Chapter 92: Closer Than You Think

The alley stretched ahead, filled with dumpsters and fire escapes casting jagged shadows.

Kane’s footsteps echoed off brick walls as he pursued the figure deeper into the narrow passage.

The hooded figure moved with unnatural speed, leaping over obstacles that should have slowed them down.

"Stop! Bureau of Supernatural Affairs!"

The figure didn’t even glance back.

Kane’s fox reflex coursed through him as he approached a stack of wooden crates blocking his path.

Without breaking stride, he vaulted over them, landing in a crouch before springing forward again.

Kane closed the gap, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to navigate the cluttered alley.

He bounded off a dumpster, using the momentum to leap onto a fire escape ladder, then dropped down ahead of the figure.

"Nowhere to run now."

The figure skidded to a halt, trapped between Kane and the dead-end wall.

Kane stepped forward, hand moving to his weapon.

The figure raised its head slightly, revealing nothing but shadow beneath the hood.

Then something impossible happened.

The figure stepped backward—directly into the brick wall.

Kane’s eyes widened as the hooded form seemed to dissolve, becoming translucent before disappearing completely through the solid barrier.

"What the hell?"

Kane had encountered countless spirits during his time with the Bureau. Shape-shifters, elemental beings, even possession cases.

But he’d never seen anything phase through matter like that.

He approached the wall cautiously, pressing his palm against the rough brick. Solid. No hidden passages or illusion magic.

Kane backed up several steps, then sprinted toward the wall.

At the last second, he leaped, clearing the eight-foot barrier in a single bound.

His fox agility launched him cleanly over the wall, dropping him into another alley.

The hooded figure was already fifty yards ahead, moving through the shadows between buildings.

Kane pushed harder, his breath coming in sharp bursts.

The figure maintained its lead, gliding effortlessly through obstacles that forced Kane to climb and dodge.

At the next intersection, the hooded form took a sharp right into what appeared to be another alley.

Kane rounded the corner at full speed, only to wind up in another dead end.

The alley dead-ended against a chain-link fence topped with razor wire.

The figure was gone.

"Shit," Kane muttered, approaching the fence.

A faint scent lingered in the air—something metallic and cold, with an underlying sweetness that made his nose wrinkle.

Not quite spirit energy, but not entirely human either.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind.

Kane turned to find Cyrus filling the alley entrance, his expression thunderous.

"Kane."

The single word carried enough menace to make Kane’s fox ears flatten against his skull.

"I’m not in the mood for a lecture right now." Kane wiped sweat from his forehead. "I was so close."

Cyrus approached with measured steps, his crimson eyes scanning the dead-end alley.

"Close? You mean close to getting yourself killed chasing shadows through back alleys without backup."

"It wasn’t a shadow." Kane kicked at a loose piece of concrete.

"That thing walked through a goddamn wall, Cyrus. Straight through solid brick like it was made of air."

Cyrus’s expression shifted from anger to concern.

"Are you hurt?"

Kane shook his head, still catching his breath.

"No, at least not this time."

The words hung between them, a reminder of how many close calls Kane had accumulated over the past few weeks.

Cyrus’s jaw tightened.

"We need to figure out what that thing is." Kane paced the narrow confines of the alley, his mind already racing through possibilities.

"Something that can phase through solid matter isn’t normal, even for spirits. And the way it moved—"

"Kane."

The quiet interruption made Kane stop mid-stride.

Cyrus wasn’t scanning the walls for clues or examining the fence for traces of paranormal activity.

His entire focus remained fixed on Kane, as if nothing else in the alley mattered.

"I don’t care what it is right now. I care that you’re standing here in one piece instead of splattered across the pavement somewhere between here and the restaurant."

Kane bristled. "I can handle myself—"

"Just promise me you won’t run off like that again without me."

The request was simple, reasonable even.

Kane considered arguing, but one look at Cyrus’s face killed the impulse.

Beneath the dragon’s usual stoic mask, genuine worry flickered in those crimson depths.

"Fine. Though it shouldn’t be an issue since you seemed to catch up pretty easily."

Cyrus’s mouth quirked slightly at the observation.

"Your definition of ’easily’ needs work." Cyrus stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over Kane once more, checking for injuries.

Cyrus’s expression shuttered. "We should head back. Isabelle will wonder where we went."

"But Cyrus—"

"Whatever it was, whatever it wanted, chasing it through half the city won’t bring us any closer to answers."

Cyrus placed a steadying hand on Kane’s shoulder.

"If that figure has been following us for days, it will likely show itself again."

Kane’s shoulders sagged, the adrenaline finally wearing off.

He nodded reluctantly, his fox instincts still twitching with the need to hunt.

They walked back toward the street where Cyrus had parked his car.

The drive back passed in tense silence, both Kane and Cyrus scanning the streets for any sign of their mysterious pursuer.

Kane’s fingers drummed against his knee as familiar buildings blurred past the BMW’s windows.

Kane and Cyrus pushed through the glass doors of Veyr Corp’s main entrance, the cool air conditioning a stark contrast to the humid city streets.

The receptionist looked up from her computer, her professional smile brightening when she spotted Cyrus.

"Mr. Drakhal, there’s someone here to see you and Mr. Ashwood. She’s been waiting in the lobby for about ten minutes."

Kane’s head snapped up. "She?"

"Yes, sir. Said it was urgent."

Cyrus’s expression darkened as they turned toward the seating area near the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A lone figure sat in one of the leather chairs, hood still pulled up despite being indoors.

Kane’s heart hammered against his ribs.

The same hooded figure from the alley had somehow beaten them back to the building.

"Stay behind me," Cyrus murmured, his hand moving instinctively toward his jacket.

They approached cautiously, Kane’s muscles coiled for another chase.

The figure stood slowly, hands moving to the hood’s edge.

Kane held his breath.

The hood fell back, revealing familiar short black hair and tired brown eyes.

"Rina?"𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