The city never slept. Its streets buzzed with life, but beneath the surface, something dark stirred. Alex Mercer walked among the crowds, his hood pulled low to hide his glowing eyes. Every step he took was accompanied by a faint pulse at the edge of his mind, a sickening rhythm that guided him toward his next target.It had been a week since his first encounter with a demon, and the memory still haunted him. The fight had been brutal, but the aftermath was worse. The satisfaction he felt when the demon disintegrated into ash had left him questioning his own humanity. Was this what Lucifer wanted? To turn him into a monster?Alex shook the thought away and focused on the task at hand. The pulse in his mind was growing stronger, leading him toward a derelict apartment building on the edge of the city. The place reeked of decay, its windows shattered, and its walls covered in graffiti. The air around it felt heavy, oppressive, as if the building itself were alive.He hesitated at the en

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the city in a muted orange glow. Alex leaned against the counter of a small diner, sipping a lukewarm cup of coffee. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on his mind, but a rare moment of peace allowed him to let his guard down if only for a little while.The bell above the diner door jingled, and Alex’s heart skipped a beat. In walked a woman with auburn hair that shimmered in the fading sunlight. Her eyes, a soft hazel, lit up as they met his.“Lila,” Alex said, setting his cup down and standing to greet her.She smiled, a warmth in her expression that Alex hadn’t felt in what seemed like an eternity. “Hey, stranger. You’ve been hard to find lately.”Alex shrugged, trying to mask the turmoil beneath his calm exterior. “You know how it is. Life gets… complicated.”Lila tilted her head, her gaze searching his. “Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it with you. But I’m glad you’re okay.”Her concern was genuine, and Alex felt a pa

The night’s silence was broken only by the crunch of gravel underfoot as Alex, Lila, and Mara trudged down a desolate road. The fiery glow of the collapsed church still lingered on the horizon, a grim reminder of the battle they had barely survived. Alex walked ahead, his shoulders tense, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger.“Where are we going?”Mara asked, her voice cutting through the oppressive quiet.“There’s an old safehouse a few miles from here,” Alex replied without turning around. “It’s warded against demons. We’ll rest there and figure out our next move.”Lila quickened her pace to walk beside him. “Are you sure it’s still secure? After what we’ve seen, I wouldn’t put it past these things to break through wards.”“It’s our best shot,” Alex said, his tone clipped. He glanced at her, his expression softening. “We need somewhere to regroup. You… need to rest.”Lila raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. She could see the exhaustion etched into his face, the lines of worry

The night settled uneasily over the cabin, the aftermath of the battle leaving an oppressive stillness. Mara sat by the window, staring out into the dark forest. Her hands trembled slightly, the memory of the celestial light she had wielded still fresh in her mind. She wasn’t sure if she feared the power itself or what it meant for her.Alex entered the room quietly, his footsteps barely audible on the wooden floor. He held two steaming mugs of tea, setting one down on the table beside her.“Couldn’t sleep?”he asked, his voice low.Mara shook her head, her gaze not leaving the window. “Every time I close my eyes, I see them. The demons, the light… it’s all so overwhelming.”Alex pulled up a chair, sitting across from her. He studied her for a moment, his expression softening. “You’re stronger than you think, Mara. What you did tonight… it saved us. Don’t doubt that.”She turned to him, her eyes searching his. “But what if I lose control? What if this power hurts someone I care about?”

The group moved through the forest in tense silence, Alex supported by Gideon and Mara as he struggled to stay on his feet. The battle with Darius had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit, and every step was a reminder of how close he’d come to losing everything.“We’re almost there,” Gideon said, his voice steady but strained. “There’s a safe house nearby. We can rest and regroup.”Alex nodded weakly, his vision blurring. Mara’s arm tightened around him, her warmth a small comfort against the encroaching cold. He glanced at her, catching the worry etched across her face.“I’m okay,” he murmured, though his voice lacked conviction.“No, you’re not,” Mara replied, her tone firm. “But you will be. I promise.”Lila, walking a few steps ahead, glanced back at them. Her expression was unreadable, but Alex could sense the tension radiating from her. She hadn’t said much since the fight, her focus seemingly elsewhere.The safe house was a small, weathered cabin nestled deep within t