Chapter 3 — The Hunter’s Mark

Elric

The Iron Bastion loomed against the night, its steely walls reflecting the pale moonlight in cold, fragmented glimmers. Inside its fortress-like confines, the air was dense with the hum of machinery and the clipped voices of Hunters carrying out their orders. The sharp tang of metal and oil lingered in every corner, a reminder of the relentless efficiency that defined this place. Yet, for all its activity, an unsettling stillness hung over the compound, as though the Bastion itself held its breath in anticipation.

Elric moved through the narrow corridors with purpose, his bootsteps echoing sharply on the polished floors. The faint scrape of his coat brushing against his sides accompanied his strides, a sound that, like his presence, seemed to cut through the air. Subordinates stepped aside instinctively, their heads dipping in deference, though he caught the nervous flicker of their eyes as they avoided his gaze. Their unease was warranted; Elric’s reputation was one of cold precision, and any deviation from perfection under his command was met with swift correction.

The war room was as stark and functional as the rest of the Bastion, its cold walls lined with racks of weaponry and monitors displaying streams of data. A holographic map hovered above the central table, its light casting eerie, shifting shadows that danced across the faces of the assembled Hunters. As Elric stepped into the room, conversations ceased mid-sentence, leaving a heavy silence that seemed to vibrate in the air.

His gaze swept the room, sharp and assessing. It landed on each subordinate in turn, his scarred mouth tightening as though daring them to falter. When no one spoke, he let the silence stretch, a tool as sharp as any blade.

“Report,” he said finally, his voice clipped, yet carrying an authority that needed no embellishment.

A wiry technician stepped forward, his hands twitching as he adjusted the console before him. The glow of the hologram reflected off his glasses, amplifying the nervous energy radiating from his hunched shoulders. “Commander, we’ve detected an anomaly in the eastern quadrant of the forest,” he began, his words tumbling out hastily. “Significant energy traces—unique and concentrated.”

Elric’s eyes narrowed, though his expression remained impassive. “What kind of energy?”

The technician’s fingers flew over the console, magnifying the pulsing point on the hologram. “It matches the profile of a Class III supernatural, but… the readings are unusual. The energy is fluctuating, almost as though it’s unstable or struggling to find equilibrium.”

The faint hum of whispers rippled through the room, Hunters exchanging tense glances. Elric raised a gloved hand, cutting through the murmurs with a single motion. His focus returned to the hologram. The glowing pulse marking the anomaly seemed alive, its rhythmic flicker almost hypnotic as it illuminated the map’s dense forest terrain.

“Fluctuating energy…” he murmured, his mind dissecting the implications with practiced efficiency. A Lycan mid-transformation? No, this was different. Potent. Volatile. Unpredictable.

“Enhance perimeter surveillance,” he ordered, his tone sharp and unyielding. “I want drones in the air and ground units on standby. Nothing gets past us.”

The scarred woman to his left, her posture radiating the authority of a senior Hunter, stepped forward. Her clipped, measured voice carried a note of skepticism. “Commander, could this be Raiden’s pack? Perhaps he’s testing us.”

Elric turned his steely gaze on her, his voice dropping into a quiet menace. “Raiden knows better than to allow his kind near our surveillance zones. He’s a relic—a king without a kingdom. This isn’t him.” He shifted his gaze back to the map. “This is something else.”

The technician cleared his throat, emboldened by Elric’s focus. “Sir, there’s a residual trace of lunar energy.” He hesitated, his eyes darting toward Elric. “It doesn’t match anything we’ve cataloged before.”

Lunar energy. The phrase hung in the air, stirring echoes of old myths and discarded whispers. Elric’s lips thinned. For years, the Hunters had dismissed the moon goddess as mere superstition, a convenient myth perpetuated by supernatural factions to justify their chaos. Yet, standing here, staring at the pulsing anomaly, he couldn’t ignore the faint thrum of something primal tugging at his senses.

“How… intriguing,” Elric murmured, the faintest curl of a smile ghosting across his lips.

The reaction was enough to spark unease among the Hunters, their shifting stances betraying their discomfort. The scarred woman tilted her head, her gaze sharpening. “If this energy is tied to the moon…” she began, but Elric cut her off with a flick of his hand.

“We capture it alive,” he said, his voice decisive. The weight of his words settled over the room like a physical presence.

“Alive?” The woman’s question carried a subtle challenge, though she masked it in careful professionalism.

“Yes,” Elric replied coldly, his gray eyes locking onto hers. “A creature tied to the moon’s power could provide the leverage we need to dismantle their kind from within.”

The woman dipped her head in acknowledgment, though a flicker of doubt shadowed her expression. Elric ignored it. Doubt was a weakness, and he had no patience for it.

Turning back to the map, he studied the pulsing anomaly, his mind already calculating the risks and rewards. If the energy was indeed tied to the moon goddess’s lineage, it was a weapon waiting to be wielded. For years, the Hunters had been locked in an unending war against chaos. This… this could be the key to ending it.

“Commander,” the technician interrupted cautiously. “If Raiden or his kind sense us in their territory—”

“They won’t,” Elric snapped, his tone icy. “And if they do, we’ll remind them why the shadows belong to them.”

Without another word, he turned and strode from the war room, his long coat sweeping behind him. The Hunters sprang into action, their movements precise and efficient. Outside, the cold night air bit at Elric’s skin as he stepped onto the observation platform overlooking the compound. Below, drones buzzed to life, their silver flanks gleaming under the moonlight. Ground units moved like clockwork, weaponry glinting as they prepared for deployment.

Elric stood alone on the platform, his sharp gaze fixed on the horizon. The forest stretched endlessly before him, shrouded in mist that curled like ghostly fingers around the towering evergreens. Somewhere out there, the anomaly waited. A creature tied to the moon’s power. He inhaled deeply, the cold air burning his lungs and sharpening his focus.

And then, unbidden, the memory surfaced. A night much like this one. The scent of blood thick in the air, screams tearing through the silence, the flash of claws and fangs under the moonlight. He could still see the broken bodies of his family, their faces frozen in terror as the light left their eyes. The helplessness of that moment burned, seared into his soul like a scar that would never fade.

His fists clenched, the leather of his gloves creaking softly. The memory shattered, banished by the cold fury that had become his constant companion. He would not falter. Not again.

“Commander,” a voice called from behind. He turned to see a lean lieutenant, his scarred lip curling into something halfway between a grimace and a salute. “The reconnaissance unit is in position. Awaiting your signal.”

Elric nodded once. “Proceed with caution. The target is to be taken alive.”

“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant disappeared into the shadows, leaving Elric alone once more.

His lips curved into a faint, predatory smile. Whatever this creature was, it would not escape him. Its power would be unraveled, its secrets laid bare. And if it truly was tied to the moon goddess’s cursed lineage… then so much the better.

The moon hung low in the sky, its light casting jagged shadows across the compound. Elric lingered for a moment longer before descending into the depths of the Bastion. The hunt had begun.