies.
"You're both okay?" Garvey asked, his voice tense but steady.
Aiden nodded, though he could feel the weight of what had just happened pressing down on him. "For now. But they won't stop coming, will they?"
Garvey shook his head, his expression grim. "No. The System will send more. Stronger ones next time."
Mira, still trembling, looked between the two of them, her confusion and fear clear in her eyes. "Aiden… what's happening? What are those things? What is this System you keep talking about?"
Aiden's heart clenched. He knew he couldn't keep her in the dark anymore. She deserved the truth.
He turned to her, his voice quiet but resolute. "Mira… there's so much I need to tell you. The world is about to change, and those creatures—those Hunters—are part of something much bigger. The visions you've been having… they're real. And they're connected to the System, the thing that's controlling this world."
Mira stared at him, wide-eyed, her breath catching in her throat. "What… what do you mean? What System?"
Aiden glanced at Garvey, who gave him a nod, a silent signal of support.
"The System governs everything," Aiden explained, his voice steady. "It's like a game, but we're all caught inside it. And the people like you—the ones with visions, the ones who don't follow the System's rules—are anomalies. The System sends Hunters to erase them."
Mira took a step back, her hands shaking. "So… they're after me because of my visions? They're trying to kill me?"
Aiden nodded, guilt gnawing at him. He had kept her in the dark for too long. "Yes. But we're not going to let that happen. We're going to stop them. And I promise you, we'll protect you."
Garvey stepped forward, his gaze sharp and focused. "We need to keep moving. The System won't stop until it gets what it wants. We have to find the others."
Mira looked between Aiden and Garvey, fear and uncertainty clear on her face. But there was also a glimmer of determination, a spark that hadn't been there before.
"I don't understand all of this," she said, her voice shaky but firm. "But if you're saying my visions are connected to whatever's happening… then I need to know more. I want to help."
Aiden felt a surge of relief. She's stronger than I thought.
Garvey gave a nod of approval. "Good. You'll need that strength where we're going."
Aiden looked toward the horizon, the weight of the fight ahead pressing down on him. The Cataclysm was coming, and the System was relentless. But for the first time, he didn't feel like he was fighting alone.
"We'll find the others," Aiden said quietly, his resolve hardening. "And together, we'll break free from the System."