Chapter Four: The Hooded Stranger
Luke ran.
His lungs burned, his legs screamed, but he didn't stop. The glowing phone lit his path, weak but steady. The streets twisted around him, warped and broken, shadows shifting at every corner.
The spirit was still behind him.
Its roar echoed through the night, shaking the air. Windows cracked. Streetlamps shattered. The sound dug into his chest and made his bones ache.
Luke gritted his teeth and pushed harder. "Come on… come on!"
He darted into another alley, hoping to lose it.
The ground trembled.
The spirit slammed into the street, its massive arms dragging against the pavement, sparks of shadow spraying in every direction. It was faster than before, relentless, its pale eyes burning through the dark.
Luke's breath hitched. He knew he couldn't outrun it. His body was already slowing, every step heavier than the last.
The spirit raised one clawed arm, ready to strike.
And then—
Slash!
A blur cut through the air. A streak of silver light ripped across the spirit's arm, tearing it apart. The shadow shrieked, stumbling back as black smoke poured from the wound.
Luke stopped dead in his tracks, wide-eyed.
A figure landed between him and the spirit.
Tall. Hooded. Cloaked in dark fabric that billowed with the movement. In their hands was a long blade, glowing faintly with the same strange light as Luke's phone.
The hooded figure didn't look back. Their stance was steady, blade raised, eyes fixed on the spirit.
"Stay behind me," they said. The voice was calm, sharp, and commanding.
Luke's throat was dry. He could only nod.
The spirit roared, shadows twisting wildly as its body reformed. Its massive hand shot forward, claws aiming straight for the figure.
Clang!
The figure's blade moved in a flash, deflecting the strike. Sparks of light exploded where steel met shadow. The force rattled the air, making Luke stumble back.
The spirit attacked again. Over and over. Each blow shook the ground, cracking the pavement. But the hooded figure matched every strike, their blade moving faster than Luke's eyes could follow.
Clash! Slash! Clang!
Luke could barely process what was happening. The figure was human, but they fought like something else entirely. Every step was sharp. Every movement precise.
The spirit lunged, jaws splitting wide, rows of teeth forming from the darkness.
The figure dodged to the side, dragging the blade across its face in one clean arc. The spirit howled, stumbling back as half its head dissolved into smoke.
Luke covered his ears, the sound rattling through his skull.
The figure pressed forward, relentless. Their blade glowed brighter, cutting through shadow like fire through paper. With each strike, the spirit shrieked, its body breaking apart piece by piece.
"Impossible…" Luke whispered, watching in shock.
The spirit tried one last desperate attack, spreading its arms wide, shadows whipping like tentacles. The alley walls cracked and splintered under the force.
The figure planted their feet, raised the blade high, and brought it down in one swift motion.
Boom!
A shockwave of light split the alley, tearing the spirit in half. Its roar turned into a distorted scream as its body unraveled completely, collapsing into a storm of black smoke that dissolved into the ground.
Silence.
Luke stood frozen, chest heaving, his whole body shaking.
The hooded figure lowered their blade. Slowly, they turned to face him.
Up close, Luke could barely make out their features under the hood. Just a sharp jawline, pale lips, and eyes that glowed faintly with the same strange light as the sword.
"You're lucky," the figure said flatly. "If I hadn't been here, you'd already be dead."
Luke swallowed hard. His voice cracked. "What… what was that thing?"
The figure didn't answer immediately. They looked down at the glowing phone still in Luke's hand.
"That mark on your wall. That glow in your device. It's no accident."
Luke frowned, confused. "What do you mean? I—I don't even know what's happening! Why are these things after me?!"
The figure's gaze sharpened. "Because you can see them. And now they can see you."
Luke's stomach sank.
Before he could respond, the figure suddenly stiffened. Their head snapped toward the end of the alley.
Luke followed their gaze.
More shadows.
Dozens of them. Small, twisted, humanoid forms crawling along the walls, their faceless heads tilting as they whispered his name.
Luke's breath caught. "Not again…"
The figure gripped their blade tighter. "We don't have time for questions. Move."
They stepped forward, slashing the nearest spirit in half with one clean strike. Then they grabbed Luke's arm with surprising strength and pulled him along.
"Run!"
Luke stumbled after them. His legs barely worked, but the figure's grip dragged him forward. Together, they sprinted through the warped streets.
The spirits swarmed from every direction, crawling along the walls, dropping from rooftops, slithering across the ground. Their whispers grew louder, merging into a chorus that made Luke's head spin.
The figure cut through them without hesitation. Every swing of the blade released bursts of light, scattering shadows left and right. The path cleared for seconds at a time before more swarmed in.
Luke tripped, nearly falling, but the figure yanked him up. "Don't stop!"
He forced his legs to move. His chest felt like it would burst, but fear pushed him harder.
The chase didn't stop until the figure dragged him around a sharp corner and shoved open a metal door half-buried in the wall of a ruined building.
"Inside!"
Luke stumbled through. The figure followed, slamming the door shut.
The whispers outside grew louder, pounding against the metal. But the door didn't budge.
Luke collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. Sweat poured down his face. His entire body trembled.
The figure stood in the center of the room, blade still in hand, listening to the sounds outside.
After a long silence, the whispers began to fade.
Luke finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "Who… are you?"
The figure lowered the hood slightly, shadows still covering most of their face.
"That doesn't matter right now," they said. "What matters is that from tonight onward… you're no longer living in your world alone."
Luke's blood ran cold.
The figure turned away, their blade still glowing faintly.
"This is only the beginning."