The metal of the fire escape was cold and slick with a fine mist that had begun to fall, each drop sizzling faintly as it touched the purple haze of the cracks below. Kai led the way, his saber held low and ready. The Broodguard Plate on his forearm felt reassuringly solid.
Elara followed so closely behind him that he could feel her breath on his back. Her kitchen knife was gripped in her hand, a small, almost pathetic ward against the horrors around them. Every groan of the rusted metal under their feet sounded like a dinner bell.
They were halfway down the second flight when Kai froze. He held up a hand, signaling for Elara to stop. She complied instantly, her breath catching in her throat.
Kai's eyes were locked on the brick wall of the building opposite them. Something was moving. It was lean and unnaturally long, clinging to the brickwork like a gecko. Its skin was the color of wet asphalt, and it moved with a jerky, insectile grace. Two long, scythe-like arms propelled it across the wall, its head swiveling, scanning the alley below with large, pale eyes.
A new blue box appeared in his vision, clear as day.
[Shadow Creeper - Level 4]
It was his level. A creature built for stealth and ambush. He thanked whatever bizarre logic governed this new world that he had spotted it first.
Do not engage, the swordsman's echo was immediate and absolute. It has the terrain advantage. We are exposed. Be the stone. Be the shadow.
Kai pressed himself flat against the railing of the fire escape, pulling Elara in tight behind him. "Don't move. Don't even breathe," he whispered, his lips barely moving.
The Shadow Creeper paused its climb, its head tilting as if listening. It let out a low, clicking sound, a form of echolocation. For a terrifying minute, its pale, pupil-less eyes seemed to stare directly at them. Kai's heart pounded a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He could feel Elara trembling behind him.
Then, as if dismissing the faint sound of their heartbeats as nothing, the creature resumed its climb, disappearing over the lip of the roof.
They waited, motionless, for a full minute after it was gone. Only when Kai was certain it wasn't coming back did he allow himself to breathe.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice shaky. "Let's go. Now."
They practically flew down the remaining flight of stairs, their feet making soft, thudding sounds on the metal. Kai jumped the last few feet, landing in a crouch in the grime of the alley. He immediately turned, holding his arms up to help Elara down.
They were back on the ground, in the heart of the danger. The alley smelled of rot and ozone. At the far end, the street was a canvas of flickering fires and deep shadows.
"What was that thing?" Elara whispered, her eyes still glued to the roof.
"Level 4 Shadow Creeper," Kai replied automatically, then realized how insane that must sound. "Something that climbs walls and kills people. Come on."
He took her hand, his grip firm. He peeked around the edge of the alley. The street was empty, for the moment. Their path to the shop required them to cross this street and head downtown for several blocks. It felt like a mile.
"When I say run, you run," he said, his eyes scanning every shadow, every doorway. "Don't stop for anything. I'll be right with you."
She squeezed his hand, her knuckles pressing into his. "I trust you."
He took a deep breath, the cold, smoky air filling his lungs. "Okay," he said, more to himself than to her. "Run."