Rain poured down the empty street, illuminated by the pale light of streetlamps dotting the curb. It wouldn’t be hard to miss the shadow that blended into the storm, a black hoodie obscuring all features, with a case swinging from their arm. Unseen, the figure would stop before a pair of horribly rusted cast-iron gates. Keeping them shut was a thick chain, locked down by a heavy-looking padlock. With a shake of their head, the silhouette checked the surrounding walls for another entrance and came up short. Pulling a hand from their jacket pocket, the figure vaulted over the stone wall, vanishing behind it.

  Landing with a crouch on the opposite side, the intruder tipped their head back to observe the structure that loomed above. Twin spires pierced the stormy night sky, signs of decay evident on what was once doubtless a beautiful stone theatre. Tiles hung loosely from the spires, some completely missing altogether, while broken glass littered the surroundings. It was apparent why such a building would be condemned, which begged the question: Why hadn’t it been torn down?

  The grand double doors blocking entry into the theatre seemed defeated in their purpose as they leaned in against each other. Bolts were missing from the worn, rusted hinges, while the once-polished oak was scarred beyond repair. It was a miracle that the doors didn’t collapse when gently pushed open as the intruder snuck in.

  Though time had taken its toll, inside was largely untouched by the weather. The bases of the wooden pews were considerably rotted, and once luxurious seats were dulled by layers of dust. Small clouds of grime rose as the intruder stalked towards the last row of seats and crouched behind them. They peered out from behind the pew and towards center stage, the wood visibly waterlogged and rotting as rain pelted it from the hole in the roof above.

  Something stirred amongst the wooden support beams in the ceiling, drawing attention from the stage to the inky shadows above. A loud, low groaning echoed through the theatre, followed by several dozen flapping wings and panicked, ear-piercing squeaks. A colony of bats – having taken refuge in the rafters – began to swarm the stage, followed by something…else.

  The creature fell from the beams and plummeted towards the stage, stopping its fall with a great flap of its wings. Where an actor may have once stood to give a powerful performance, now loomed a towering, emaciated beast that braced itself with absurdly elongated limbs. It had sickiningly thin fingers that dragged across the wooden planks beneath it, leaving gouges identical to those left in the front doors.

  Letting out a long, low hisss, it reached out to the panicked bats, trapping a few in its cage-like grasp. In a grim facsimile of a smile, it drew its lips back and revealed several rows of jagged, uneven teeth that oozed thick, mucus-like drool. The sickening sound of bones snapping assaulted the onlooker’s ears, the monster devouring the bats with sick glee. With its black, soulless eyes locked onto its buffet, the creature was preoccupied with filling its withered stomach.

  Now

  Quietly, the figure opened the case and brandished a gleaming broadsword, the stoic face of a wolf etched into the silver hilt. Brilliant green jewels acted as the wolf’s eyes, cutting through the darkness as the intruder raced down the aisle. Leaping into the air, they used the swarm as cover, swinging their blade down in a wide arc onto the monster’s head. Steel struck solid bone, cutting the strike short as the sword bounced off the crest growing from the beast’s head. The attacker swore as they slid across the soaked carpet closest to the stage, forced back by the beast.

  “You’re even uglier up close.”

  The voice that called out from beneath the hood was low, but still distinctly feminine and filled with malice. Releasing a rabid snarl in return, the monster arched its spine like a threatened cat and slammed its reptilian-like tail against the protesting floorboards beneath. This response only seemed to egg the attacker on, stepping closer as they reached up to pull the hood away from their face. Vibrant scarlet hair curled towards her neck as the girl glared hatefully at the monster.

  “Hit a nerve, did I?”

  Her eyes locked on her target, the girl shot towards the raised platform and leapt into the air. The moment her feet touched the stage, the creature lashed out with its arm, moving with the precision of a whip. She only just dodged in time, launching a counterattack mid-jump as she brought her blade onto the outstretched arm. She cut through flesh and bone, releasing another groan of protest from the stage as the limb crashed onto it. Ichorous blood sprayed from the stump, followed by a horrible wail of agony that shattered the stained-glass windows that decorated the theatre and echoed long into the night.

  With a mix of pain and rage, the beast viciously whipped its tail at her. Bracing herself with the flat edge of her sword, the attack sent her crashing into the abandoned seats below. Instinctively raising her free hand to shield her head from the worst of the impact, she came to a stop three rows later, with the wind knocked out of her. She had decimated everything in her path and was immediately thankful for the body armour that peeked out from below the torn fabric of her sweater.

