Kieran's breath came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the darkened alleys. The city blurred past him, neon lights flickering overhead, casting long shadows.
But no matter how fast he ran—
They were faster.
A faint hum filled the air. A bullet? No—something worse.
BZZT!
An arc of blue energy lashed toward him. Kieran twisted at the last second, the attack barely grazing his shoulder. A sharp sting coursed through his nerves, but he didn't stop.
[Adaptive Reflexes Compensating… Evasion Efficiency: +10%]
Another shot—closer this time.
They weren't just chasing him. They were testing him.
Kieran's instincts screamed for him to do something—anything—but what could he do? He had no training, no experience, nothing but the glitching system inside him.
But then—his body reacted on its own.
His foot slammed against the ground at an impossible angle, launching him sideways onto a fire escape. His hands grabbed the rusted metal, flipping him onto the railing in one fluid motion.
The world slowed.
He saw them—his pursuers.
The woman moved with unnatural precision, her coat barely shifting as she walked. The man followed, smirking as if this were a game.
"You're adapting fast," the man called out. "That's good. Means HQ will want you alive."
Kieran's heartbeat spiked.
Alive? No. Captured.
And he wasn't about to let that happen.
A new sensation uncoiled inside him. A raw, primal urge. It wasn't fear anymore—it was something deeper.
Hunt.
The air around him pulsed. His fingers twitched—energy crackled along his veins. And in that moment, he realized something terrifying.
He wasn't just running anymore.
He was ready to fight.