The Shadow Hound did not charge blindly.
It paused halfway up the broken stairwell, claws gripping exposed steel bars, body pressed low to the concrete like a stretched coil. Its eyes reflected the flickering emergency lights, not glowing brightly but holding a dull, watchful sheen.
Kael did not move either.
The air between them felt tight, as though both were waiting for the other to make the first mistake.
Behind Kael, the officers shifted uneasily. One of them swallowed hard. The sound seemed loud in the silence.
The creature reacted instantly.
It vanished sideways, melting into the darkness cast by the collapsed stairwell wall.
Kael's gaze snapped to the side.
Motion Trace DetectedEstimated Reappearance Angle: Rear Left
He stepped forward instead of back.
The Shadow Hound reappeared mid-leap, jaws snapping where Kael's shoulder had been moments earlier. Its momentum carried it past him. Kael turned sharply and swung the axe in a tight arc.
The blade scraped along the creature's flank, tearing through fur and skin. The hound let out a sharp cry and skidded across the concrete before regaining its footing.
It did not retreat.
Instead, it circled, head lowered, muscles shifting under its dark coat. Kael noticed how its breathing remained steady. This was not a panicked animal. It was measuring distance and timing.
He adjusted his stance, placing more weight on his back foot.
The Codex projected faint markers near the creature's spine and hind legs.
Structural Stress Point DetectedBalance Disruption Probability: Moderate
Kael grabbed a loose fragment of concrete with his free hand and hurled it toward the stairwell wall. The stone struck metal and shattered loudly.
The Shadow Hound reacted to the sound without hesitation, pivoting its head in that direction.
That was enough.
Kael surged forward, closing the gap before the creature could fully turn back. He drove his shoulder into its side, forcing it off balance, then brought the axe down in a short, brutal strike aimed at the marked joint near its spine.
The blade bit deep.
The hound collapsed onto the steps, limbs twitching violently as dark energy leaked from the wound.
Kael did not wait.
He stepped over the creature and struck again, this time severing the connection between its head and body. The Shadow Hound went still, its form dissolving slowly into drifting black fragments that faded into the air.
Kael stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, sweat cooling against his skin.
Then the Codex responded.
Kill ConfirmedRare Bloodline Fragment AcquiredSource: Shadow HoundAssimilation Available
He reached toward the remaining energy core without hesitation.
Cold spread through his nerves as the fragment merged with his bloodstream. His vision dimmed briefly, then sharpened. The shadows around the stairwell appeared deeper, more layered, as if he could distinguish subtle differences in darkness itself.
Bloodline Integration CompletePassive Trait Gained: Shadow Step (Minor)Movement Noise ReducedLow-Light Perception Improved
Kael tested his footing, taking two quiet steps backward.
The sound of his boots against broken concrete was noticeably softer.
Behind him, the officers stared at the empty stairwell.
The newly awakened man spoke first. You killed it like you knew exactly where to strike.
Kael wiped blood from the axe blade against his sleeve.
I paid attention, he said simply.
That was not entirely honest, but it was close enough.
Voices echoed faintly from below.
Several sets of footsteps moved through the lower floors, slow and deliberate.
The Codex activated again.
Multiple Human Lifeforms DetectedBloodline Energy Signatures PresentBehavior Pattern: Target Acquisition
Kael's expression tightened.
Someone else had already learned that monsters were not just threats.
They were resources.
He gestured toward the officers. Turn off your flashlights. Stay close. Don't speak unless you have to.
They obeyed immediately.
Kael shifted into the darker side of the stairwell, letting the shadows partially conceal his silhouette.
The world outside was falling apart.
But inside this building, something new was beginning.
A different kind of hunt.