Morning came with cold light spilling through the crimson-tinted windows.
Axel opened his eyes slowly, used to waking in silence, ready to move without thought. But this time, he felt warmth.
Or rather, he didn't.
The space beside him was empty.
He sat up instantly.
"Kyra?"
No answer.
His boots hit the floor hard. He checked the other bed, empty. Heart thudding now. He stepped into the bathroom. Empty. Dry. Cold.
His voice sharpened. "Black Wolf, deactivate sleep mode."
A hiss of shifting metal sang through the air as the gauntlet on his arm expanded, wrapping up and over his body like liquid armor. His chestplate locked in with a heavy click. The HUD blinked online.
"Status: WOLF SYSTEM ONLINE."
"Mode: AWARENESS EXPANDED. SENSOR SUITE UNRESTRICTED."
"Increase sensor awareness," Axel ordered.
Suddenly the walls became shadows. Sounds filtered through, doors creaking, whispers, muffled boots across stone. His vision sharpened, letting him see through the floor, through the inn's walls and levels like layered veils.
He found her.
In the basement.
Curled into the corner of a stone laundry chamber, shaking.
Above her stood the vampire innkeeper.
In one hand she held a jagged, curved knife. Her lip curled in disgust.
"Filthy goblin trash," she hissed. "Do you know how long it'll take to purify those sheets? That bed will never be clean again."
Kyra's eyes brimmed with tears. "I didn't mean to..."
"Silence. You crawled into a space meant for guests. Real guests. You animals always ruin everything."
Kyra whimpered, backing away. "Axel…"
The vampire sneered. "You think that thing cares about you? He was probably just using you for pity points."
She raised the knife.
Then stopped.
She blinked, sensing something...
And Axel's voice came through like thunder.
"Step away from her."
The wall behind the vampire exploded.
Stone shattered, dust blasted outward, and from the smoke, Axel emerged, black steel and glowing red lines flaring in the dark. His presence sucked the air from the room. He walked through the rubble without flinching.
The vampire turned in shock. "Wait...!"
SHUNK.
Iron Howl split her clean in half. A single diagonal slash carved through her torso like air. Her top half slid sideways and crumpled before she could even scream.
Axel stood still for a second.
Then he exhaled.
The blade retracted onto his back with a deep magnetic hum.
Kyra blinked.
Then bolted into his arms.
His helmet hissed and folded into his back.
He dropped to a knee and caught her mid-run, pulling her tightly to his chest.
She sobbed into his neck, shaking uncontrollably.
"I was s-scared…" she choked. "I didn't mean to, she said I was dirty, she said..."
Axel's voice was steady. Steel wrapped in fire. "She was wrong."
Her hands gripped the back of his armor. "She said you wouldn't come."
He tightened his hold, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll always come."
Her tears soaked into the collar of his suit.
Axel looked down at her and said it again, more certain now than ever.
"I won't let anyone touch you. Not ever."
A few minutes later...
The village streets were quiet. Too quiet.
Axel walked through them like a specter of war, his helmet locked on, the glowing red veins pulsing with slow, lethal rhythm. Each heavy footfall sent a subtle shudder through the cobbled path. His armor, scarred and scorched from the battle, gleamed with an ominous sheen beneath the pale morning light.
And Kyra held his hand.
She was still shaken, her other hand clutching the edge of his armor but her eyes watched him now with a new light. She wasn't afraid of the silence anymore.
The villagers were.
Eyes peeked from windows. Doors creaked shut when they passed. A butcher paused mid-cut, staring as Axel moved through the morning fog with a hand on the hilt of a sword that had just split someone in half.
Whispers.
"He's walking with a goblin."
"That's a demon... from the sky..."
"Is that blood on his armor?"
One man muttered something too loud, too bold.
"Disgusting. Letting that thing cling to him like a pet... "
Axel stopped walking.
His helmet turned. Just slightly.
The man's mouth clamped shut like a trap.
Axel didn't say a word. Didn't need to.
His mere gaze cracked the courage from the man's chest. The merchant backed into his shop, almost tripping over a crate.
Kyra looked up at Axel, then at the shrinking man. Her brows pinched, thoughtful. "You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"That scary stomp thing. Like... you want them to say something so you can do the sword thing again."
He didn't answer at first.
Then his grip on her hand tightened just a little.
"If they say anything like that again," Axel said, voice low and certain, "I might."
Kyra looked down at their hands. Then smiled. "...I like the stomp thing."
They walked on.
Ten minutes later, they stood before a squat, cluttered building with a faded sign that read MORREN'S MAPS – FOR TRAVELERS, MERCHANTS, AND HUNTERS.
Axel stepped inside first. A bell chimed.
The vampire behind the counter was thin, pale, and already sweating. He wore a velvet vest and had the aura of someone who'd made a lifetime of cowardice into a profession. He froze as soon as he saw Axel.
Axel walked forward without a word.
Kyra peeked up at the shelves, whispering, "Ooooh…"
The vampire swallowed. "H-how can I help you, sir?"
"I need a regional map," Axel said. "All travel routes, villages, terrain data. Magic zones too."
"Y-yes, of course, one moment..." The vampire practically vanished behind the counter, fumbling through scrolls and stacks. A few seconds later, he held out a leather-bound folio with shaking hands.
Axel took it.
Opened it.
Scanned the full layout with his HUD, uploading the topography into his WOLF system.
Then handed it back.
The vampire's hand trembled. "D-don't you want to keep it?"
"No."
"N-no charge, of course! It was... an honor. Really. Sir."
Axel stared.
The vampire smiled weakly and took a step back.
Axel turned and left without another word.
Kyra followed, hopping slightly to keep pace.
"That guy was really nice," she said, grinning. "He didn't even ask for money!"
Axel muttered, "Yeah. Real generous."
They walked to the village edge.
Past the fields, the dirt path split into two. One toward the eastern mountains, the other toward a shimmering, fog-draped forest marked Arcana Vale.
Kyra looked up at him again, swinging their hands.
"So... what now?"
Axel kept walking.
"We need to leave. Now. I need to get stronger."
"Stronger?" she tilted her head. "You're already the strongest person I've ever met."
He didn't slow. "Not strong enough. Not yet."
She hesitated. "Is it because of me?"
Axel finally looked down at her. "Yes."
Kyra blinked.
"I need to be strong enough to protect you from everything. Everyone. Including the people I used to call allies. The longer we stay in one place, the easier it'll be for them to find us."
She nodded slowly, eyes wide.
Axel looked ahead again. "The next village over is a magic settlement. If there's anywhere I can find an edge,new weapons, training, anything, it's there."
Kyra smiled and held his hand tighter.
"Then let's go find your edge."
They walked side by side down the path.
The trees ahead shimmered with strange lights.
And somewhere in the distance, the hum of ancient power waited.