We reported back to Commander Adebayo.
She listened to our account in silence, her expression unreadable. When we finished, she leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath.
"A Rogue Hunter," she said. "In Abuja. That's... unexpected."
"He called himself Theo," Lyra said. "He killed the Riftspawn before we could contain it."
"Did he say anything else? Anything about why he's here?"
"No," I said. "He just... left."
Commander Adebayo was quiet for a moment.
"Rogue Hunters are unpredictable. They don't follow Order protocol. They don't answer to anyone." She looked at us. "If you see him again, don't engage. Report it to me immediately."
"Yes, ma'am," we said in unison.
But we did see him again.
The next morning, we were walking through the market district when I spotted a familiar figure leaning against a wall, lollipop in his mouth.
Theo.
He waved.
"Hey, losers. Fancy meeting you here."
I stopped. "What are you doing here?"
"Enjoying the sights." He pushed off the wall and walked toward us. "This city's got a lot to offer. Markets, food, people..." His eyes flickered to me. "Riftspawn."
"Are you following us?" Michal asked, his voice suspicious.
"Following you? Don't flatter yourself." Theo popped the lollipop out of his mouth. "I'm just... keeping an eye on things."
"Things?" Grace said.
"Rift activity. Hunter movements. You know. The usual."
Lyra stepped forward. "Theo. We need to talk."
"Talk? About what?"
"The Riftspawn you killed. It wasn't a normal creature, was it?"
Theo's eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?"
"Because it was hiding. Blending in. That's not normal Riftspawn behavior."
Theo was quiet for a moment. Then he grinned.
"Sharp. I like that." He gestured to a nearby bench. "Sit. This might take a while."
We sat.
Theo leaned back, his lollipop twirling between his fingers.
"You're right," he said. "That wasn't a normal Riftspawn. It was a Bonder."
"A Bonder?" I repeated.
"Like a parasite," Theo explained. "They take over human hosts. Hide inside them. Use them to walk among the living."
I felt my stomach turn. "Wait. That old man—"
"Was already dead," Theo said. "The Bonder hollowed him out and wore his skin like a costume. When it felt threatened, it dropped the disguise and revealed its true form."
Grace shuddered. "That's horrible."
"Yeah," Theo agreed. "That's the rift's for you. Always finding new ways to be terrifying."
"How do you know all this?" Lyra asked.
Theo's grin widened. "Because I've hunted them before."
He told us about his past.
How he'd been a Hunter in the Order. How he'd left after a mission went wrong. How he'd spent the last few years hunting Riftspawn on his own terms.
"The Order has rules," he said. "Rules that get people killed. I don't follow rules anymore."
"That's not an excuse to be reckless," Lyra said.
"It's not an excuse. It's a choice." Theo met her eyes. "And I stand by it."
I looked at him. For a moment, I saw something beneath the bravado. Something tired. Something broken.
"Anyway," Theo said, his voice brightening. "Enough about me. What about you? What are your roles?"
Lyra spoke first. "I'm a Hunter."
Grace raised her hand. "I'm a Supporter."
Mark nodded. "Lurker."
Michael crossed his arms. "Joker."
Theo's eyebrows rose. "Interesting. A Voidwalker, a Hunter, a Supporter, a Lurker, and a Joker. That's a full set."
"We know," Lyra said flatly.
"Tetchy." Theo grinned. "I like it."
He turned to Lyra.
"Anyway, what about your dangi?"
Lyra blinked. "My what?"
Theo tilted his head. "Your dangi. Every Hunter has one."
"I've been a Hunter for years," Lyra said slowly. "I've never heard of a dangi."
Theo stared at her.
Then he laughed.
"Oh, this is priceless. The Order didn't even tell you about dangi's?"
"Tell us what?" I asked.
Theo reached into his cloak.
A small mantis crawled out from the folds, its body shimmering with a faint, iridescent glow. It was tiny, no bigger than my thumb, but there was something about it that made the air feel... different.
"This," Theo said, holding out his hand, "is a dangi."
The mantis perched on his palm, its antennae twitching.
"A dangi is a Hunter's true power," Theo explained. "It's a manifestation of the Hunter's soul. Their will. Their purpose."
"It's a bug," Michael said flatly.
"It's not just a bug," Theo said. "It's a partner. A companion. A piece of yourself made manifest."
The mantis jumped.
It landed in Theo's hand—and transformed.
The glow expanded, wrapping around Theo's arm like liquid light. When it faded, he was holding a scythe. The blade was sleek, curved, humming with energy.
"This," Theo said, "is how I took down the Bonder."
We stared.
A scythe. From a mantis.
"That's..." Grace started.
"Impossible?" Theo finished. "It's not. It's just rare. Most Hunters don't have the connection to manifest a dangi. But the ones who do..." He grinned. "They're the best."
Lyra's eyes were fixed on the scythe.
"How?" she asked. "How do you get one?"
Theo shrugged. "You don't get one. It gets you. A dangi is a reflection of your soul. It appears when you're ready. Or when you need it."
"That's vague," Michael said.
"That's how it works."
Theo dismissed the scythe. The mantis reappeared on his palm, chirping softly.
"Well," he said, tucking the mantis back into his cloak. "That's that. See yah, rookies."
He turned and started walking away.
"Wait!" I called. "That's it? You're just going to leave?"
He waved without looking back.
"I hope we meet again, rookies."
And then he was gone.
We sat in silence.
"Did that really just happen?" Grace asked.
"Yes," Lyra said. "It did."
"A dangi," Mark said slowly. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"Neither have I," Lyra admitted. "And I've been in the Order for years."
I looked at her. "What do you think yours will look like?"
She blinked. "What?"
"Your dangi. If it reflects your soul. What do you think it will look like?"
Lyra was quiet for a long moment.
"I don't know," she finally said. "I don't know if I have one."
"Everyone has one," I said. "Theo said so."
"He's a Rogue Hunter. He could be lying."
"Do you think he was?"
Lyra didn't answer.
That night, I lay in bed, staring at my palm.
The eye was open, watching me.
"Eren."
"Yeah?"
"Were you paying attention today?"
"To what?"
"The dangi. The Bonder. All of it."
I was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I was."
"What did you think?"
"I think..." I paused. "I think we have a lot to learn. About the Void. About the Order. About everything."
The Voice hummed softly.
"You're growing, Eren. Becoming more than you were."
"Does that scare you?"
"No. It excites me."
I closed my eyes.
"Theo said we'd meet again."
"Do you think we will?"
I smiled.
"Yeah. I think we will."
End of Chapter