The briefing room was quiet.
Commander Adebayo stood at the head of the table, her expression grim. The holographic map of Abuja glowed softly, red markers scattered across the city like warning signs.
"We've received reports," she said. "A stray Riftspawn. Hiding among the civilians."
I blinked. "A Riftspawn? Here? In the city?"
"They're rare," Lyra said, her voice tight. "But they happen. Sometimes a creature slips through a minor Rift and finds a place to hide. They're dangerous. Unpredictable."
Commander Adebayo nodded. "This one has been spotted in the central district. It's been... blending in. Waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Grace asked.
"We don't know. That's why we need you to find it." She looked at us. "The other units are deployed in other states. You're the only ones available."
I opened my mouth to ask—why can't someone else do it?
But I knew the answer. We were the team. This was our job.
"Understood," Lyra said.
We headed out.
The streets of Abuja were bustling, full of ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. They didn't know what was hunting in their midst. They didn't know that something from the Void was hiding among them.
I looked at my palm. The eye was closed, quiet.
"You feel it too, don't you?" the Voice murmured.
I kept my voice low. "Feel what?"
"The wrongness. The presence."
I looked around. The streets were bright. The sun was warm. Everything seemed normal.
But there was something in the air. A tension. A shadow at the edge of my vision.
"Yeah," I said. "I feel it."
Michael was pissed.
"Why do we have to be the ones on a hunt?" he muttered, kicking a stone. "There are other teams. Other Hunters. Why us?"
"Because we're here," Lyra said flatly. "And they're not."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're going to get."
Michael opened his mouth to argue. I cut him off.
"Guys. Focus. We have a job to do."
Grace nodded. "Eren's right. We need to find this thing before it hurts anyone."
Mark adjusted her staff. "It's probably in a crowded area. Trying to blend in. The best way to hunt a predator is to think like one."
"And what does a Riftspawn think about?" I asked.
Mark met my eyes. "Food."
We walked through the marketplace.
Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from fabric to food to electronics. The air was thick with the smell of spices and grilled meat. People laughed, haggled, lived.
It was so painfully normal.
And that made it worse.
"It's close," the Voice whispered.
I scanned the crowd. Nothing stood out. Just people. Just life.
Then I saw him.
An old man sitting at the edge of the street, his clothes tattered, a faded cap in front of him. His eyes were clouded, milky white. Blind.
My instincts screamed.
"Lyra," I said quietly. "That man."
She followed my gaze. Her hand went to her blade.
"Stay calm," she said. "Don't spook it."
We approached slowly.
The old beggar looked up as we neared, his clouded eyes somehow fixed on us.
"Can you spare some cash for a blind man?" he asked, his voice rough and thin.
Lyra reached into her pocket and pulled out a 100 naira note. She knelt down, placing it in his cap.
"Here," she said. "Take it."
The beggar's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
His fingers were cold. Wrong.
"Mmmm," he breathed, leaning in close. "You smell so good."
Lyra froze.
He sniffed her hand. Then, slowly, his tongue darted out and licked her skin.
"GROSS!" Lyra yanked her hand back, stumbling away. "Gross! What is wrong with you?"
I felt my stomach turn.
The beggar stood up.
His movements were too smooth. Too fluid. His clouded eyes cleared, revealing something else beneath—a void of pure darkness.
"Up," he said.
His voice was no longer human.
He began to transform.
It was wrong.
Everything about it was wrong.
His skin peeled back, revealing something black and slick beneath. His limbs stretched, bending at angles that shouldn't have been possible. His mouth split open, wider than any human jaw should go, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth.
Grace turned and vomited.
Lyra followed.
I stared, frozen.
Michael was sweating, his hands trembling.
The creature—the Riftspawn—towered over us. Its body was a nightmare of shadows and sinew, its form constantly shifting, never quite settling. It had too many limbs. Too many eyes. Too many things that shouldn't exist.
It lunged.
I couldn't move.
My body refused to obey. My legs were rooted to the ground. My arms hung limp at my sides. The creature was coming, its jaws open wide, and I couldn't—
"Eren!"
The Voice's scream broke through my paralysis.
