The neon haze of the lower district hung heavy like a wet blanket, smelling of ozone and rotting refuse. Ren adjusted the strap of his courier bag, his sneakers slapping rhythmically against the slick pavement. He didn't mind the solitude. In a city that never slept, the midnight shift was the only time he could actually think."Almost there," he muttered to himself, checking his wrist-link. "Twenty minutes to the drop-off. If I make it, that’s another fifty credits in the bank. Maybe I can finally afford that decent synthetic coffee tomorrow."Suddenly, the air pressure shifted. A low, vibrating hum rattled the trash cans nearby, and the streetlights overhead flickered into a harsh, crimson strobe."What the hell?" Ren skidded to a halt, his hand instinctively moving to the box in his bag. "Is that a red moon? That’s not supposed to happen until next week."A deafening crash echoed from the alleyway ahead. Metal twisted, sparks showered the damp ground, and a woman hurtled through th

The warehouse floor erupted in a shower of sparks as Ren’s clawed hand collided with Kael’s glowing blade. The force sent a tremor through the concrete, but Ren didn’t wait to see if the parry held. He threw his weight backward, kicking off the support pillar to launch himself toward the rusted hatch of a maintenance shaft."Get back here, you little scavenger!" Kael roared, his voice losing its icy composure. "You think you can just crawl into the bowels of this city and hide?""Eat dirt, metal-head!" Ren shouted, his voice cracking with the strain of the shifting bones in his throat. "I’m not a dog, and I’m definitely not your target practice!""You're a corpse in waiting!" Kael lunged, but Ren had already vanished into the darkness of the sewer grate, pulling the heavy iron cover shut with a metallic clang that echoed like a funeral bell.Ren tumbled down a steep, sludge-slicked slide, his body colliding with refuse and stagnant water. He hit the bottom hard, the impact jolting his

Chapter The werewolf’s jaws snapped shut with the sound of a closing bear trap, missing Ren’s neck by a fraction of a millimeter. Ren slammed his palm against the creature’s snout, the force of his own strike jarring his shoulder."You really need to work on your aim, pup," Ren gasped, rolling backward through the slick oil and glass."Shut up! Your blood… it smells like a lie!" the werewolf roared, its voice vibrating with a bestial, discordant frequency. "An impostor! A street-rat playing god!"Ren scrambled to his feet, his chest heaving. "Hey, you’re the one getting all dramatic! I’m just trying to keep my head attached to my neck. Why don't you go find a fire hydrant and calm down?""I will tear the lie out of your marrow!" The beast lunged, its massive paws shredding the brickwork where Ren had stood a second before."Man, you really are obsessed with my insides," Ren yelled, darting behind a concrete pillar. "You know, usually, people buy me a drink before they start talking a

The alleyway echoed with the dying wails of the coven’s remnants, but Ren didn't wait to see if they were truly gone. He vaulted over a rusted fire escape, his boots hitting the pavement with a jarring thud that sent vibrations through his bruised frame."Twenty percent," he muttered, his breath hitching as he ducked into a labyrinth of shipping containers in the business district. "Great. I’m one-fifth of a monster and one hundred percent tired of being hunted.""You seem a bit jumpy, little courier," a raspy voice wheezed from the shadows.Ren spun around, claws already manifesting, his eyes scanning the gloom. "Who’s there? Show yourself, or I’ll start carving up the scenery until I find you."A small, grimy man crawled out from behind a stack of crates, his clothes hanging in tatters. A young girl, no older than seven, clung to his leg, her eyes wide with unadulterated terror."Don't kill us, please," the man begged, his hands trembling violently. "We’re just hiding. The things wi