The chaos of the plaza had faded, but its echo followed Adrian like a silent ghost.
Sirens wailed faintly in the distance, law enforcement arriving long after the fight had scattered. Neo-Lyra always responded late to the wrong things and too quickly to the things that didn't matter. It was a city of layers—shimmering on the outside, rotting beneath the surface.
Adrian and Serena slipped into a narrow alley behind a row of neon-lit cafés. The scent of roasted spices mixed with the metallic tang of city air. Serena gripped Adrian's wrist tightly, not out of fear of getting lost—but fear of losing him.
"Adrian… who were those people?" she asked, breath uneven.
He scanned the surroundings. "A group we should avoid for now."
"You mean you don't know why they attacked you?" She didn't hide the tremor in her voice.
"I didn't say that," Adrian said quietly.
Serena stared at him, and for a moment, he saw the storm behind her eyes—fear, curiosity, something deeper she couldn't control. Her emotions were too raw to hide, and his chest tightened slightly.
"Serena," he said gently, "if you trust me, stay close. I'll explain what I can."
"You're not pushing me away?" she whispered, almost surprised.
"I couldn't push you away even if I tried."
Her cheeks warmed. She looked down, biting her lip, her heartbeat pounding fast enough for him to hear. He knew he was crossing a line—one that would make things more complicated—but he didn't step back.
Neo-Lyra buzzed with life around them, unaware of the storm closing in.
The system flashed before his eyes.
[Analyzing Threat Level…]
[Threat Level: High.]
[Host is being monitored.]
His jaw tightened.
Someone was tracking him even now.
He felt the weight of unseen eyes pressed against the back of his skull.
"We need to move," Adrian said, taking Serena's hand. "But not toward the main streets."
She nodded silently.
They headed toward the lower district—a maze of elevated walkways, dripping pipes, and forgotten staircases leading into the city's underbelly. Here, neon lights didn't shine as brightly, and shadows felt heavier.
Halfway through an abandoned alley, the system chimed again.
[Host's status window updated.]
Surprised, Adrian paused.
"What is it?" Serena asked.
"Something changed."
"Check it," she urged.
He hesitated. The more she saw, the deeper she would be drawn into his world—dangerous, unpredictable, bloody. But Serena wasn't someone who walked away from the things she cared about. She stepped closer and placed her palm on his chest.
"Adrian," she whispered, "let me see. I want to understand you."
Her voice was steady enough to push him over the edge.
He exhaled slowly.
"System… show me my status."
A transparent panel unfolded before them like a holographic sheet.
---
[STATUS WINDOW – ADRIAN VALE]
Name: Adrian Vale
Level: 7
Race: Human (Anomalous Gene Marker Detected)
Energy Type: Veilforce (Locked Tier)
Strength: 21
Agility: 24
Perception: 23
Vitality: 19
Willpower: 27
Charm: 31
Luck: 14
Skills:
• Adaptive Combat Reflexes (Lvl 2)
• Veil Sense (Locked)
• Urban Stealth (Lvl 1)
• Pressure Reading (Passive)
• Danger Precognition (Passive)
Special Tag:
[Heir Candidate – ??] (Glitched, unreadable)
Points:
• System Credits: 120
• Skill Tokens: 2
• Unknown Parameter: 1 (Origin Unclear)
Current Quests:
• Unmask the Informant
• Evade Tri-Serpent Order Surveillance
• Maintain Low Visibility Until Indemnity Completion
---
Serena inhaled sharply. "You… you have a system?"
He watched her eyes dart across the glowing text. Fear and fascination warred within her.
"Serena," Adrian said slowly, "this is why things are dangerous. I didn't want you involved."
"You already saved my life more times than I can count," she said. "Danger isn't what scares me."
"What does?"
She swallowed. "Losing you."
Adrian's breath caught.
He stepped closer, closing the small distance between them. Her back brushed the wall, and she looked up at him, eyes wide and vulnerable. The city's distant rumble masked the moment, isolating them in a pocket of stolen intimacy.
