Dust hung heavy in the air, mixing with smoke rising from broken street vents and shattered machinery. The city's heartbeat was electric—a low hum of neon signs flickering, distant sirens, and the occasional thrum of an industrial generator. Aubrey crouched on a rusted fire escape, eyes scanning the alley below. Veins pulsed along his temples, the Bloodfire simmering just beneath the surface. Every muscle was taut, every sense sharp.
Movement caught his attention. Shadows shifted behind overturned crates. A pair of children huddled near a collapsed wall, wide-eyed, clutching each other as if trying to vanish into the broken concrete. Their frightened whispers carried across the empty street: "Who… who is that?"
Aubrey's jaw tightened. Bloodfire surged along his arms, coiling into jagged molten blades. He didn't want to scare them, but he couldn't slow down either. His eyes flicked to a pair of cloaked figures emerging from the far end of the alley. Collectors. Their silver eyes glinted in the neon glow, cloaks flapping against rusted metal.
"They've got the fire," one of the collectors hissed, voice sharp and low. "Do not let it escape."
Aubrey's fists ignited, molten energy coiling along his arms. Sparks sizzled as they met dust and metal. Cheeks flushed, veins glowing crimson, pupils wide, he whispered to himself, "No...Not today."
The first collector lunged, boots kicking up dust. Aubrey rolled, molten whip wrapping around the attacker's limbs, sending him crashing into a stack of broken crates. Sparks danced across the alley, catching on shards of glass and twisted metal. Another collector came from the side. Aubrey twisted midair, transforming a rusted pipe into a jagged spear, piercing through the attacker's chest. The motion was fluid, instinctive, blood and molten sparks splattering the walls.
Lilith stirred beneath a fissure in the cracked pavement. Blackened skin, molten veins glowing, golden eyes locked onto him. Heat radiated from her form, tingling Aubrey's face, jaw, and temples. The Bloodfire surged, flames wrapping around his arms and coiling like a living thing.
As he advanced, the children squeaked and ducked behind debris. Aubrey caught their movement in the corner of his eye. "Stay down," he whispered, molten whip slicing through a stray metal beam near them, sparks flying just inches from their heads. They nodded, trembling, whispering prayers.
Another collector lunged from a side alley. Aubrey rolled, molten spear stabbing clean through the chest. Sparks sizzled against dust and broken concrete. Cheeks flushed, jaw tight, pupils wide. Sweat and dust streaked his face, blending with glowing veins.
Then came a low rumble. The ground beneath him vibrated, small dust clouds rising. Aubrey froze, instincts screaming. Shadows shifted across nearby rooftops. Someone—or something—was watching. His pulse quickened, veins flaring crimson. Collectors hesitated, sensing the change too.
Lilith lunged again, claws flashing, molten ichor spraying along the cracked pavement. Aubrey dodged, rolling, pivoting midair, spear thrusting through the nearest attacker. Sparks danced along walls and debris, molten streaks hissing as they struck metal. Cheeks tingled from the heat, veins glowing along temples and jawline. Pupils wide, jaw tight, teeth gritted.
A loud crash echoed. A large metal container toppled, crushing a stray collector. Dust and sparks rose in clouds. The children shrieked, clutching each other, eyes wide with terror and awe. Aubrey didn't flinch. His Bloodfire surged, molten arcs wrapping around his arms like serpents, coiling and striking.
Another fissure split the street, molten veins pulsing beneath the cracked concrete. From it rose a second Lilith, taller, broader, claws dripping molten ichor. Bloodfire flared violently along Aubrey's arms, temples, and jaw. He leapt forward, molten spear spinning in deadly arcs. Collectors tried to flank him, but he rolled, struck, and twisted with fluid precision. Sparks flew, molten streaks splashed walls and puddles of dust and debris.
Hours seemed to stretch. Sparks, molten arcs, and flying debris filled the air. Aubrey's chest burned, muscles screamed, but he moved like the fire incarnate, dodging, rolling, striking. Veins glowed crimson along his temples, jaw tight, pupils wide. Lilith shrieked viciously, molten ichor spraying the walls. Another collector lunged from a hidden passage. Aubrey twisted, molten whip wrapping him and tossing him into a broken wall. Another attack from the side met his spear, piercing the chest cleanly.
The children's whispers turned to gasps of awe. One of them dared to peek from behind a collapsed pillar. Aubrey glanced at them, molten whip flicking defensively. "Stay back," he hissed. They nodded, wide-eyed, pressing against rubble. Their presence made him sharper, more careful. Every move was precise, controlled, Bloodfire dancing along arms and jaw.
Finally, the second Lilith collapsed, molten veins dimming to faint cracks in blackened skin. The remaining collectors froze under hoods, eyes wide, silent. Aubrey rose slowly, fists glowing faintly, Bloodfire coiling along arms and temples. Dust and sparks swirled in the air. Cheeks flushed, jaw tight, pupils wide, veins glowing crimson.
Above, shadowed watchers lingered on rooftops. Their silhouettes merged with the smoke and neon, unreadable, cataloging every move. Aubrey stepped forward, molten arcs trailing behind him. The alley lay in ruin: broken crates, smoldering puddles, streaks of molten ichor, and terrified children huddling silently.
Aubrey's jaw tightened. He didn't speak. The suspense weighed heavily. Every alley, rooftop, and shattered wall might conceal a new threat. He could feel eyes on him, some unseen, some obvious, but none hostile… yet.
The children whispered to each other, eyes wide. Aubrey caught a faint reflection in a shard of broken glass—a shadow moving across a distant rooftop. He froze, molten arcs flickering along his arms. Bloodfire pulsed in reaction, heat licking his cheeks.
With one last sweep of his molten whip, sparks arced through the alley. He scanned every corner, listening to the city's hum, every distant siren, every shifting shadow. Collectors had retreated, smoldering rubble the only trace of them, but Aubrey's senses screamed there was more out there.
He finally stepped toward the children, bending low to meet their trembling gaze. "Go," he said softly, molten sparks dimming. "Stay hidden."
They didn't need to be told twice. Huddled together, they disappeared into the deeper alleyways, leaving Aubrey alone amidst the ruins. He inhaled, chest heaving, Bloodfire simmering along his veins, temples, and jaw. Every sense screamed: someone—or something—was still out there. Watching. Waiting.
Aubrey's eyes narrowed. He didn't speak, didn't mutter. He just moved forward, molten arcs trailing, every step deliberate, aware, and ready. The city stretched endlessly before him—chaotic, dangerous, alive—and tonight had proven one thing: nothing was safe, nothing predictable, and Bloodfire had chosen him to stand in its inferno.