  The beast held what remained of its arm close to its chest, bearing its hatred onto her with its gaze, yet refrained from attacking. Instead, it spread its imposing wings and lifted into the air, turning towards the hole in the ceiling.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” The girl snarled, reaching for the holster on her thigh to draw a broad silver revolver. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the trigger three times in quick succession, and the knockback shot painfully down her arm. The bullets tore through the fleshy membrane that held the monster’s wing together. Releasing a haunting cry, the creature plummeted back down to the ground, landing on a few unfortunate bats as it did so.

  A chorus of splintering wood assaulted her ears as the stage collapsed underneath the creature, leaving a ruined crater in its place. The girl rose to full height despite the blooming pain in her arm and ribs. She approached the crater with an air of superiority and peered down into the pit. She couldn’t stop the smirk that crossed her lips at the sight that met her: The monster, half pinned beneath the wreckage, its body skewered from multiple angles. For a moment, they shared a look of mutual hatred, before it began straining to pull itself free, only to cry out in pain as blood geysered from its wounds.

  “One less Daemon in the world.” The girl muttered before raising her gun to pull the trigger.

  #

  Alexi didn’t wake up until close to noon the next day, groaning softly as she sat up in her motel room's cheap, springy mattress. The thin sheets scratched her bare arms, irritating her left in particular. Looking down at her good hand, she saw with relief that it was steady.

  No nightmares.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Alexi smiled, pushing the uncomfortable sheets off her before flinging her feet onto the flat carpet beneath. Though she had taken one before bed, the thought of showering again crossed her mind. She had needed to get rid of the reek of blood and filth, and she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that she didn’t still smell. In the end, her growling stomach won over her fear of smelling.

  Walking over to the chair where she had thrown her gear the night before, she inspected the frayed and tattered fabric of her body armour, before examining her sweater. She picked it up, noting how filthy it was, coated in dust, splinters, and ichor.

  At least it's dry.

  Rolling her eyes, Alexi tossed the ruined hoodie back onto the chair. She walked over to her suitcase, rummaging through it momentarily before pulling out an identical, unruined copy.

  A knock on her door resounded as Alexi stood up, an irritated sigh escaping her lips. “I’ll be out in a minute!” She called.

  “I’ll meet you there.” A male voice called back, muffled by the door.

  Shaking her head, Alexi turned her gaze back from the door, catching her reflection in the full-sized mirror in her room. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help but look over herself, wearing nothing but plain white underwear. She was shorter than she would have liked at 5’2—Curvy, with wide hips and a toned butt that had come from years of training. Alexi often wished she had a body better suited for fighting. She was a warrior. She just wished she had been built like one. She pulled her hoodie over herself, hiding her finer details from view. Another growl from her stomach spurred her on. She pulled her brown denim shorts over her hips before finally shoving her feet into her leather boots. Now fully dressed, Alexi exited the gloomy room and into the bright morning air.

  Attached to the motel was a small mom-and-pop shop owned by the same elderly couple. As Alexi entered the shop, a bell overhead trilled through the store. She scanned the mostly empty shop, the only booth occupied by the man she sought. He held a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a letter in the other.

  “What’s that, Joshua?”

  Sliding into the seat across from him, Alexi helped herself to the pot of coffee at the centre of the table, adding cream and an unhealthy amount of sugar to her mug. Joshua lifted his head, the wide brim of his hat no longer obscuring his features. He was older, maybe in his late forties, with a salt-and-pepper beard kept clean and close-shaven. A jagged scar ran the length of the left side of his face, trailing his hairline down to the corner of his mouth. He folded the paper and tucked it into his faded red leather jacket pocket before leaning back in his seat.

  “Our next job. But I’ll go over the details later.” Joshua took a long sip of his drink before speaking again. “I see you’re alive.”

  She suppressed a wince as she snorted. She was sure she had bruised her ribs, but she wasn’t about to admit that to Joshua.

  “Well, I did learn from the best. As if a weak Daemon like that could actually pose a threat.”

  “I went to look at the scene this morning.”

  “You don’t need to check up on my work. You should know that by now," Alexi responded dismissively. She was far too preoccupied by the menu to care. “I made sure it was dead, bullet through the brain. Oh, the special sounds yummy.”