"I'm not planning to disappear," he murmured. "Not unless I have no choice."
Her fingers curled around his shirt, pulling him toward her—hesitation fading. The tension vibrated between them, heavy and intoxicating.
But just as their lips almost brushed—
A gunshot shattered the moment.
Serena flinched, pulling back as a bullet embedded itself into the brick wall beside them. Dust exploded outward.
Adrian spun around, eyes sharp.
On the rooftop above, a sniper cloaked in black aimed again.
"Move!" he shouted, grabbing Serena and diving behind an overturned container.
Another bullet whizzed past, slicing through the air where her head had been a second ago.
Serena trembled violently. Adrian shielded her with his body, his heartbeat pounding hard against her shoulder. The warmth of him steadied her even as danger closed in.
"We're being hunted again?" she stammered.
"No," Adrian whispered, eyes narrowing. "This isn't the same group."
"How can you tell?"
His gaze hardened.
"Tri-Serpent agents don't use precision snipers. They swarm. This… this is personal."
The system chimed urgently.
[Unknown Hostile Identified.]
[Codename: Phantom Jackal.]
[Rank: A-Grade Urban Assassin.]
[Success Rate: 94%.]
[Survival Odds: 23%.]
Serena's breath froze. "Adrian…"
He clenched his fists. "He's not here for you. He's here for me."
The sniper moved again, sliding into position like a ghost. Adrian analyzed him—lightweight rifle, vibration dampeners, full-body stealth suit. This wasn't random. This was a hitman hired for one goal: eliminate the future heir before he awakened.
Adrian exhaled slowly. Calm. Deadly.
"Serena," he said, voice steady, "when I move, run toward the ventilation walkway behind us. Don't stop. Don't look back."
"I'm not leaving you—"
"You are," he said firmly. "I need you to live. That's not optional."
Her eyes shone with defiance, fear, and something painfully tender. She grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him closer.
"Come back alive," she whispered. "Come back to me."
Her voice was a plea, a command, and a confession.
Adrian released a breath that felt like fire and nodded.
The assassin fired.
Adrian moved.
He shot upward, darting along the alley wall with inhuman agility as the system heightened his senses. The sniper fired again—Adrian twisted mid-air, landing against a metal staircase.
Serena ran, trusting him, heart pounding so hard it ached.
Adrian reached the rooftop.
The assassin was waiting.
They clashed instantly—silent, vicious, brutal. Blades flashed. Dust lifted. The city lights flickered as the fight blurred into a storm of motion. Adrian blocked a strike, countered with a knee to the ribs, then dodged a slash aimed for his throat.
The Phantom Jackal was skilled—but Adrian was evolving.
The assassin lunged. Adrian grabbed his wrist, twisted, slammed him against the railing, and pinned him.
"Who sent you?" Adrian growled.
The assassin didn't answer.
He triggered a micro-explosive charge on his chest.
Adrian's instinct screamed.
He released him and leapt back—
The rooftop erupted in a white-hot flash.
The shockwave blasted outward, throwing Adrian across the rooftop and over the ledge. He seized the edge with one hand, muscles straining.
Below, Serena screamed his name.
Adrian dangled high above the street, the neon lights blurring beneath him. His body shook from the impact, but he held on, gritting his teeth.
Serena ran to the edge below, eyes wide and filled with terror.
"ADRIAN!"
He met her gaze and forced a faint smile.
"I'm not dying today."
With a final pull, he swung his body and landed on a maintenance platform halfway down.
Serena rushed to him, tears forming. She crashed into his arms, hugging him tightly.
"Don't ever do that again!" she cried.
"I'll try," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
The system chimed.
[Quest Updated.]
[A hidden enemy has made the first move.]
[The shadows of Neo-Lyra deepen.]
Adrian tightened his arms around Serena.
Someone wanted him dead.
Someone who knew more than he did.
Someone who wasn't afraid to send an A-Grade assassin.
The game had changed.
And Adrian was just getting started.