At night, Uche sat on the back of Mira's sleek bike as they sped toward the rendezvous point, where he was supposed to meet Snowflake and finally reclaim his stolen eye.
As the city lights blurred past, he tightened his grip around Mira's waist, feeling the warmth of her body through the thin layers of his own clothes. A gusty breeze brushed against his cheeks, and he realized just how fast they were moving. If he let go, he might be flung off the bike and left sprawled on the street.
They were both dressed in black. Mira wore the same high-tech suit she'd donned when she saved him from the organ traffickers' base. But now that he could examine it closely, he noticed striking details he hadn't seen before.
Her suit was a deep, matte black with a zigzagged, scale-like design running from her shoulders down her arms, with streaks of red weaving through it like veins. A scarlet skull glared out from her chest, its eyes empty yet somehow menacing. The sight of it sent a chill through Uche. He wondered if her suit could be modified; it looked slightly different than the first time he saw it.
Instead of her usual helmet, she wore sleek glasses that somehow seemed to pierce through the darkness, likely offering her a range of enhancements he couldn't imagine.
Uche wore much simpler attire—a black hoodie and jeans, with a pair of standard sunglasses and a face cap, which Mira had insisted on. Apparently, after the cops had plastered Uche's image all over the city, his eyepatch had become too recognizable. He'd reluctantly agreed, though the glasses felt strange without his usual patch.
The bike's speed was astonishing, almost unnatural, and Uche's surprise had only deepened when he learned that Mira's bike wasn't just any vehicle—it was an advanced piece of vampire technology that had once been her wristwatch.
Mira claimed the watch had capabilities far beyond human imagination: it could shield her from sunlight, morph into different forms, and possibly do things she hadn't yet revealed. She'd given him a similar device, though his version had far more limited functions—it only protected him from the sun and connected him to her own device as a backup. Still, he marveled at it as he watched her navigate the bike with seamless precision.
After about thirty minutes, the bike slowed to a smooth, silent halt, and Uche hopped off, glancing around at the dark, expansive district that sprawled out before him. Rows of buildings loomed like silent sentinels, casting long shadows across the streets.
"We should split up here, that bastard is too cunning, we can't afford to make mistake."
Mira said as she got off the bike, which, with a barely perceptible flicker, transformed back into her wristwatch, wrapping snugly around her wrist.
"Split up?"
Uche asked, slightly taken aback. They were standing at the only entrance into the district, a grand iron gate guarded by several sentries.
"Aren't you coming with me?"
"Don't worry,"
She replied with a smirk.
"I have my own way in. Go in now, you need to reach the meeting spot before the time runs out. You still have a few kilometers to cover."
With that, Mira turned and disappeared into the night, her silhouette vanishing as though it had never been there at all. Uche watched her go, a sense of unease lingering before he turned to face the guards.
He presented a card Mira had given him, and they waved him through without a word. Stepping through the gate, Uche took a deep breath, trying to orient himself.
Walking deeper into the district, he focused on memorizing the layout he'd studied on Mira's virtual map, recalling each intersection and landmark as he progressed.
The streets were mostly empty, and only the faint hum of distant traffic broke the silence.
As he continue walking, he saw a tall, white tower in the distance, partially obscured by the clustered buildings around it, he picked up his pace.
That was where he was supposed to meet Snowflake.
He pulled out his phone, confirming the specific path and the buildings he'd have to pass along the way. He made quick progress, the tower coming into clearer view as he drew closer.
A dozen minutes later, he reached a pair of tall buildings standing side by side, the two building stretches far and created a dark alleyway, long and narrow, casting a shadow that seemed almost alive.
This was the alley he had to take to reach the street where Snowflake would be waiting, but an intense, inexplicable dread pooled in his stomach. Everything in him screamed to turn back, but he shook his head.
"No. I've waited too long to face him and get my eye back. I'm not running,"
He muttered under his breath.
Steeling himself, he took a step into the alley. The further he walked, the heavier his steps felt, as though an invisible force was trying to pull him back, with his instincts screaming danger.
But he pressed on, fixing his mind on a single thought: retrieving his eye, leaving behind the human world, and finding peace in the vampire realm.
And he reassured himself that Mira was somewhere nearby, likely perched atop one of the district's tallest buildings, watching his every move. With her sharp eyes and her technology, she'd see anything that could happen before it happened. He trusted her.
Lost in his thoughts, Uche didn't notice that he'd reached the midpoint of the alley until he saw a dark figure slowly approaching him. He froze, his gaze narrowing as he tried to make out the details. The figure was clad in a complete black metal suit, its surface gleaming faintly in the dim light. It moved with an unsettling precision, each step measured and deliberate.
"Who are you?"
Uche called out, his voice hardening.
The figure remained silent, quickening its pace instead. Uche instinctively stepped back, his senses heightening. But before he could react further, a thick, unnatural fog began to envelop the alleyway, rising from behind him and shrouding his surroundings. He inhaled sharply, only to choke on the dense, stifling air.
A violent cough escaped his throat.
"What…what is this?"
He muttered, his voice strained. He glanced back, but the entrance to the alley had vanished, swallowed by the fog. He could barely breathe; each gulp of air seemed to tear at his lungs. Desperation flared within him, and he cursed under his breath.
"Snowflake, you bastard! I'll kill you!"
He roared, charging blindly toward the figure. But in that instant, the fog thickened, engulfing him completely, the entire alleyway was covered with the fog. He felt his strength slipping away, the fog seeping into his lungs and overwhelming his senses. With one last, defiant breath, he tried to fight, but everything went black as he collapsed.
A low, menacing voice echoed through the suffocating silence.
"You're such a disobedient little fool."
The words seeped into Uche's fading consciousness like poison, leaving him cold and helpless in the clutches of his enemy.