The three security officers did not lower their weapons, but none of them fired.
Their gazes kept drifting between Kael and the shattered wall where the stone bear had fallen, as if they were trying to decide which was more dangerous.
Kael slowly placed the axe head-down against the floor and stepped back half a pace. He kept his movements deliberate and calm. In a world that had just shattered, fear traveled faster than logic.
I'm not your enemy. he said evenly. But this building won't stay standing much longer. If you want to survive, we move now.
For a brief moment, none of them responded.
Then the officer standing closest to the stairwell suddenly staggered.
His knees buckled and he dropped his rifle with a metallic clatter. He grabbed his chest, eyes wide with panic as his breathing became ragged and uneven.
Something's wrong, he gasped. My body feels like it's burning from the inside.
Kael's attention snapped toward him instantly.
The Codex activated.
Human Subject DetectedBloodline Awakening In ProgressType: Fire Elemental VariantStability Level: LowMutation Failure Probability: 42%
If the awakening failed, the result would not be death alone. Failed bloodline evolution often produced unstable creatures that attacked indiscriminately.
Kael crouched in front of the man and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Listen to me, he said, keeping his voice steady. Don't fight the heat. Control your breathing. Let it flow through you instead of resisting it.
The man stared at him in disbelief. Sweat poured down his face, skin flushed red as faint embers flickered beneath the surface.
You expect me to relax while my veins feel like lava? he shouted hoarsely.
If you panic, you lose control, Kael replied sharply. And if you lose control, you won't come back from it.
The man hesitated, then clenched his jaw and forced himself to inhale slowly. His trembling gradually eased. The violent heat waves surrounding his body softened into faint ripples.
After several tense seconds, the glow beneath his skin stabilized into thin ember-like patterns along his arms and neck.
The Codex updated.
Awakening StabilizedBloodline Acquired: Fire SparkTier: CommonStatus: Stable
The man collapsed backward, breathing heavily but conscious.
The other two officers stared at Kael with shock.
You knew what was happening, one of them said quietly. You knew how to stop it.
Kael straightened.
I didn't stop it, he replied. He did. I just told him how not to make it worse.
Outside, the city continued to deteriorate.
Distant roars echoed between collapsing buildings. Explosions flared across the skyline. Smoke clouds rose into the sky, partially obscuring the massive dragon silhouette still circling high above Eryndor City like a predator surveying territory.
The building shook again as something heavy smashed into the lower floors.
Kael glanced toward the stairwell.
We leave now, he said. Staying here is suicide.
The man who had awakened struggled to his feet with Kael's help. His hands trembled slightly, but there was a strange brightness in his eyes now, a mixture of fear and newfound awareness.
Where do we go? one of the officers asked.
Kael thought quickly. Years of disaster response training guided his instincts.
The harbor district has reinforced emergency bunkers, he said. They were abandoned, but the structure should still hold. It's our best option.
As they moved toward the stairwell entrance, the Codex pulsed again.
Survival Route CalculatedEnvironmental Threat Density: HighHidden Opportunity Detected
Kael paused briefly.
Opportunity was a strange word to appear during the collapse of civilization.
He leaned forward slightly and peered down the broken stairwell shaft. Dust floated through the air. Flickering emergency lights cast long shadows across collapsed steps and twisted metal.
Movement stirred below.
The Codex highlighted it instantly.
Target IdentifiedSpecies: Shadow HoundBloodline Tier: RareSpecialization: Stealth-TypeExtraction Value: High
Kael's heartbeat quickened.
A stealth-oriented bloodline would drastically increase his survival odds.
He turned back toward the officers.
Stay behind me, he said quietly. And whatever happens, don't rush forward.
One of them swallowed nervously. What's down there?
Kael tightened his grip on the axe.
Something valuable, he replied.
As if responding to his words, glowing red eyes slowly emerged from the darkness below.
A low growl echoed up the stairwell.
Then the creature launched itself upward.