Moonshadow Abyss

Jack's fingers curled slightly, his nails unconsciously sharpening into claws, ready to slice through the air at any moment.

The night wind swirled through the narrow alley, carrying a damp, decayed scent.

The man in black stood before them, his posture relaxed yet exuding an undeniable pressure. His long silver hair shimmered faintly under the dim streetlights, and behind his glasses, his eyes were cold and unfathomable.

Aisha's gun remained steadily aimed at him, her finger resting lightly on the trigger.

"Don't come any closer," she warned, her voice sharp and brimming with killing intent.

The man didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if examining Jack, the corners of his lips curling into a knowing smile.

"You're still resisting," he said in a low, matter-of-fact tone.

Jack said nothing, his gaze locked onto the man, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. That unsettling restlessness within him had yet to subside completely.

The man slowly raised a hand in a non-threatening gesture.

"You did well just now," he remarked casually. "Against the werewolf hunters, your reaction time improved by at least 0.2 seconds."

He pushed his glasses up slightly, his gaze piercing through the lenses like scalpels dissecting the human mind.

"This means you're evolving."

Jack's heart pounded violently.

This man… not only knew everything about him but had also measured his combat performance to the millisecond?

Aisha let out a cold laugh, her aim unwavering. "You really are a pain in the ass."

The man merely chuckled, completely unfazed by her hostility.

"Aisha Covington," he continued, his voice calm. "Former federal agent, now a fugitive. Skilled in tactical maneuvers and sniping… You're not bad yourself."

Aisha's expression darkened instantly.

This man didn't just know about Jack—he had investigated her past as well.

"Who are you?" Jack finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "And why do you know all this?"

The man's slight smile faded somewhat, and his tone grew deep and steady.

"I was one of your mentors. Also, one of the supervisors of the 'E-Series' experiment."

Jack's throat tightened, a wave of nausea rising in his stomach.

E-Series… experiment…

That name dragged forth fragmented memories buried deep in his mind:

—A sterile white chamber, cold medical instruments, the grating sound of metal, the sharp sting of needles beneath his skin…

—Figures in white coats, their voices murmuring about his "potential" and "limits."

The man seemed to notice Jack's momentary daze, his smile deepening.

"You're starting to remember, aren't you?"

Jack clenched his jaw, a low growl rumbling from his throat.

Aisha immediately stepped in front of him, shielding him with her body, her gun still aimed at the man. "Don't even think about playing mind games."

The man sighed softly, as if exasperated by her interference.

But his gaze never left Jack.

"Jack, have you ever considered…"

He paused deliberately, his voice growing darker.

"That your real enemy isn't us?"

Jack's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The man's expression remained impassive, his voice eerily calm.

"Do you really think the werewolf hunters exist just to eliminate werewolves?"

"Their operations have never been just about 'hunting'."

"They're also—"

He let the words hang for a moment before smiling cryptically.

"Creating werewolves."

Jack and Aisha's eyes widened slightly.

The man continued, his tone steady.

"The 'werewolf serum' they possess comes directly from the E-Series research."

"And you—" His gaze gleamed with an unsettling intensity. "Are their perfect specimen."

The air grew several degrees colder.

Jack's throat tightened. The fragments of memory in his mind ignited like wildfire, spreading chaotically.

Test chambers. Blood samples. Genetic modifications…

The werewolf hunters weren't just hunting werewolves—

They were creating them?

"That's bullshit," Aisha cut in coldly. "They've been hunting werewolves for years. There's never been any mention of this."

The man chuckled. "Of course. You only hear what they want you to hear."

Jack's nails dug into his palm as he struggled to stay composed.

If what this man was saying was true…

Then the game he thought he was playing was far more twisted and sinister than he had imagined.

The man watched Jack's shifting expression with apparent satisfaction.

"Jack, sooner or later, you'll understand… Your 'origin' and your 'future' have never been in your hands."

"But you do have a choice—"

His voice dropped lower, seductive and dangerous.

"Will you be a 'weapon to be used'? Or…" His eyes gleamed. "The master of your own fate?"

Jack stared at him, his heart hammering against his ribs, blood roaring in his veins.

He couldn't deny it—

The man's words had shaken something deep inside him.

But just as Jack was about to respond—

Bang!

Aisha pulled the trigger without hesitation!

The bullet tore through the air, aimed directly at the man's forehead!

But—

His figure blurred in an instant, vanishing like a phantom just as the bullet was about to strike!

Bang!

The bullet embedded itself in the alley wall, sending sparks flying!

Only a faint trace of blood remained in the air, but the man had disappeared completely.

Aisha frowned, her eyes sweeping the surroundings warily.

Jack's claws slowly retracted, his expression dark and unreadable.

"Damn it… Who the hell is he?" Aisha muttered.

Jack didn't answer. He simply stood there in silence, his fists clenched tight.

The man's words had been like a dagger, slicing straight into his heart, cracking the foundation of everything he believed in.

Who was he?

Was his past truly just an ordinary "werewolf awakening"?

Or had his entire existence been nothing more than a carefully orchestrated "experiment" from the start?

In the darkness, the truth was beginning to take shape.

And Jack was inching ever closer to the fate awaiting him.