  “I went to the scene after checking on you. I saw the state your gear was in and needed to make sure none of the blood was yours.”

  Nearly spraying the coffee she had just taken a sip of, Alexi’s eyes grew wide as she choked. Watching casually with an upturned eyebrow, Joshua waited for her to compose herself.

  “Ok, so maybe it caught me off guard at one point. But I killed it in the end. And as a bonus, I’m still alive! That’s what matters, right?”

  Before he could respond, the lone waitress walked over to their table, notepad in hand. Alexi recognized her from when they had checked in. She wore the same faded blue t-shirt and jeans as the previous day. If Alexi had to guess, she figured the girl was around eighteen, just like her.

  “Could I have the breakfast special, please? With extra bacon? Oh, and put it on his tab.” Alexi pointed to Joshua, not even bothering to glance in his direction. She kept her eyes on the waitress, smiling as Joshua snorted. She could feel him glaring at her.

  “What? It’s not like I can pay for myself anyway. You get the reward for my kill last night, Mr. ‘Registered Hunter.’” She said the last part with air quotes.

  Instead of quipping back as Alexi had expected, Joshua gave her a long, hard look before leaning forward in his chair. He glanced over at the waitress, who, up until that point, had been standing there in silence, the look on her face clearly one of discomfort. “Fine. Put it all on my bill.”

  Alexi felt her jaw drop, dumbstruck. In the ten years she had travelled the continent of Deigradus with Joshua, he had never given in that easily. The waitress hurried away without bothering to write the order down as Alexi’s gaze turned suspicious.

  “Joshua.” She said slowly, leaning in closer to him. “What the hell? You’re being way too nice. What’s going on? Is it something to do with that letter?”

  He was silent for a moment, gaze fixed on her. Finally, as if conceding defeat, Joshua broke eye contact, muttering, “Fine. You win.”

  Instantly alert, Alexi sat upright in her seat, focused on what was to follow.

  “I’m enrolling you into Lostvail Academy. We’re-”

  “YES!” She nearly screamed, cutting Joshua off as she slammed her hands onto the table hard enough to spill what remained of Joshua’s coffee. An exacerbated sigh escaped his lips, even as Alexi repeated “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” before reaching over to hug him from across the table.

  “Alexi,” Joshua said sternly as he gently pushed her off of him. “Focus. I’m not finished yet.”

  Regaining her composure, Alexi sat back in her seat and nodded, again giving him her undivided attention.

  “I have two reasons for finally giving in to the years of constant begging. The first, and most obvious reason, is that I think you are finally ready. You still have areas to improve, but that is why the academy exists. After last night, it's clear you’ve at least fully mastered the basics. The second reason is that Lostvail Academy is where our next job is.”

  Alexi’s brow furrowed as pride turned to confusion. “Wait, what?” She didn’t notice the waitress returning with her food, placing the plate of fluffy eggs, buttered toast, and crispy bacon in front of her. “How could there be a Daemon at Lostvail of all places? The last place I’d think one would want to be is where people train to hunt them. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Nothing has been confirmed yet, but students are vanishing in thin air. There is no better way of describing it.

  Alexi narrowed her eyes at him before the smell of her food finally brought its existence to her awareness. She immediately began shoving food into her mouth, allowing Joshua to continue.

  “It’s no secret that students drop out all the time, unable to handle the reality of what this line of work actually takes. Some die on jobs. But this scale? It’s unheard of. In response, I have been asked to return to my position as an instructor and investigate.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Alexi said, trying –and failing– to hold in her laughter. “You were an instructor at Lostvail Academy? You?” Try as she might, Alexi could not imagine seeing Joshua as an actual teacher. True, he had taught her everything she knew, but the image of him sitting behind a desk to give a lecture was comedic.

  “And this is the reason I’ve never told you before. You always have something snide to say. Anyway, you will be helping me while you work towards getting your license. We have no idea what or who is behind these disappearances, but if it is daemonic in nature-”

  “-Then we stomp it out.” She smirked, unable to remember the last time she had been this excited about a job. “When do we leave?”

  “The new applicant exam takes place in three days. We leave as soon as you’ve finished eating.”

  Alexi immediately scooped as much egg and bacon onto a piece of toast as she could before shoving the entire thing into her mouth and quickly washed it down with her now-cold coffee. “Let me get packed.”