The city never slept.
It just changed… faces.
By day—music, laughter, neon lights.
By night—
Something older took its place.
Something that watched.
Something that hunted.
Adam stood behind Saint Mary's Hospital, back pressed against the cold brick wall.
Still.
Listening.
The alley was empty.
But his instincts screamed.
You're not alone.
His breathing slowed.
Controlled.
Different.
Everything about him was different now.
He could hear it again—
Heartbeats.
Dozens.
Passing on the street.
Inside the hospital.
Fast. Slow. Calm. Nervous.
Alive.
Adam closed his eyes.
Focused.
Filtered the noise.
And then—
A voice.
Not loud.
Not distant.
Close.
Too close.
"You shouldn't be out here alone."
His eyes snapped open.
At the end of the alley—
A man stepped out of the shadows.
Slow.
Precise.
Effortless.
He didn't belong here.
Everything about him was wrong.
Black coat. Perfect.
Black gloves. Clean.
Black eyes—
Not dark.
Not human.
Empty.
Adam straightened.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
Not friendly.
Not warm.
Measured.
"A question you're not ready to understand."
Adam felt it immediately.
Pressure.
Like the air itself had weight now.
This man wasn't just dangerous—
He was above dangerous.
"I've been watching you," the stranger said.
"You survived something you were never meant to."
Adam's jaw tightened.
"You know about the doctor."
A pause.
Then:
"Of course."
His smile deepened.
"He belonged to us."
Silence dropped between them.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Adam's heartbeat slowed—
Not from calm.
From control.
Something inside him adjusting.
Evolving.
"What did you do to me?" Adam asked.
The man tilted his head slightly.
Curious.
"Tell me first," he said softly.
"What do you feel?"
Adam hesitated.
Then answered.
Honest.
"…everything."
The man's eyes darkened further.
"Exactly."
A step forward.
"And that's the problem."
He vanished.
Not fast.
Not blurred.
Gone.
Adam reacted instantly—
Turning—
Too late.
The man was already behind him.
Close enough to kill.
"Your body is changing," the man whispered.
"Your senses… your instincts…"
A pause.
"But you're still weak."
Adam swung.
Fast.
Violent.
The man caught his fist mid-air.
Effortlessly.
Like stopping a child.
"Too slow."
With a simple push—
Adam was thrown back.
Hard.
His body slammed into the wall—
CRACK.
Bricks fractured under the impact.
Pain shot through his ribs—
Then vanished.
Gone.
Adam froze.
His breathing slowed.
He looked down.
No damage.
No weakness.
Only—
Power.
"You see?" the man said quietly.
"You're not human anymore."
Adam stood.
Slowly.
Steady.
"I never asked for this."
The man's expression didn't change.
"No one ever does."
Silence stretched.
Tension thick.
Then—
The man stepped back.
Slightly.
For the first time—
Distance.
"You've attracted attention," he said.
"Not just mine."
Adam frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The man looked up.
Toward the rooftops.
And for the first time—
Something changed.
Not fear.
But awareness.
Respect.
"It means…" he said quietly,
"…you're no longer prey."
A pause.
His gaze dropped back to Adam.
"You're something worse."
A sound echoed above them.
Low.
Deep.
Animal.
Adam looked up.
Shapes moved across the rooftops.
Fast.
Unnatural.
The man exhaled slowly.
Almost amused.
"Ah…"
A faint smile returned.
"They found you already."
"Who?" Adam demanded.
The man's black eyes locked onto his.
"Hunters."
Then—
Impact.
Something massive dropped from above.
The ground shattered beneath it.
Concrete cracked outward.
Dust exploded into the air.
Adam staggered back.
"What the—"
It wasn't human.
And it wasn't just a beast.
It was both.
And neither.
A towering figure rose from the crater.
Muscles twisted.
Claws extended.
Fangs gleaming under the dim light.
Eyes—
Glowing.
Locked on Adam.
A werewolf.
It didn't hesitate.
It lunged.
Fast.
Brutal.
But before it reached him—
The man moved.
A blur.
A collision mid-air.
Shockwave ripping through the alley.
Claws met something stronger.
Teeth snapped inches from his throat—
But couldn't pierce.
The man smiled.
For the first time—
Genuinely.
"Finally…"
A whisper.
"…something interesting."
The creature roared.
Savage.
Uncontrolled.
The man didn't look at Adam.
Didn't need to.
"Run."
Adam didn't move.
"RUN."
This time—
It wasn't a suggestion.
It was command.
Adam turned—
And ran.
Fast.
Faster than ever before.
The city blurred around him.
Lights stretched.
Voices warped.
Behind him—
War erupted.
Claws tearing flesh.
Concrete breaking.
Something heavy crashing again and again.
Adam didn't stop.
Couldn't.
Street after street—
Corner after corner—
Breathing sharp—
Heart racing—
Then—
He realized something.
He wasn't just running.
His lips curved slightly.
Unconsciously.
Because the fear…
Wasn't winning anymore.
The hunger was.
"…they're not hunting me," he whispered.
A pause.
His eyes darkened.
"I'm becoming one of them."
And somewhere deep inside—
Something answered.
Not in words.
But in instinct.
Good.