I raised my arm. The violet markings blazed to life. Energy gathered at my palm—
But I was too slow.
The creature was already there.
I closed my eyes.
And waited for the end.
Nothing happened.
I opened my eyes.
"Chop."
The creature was frozen in mid-lunge, its body split cleanly in two. Dark ichor dripped from the wound, sizzling as it hit the ground.
Then it dissolved into ash.
I stared.
What happened?
The voice came from somewhere above.
We all looked up.
A figure was standing on the edge of a nearby building, silhouetted against the sun. He was short, lean, wearing a black cloak that billowed in the breeze.
He jumped.
He landed lightly, barely disturbing the dust at his feet. He was wearing a white mask that covered the lower half of his face, and his dreads were a striking mix of black and white. In his mouth, he held a lollipop.
He walked toward us.
"Sup, losers," he said.
I blinked. "Who the hell are you?"
The boy tilted his head. His eyes were sharp, mocking.
"That's how you greet someone who just saved your life?"
"We didn't ask for your help," Michal said, his voice still shaky.
"Didn't look like you were about to help yourselves." The boy shrugged. "You were all about to become Riftspawn chow."
I stared at him.
"Who are you?" I asked again.
He pulled the lollipop from his mouth and grinned.
"Name's Theo. And you're welcome."
Grace and Lyra had stopped vomiting. They were staring at Theo with a mix of shock and confusion.
"You... you killed it," Grace said. "Just like that."
"It wasn't that hard." Theo examined his nails. "Honestly, I'm surprised you five couldn't handle a single low-tier Riftspawn. But I guess that's what happens when you send children to do a Hunter's job."
"We're Hunters," Mark said, her voice tight.
"Really?" Theo raised an eyebrow. "Could have fooled me."
I felt my anger rising.
"Look," I said. "Thanks for the help. But we don't need your insults."
"Everyone needs insults," Theo said. "Keeps you humble."
I opened my mouth to respond.
Lyra stepped forward.
"Theo," she said. "I've heard of you. You're a Rogue Hunter."
Theo's grin widened. "And they say I'm not famous."
"A Rogue Hunter?" I repeated. "What's that?"
"Hunters who don't answer to the Order," Lyra said. "They operate independently. No rules. No oversight."
"Sounds pretty cool, right?" Theo said.
"Unsanctioned," Lyra continued, ignoring him. "And usually, a problem."
Theo put his hands up. "A problem? I'm a gift. I just saved your lives."
"You also killed a Riftspawn that we were supposed to contain and study," Lyra said coldly.
"It was about to eat you."
"That's not the point."
"It's exactly the point."
We were getting nowhere.
"Okay," I said, stepping between them. "Let's all just... take a breath."
Theo looked at me, his eyes curious.
"You're the Voidwalker, aren't you?"
I froze. "How do you know that?"
"Everyone knows. Word travels fast when a new Voidwalker shows up." He leaned closer. "You're not as impressive as I expected."
"Thanks," I said dryly. "That's exactly what I needed to hear."
Theo laughed.
"I like you, Voidwalker. You've got a spine."
I didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult.
Theo walked away, his lollipop back in his mouth.
"If you ever need help," he called over his shoulder, "you know where to find me."
"Wait!" I called. "We don't know where to find you!"
"Exactly."
He disappeared around a corner.
We stood there, staring at the empty space where he'd been.
"What the hell just happened?" Michael asked.
"I don't know," Lyra said. "But I don't like it."
"Rogue Hunter?" Grace said. "I thought those were just stories."
"They're real," Mark said. "And they're dangerous."
"He seemed nice enough," I said.
Everyone stared at me.
"Nice?" Michael said. "He called us losers."
"He also saved our lives."
"That's not the same thing."
I shrugged. "It's something."
Lyra sighed.
"We need to report this to Commander Adebayo. A Rogue Hunter in the area. That's... concerning."
I looked at the ash where the Riftspawn had been.
"Yeah," I said. "Concerning."
But as we walked back to headquarters, I couldn't shake the feeling that we hadn't seen the last of Theo.
And I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
End of Chapter