The Rust Sprawl had gone silent.
Not quiet. Silent.
The kind of silence where every creak of metal sounded like a scream. The blackout turned Halo District 9 into a corpse, and now scavenger gangs and Authority units roamed the dark like vultures. Neon signs flickered their last breath, and the sky glowed faint red from the reflection of distant fires.
Jack crouched in a shadowed alley, his breath fogging in the cold, his blade slick with mech oil and blood. His HUD stuttered, trying to reboot:
⸻
[HUD CALIBRATION FAILED]
[Blood Oath Override Active]
[Threat Detection: GLITCHED]
⸻
The world slowed around him — not because of his tech, but because the BLOOD OATH was pumping raw power through his veins. His senses were sharper, but every surge of strength came with a hum in his skull, like static whispering in his ears.
Victor crouched beside him, rifle trained on the rooftops. "You hearing that?"
Jack tilted his head. The sound wasn't mechanical. It was wet. Heavy. Like chains being dragged across steel.
Then he saw it — a figure crawling along the side of a building, upside down like an insect. Its body was all wrong: limbs too long, spine arched backward, mouth stitched shut.
The System chimed, glitching violently:
⸻
[New Enemy Detected: Revenant Construct — "The Wraith"]
[Threat Level: ??]
[Recommendation: RUN]
⸻
Jack smirked. "No."
The Wraith dropped silently into the alley, landing in a crouch. Its head twisted a full 180 degrees, glowing red eyes fixing on Jack.
Victor swore under his breath. "We should go—"
Jack moved first.
He was a blur, BLOOD OATH reflexes doubling his speed. The Wraith lunged, claws slicing sparks off the wall, but Jack slid under its strike and drove his blade deep into its ribs. The creature didn't flinch. It spun, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him into a dumpster hard enough to dent steel.
Jack grinned through bloodied teeth. "Finally."
He stabbed it in the eye socket, twisting until the creature shrieked.
Victor opened fire, rounds tearing chunks of synthetic flesh as Jack vaulted over its back, grabbed its neck, and snapped it with a wet crack.
The alley fell silent again. The Wraith's body twitched once, then stilled.
The System purred in Jack's ear:
⸻
[Revenant Construct Terminated]
[XP +1500]
[Blood Oath Surge: +5%]
[Warning: Host Rage — 97%]
⸻
Victor lowered his rifle, breathing hard. "That thing… it wasn't human."
Jack wiped his blade on its corpse. "Neither am I anymore."
⸻
Across Halo, Marcus watched the kill through a network of scavenger cams. His reflection in the cracked mirror was glitching again, his features splitting between himself and Jack.
The System screamed warnings across his vision:
⸻
[Stability: 45% → 40%]
[Mental Erosion: CRITICAL]
[Warning: Host Overload Detected]
⸻
Carla knelt obediently at his feet, tracing the scars on his chest. Marcus's hand trembled as he stroked her hair.
"He's enjoying it," Marcus murmured. "Every kill. Every drop of blood. He's becoming me."
Carla looked up at him with glazed devotion. "He can't be you."
Marcus's grin cracked too wide. "He already is."
He stood abruptly, pacing. The lights in his suite flickered as his Revenant form rippled, static crawling over his skin.
"Deploy all Hunters," Marcus snarled into his comm. "Seal the Sprawl. I want his head before sunrise."
⸻
Meanwhile, Helena stood in the dim penthouse, clutching a pistol she barely knew how to use. Across from her, the man she'd called — the one in the long white coat — poured himself a drink.
"You're playing a dangerous game," he said, voice smooth.
"I just… I don't want him to die."
The man smiled faintly, but his eyes were cold. "Jack King doesn't die easy. But tell me, Helena… why are you so sure you want him alive?"
She froze.
He set his drink down, leaning closer. "Men like him… they're not kings. They're storms. And storms don't care who they drown."
Helena's hand tightened on the pistol.
⸻
Back in the Sprawl, Jack moved through the blackout like a predator, dragging the Wraith's severed head behind him. The scavenger gangs who'd once aimed guns at him now stepped back, whispering his name like a curse.
Victor glanced at him. "They're scared of you."
Jack's grin was sharp. "Good."
The System flickered violently again:
⸻
[Override Detected: Marcus Interface Engaged]
<
⸻
Jack's vision glitched. Marcus's face filled his HUD, laughing.
"You're not hunting me, Jack," Marcus whispered. "You're on my leash."
Jack roared, smashing his visor against the wall. Sparks flew.
Victor grabbed his arm. "Jack, what the hell—"
Jack spun, eyes glowing crimson from BLOOD OATH overload. "He's in my head."
Suddenly, every drone in the district turned toward them, spotlights snapping on. Marcus's voice echoed across the Sprawl through every speaker:
"People of Halo. Your king bleeds tonight."
Jack looked up, blood dripping down his face, his grin savage. "Not enough."
He kicked the Wraith's head into the street, raised his blade, and strode into the storm of lights.
The hunt wasn't just on anymore. It was war.