The Last Mystic: Awakening in the Modern World

Chapter 4 – Shadows at the Door

Ryan’s lungs burned as he sprinted through the night, his shoes slapping against cracked pavement. The pendant bounced against his chest with every stride, its faint glow matching the frantic beat of his heart.

Images of Olivia filled his mind—her wide eyes, her messy ponytail, the way she always pretended to hate his cooking but finished every bite. She was all he had left. If anything happened to her because of him…

No. He couldn’t let that happen.

“Ryan, wait!” Maya’s voice echoed behind him, but he didn’t slow.

He rounded the corner into their neighborhood—a row of crumbling apartment buildings, dim streetlights buzzing overhead. Their unit was on the third floor of the farthest block, the one where paint peeled off the walls like shed skin.

He skidded to a stop.

A black car sat idling outside. Its windows were tinted, its presence sharp and out of place in the run-down lot. A man in a dark coat stood near the stairwell, his posture relaxed but alert, as if he was waiting.

Ryan’s gut twisted.

“Think, Ryan,” Maya hissed as she caught up. She grabbed his arm before he could charge forward. “If that man is what I think he is, running straight at him will get you killed—and her too.”

Ryan’s voice broke. “He’s after Olivia. I don’t care what he is—I’m not hiding.”

Maya studied the man, her expression grim. “Not human. I can feel the aura from here. He’s cloaking it, but not well enough.”

As if sensing their gaze, the man tilted his head. Even from the distance, Ryan felt his smirk. The figure turned and began climbing the stairs, slow, deliberate, like he knew there was no rush.

Ryan’s heart hammered. He pictured Olivia opening the door, confused, letting him in—

“Stay behind me,” Maya ordered.

But Ryan shook his head, electricity sparking across his knuckles. “No. This is my fight.”

Before Maya could stop him, he bolted toward the building.

---

By the time Ryan reached the stairwell, the man was already outside their door. His hand hovered just above the doorknob, as though savoring the moment before breaking in.

“Hey!” Ryan shouted, his voice cracking. “Get away from her!”

The man paused, then turned slowly. His eyes glowed faintly red in the dim light, his smile too sharp.

“Well,” the stranger drawled, his voice smooth, mocking. “The little storm finally shows himself.”

Ryan’s stomach clenched. “Who are you?”

The man chuckled. “Names don’t matter. What matters is that you’re carrying something that doesn’t belong to you. Hand over the pendant, boy, and maybe I’ll leave your sister breathing.”

Ryan’s body trembled. He could feel sparks twitching under his skin, but the thought of Olivia trapped behind that door fueled him. “You’re not touching her.”

The man sighed, as though disappointed. “Children of storms. Always so stubborn.”

Then he moved.

One moment he was standing by the door. The next, he was in front of Ryan, impossibly fast. His hand shot out, grabbing Ryan by the throat and slamming him against the wall.

Ryan choked, claws of fear digging into him. The man’s grip was iron, cutting off his air.

“Pathetic,” the stranger sneered. “Your ancestors could split mountains. And you? You can barely stand.”

Something inside Ryan snapped.

The pendant flared. Electricity surged through his veins, bursting out in wild arcs. The man cursed, jerking back as lightning crackled against his arm. Ryan stumbled to the ground, gasping for air, his hands glowing with unstable sparks.

“Stay… away… from her!” Ryan shouted, thrusting his palm forward.

A jagged bolt of lightning shot out, striking the wall just inches from the man’s head. Plaster exploded, the hallway filling with smoke and the stench of ozone.

The man’s eyes widened briefly—then narrowed. “So the bloodline isn’t completely dead after all.”

Ryan staggered to his feet, his body trembling with the aftershock. He could feel the storm inside him—raw, unstable, but there. It wanted out.

He raised his fists. “If you want her, you’ll have to go through me.”

The man’s smirk returned. “Gladly.”

He lunged, his arm elongating unnaturally, shadowy tendrils stretching from his sleeve like living smoke. They wrapped around Ryan’s wrist, burning cold, yanking him off balance.

Ryan cried out as the tendrils constricted, draining the strength from his arm. Panic clawed at him, but the storm inside roared louder. His other hand sparked violently.

With a desperate shout, he unleashed it.

Lightning erupted, tearing through the tendrils, blasting the man backward. He crashed into the stair railing, splintering wood.

Ryan’s chest heaved. His vision blurred. The power drained him as much as it hurt his enemy.

The man rose slowly, shaking off smoke. His red eyes blazed with fury now. “You’ll regret that, boy.”

Before he could strike again, Maya appeared like a blur of steel and shadow. She slashed her blade through the air, severing the lingering tendrils. Sparks danced along the blade as if it, too, resonated with mystic energy.

“You picked the wrong prey,” Maya hissed.

The man sneered. “Another insect clinging to the old ways. Do you really think you can protect him?”

“I don’t think,” Maya said, her stance unwavering. “I know.”

The two clashed, steel against shadow, sparks against smoke. Ryan could barely follow their movements—blades flashing, tendrils whipping, sparks of energy lighting the dim hallway.

But then—

“Ryan!”

Olivia’s terrified voice rang out from behind the door.

Ryan’s blood turned to fire. “Olivia, stay inside!” he shouted, but his voice broke with desperation.

The man twisted, hearing her voice. His grin stretched wider. “Ah… the sister.”

He feinted past Maya, surging toward the door.

Ryan’s heart stopped. Without thinking, he threw himself forward, lightning exploding from his entire body in a raw, uncontrolled blast.

The hallway lit up like a storm. The shockwave rattled the walls, shattering lightbulbs, burning scorch marks across the plaster.

The man was flung back, smoking, his coat torn, but still alive. His eyes glowed brighter with rage.

“You’re not ready,” he snarled. “But soon, you will be mine.”

Before Ryan or Maya could move, the man dissolved into shadows, melting into the cracks of the wall. The hallway fell silent, save for Ryan’s ragged breathing.

Ryan collapsed to his knees, his hands shaking violently, the pendant burning against his chest.

The door creaked open. Olivia peeked out, her face pale, eyes wide.

“Ryan?” she whispered. “What… what was that?”

Ryan looked at her, tears stinging his eyes. His voice broke. “I’ll explain. I promise. But right now… I need to keep you safe.”

Maya placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression grim. “This was just the beginning. More will come. Stronger ones. If she stays here, they’ll find her again.”

Ryan clenched his fists. He didn’t know where they would go, or how he’d protect her.

But one thing was certain.

He wasn’t running anymore.