LightReader

Chapter 6 - The Prototype and the Hunter

The safehouse was barely more than a box above a shuttered shop, its cracked walls exhaling the scent of dust and damp concrete. The hum of Sterling's neon below vibrated faintly through the floorboards, mixing with the occasional hiss of a flickering streetlamp outside. Shadows stretched long across the walls, bending unnaturally as if reluctant to settle. Marcus's boots clicked against the scuffed wooden floor, each sound a reminder of his body's fragility. The pain from the Soul Isolation spell lingered, a dull ache threading through his chest and limbs.

Kade leaned casually against the peeling wall, one boot propped against a faded radiator, arms crossed, a grin tugging at his lips. "You look like someone handed you a bag of lead for breakfast," he said, voice low and teasing, though his eyes missed nothing.

Marcus rubbed his chest subtly, exhaling through his nose. "Recovering," he muttered. "Used too much the other night. Can't push yet."

Kade rolled his eyes, flipping a coin between his fingers. "Recovering, huh? Sounds like someone's afraid of a little city fun. Relax, you're not going to shatter on me."

Marcus allowed a faint smirk, glancing around the cramped apartment. The shadows here were heavy, thick, almost tangible. He could feel the hum of residual energy from Sterling's streets, the faint pulse of human tension and fear lingering like smoke in the air. But something else caught his attention: a soft, high-pitched vibration, almost imperceptible.

On the small metal table in the corner, the prototype tech sat, compact and sleek, humming faintly. Thin circuits glowed with an eerie blue light, pulsing like a heartbeat. Marcus approached slowly, instincts taut. Energy radiated from it, subtle but alien, brushing against his senses with a strange warmth and a hint of danger.

Kade noticed his attention. "Eyes on the prize, huh?" He chuckled, leaning forward to inspect the device. "This little beauty is going to make some people very angry. And lucky for us, we're the ones holding it first."

Marcus's fingers hovered above the prototype, aching with the desire to interact. A minor spark arced, and he jerked back, a flash of pain lancing through his chest. He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing. "Not yet," he muttered. "I can feel it… but my body can't handle it right now."

Kade's grin widened. "Patience, then. You'll get your turn. For now, just watch and learn. Shadows and tech, that's your playground."

Outside, Sterling pulsed quietly. The city whispered secrets into the night, and the apartment felt like an island of tense anticipation. Somewhere beyond the neon glow, unseen eyes stirred, watching, waiting. Marcus shivered—not from fear, but from the strange thrill of potential awakening.

Kade picked up the prototype carefully, turning it in his hands. The device was cool to the touch, weight perfectly balanced, its glowing circuits running along its sleek edges like veins of energy. "This," he said, voice low and deliberate, "isn't just tech. It's a prototype capable of destabilizing entire networks. The right person could use it to control systems, steal information, manipulate resources. Hell, someone with the right touch could use it to make money—or chaos—on a city-wide scale."

Marcus crouched beside the table, his eyes tracing the circuits' faint pulse. The hum wasn't mechanical—it resonated with something organic, alive in a way that was both alluring and dangerous. He reached out, letting the tips of his fingers brush the surface. A spark arced across the device and back into him, pain blooming across his chest and shoulders. He gasped, retracting his hand. "It's… alive," he murmured, voice tight with awe and discomfort.

"Alive, yes," Kade said with a grin. "But only if you think it is. Really, it's just a tech that responds to energy—human, electrical, whatever flows through it. It's reactive. Dangerous in the wrong hands. Lucky for us, we're the right hands… for now."

Marcus studied it, sensing the faint thrumming pulse like a distant heartbeat. The device's energy danced along the edges of his perception, brushing against the remnants of Chaos Enchantment in his veins. He tried to focus, to interact, but his body rebelled, lancing pain warning him that overreach would cost him.

Kade tilted the prototype, catching a faint reflection of Marcus in its metallic casing. "Look at you, all tense. You think too much. You'll break it—or yourself—if you push now. Just… feel it. Learn it. Let it speak to you in time."

