Maya stood frozen, her breaths shallow as the creature's body dissolved into a black, viscous puddle that seeped into the earth. Alex staggered back, his blade dripping with inky fluid, his chest heaving.
"What the hell was that?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Alex wiped the blade on his sleeve, his face pale but determined. "A hunter. Their enforcers. They track down targets, send warnings… or worse."
Maya swallowed hard, her legs unsteady. "They sent that thing for me?"
Alex hesitated, his gaze shifting. "For us."
"No," Maya said, shaking her head. "Don't do that. Don't lie to me again." She pointed to the creature's remains. "It came for me, Alex. Tell me why."
He opened his mouth to answer, but a voice interrupted from the shadows.
"Because you're the key."
Both of them spun toward the sound. Kara stepped out from the trees, her leather jacket gleaming in the rain. She held a crossbow in one hand, her expression unreadable.
"Kara?" Alex's voice was a mix of shock and anger. "What are you doing here?"
Kara smirked, lowering the crossbow. "Cleaning up your mess, as usual."
Alex's jaw tightened. "You were supposed to stay behind."
"And miss all the fun?" she replied, tilting her head. "Not a chance."
Maya felt a chill run down her spine. Something about Kara's tone set her on edge. "You knew that thing was coming," she said, narrowing her eyes.
Kara shrugged. "I had a feeling. You're not exactly hard to track, Alex."
"What are you talking about?" Alex demanded, stepping in front of Maya protectively.
Kara's smirk widened, but there was no warmth in it. "Oh, come on, Alex. You didn't think you could outrun them forever, did you? You've been living on borrowed time since the day you made that deal. And now…" She glanced at Maya, her eyes glinting. "Now they've upped the stakes."
"Kara," Alex said, his voice low and dangerous, "what did you do?"
She raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Me? Nothing. I just… pointed them in the right direction."
Maya's stomach dropped. "You betrayed us?"
"It's not betrayal," Kara said, her tone casual. "It's survival. You don't know what they're capable of, Maya. The only way to stay alive is to stay useful."
"You sold us out," Alex growled, his fists clenched.
"I gave them what they wanted," Kara shot back. "And what they want is her."
Maya felt the blood drain from her face. "Why me?"
Kara stepped closer, her expression turning serious. "Because you're not just some random girl Alex got tangled up with. You're special, Maya. And they need you to complete what Alex couldn't."
Alex's hand tightened around his blade. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, don't I?" Kara countered, her voice sharp. "She's the missing piece, Alex. The one who can tip the scales. And you've been too blinded by your little infatuation to see it."
"Kara," Alex said, his voice dangerously low, "if you've put her in harm's way—"
"She was already in harm's way," Kara snapped. "The moment she got involved with you."
Maya's heart pounded as she processed Kara's words. "What do they want me to do?"
Kara's gaze softened, almost pitying. "You're a conduit, Maya. A bridge between worlds. They want to use you to open a door—one that's been sealed for centuries."
"A door to what?" Maya whispered, dread coiling in her chest.
"To power," Kara said simply. "Enough to reshape everything."
Alex stepped forward, his voice cold. "Over my dead body."
Kara smiled faintly. "That can be arranged."
Before either of them could react, Kara raised the crossbow and fired.
The bolt whizzed past Alex, grazing his arm and sinking into the tree behind him. He winced but didn't falter, his blade flashing as he lunged at her.
"Kara, stop!" Maya screamed, panic surging through her.
Kara sidestepped Alex's attack with ease, her movements fluid and precise. "You can't protect her, Alex," she said, her voice calm even as she dodged another strike. "You're out of your depth."
"Then I'll die trying," he growled, swinging his blade again.
Maya's hands trembled as she watched the fight, her mind racing. She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Her eyes darted to the crossbow bolt embedded in the tree.
Without thinking, she ran to it, yanking it free with all her strength.
"Kara!" she shouted, gripping the bolt like a dagger.
Kara turned just in time for Maya to charge at her, the makeshift weapon aimed at her chest.
Kara's eyes widened in surprise, but she twisted at the last second, the bolt slicing her arm instead. She hissed in pain, stumbling back.
"Maya!" Alex called, his voice filled with both pride and fear.
Kara clutched her arm, blood seeping through her fingers. "You've got fight in you," she said, her voice tight with pain. "Good. You're going to need it."
Before either of them could react, Kara threw something to the ground—a small, black sphere that erupted into a cloud of smoke.
Maya coughed, her vision blurring as the smoke enveloped them. When it cleared, Kara was gone.
Alex rushed to Maya's side, his hands gripping her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, though her heart was still racing. "What just happened?"
"She's working with them," Alex said, his voice grim. "And now they know exactly where we are."
Maya's throat tightened as the weight of his words sank in. "What do we do?"
Alex's expression hardened. "We fight back."