Twilight Of The Echo Bearer

Lux strode through the streets toward the decaying mansion earlier. His mind still on the four Hunters he had encountered. They were no doubt part of some Hunter Guild in the city, yet they had accomplished nothing since Arthuros had taken control.

They hid in the shadows and too afraid to act. Lux’s lip curled in disdain. He understood fear. He knew better than anyone how terrifying a Supernatural, especially a Vampire, could be. But they were Hunters. They were supposed to be brave. They should be banding together to take Arthuros down — or die trying.

As he neared the Blood Lord's stronghold, memories of his past surfaced. His time in the Guild when he was younger felt like a distant nightmare.

He had been just a boy back then, fresh from the tragedy of his family's slaughter. His small, broken heart still raw with grief.

They had thrown him into training, not out of kindness or concern, but because he was a liability — a child with no home, no family, and no purpose. The Hunter who saved him thought they could harden him and forge him into a weapon to use against the Supernaturals that plagued their world.

The training had been brutal. Lux remembered it vividly. It was all series grueling exercises that left his body bruised and broken. Long days of sparring that felt like he was fighting for real survival and nights spent alone in a cold barracks. He had been pushed beyond his limits again and again, until he felt like he was dying inside. And perhaps, in some ways, he had.

The Guild instructors had no mercy nor compassion toward a child. They demanded strength from him even when his young body trembled from exhaustion. When he had failed, they had beaten him, not out of cruelty but as a lesson. Weakness had no place among Hunters. He had learned that lesson well. Only his rage toward the Supernatural kind make him survive that place.

But the power he wielded now that made him feared by both man and monster alike hadn’t come from the Guild’s training. No, that had only been the beginning.

His true power had come from a source he didn’t fully understand. It was a mysterious power that had bloomed over time, growing stronger with every ounce of blood he spilled, and consumed.

He didn’t know what it was, only that it had chosen him. And that it was the reason he could face monsters like Arthuros without fear.

Lux clenched his jaw as the memory of his childhood faded. He wasn’t that grieving boy anymore. He had become something more. And now, he would prove it.

As he approached the mansion, his hand instinctively brushed the hilt of his gun. The guards still stood at their posts, unaware of the shadow creeping toward them.

Lux’s sharp eyes scanned the building, the windows dark, the atmosphere heavy with the stench of blood.

Based on his only clue, Arthuros was inside.

His eyes narrowed in irritation. What had been a modest group of guards earlier had now doubled in number. Nearly thirty armed men patrolled the grounds.

Lux’s hand instinctively twitched toward his pistol, but he stopped himself. Charging in guns blazing wasn’t an option anymore now. He didn’t know how strong these guards were and even he wasn’t foolish enough to take on a small army head-on even with his power switched on. After all, that power wasn’t come without a cost when he using it.

“Damn it,” Lux thought, his frown deepening. “They must’ve tightened security. But why?”

He shifted into the shadows and melting into the darkness again. If he couldn’t fight his way in, he would sneak inside. It wasn’t his first time infiltrating a fortified mansion and he had spent years perfecting the art of moving unnoticed. He then began his silent approach.

One guard walked past him, completely unaware of the predator lurking just inches away. Lux’s breathing slowed and steadying as he slipped behind a stone pillar, watching the guards' patterns.

He timed his movements perfectly. He duck under a half-open window, slipping through gaps in the patrols and make his footfalls as silent as possible against the ground.

The mansion loomed closer. Lux moved undetectable, gliding between the guards as if they didn’t exist. He avoided eye contact and kept to the blind spots, and paused only when absolutely necessary.

A group of three guards passed within arm’s reach, but Lux didn’t even flinch. His muscles trained to stay relaxed, his presence was like a ghost.

He finally reaching the mansion's perimeter then crouched low, his body pressed against the cold stone of the outer wall. He scanned the grounds ahead. Two guards stood at the entrance, their eyes scanning the courtyard.

Lux exhaled slowly. “One last hurdle,” he thought.

Suddenly, a muffled sound caught his attention. Lux froze, his sharp eyes focusing on a part of the mansion that seemed separate from the main structure, perhaps a private courtyard. His instincts told him something wasn’t right. He moving cautiously and crept closer to the sound.

What he saw made him pause.

In the dim light of the courtyard, a tall, muscular man with sharp features and a strikingly handsome face was engaged in a threesome sex with two women. Both women clung to him as they writhed in pleasure, their bodies entwined with his. The man’s movements were powerful as if he was in rage, yet the two woman seemed enjoying it.

Lux’s eyes narrowed further, taking in the scene. The man was clearly one of Arthuros, he had the presence and confidence of someone who have the biggest authority here. But what caught Lux’s attention even more was the guards.

They stood on the edges of the courtyard, their eyes scanning the area around them, focused on watching every direction to ensure no interruptions. Yet they paid no mind to the lewd act happening in front of them, as if it were a common occurrence, something they were used to seeing.

The three who was having sex also don’t pay them no mind even though they are doing it in the open yard with so many people watching.

Lux couldn’t help but feel disgust. They were treating this like a display for their entertainment. They were entirely absorbed in themselves.

Lux took a breath, forcing his mind to focus. This was no time for distractions. This scene complicated things. The courtyard was too exposed and sneaking past with so many eyes on alert would be nearly impossible.

He would need a new plan. For now, he needs to go back outside.

---

“No use rushing into suicide,” he thought bitterly, already stepping away from the mansion. “At least I’ve got his face and his lair.”

He melted back into the night, retreating through the same path he had used to infiltrate and vanishing into the labyrinth of Ashenveil’s alleys.

When Lux neared the edge of the district, his mind was already churning with new plans. Now that he had confirmed Arthuros’s location, he could lay the groundwork for a more strategic approach.

This wasn’t just about charging in. He needed to learn more about Arthuros’s strength, his habits, and the supernatural forces guarding him and strike when the time was right.

But as he moved through a narrow alley, Lux’s instincts flared. Someone was following him and they were close. Dangerously close. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut, he hadn’t sensed this person until now.

“How did they get this close without me noticing?” Lux wondered, his hand hovering near his weapon.

The sound of soft footfalls echoed behind him, light but deliberate. Whoever was following him wasn’t trying to hide anymore.

Just as Lux prepared to confront the threat, a woman's voice broke through the silence, smooth and almost teasing.

"Don’t worry. I’m not planning to kill you," she said.

Lux stopped, turning his head just slightly, enough to catch a glimpse of the figure behind him. A woman stepped out of the darkness, her form partially obscured by the long shadows cast by the buildings.

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