The creature moved like a nightmare given form.
Massive claws scraped sparks from the street as it landed, its weight cracking the pavement beneath it. The red glow in its eyes flickered violently, scanning the chaotic market district like a predator searching for prey.
Screams erupted around the street.
People scattered in every direction.
Some ran toward the main avenue, others ducked into nearby shops. A few pulled out small personal defense devices, but the moment they saw the size of the creature, most abandoned the idea of fighting and simply fled.
The two figures who had originally been chased stumbled across the pavement, nearly falling over each other in their desperation.
"Run!" one of them shouted.
They didn't need to be told twice.
Behind them, the monster opened its mouth.
A guttural roar tore through the air.
The sound echoed between the buildings like thunder.
Kael stood frozen for only a second.
His mind processed the situation quickly.
The creature was not just large—it radiated a strange, oppressive energy.
Something unnatural.
Something ancient.
And worst of all—
The strange force inside Kael responded to it immediately.
The pressure in his chest returned.
Stronger than ever.
Warm energy pulsed through his veins, almost as if his body instinctively recognized the threat.
Kael clenched his fists.
His instincts told him to act.
But another part of him hesitated.
He had spent most of his life hiding what he was capable of.
Drawing attention could be dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Yet as the creature lunged forward, slamming its claws into the ground where the fleeing civilians had just stood—
Kael realized he might not have a choice.
The creature had already noticed the crowd.
If it reached the main avenue, dozens of people could be killed.
A low growl rumbled from the monster's throat.
It leapt forward again.
Faster than anything that size should be able to move.
Before Kael could decide what to do—
A blur of motion crashed into the creature from the side.
The impact sounded like two vehicles colliding.
The monster was thrown violently across the street, smashing into a stack of metal supply crates.
The crates exploded apart on impact.
For a moment, the street fell silent.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
Someone had intervened.
Standing in the center of the road, between the creature and the fleeing civilians, was a tall man with broad shoulders and dark clothing.
The same man Kael had noticed earlier.
But now there was no mistaking it.
The air around him vibrated with power.
Electric energy crackled faintly across his forearms.
His posture was calm, but his gaze was focused entirely on the monster.
"Alright," the man muttered, rolling his neck slightly.
His voice carried easily across the empty street.
"Now that's definitely not supposed to be here."
The creature pulled itself out of the broken crates with an enraged snarl.
Its claws scraped against the pavement as it rose to its full height.
Up close, it looked even more terrifying.
Its body was covered in dark armored plates that looked like cracked volcanic rock. Thin streams of black smoke curled from the gaps between them.
Its limbs were long and powerful.
Its claws easily as long as a human hand.
And its mouth—
Rows of jagged teeth glistened beneath the dim neon lights.
The man in the street didn't move.
But the electricity around him intensified.
Tiny sparks danced through the air around his shoulders.
Kael felt the strange energy inside him react again.
But this time it wasn't responding to the monster.
It was responding to the man.
Something about him triggered the same strange resonance Kael had been feeling since entering the city.
The man took a slow step forward.
The creature roared and charged.
Its claws tore through the pavement as it lunged.
But the man moved faster.
His body blurred.
A flash of motion.
Then—
CRACK.
Thunder exploded across the street.
The man's fist slammed into the creature's side with incredible force.
Lightning burst outward from the impact point.
The monster was lifted completely off the ground.
It crashed into the wall of a nearby building hard enough to shatter several windows.
Glass rained down onto the empty street.
For a moment, the creature didn't move.
Kael stared.
The man stood calmly, lowering his arm.
Electricity still flickered around his knuckles.
His expression was focused but not strained.
Like he had barely used any effort.
The creature slowly pushed itself upright again.
Its red eyes burned with fury.
Black smoke poured from cracks in its armored skin where the lightning had struck.
The man sighed.
"Well," he said quietly, "that confirms it."
The creature roared again and launched itself forward.
The man stepped into a fighting stance.
And for the first time, Kael noticed something unusual.
The man's eyes.
They weren't normal.
Even from this distance, Kael could see a faint glow within them.
A wild intensity.
Predatory.
Like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
The creature swung one massive claw.
The man ducked smoothly beneath it.
His foot slammed into the pavement.
Lightning surged upward from the ground.
The next punch came even faster.
Electric energy exploded across the creature's chest.
The monster staggered back.
But it was far from defeated.
It recovered instantly, roaring louder than before.
Then it did something unexpected.
It turned.
Not toward the man who had just attacked it—
But toward Kael.
Their eyes met.
For a single moment, time seemed to slow.
The creature's burning gaze locked onto him.
And Kael felt something shift deep inside his chest.
Recognition.
The monster sensed it too.
Whatever strange energy Kael carried—
The creature wanted it.
The monster's muscles tensed.
It launched itself forward.
Straight toward Kael.
The distance closed instantly.
Kael barely had time to react.
But before the creature could reach him—
A bolt of lightning tore through the air.
The man appeared between them like a storm incarnate.
His arm swung upward.
Electric energy exploded across the monster's jaw.
The impact snapped its head sideways.
The creature crashed into the ground again.
This time the man didn't step back.
He grabbed the creature by the throat and lifted it slightly off the pavement.
Lightning poured from his arm.
The monster shrieked.
"You picked the wrong city," the man growled.
Energy surged.
The street filled with blinding light.
Then the man hurled the creature across the road.
The monster smashed into a reinforced security barrier at the end of the street.
The barrier shattered.
But the creature didn't rise again.
Silence slowly returned to the Neon Market.
Broken glass littered the pavement.
Smoke drifted upward from the damaged buildings.
The man exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders again.
Then he turned.
His eyes landed on Kael.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Kael felt that strange resonance again.
Stronger than ever.
The man studied him carefully.
Like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're not from around here," he said.
His voice was calm.
But there was curiosity behind it.
Kael met his gaze evenly.
"No," he replied.
The man nodded slowly.
Then his eyes flicked briefly to the unconscious creature lying across the street.
When he looked back at Kael, his expression had changed slightly.
More serious now.
"Good," he said quietly.
"Because things like that don't usually show up unless something important just arrived in the city."
His gaze sharpened.
And Kael suddenly had the strange feeling that the man wasn't talking about the monster anymore.
Somewhere above the city, thunder rumbled faintly across the clouds.
And neither of them realized yet—
That this encounter was only the beginning.