The morning in Neo-Lyra carried an uneasy stillness, the kind that felt out of place in a city known for its ceaseless noise. Adrian stood by the window, watching sunlight struggle through the dense skyline. Something felt wrong, like the air had thinned or a shadow lingered just behind his thoughts.
A soft knock made him turn.
Serena stepped into the room, wearing a loose jacket and a cautious expression that softened when she saw him. Her hair fell in a way that made her look both fierce and disarmingly gentle. She had barely spoken since the incident the night before, when danger brushed too close and he pulled her behind him, their breathing mixing in the dark.
"You're awake early," she said quietly.
"So are you," Adrian replied, his voice low. "Couldn't sleep?"
She shrugged, eyes lingering on his face longer than she intended. "Just… thinking."
"About last night?" he asked.
Her silence was answer enough. She stepped closer, hesitating for a moment as if trying to understand whatever was growing between them. He sensed the conflict in her—the attraction she no longer knew how to hide, and the fear that it meant something she wasn't ready to admit.
He wanted to say something more, something dangerous, but the familiar chime cut through the room.
A faint panel flashed behind his vision.
[System Warning: Anomalous Activity Detected.]
His expression tightened.
Serena noticed. "What is it?"
"Nothing urgent," he lied, though the cold prickling at his spine said otherwise. System warnings never appeared without reason.
They left the apartment soon after, heading toward the academy district. Today was supposed to be simple—routine submission updates, keeping a low presence until his urban indemnity was completed. Only then would he risk looking in the direction of the hidden clan whose blood ran in his veins. Until then, invisibility was survival.
But Neo-Lyra wasn't giving him that luxury.
As they neared the tram station, the air shifted—too quickly, too sharply. Three black SUVs rolled in without warning, blocking off the plaza. Doors slammed open. Men in tactical suits fanned out in perfect formation.
Serena's grip on his arm tightened. "Adrian… they're looking at you."
They weren't just looking. They were hunting.
One of the suited men stepped forward, a tablet in hand. "Adrian Vale?"
Adrian gave a light, careless smile. "Depends who's asking."
"Orders for immediate escort."
Escort.
In Neo-Lyra, that word almost always meant abduction.
Serena whispered, "Is this your clan?"
"No," Adrian answered instantly. "They'd never move like this."
And that meant one thing—someone else knew something they shouldn't.
Adrian stepped slightly in front of Serena, shielding her subconsciously. She pressed closer behind him, her breath trembling against his back. Her fear tasted real, sharp, and it made something protective coil inside him.
More footsteps approached.
Adrian's pulse slowed, controlled.
"Stay behind me," he murmured.
"I'm not leaving you," she breathed.
"Not asking you to. Just stay close."
The men moved. The plaza tensed.
The system chimed again.
[Emergency Combat Protocol Activated.]
[Host's physical output optimized temporarily.]
Energy hummed faintly beneath his skin.
The lead agent pointed. "Take him."
Adrian moved first.
His fist slammed into the nearest agent's stomach, sending the man crashing into a bench. Another lunged with a stun baton, but Adrian twisted beneath it, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and slammed him into the pavement. Serena gasped, stunned at the speed he was moving—too fast for a normal human, even a trained one.
His senses pricked sharply as a sniper beam flickered near him. Someone else was watching from a distance. The SUVs were a distraction, not the main force. Whoever orchestrated this knew what they were doing.
He caught a glimpse of a symbol burned into one agent's wrist—a three-headed serpent.
His breath stilled.
The Tri-Serpent Order.
A shadow organization known for hunting potential heirs of hidden clans. If they were here… then someone had leaked information about him.
But he hadn't awakened anything publicly. He hadn't made contact with his clan. He hadn't even accessed the deeper parts of the system.
So who betrayed him?
He ended the final agent with a sharp strike that sent the man collapsing. The plaza fell silent again, the tension lingering like smoke.
Serena rushed to him, wrapping trembling fingers around his forearm. "Adrian… why were they after you? Who are they?"
He didn't answer immediately. His chest rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths. The symbol replayed in his mind like a warning.
The system chimed again.
[New Quest Assigned.]
[Quest: Unmask the Informant.]
[Penalty for Failure: Capture.]
He swallowed hard.
Someone close.
Someone hidden.
Someone watching him far before he was ready.
Serena's eyes lifted to his, filled with fear, confusion, and something deeper—something personal. He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, letting his touch linger a second too long.
"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll keep you safe."
Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them.
But danger wasn't done with him yet.
Neo-Lyra's shadows were only beginning to stir.