The night after their return was long and restless. The factory's metal walls groaned under the wind, the sound mixing with distant echoes that might have been the fog itself whispering. Reid sat alone by the faint glow of a lamp, sharpening his knife. Every scrape of steel over stone was a rhythm that kept the Bond's whispers at bay—barely. The memory of the Stalker's glowing eyes clung to his thoughts like a parasite. Every time he blinked, he saw them in the dark.
Mara appeared quietly, crouching near him. "You're at it again," she said, voice softer than usual. Her face was pale, exhaustion written in every line, yet her eyes searched his. "You don't let yourself rest."
Reid didn't look up. "It doesn't let me." The words slipped out, and Mara's brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to ask, but stopped. Instead, she sat in silence beside him, the tension thick but strangely comforting.
Jorik passed behind them, boots scraping the floor. "Try not to lose control out there," he said, tone cold. "Some of us still want to make it back alive."
Reid kept his focus on the blade, hiding the anger that threatened to rise. "Stay close, then."
The Bond chuckled low in his mind. "He's right to fear you. They all are."
At dawn, Holt gathered the initiates around a crate with a faded map pinned to it. "We move to sector nine," she said, pointing at a marked area. "The Stalker's trail leads into the flooded tunnels under the old processing plant. Tight quarters, low light. Expect ambushes." Her visor turned toward Reid briefly. "Inside there's no retreat. Keep your heads clear."
The squad prepared in silence. Outside, fog clung low to the ground, swirling around their boots as they moved. The ruins they crossed were full of the remnants of a world long dead—collapsed scaffolding, rusted machinery, skeletal buildings. The air was thick with the smell of rust and stagnant water. Every step deeper into the sector felt like stepping out of reality, into a place where only the hunted and hunters belonged.
Reid felt the Bond stirring. "Good. The air tastes of it. You're walking into its heart now."
The tunnels swallowed them whole. Dripping water echoed endlessly, each drop a sharp reminder of the silence. The walls were slick with moss and streaked with old claw marks. Pools of murky water reflected their faint lamps, the ripples shivering with each step. The deeper they went, the stronger the stench of corruption became, mixing with chemicals that burned the back of Reid's throat.
They moved carefully, weapons ready. Every corner felt like it might conceal death. Then the first ambush came—not from the Stalker, but from a swarm of rat-like corrupted. They poured from a side passage, teeth gnashing, eyes glowing faintly. Holt barked an order, and the team reacted instantly. Mara swept her spear low, cutting a path. Jorik's rifle cracked, mowing down the larger ones. Reid struck fast, his blade cutting through the smaller beasts. Each kill drew a faint glow of essence, which he hid by turning quickly, letting it sink into his hand unseen.
The battle ended with ichor staining the floor. The rats twitched once before going still. Holt's gaze shifted to Reid. "Your movements are sharper," she said flatly.
"I'm learning fast," he replied, keeping his voice steady. Holt said nothing, but her visor stayed fixed on him for a long moment.
The tunnels twisted further, growing narrower, the walls closing in. Pipes groaned overhead, the sound like distant wails. The fog crept inside, rolling low across the water. They reached a collapsed section where a stream poured from a crack in the ceiling, filling the chamber with a roar. Holt raised a hand, signaling a halt. "This is it. Past here is its nest."
Reid's pulse hammered. The Bond hissed, "It's close. Can you feel how it watches? Every step you take, it matches."
The silence snapped. The Stalker struck from above, bursting out of the darkness like a shadow with teeth. It crashed into the group, scattering them. Reid hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet as claws tore where his head had been. Gunfire and sparks lit the tunnel as Jorik opened fire. Mara's spear shot forward, driving the creature back a step. It hissed, vanishing into the mist, only to strike again from a different angle.
The tunnels became a maze of ambush and retreat. The Stalker climbed walls and ceilings with impossible ease, every strike using the environment to its advantage. Reid fought in the half-light, his knife flashing when openings appeared. Each Veil Step he used tore at his muscles, but he moved with precision, guided by the Bond's constant whisper. "Faster. Strike deeper. Tear it apart."
They drove it back into a larger chamber, the walls slick with water and the floor ankle-deep. Lamps flickered, casting long shadows. The Stalker shrieked, circling the edges, testing them. Holt shouted orders, but they were drowned by the roar of water and the echo of claws.
