The world was burning around me.
Flames climbed the wreckage of the train, devouring wood, metal, and flesh alike. Every breath was an ordeal; every heartbeat, an open wound.
I carried Valentine over my shoulder. Her blood mingled with mine, hot and thick. With every step, I felt like I might collapse and never rise again.
"Hold on... please..." I whispered.
I pushed through the debris, my eyes searching through the smoke. There was no sign of Claire. Only ash, sparks, and the stench of death.
Claire... where are you?
If I can just get you out of here... if I can...
The thought snapped in half.
Because in that instant, I felt it. A silence so absolute that the roar of the fire grew distant. A presence that crushed the air, the ground, and my very will. I looked up... a figure was walking through the embers.
His steps were calm, as if this were his kingdom. He wasn't in a hurry—he didn't need to be. His eyes, black as an abyss, locked onto me. My heart shriveled. I couldn't explain it. I couldn't name it. But I knew that nothing in this world could stop him.
A tremor ran down my arm. Valentine felt a thousand times heavier. The man—or whatever he was—stopped in front of me. His voice was low, serene, and crueler than any scream.
"Too slow," he whispered.
My breath hitched. I hadn't even seen his arm move. I only felt the impact. Something cold and sharp pierced my chest. A spray of blood erupted from my throat, staining Valentine's face. Her eyes, which had flickered open just seconds before, went dark instantly.
"Pleased to meet you, human trash. They know me as Dragon—the king who rules the darkness of the underworld."
"No..." I wheezed.
I tried to hold onto her, but my hands flew open by reflex. Her body slipped from my shoulder, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Valen... tine..." I stammered as blood filled my mouth.
I stayed on my knees, eyes fixed on her chest, which no longer rose or fell. Nothing. Not even a sigh. A silence filled my mind—a silence so pure I thought it would shatter me.
Just before I collapsed completely, I looked up. The figure gazed down at me as if examining a half-crushed insect. Slowly, he withdrew his arm from my chest. The wound continued to bleed in slow waves.
"So, this is what a half-breed can achieve," he murmured. His eyes narrowed, showing no emotion. "Let's test your regeneration, half-blood."
"If you manage..." he continued calmly, "...to even wound me... I promise your friend will survive."
For a second, I felt something like peace. As if there were still a reason to keep breathing. As if there were a destiny where Valentine could wake up. But terror forced its way into my chest, deeper than any physical wound.
Because I knew. I knew with the certainty of a cornered animal. This being was nothing like the monster I had defeated before. His power was a rift in the world—a presence so vast it made everything I'd experienced feel like child's play.
My hands shook as the warmth left my body. My tears fell onto the ash. And for the first time, I understood: this wasn't a battle.
It was an execution.
The dust thickened, swirling with heavy plumes of smoke that offered only glimpses of the humanoid before me. The air grew denser, crushing the hope of survival for any normal human.
Looking at Dragon, I realized instantly that my transgression from human to hybrid was incomplete. I began to plan my next move, walking in widening circles, trying to put space between him and Valentine's lifeless body. Dragon followed me with that same calm, his footsteps mirroring mine, his gaze never leaving me.
My pulse quickened with every passing second. I didn't understand why Dragon wasn't attacking with his superhuman speed. Was he giving me time to plan an attack just to study my movements? Or was he simply waiting for the exact moment to strike? Like a predator stalking its prey before the kill.
I knew my current fighting style was no match for him. So, what if I use the electricity skill I learned from the creature that attacked me first? But I'd do it in reverse: not to control his body, but to charge my own and launch an attack at the speed of lightning.
But how? The only way would be to pulse the electrical waves from my brain down to my legs, using them to enhance my reaction speed. Yet, the feet weren't enough. I had to drive the electricity into my hands so the blow would be strong enough to knock down or wound the hunter.
I didn't know if my body would hold... or if I could even touch him. If I had to die, let it be while trying to break my limits.
I sent a rapid pulse of electricity from my brain to the tips of my fingers and toes. I lunged at the humanoid without a second thought, striking with the force and speed of a lightning bolt.
But he was on another level. He blocked my attack effortlessly. We both smiled, though for very different reasons.
"That was very interesting, boy," he exclaimed. "You managed to understand my ability in just minutes simply by observing me. I commend you for such a feat! Nevertheless, you are still weak."
With superhuman speed, he struck my stomach with devastating force, sending me flying through a beam that supported the crumbling roof of the hell I was in.
The impact robbed me of my breath and my consciousness almost simultaneously. I felt every bone creak as my body shattered the beam. For a moment, I thought I wouldn't get back up.
The worst part came when I tried to rise. I felt like my body was going to tear apart—not from the impact or Dragon's blow, but from my new ability. I knew I couldn't use it for long. Maybe two or three more times before I fainted, lost mobility, or worse: died.
None of that mattered. I wanted, with everything I had left, to save Valentine at any cost— even though my body felt too heavy to take a single step.
I began to charge myself with electricity again. I threw myself at him with lightning speed. This time, before striking his face, I released the bolt coursing through my nerves, slamming it into him.
For a minute, I thought I had hurt him. I was wrong. I didn't hear a single groan of pain from my opponent. It felt as though I were hitting something solid that prevented me from moving an inch further.
I quickly deactivated my ability. But what I saw was my total undoing.
Dragon was smiling.
He hadn't moved a single finger.
In fact, he was so close to me it was terrifying.
As it turned out, my lightning had never reached him. His body was covered by a yellow barrier, invisible to the naked eye unless you were standing right against him.
This man was a complete monster with far too many tricks up his sleeve.