The streets of Lagos never truly slept, but tonight they felt… wrong. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor ran through the city as Elijah and Lara moved through the alleyways under the Wardens' supervision.
"You feel that?" Lara asked, her voice quiet but tense.
Elijah's chest pulsed with golden light, responding to the shift in the air. "Yeah… something's out there. Not yet visible… but it's waiting."
Shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally between the streetlights. A distant shriek echoed, but it didn't sound fully human. Elijah's fingers twitched. His Resonance reacted instinctively, humming like a heartbeat under his skin.
"Your senses are changing," Lara said, her eyes scanning the darkness. "You feel what others cannot. That makes you… powerful. And visible."
Visible. The word settled in Elijah's mind like a warning. If Demos could sense him, others could, too. Anchors, Wardens, even those who didn't want him to exist. He clenched his fists, golden light flickering.
A figure darted between buildings, too fast for ordinary sight. Elijah felt the pull in his chest—the energy of a Demo lying in wait. Before anyone could react, the figure lunged from the shadows.
Elijah instinctively thrust his hands forward. A wave of golden light surged from him, knocking the creature back. Sparks danced along the walls as it screeched, retreating into the darkness.
Obinna, emerging from behind a wall, shook his head. "Man… you're going to give someone a heart attack one of these days."
Elijah exhaled, trying to calm the pulse inside him. This is only the beginning. I can feel them… everywhere, waiting for a mistake.
Lara's voice broke his thoughts. "We need to be careful. Not all of them attack openly. Some are patient. Some watch… and wait. And not every threat is a Demo."
Elijah frowned. The golden light around him dimmed slightly, replaced by a gnawing unease. Hidden threats weren't just about power—they were about timing, strategy, and survival.
He looked at the city, alive with people who had no idea what stalked them in the shadows. Somewhere out there, his sister's fate lay entwined with these dangers.
And Elijah realized something terrifying: his path was not just about saving her—it was about staying alive long enough to find her.
I will control this power. I will survive. I will find her.
The golden pulse in his chest seemed to answer back, steady and unwavering, even as the shadows lengthened across Lagos.