The Bond's voice grew louder. "You can't win like this. Let me take over."
"No," Reid snarled under his breath. He dodged a swipe, rolled beneath another, and stabbed deep into the creature's arm. Black ichor sprayed, hissing on contact with the water. The Stalker recoiled, glaring at him with something close to recognition.
For a moment, predator and prey stared at each other. Then it leapt, vanishing into a side tunnel with a roar that shook the walls. The fog followed it, swallowing its trail.
They regrouped, bruised and breathing hard. Holt's voice was cold. "This isn't over. It's learning. Next time, it won't run."
Jorik glared at Reid. "And next time, we might not survive if he loses it."
Reid said nothing, chest heaving. The Bond chuckled. "He's not wrong. You're mine piece by piece."
Back at the factory, tension hung heavy in the air. Holt pulled Reid aside. "Whatever's happening to you, control it. Or I will."
He nodded. "Understood."
That night, Reid stood outside under the dim lights. The mist rose around his boots, curling higher. Beyond the fence, dozens of faint eyes blinked into view, forming a ring in the fog. They didn't move closer, only watched.
The Bond's voice slid into his mind, soft and dangerous. "They gather because they know. Tomorrow, hunter, either you take the Stalker… or I take you."
Reid gripped his knife, breath slow. The eyes in the fog didn't blink again. They simply waited.
The morning after was a blur of preparation. The entire factory buzzed with nervous energy, the initiates checking weapons, sharpening blades, and whispering rumors about what lurked in the tunnels. Reid kept to himself, methodically cleaning his knife while ignoring the stares that followed him. The Bond's voice slipped through the noise, smooth and cold. "They're afraid of you. Good. Fear makes them predictable."
When Holt gave the signal to move, the squad fell into formation. They crossed the mist-choked yard and pushed into the ruins, following the path they had scouted the day before. Every step took them deeper into the heart of the sector, where twisted machinery jutted from the ground like skeletal remains. The fog seemed thicker here, curling against their legs and clinging to their armor as if trying to hold them back.
The tunnels loomed ahead, their gaping entrances breathing out a damp chill. Holt turned to the group. "Stay alert. The Stalker knows we're coming. Inside those tunnels, we'll be on its ground." Her visor swept across them, lingering briefly on Reid. "Stick to the plan. Don't break formation."
Inside, the air was damp and heavy. Water dripped steadily from corroded pipes, each drop echoing until it felt like the tunnels themselves were alive. The walls were marked with deep claw scars, and faint trails of ichor glistened in the lamplight. The fog followed them even underground, clinging low to the ground.
They moved cautiously, checking corners and advancing step by step. The Bond hummed in Reid's veins, pleased. "Every mark you see is a warning. It wants you to fear it. Don't. You're the real predator here."
The silence broke when a swarm of twisted rat-like corrupted erupted from a side tunnel. Their screeches filled the narrow space, echoing until it was deafening. Holt barked an order, and the squad reacted instantly. Mara spun her spear in controlled arcs, cutting through the first wave. Jorik fired short, precise bursts, each shot dropping one of the creatures. Reid moved like a shadow, knife flashing, his strikes too smooth, too calculated. He forced himself to stumble once, to mask the unnatural edge creeping into his movements.
When the last of the rats twitched and went still, the squad stood in the stink of ichor and blood. Holt's visor turned to Reid. "Your reflexes… they're beyond what you showed in training."
Reid wiped his blade. "I've been practicing."
She said nothing, but her silence carried weight.
The deeper they went, the worse the tunnels became. The walls narrowed, forcing them to move single file. Pipes groaned overhead, some leaking a foul-smelling liquid that steamed on contact with the water below. The air reeked of rust, decay, and something else—something foul and alive. Reid's chest tightened with every breath. The Bond thrummed louder, almost giddy. "It's close. Can you hear it breathing? It's waiting for you."
They reached a massive chamber where water pooled knee-deep, rippling around their legs. Holt signaled for silence, raising a fist. The squad froze. Above them, faint scratches echoed across the ceiling. Then, nothing.
Reid's heart hammered. His eyes darted across the shadows. The Bond whispered, "It's above you."