Marcus exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment. The hum of Sterling outside was a soft undertone to the sharper thrum of the prototype. Shadows from the walls seemed to lean in, stretching and curling as if acknowledging the device's presence. He felt curiosity, fear, and anticipation coiling together inside him.

"Something tells me this isn't going to stay in our hands long," Marcus murmured, opening his eyes. "People will come for it."

Kade smirked, standing straight and tossing the prototype lightly from hand to hand. "Let them try. We'll be ready. You'll see. And one day, you'll be able to make it sing."

The air between them hummed with potential and unspoken understanding. Sterling's night thrummed below, alive with danger, crime, and unseen shadows. Marcus couldn't touch the full breadth of his power yet, but he felt it stirring, and he knew—this was only the beginning.

A faint echo of footsteps reached them from the street below, carried up through the cracked floorboards. Marcus stiffened, eyes narrowing, senses stretching. Neon light flickered against the walls, creating elongated shadows that seemed to twist and bend toward the apartment. He could feel the energy in the streets, restless and uneven, a pulse of human tension that seemed to signal danger.

Kade followed his gaze, voice low. "You feel that?" he asked. "Someone's near. Could be security, could be a gang scoping us, could be worse."

Marcus nodded, chest tight, instinctive tension coiling through him. "I can feel it… something else too. Not human. Dark… feeding off tension or fear."

Kade's grin remained, though his eyes sharpened. "Could be. But for now, we move smart. You're hurt. Let me handle the first wave." He crouched, moving silently to the window. Outside, the street shimmered with puddles and neon, shadows twisting unnaturally along brick walls and cracked asphalt. A lone figure lingered near a corner, indistinct in the dim glow, just beyond the light's reach.

Marcus tried to reach for Chaos Enchantment, but a flash of pain cut through his chest, reminding him of his limitations. He gritted his teeth and nodded to Kade. "I can't. Not yet."

"Then you observe. Watch, learn, survive," Kade whispered, gesturing subtly. "Step when I step, breathe when I breathe."

The figure outside paused, sensing motion within the apartment. Kade flicked a glance at Marcus, a silent signal. They moved in perfect tandem: Kade leading, Marcus shadowing, both attuned to every sound, every ripple in the air, every subtle shift in energy.

The night was alive with tension. Footsteps, whispers, the distant hum of the city—all wove together like threads in a web. Marcus could feel the faint pulse of the prototype, its energy reacting to the external presence. He noted its instability, the way it vibrated subtly against his palm when danger drew near.

The intruder's silhouette shifted in the street, and Marcus realized, with a mixture of awe and dread, that this was the first real test of both his wits and his partnership with Kade. Power alone would not save him. Observation, patience, and trust—those were his only tools tonight.

Without warning, Kade moved, fluid and precise, vanishing from the window frame with a barely audible shift of shadow and motion. Marcus followed, instincts taut. Pain lanced through him as he tried to stabilize, but his body reminded him of his fragile state. He leaned on Kade, letting the thief's street-smarts guide him through Sterling's twisting alleys.

Rain-slick rooftops reflected neon light, puddles gleaming like scattered stars. Shadows pooled in corners, coiling unnaturally, and Marcus felt the faint hum of residual energy—the echoes of Umbrae feeding off fear. The prototype, secured in Kade's backpack, vibrated faintly, its energy brushing against Marcus's consciousness with a subtle warning.

"Jump here!" Kade hissed, pointing to a narrow ledge. Marcus moved, muscles tense, balancing as Kade leapt ahead, disappearing into the dark maze of fire escapes and alleys.

"Careful with your head!" Kade called back. "And don't test the toy yet, alright?"

Marcus's lips tightened, half-smile forming. "Right. Can't push it… not yet."

Every step, every leap was calculated. Neon puddles reflected shadows that seemed to move independently, shapes curling unnaturally in response to their passage. Marcus noted each sound, each vibration in the air, sharpening senses dulled by pain.

They reached a temporary safe alley, breath heavy, hearts pounding. The city hummed below, oblivious, but the tension lingered, thick as smoke. Marcus felt a mixture of relief and frustration—power alone would not save him; timing, observation, and Kade's instincts had carried them.

Kade patted his shoulder, grinning. "See? Easy. Well… easier

More Chapters