Chapter 165: The Thing in the City

Chapter 165: The Thing in the City

The warehouse fell silent.

Not the normal kind of silence.

The heavy kind.

The kind that makes the air feel colder.

Selene’s words echoed in my head.

It’s already in the city.

Callum slowly lowered the metal pipe in his hand.

“…okay.”

He looked around at everyone.

“I’m going to need someone to explain that sentence again but with less nightmare energy.”

Dominic didn’t look away from Selene.

“What is it?”

Selene studied him for a moment.

Then she answered calmly.

“Something that should still be buried.”

Aidan stepped forward slightly.

His expression had turned serious in a way I hadn’t seen before.

“You’re talking about the Primordials.”

Selene didn’t look surprised he knew the name.

“Yes.”

Elena frowned.

“Primordials?”

Callum groaned softly.

“Oh no.”

“Why do I feel like this is about to get worse?”

Aidan spoke quietly.

“Because it is.”

He looked at the rest of us.

“Primordials are the first supernatural predators.”

Callum blinked.

“…the first what?”

Aidan continued.

“They existed before modern werewolves.”

“Before vampire clans.”

“Before organized hunters.”

Selene nodded slightly.

“They fed on supernatural energy.”

My stomach tightened.

“Energy like mine?”

Selene’s silver eyes locked onto me.

“Exactly like yours.”

The room felt ten degrees colder.

Callum slowly raised a hand.

“…so just to confirm.”

He pointed at me.

“Roxanne is basically a glowing supernatural power plant.”

Then he pointed at the dark street outside.

“And there’s an ancient monster in the city that eats supernatural power plants.”

Aidan nodded.

“That’s a fairly accurate summary.”

Callum rubbed his face.

“I hate my life.”

Dominic’s voice cut through the tension.

“How many?”

Selene answered immediately.

“One.”

Elena exhaled slightly.

“That’s better than several.”

Selene didn’t smile.

“One is enough.”

Dominic crossed his arms.

“What kind of creature are we dealing with?”

Selene paused for a moment.

Then she said a single word.

“Umbra.”

The reaction from Aidan was instant.

His eyes widened slightly.

“That’s impossible.”

Selene shook her head.

“I wish it were.”

Callum looked between them.

“…I’m guessing Umbra is bad.”

Aidan spoke quietly.

“Umbra aren’t just predators.”

“They’re hunters.”

Dominic frowned.

“What’s the difference?”

Selene answered.

“Predators feed when they’re hungry.”

She tilted her head slightly.

“Umbra feed when they’re curious.”

That didn’t make me feel any better.

Elena crossed her arms.

“How strong are they?”

Selene thought about the question.

Then she answered simply.

“Strong enough to wipe out entire supernatural bloodlines.”

Callum stared at her.

“…cool.”

“Very cool.”

Dominic’s eyes hardened.

“And it’s hunting Roxanne.”

Selene nodded.

“Yes.”

I swallowed slowly.

“Because of the energy?”

“Yes.”

Selene stepped closer to me.

Her gaze examined me carefully.

“Victor didn’t just announce you to the supernatural world tonight.”

She paused.

“He rang a dinner bell.”

Callum groaned.

“I really hate that man.”

Aidan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“If an Umbra is truly in the city…”

He looked toward the warehouse entrance.

“…then we don’t have much time.”

Dominic nodded.

“How fast do they move?”

Selene answered quietly.

“They’re already closer than you think.”

\---

The wind outside suddenly shifted.

A cold gust blew through the broken warehouse windows.

Something about the air felt wrong.

Heavier.

Dominic noticed it instantly.

His eyes narrowed.

“Do you feel that?”

Elena nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

Callum blinked.

“…feel what?”

Aidan’s voice lowered.

“The temperature just dropped.”

Selene turned toward the warehouse entrance.

Her posture had changed.

She looked… alert now.

Focused.

Then she whispered something that made my pulse spike.

“It’s here.”

The words barely left her mouth before the lights inside the warehouse flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then they went completely dark.

Callum yelped.

“Fantastic!”

“Now we’re in a horror movie!”

Dominic’s voice cut through the darkness.

“Stay together.”

My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim moonlight spilling through the broken windows.

The shadows in the warehouse stretched across the floor like living things.

Then—

Something moved.

Not fast.

Not loud.

But wrong.

A shape separated from the darkness near the entrance.

Tall.

Thin.

Almost human.

But not quite.

Its body looked like it was made of shadow and smoke.

Two pale white eyes opened inside the darkness.

And they were staring directly at me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Callum whispered beside me,

“…I take it that’s the Umbra.”

Selene stepped forward slowly.

“Yes.”

Her voice was calm.

But her hand had moved to the blade at her side.

The creature tilted its head.

Watching us.

Studying.

Then a voice echoed from inside the shadow.

Soft.

Ancient.

Curious.

“So.”

Every instinct in my body screamed danger.

The creature’s gaze stayed fixed on me.

“You are the new one.”

Dominic stepped in front of me instantly.

A low growl rumbled in his chest.

“You’re not touching her.”

The Umbra’s head tilted slightly the other way.

Almost like it was confused.

Then it spoke again.

“I do not wish to harm her.”

Callum whispered,

“…I don’t believe it.”

Selene didn’t lower her weapon.

“Umbra do not negotiate.”

The creature’s white eyes flickered briefly.

“That is usually correct.”

Usually.

My chest tightened.

Dominic’s voice came out low and dangerous.

“Then what do you want?”

The Umbra’s gaze returned to me.

“I want to see what Victor created.”

The silver energy inside my chest pulsed faintly.

The creature’s eyes brightened instantly.

“There it is.”

The hunger in its voice made my skin crawl.

Selene moved slightly closer to me.

“If you came to feed, Umbra…”

Her blade gleamed faintly in the dim light.

“…you’ll have to go through us first.”

The creature looked at her.

Then at Dominic.

Then at the others.

It seemed to consider the situation.

Then it chuckled softly.

The sound was cold.

Empty.

“You misunderstand.”

Its gaze returned to me again.

“If I wished to feed…”

The shadows around its body shifted.

“…you would already be dead.”

A cold silence followed.

Callum whispered,

“…not comforting.”

The Umbra ignored him.

Instead, it slowly stepped further into the moonlight.

For the first time, I could see its form clearly.

Tall.

Almost seven feet.

Its body looked human-shaped but wrong—like smoke had been forced into the shape of a person.

Its white eyes locked onto mine.

And for a moment…

Something strange happened.

The energy inside my chest reacted.

Not with fear.

But recognition.

The Umbra noticed immediately.

Its head tilted slightly again.

Fascinated.

“…interesting.”

Dominic stiffened.

“What?”

The Umbra’s voice dropped slightly.

“That energy.”

It paused.

“…I know it.”

My stomach twisted.

“What do you mean?”

The creature looked almost… thoughtful.

“Victor did not create something new.”

The silver energy inside my chest pulsed again.

Stronger this time.

The Umbra’s white eyes widened slightly.

“No…”

It stepped closer.

Selene raised her blade instantly.

“Stop.”

The Umbra didn’t look at her.

It kept staring at me.

Its voice lowered to a whisper.

“…he woke something.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“What?”

The Umbra’s eyes gleamed.

“Something that hasn’t existed for thousands of years.”

Dominic’s muscles tensed.

“What are you talking about?”

The creature finally answered.

“You.”

Silence filled the warehouse.

Then it said something that made my blood run cold.

“You are not the first Ascended.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

The Umbra smiled slowly.

“You are the last.”

And suddenly—

The silver energy inside my chest exploded awake again.