The streets of Eisenfall were alive with the buzz of activity. Kai and Zephyr, moving in sync as they always had, walked down the crowded market square. Even after all they had been through, the city still managed to appear normal, as if the undercurrent of danger and violence that lurked beneath was invisible to the naked eye. But they knew better now.
Eisenfall had changed. They could feel it in the tension of the people's voices, the cautious way shopkeepers dealt with customers, the way children no longer played in the open. The arrival of the Vielguard Association was the obvious cause, but something else stirred beneath the surface.
Kai adjusted his leather jacket, the cool wind brushing against his skin as he glanced at Zephyr beside him. Zephyr had the same focused expression he always wore when his mind was at work, his sharp blue eyes scanning their surroundings, as if expecting danger to leap from the shadows at any moment. Kai smirked. They hadn't fought anything serious since their night of parkour over the rooftops, and he could sense that Zephyr was getting restless.
"Relax, bro. We're not about to get jumped by demons in broad daylight," Kai said, trying to ease the tension.
Zephyr didn't respond immediately, his eyes narrowing at a group of men huddled around the alleyway. "You say that, but things are changing. Fast. Haven't you noticed the rise in crime? And it's not just thugs… some of them are like us."
Kai raised an eyebrow, looking at the group Zephyr was eyeing. They looked like your run-of-the-mill gangsters, but Zephyr was rarely wrong about these things. "You think they're Pact Holders?"
Zephyr nodded slightly. "I've been hearing things… rogue Pact Holders, using their powers for their own benefit. No rules. No codes. Just chaos."
Kai sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Great. More problems to deal with."
But even as he spoke, a part of him felt the familiar rush—the thrill of the hunt. He and Zephyr had been waiting for a challenge, something bigger than petty criminals or thugs. A rogue faction of Pact Holders could be exactly what they needed to sharpen their skills, to push their limits. After all, their pacts with Obitius and Noctis were growing stronger, and both demons seemed more… present than usual.
As if on cue, a subtle surge of energy pulsed through Kai's body. He could feel Obitius stir within him, a whisper in his mind. They're close… and they're dangerous.
Kai's eyes flickered with dark energy for a moment, a sign that Obitius had heightened his senses. Zephyr must've felt it too, because he immediately began moving toward the alley, his hand subtly brushing against his dagger.
"You're seriously going to check them out?" Kai asked, already following him.
"They're connected to something bigger," Zephyr replied. "And we're going to find out what."
As they stepped into the alley, the group of men turned to face them, their gazes sharp and hostile. The air thickened with tension, and Kai could feel the unmistakable signature of demonic energy emanating from the group. One of the men stepped forward, his grin laced with malice.
"Well, well, what do we have here? A couple of kids thinking they can mess with us?" he sneered, his hand flexing as dark energy crackled around it.
Kai grinned back, the thrill of combat already coursing through his veins. "Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing."
Before the man could respond, Zephyr moved. Fast. In a blur of motion, he was behind the first thug, his dagger pressing against the man's throat. The gang didn't even have time to react before Kai surged forward, his body crackling with the power of Obitius as he sent a wave of energy crashing into the remaining thugs, sending them sprawling.
The alley exploded into chaos. Dark energy clashed with demonic auras as the rogue Pact Holders fought back, their powers erupting in violent displays of strength. Kai ducked under a blast of fire, his hand glowing with dark flames as he retaliated, striking with precision. His movements were fluid, a perfect blend of human agility and demonic power.
Zephyr was just as deadly. His movements were silent, lethal. The shadows themselves seemed to bend to his will as he weaved through the fight, cutting down opponents with ruthless efficiency. Noctis, the demon that resided within Zephyr, enhanced his reflexes, making him a blur of motion, untouchable in the chaos.
"Is that all you've got?" Kai taunted, blocking an energy blast with a wave of his hand. "You guys are supposed to be rogue Pact Holders, right? I expected more of a fight."
One of the thugs, the apparent leader, growled in frustration, his eyes glowing with red demonic energy. "You think you're special, huh? You're nothing! Just another fool bound by a demon."
Kai's smirk faded as the man's words hit a nerve. Obitius stirred within him, but this time it wasn't a whisper—it was a roar, a surge of rage that threatened to break free. For a moment, Kai's vision blurred, and he could feel the overwhelming power of Obitius clawing at him, urging him to release it all, to destroy everything in his path.
But Kai held back. Barely. He clenched his fists, forcing the demon's power under control. "You don't know anything about me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "But I'll give you a free lesson."
In a flash, Kai closed the distance between them, his fist slamming into the leader's chest with a burst of demonic energy. The man's body crumpled to the ground, his power extinguished.
The alley fell silent. The remaining thugs, seeing their leader defeated, quickly scattered, their fear palpable in the air.
Zephyr sheathed his dagger, his eyes still scanning the area. "That was too easy."
Kai nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yeah. Something's off."
Before they could dwell on it, a sudden pulse of energy washed over them, coming from deep within the city. It was dark, powerful, and unlike anything they had felt before.
"We need to find out where that's coming from," Zephyr said, already moving toward the source.
But before they could take a step, the scene shifted. Far from Eisenfall, in a secret underground lab, rows of Pact Holders were chained, their energy being siphoned into a single point. The air was thick with a sense of dread and malice.
At the center of the lab, a figure lay on a table, its body charred and twisted, barely recognizable as human. Tubes and wires connected to it, pulsing with stolen energy. Slowly, the figure's eyes fluttered open, glowing with malevolent power. A twisted smile spread across its burnt face as a low, menacing laugh filled the room.
It was Aric, reborn in the fires of hell.
See you in next chapter