A blur dropped from the ceiling. The Stalker hit the water with a splash, striking before anyone could react. Chaos exploded. Mara shouted, driving her spear at its side. Jorik fired, bullets sparking off its bone plates. Holt moved with precision, blade flashing to drive it back. Reid slipped through the water, using short bursts of Veil Step to close gaps, each movement tearing at his muscles.
The Stalker shrieked, its claws sweeping wide. Reid ducked under the strike, stabbing at exposed joints. Black ichor sprayed, hissing where it touched the water. The creature recoiled, hissing, and leapt to the wall, clinging with unnatural ease. From its perch, it watched him. Its eyes glowed brighter, locking on him with something close to recognition.
The Bond laughed low in his mind. "It knows. It sees me inside you. Show it who's stronger."
Reid gritted his teeth. "Not like this." He pressed forward, ignoring the pain burning in his limbs. The creature lunged again, claws flashing. He dodged, rolled, and countered with a deep slash to its chest seam. The Stalker shrieked, staggering before leaping back into the shadows.
The chamber fell silent except for their heavy breathing. Holt raised her weapon, scanning the darkness. "It's not done. Stay sharp."
Reid's vision blurred as the Bond's whispers returned, almost sweet. "It will come again. Stronger. You'll need me next time."
The fog thickened around them, as if the tunnels themselves were holding their breath for what came next.
The squad pressed on, following the faint streaks of ichor the Stalker had left behind. Each step into the tunnels felt like a step away from safety, the narrow walls closing in as if the structure itself resisted their presence. The water rose to their thighs in some passages, slowing their movements, and every ripple echoed like a drumbeat that warned their enemy of their location.
Mara moved close to Reid, her expression tight. "You're shaking," she whispered.
"I'm fine," he lied, though his muscles ached from strain and his vision pulsed faintly at the edges. The Bond hummed, feeding on his exhaustion. "You can't keep this up. Let me help."
They entered another chamber, this one lined with broken pipes that leaked steam. Holt signaled the group to spread out, scanning every shadow. The fog here was denser, clinging like a living thing. Jorik's grip on his rifle was white-knuckled.
The attack came without warning. The Stalker burst from a side tunnel, claws tearing into the water with enough force to send a wave crashing into them. Holt's order to engage was drowned out by its roar. Bullets cracked, the flashes revealing glimpses of the creature weaving between them with fluid speed.
Reid met its charge head-on. His knife clashed against its claws, sparks flying. The Bond screamed in his mind, "Stop holding back!" He ignored it, fighting on sheer will. He dodged, slashed, and rolled through water as black ichor sprayed around him. The Stalker countered with a brutal swipe that knocked him into a wall, pain exploding through his ribs.
The Bond surged. "You're weak. You'll die here." For a moment, Reid's vision blurred with red, the world slowing. He felt power coil in his veins, begging to be unleashed. With a snarl, he pushed it down and surged forward under his own strength.
Mara struck from the side, her spear sinking into its flank. Holt closed in, blades flashing with precision. The Stalker hissed, spinning to dislodge them, but Reid was already moving. Using Veil Step in a blur of motion, he appeared behind it and drove his knife deep into the base of its skull.
The creature screeched, thrashing violently. Water churned, and the tunnel shook as it flailed. Reid held on, twisting the blade until the shrieking stopped. The Stalker collapsed, its body disintegrating into black mist that hissed into the water.
Text burned across his vision:
[Quest Completed: Final Hunt – Stalker Core Claimed]
[Essence Absorbed: +3]
[Warning: Bond Influence Rising]
Reid fell to his knees, chest heaving. The Bond purred with satisfaction. "See how strong we are together?"
Mara rushed to his side, grabbing his arm. "Reid! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said, though his voice trembled. Jorik stood back, rifle lowered, eyes cold and suspicious. Holt approached, her visor gleaming. She said nothing, but the way she stared at him spoke volumes.
The return to the factory was silent. The weight of what had happened pressed on them all. Holt called the squad together for a brief debriefing, her words clipped. "The Stalker is dead. But something isn't right. Stay alert." Her visor turned to Reid. "You especially."
That night, the fog outside the factory pulsed with faint light. Shapes moved within it, watching silently. Reid stood alone at the fence, gripping the Stalker's core in his hand. The Bond's voice slid into his mind, velvet and dangerous. "This is only the beginning. They'll come for you now. They always do."
He stared into the mist, where countless glowing eyes blinked back.