Moonshadow Abyss

The room was silent. Aisha's gaze remained fixed on Jack, her fingers unconsciously tightening, as if ready to react to any sign of him losing control.

Jack stood still, staring down at his hands. The blood on his palms had already dried, yet the familiar, maddening hunger still lingered at the back of his throat, refusing to fade.

His breathing gradually steadied, but his expression remained dark.

That man…

His words were like a seed, taking root and spreading in Jack's consciousness.

"Jack."

Aisha's voice pulled him back to reality.

He looked up to find her frowning, eyes sharp as a blade—calm and unwavering.

"Don't let his words get to you," she said in a low voice. "No matter who you are, you are still yourself."

Jack stared at her for a few seconds, as if searching for an answer in her words.

But in the end, he only took a deep breath, his voice hoarse.

"…We need to get out of here."

Aisha nodded, saying nothing more.

They quickly gathered any useful materials, stuffing the "E-Series Experiment Report" and a few old files into Aisha's backpack before silently retreating from the laboratory.

—

The hallway was still eerily silent, the air thick with the stench of decay and disinfectant.

They moved swiftly back the way they came, but as they reached the stairwell, Jack suddenly stopped.

Aisha immediately tensed. "What is it?"

Jack didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, brow furrowing slightly as he took a slow breath, scenting the air.

His expression turned cold in an instant.

"Someone's coming."

Aisha's nerves tightened. She swiftly pulled back the bolt of her gun, loading a round into the chamber.

"How many?" she asked quietly.

Jack opened his eyes, gaze deep. "At least six."

Aisha's expression darkened. "Werewolf hunters?"

"…Not sure." Jack took a slow step back, ears twitching slightly as he listened to the approaching footsteps.

Then, they heard it—voices crackling through a radio.

"…The target may still be inside the building. Stay alert."

"If you see E-7, subdue him immediately. No need to hold back."

Jack and Aisha exchanged a glance.

So they were after him.

Aisha quickly scanned their surroundings for an escape route, but the hallway was narrow, lined with closed doors—nowhere to hide.

"This isn't a normal hunter squad," she murmured. "They called out your number directly. That means they already know a lot about you."

"Yeah." Jack's voice was hard, his fingers slowly curling into a fist. "They might be working with that man."

Aisha gritted her teeth. "Can you pinpoint their positions?"

Jack closed his eyes again, steadying his breath as he focused on the sounds around him.

"Three approaching from the left corridor, two blocking the back exit, and one lying in ambush downstairs."

He opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. "They don't plan to let us leave alive."

Aisha frowned, rapidly calculating their options. "…If we fight head-on, our chances aren't great."

"But if we create chaos…" Jack's gaze landed on a power supply box at the end of the hall.

Aisha instantly understood his plan. "You want to cut the power?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "Darkness is an obstacle for them—but for me, it's an advantage."

Aisha didn't hesitate. She swiftly pried open the panel, pulling out a compact screwdriver from her tactical bag. In a few quick motions, she cut through several key wires.

A sharp sizzle rang out.

The lights in the hallway flickered once—then the entire building plunged into pitch-black darkness.

Almost immediately, distant footsteps quickened, and urgent whispers filled the air.

"What the hell? The power just went out!"

"Stay in formation! The target must be nearby!"

Jack held his breath, using the faintest traces of ambient light to move soundlessly toward a side room.

Aisha followed, her steps as silent as a cat's.

The hunters' tactical flashlights clicked on, beams of white light sweeping through the darkness. But for now, they had yet to spot Jack and Aisha.

Jack listened intently, then whispered, "We need an opening."

Aisha slipped out a flashbang grenade, her voice low. "This should buy us a few seconds of confusion."

Jack glanced at her, then gave a slight nod. "Three-second countdown. I'll take the left, you take the right."

Aisha smirked faintly. "If we pull this off, maybe we can grab a drink later."

Jack exhaled lightly. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Aisha's fingers tightened around the grenade's safety pin.

With a swift pull—

She hurled it toward the hunters.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the corridor, a blinding flash swallowing everything!

The hunters reeled back, staggering as they clutched their ears, momentarily blinded and disoriented.

Now!

Jack lunged forward like a shadowy predator, his claws flashing as they tore through the nearest hunter's armor—blood splattering the walls!

Aisha fired precisely, a bullet piercing another hunter's knee, dropping him instantly!

In mere seconds, three of the six hunters were down.

"Move!" Aisha shouted.

Jack didn't hesitate. He grabbed Aisha's wrist, yanking her forward as they sprinted toward the exit!

Gunfire erupted behind them!

Bang! Bang!

Bullets whizzed past, one grazing Jack's shoulder, but he didn't slow down—he pushed himself to run even faster!

Finally—

They burst out of the building, stumbling into a narrow, crumbling alleyway.

Jack barely had time to catch his breath before his instincts screamed at him—

He turned sharply, eyes locking onto a familiar figure standing at the end of the alley, waiting.

That same black trench coat.

That same silver hair, shifting slightly in the night breeze.

The man calmly adjusted his glasses, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"You're adapting to your instincts faster than I expected."

Aisha's stomach dropped. Her finger tightened on the trigger once more.

Jack's throat felt dry. His blood was boiling.

This man… Who exactly was he?

And what did he want from Jack?

Beneath the night sky, the danger was far from over.