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Its tracks wound around Skid Row, back to the docks, and through the old warehouses. Its scent twisted across the city like the twine in grandma’s knitted socks.
“You smell that?” I asked.
I took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and this time, I actually smelled something. “Sulfur. We’re close.”
“I hope so,” Jac said.
“We’ve been walking around this shithole for hours,” Jean added.
“I told you, we can’t risk using the car. Demons hate the smell of Nightstone. Spooks ’em.” That, of course, was a complete lie. Demons actually loved lurking around gas stations and refineries, the stink of their realm blending perfectly with the acrid tang of rift fumes. But the wonder boys didn’t need to know that. They also didn’t need to know that my car was stuck in the shop, held hostage by an unpaid bill. Or that even if I had it back, I couldn’t afford an ounce of the stuff with the prices these days. No, there was plenty Jac and Jean didn’t need to know.
The scent led us toward an abandoned street hidden away near the dock. Tall brick buildings loomed on either side, their jagged edges reaching for the sky like dying giants. If you squinted, you could almost see the grandeur of their past, now long forgotten.
Once-grand buildings stood tall, their ornate architecture now covered in a thick layer of grime and graffiti. The sound of our footsteps echoed off the decaying walls as we walked. The only source of light came from a flickering streetlamp ahead, casting eerie shadows and revealing shards of broken glass scattered along the pavement like sharp jewels. A chill wind blew through the empty streets, carrying with it a sense of unease. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching us from the shadows, lurking just out of sight.
The light flickered, sputtered, then faded out for a few heartbeats before grudgingly flaring back to life. Damned Infernum fluctuations. Could mean a rift was tearing open nearby, or maybe this side of the city just forgot to pay its dues. Either way, it was a bad omen.
Infernum hummed through the bones of the city, a low, unyielding thrum that kept the lights flickering and the machines grinding. It was the pulse of this place, flowing through blackstone veins buried deep beneath the streets, connecting everything in a web of dark energy. Most didn’t think about it—until it stuttered. That’s when you realized just how fragile it all was, how much of this world depended on a force that didn’t give a damn if we lived or died.
It was as much a part of the city as the bricks and grime. When that pulse faltered, it wasn’t silence—it was absence. The kind of void you feel in your chest when you realize you’ve stopped breathing.
For people like me—Enhanced, they called us, part machine, part flesh—Infernum wasn’t just a sound. It was a vibration in my skull, a low, unrelenting thrum that rattled my teeth and buzzed at the raw edges of my synthetic nerves, a reminder that even my body wasn’t entirely my own.
I activated the System and ran a Status Check.
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SYSTEM STATUS: OPERATIONAL (CRITICAL ERRORS DETECTED)This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
User: Jack Callaghan
Designation: Hunter-Class Hybrid (Human/Enhanced)
System Integrity: 63%
System Rank/Version: Unranked, Version Classified, Code Name: Project Methuselah
Warning: A recall has been ordered on this System. Report to nearest FedClinic for immediate replacement.
CORE VITALS
<ul>
<li>
Vitality: 71% — Moderate (Scarring detected in thigh, shoulder, and abdomen. Reduced flexibility and strength.)
</li>
<li>
Resilience: 68% — Moderate (Previous breaks in ribs, shoulder blade, and arm create weak points under stress. Long-term wear increasing strain. Blood toxicity at 4%; effects; minimal.)
</li>
<li>
Fatigue: 42% — Stable (Mechanical supports compensating for muscle atrophy; power reserves—holding.)
</li>
<li>
Humanity: 57% — Reduced (Cybernetic Enhancements account for 41%, Corruption accounts for 2%). Warning: Vital System Updates Incompatible. Please upgrade firmware to avoid long-term degradation risk and unforeseen side effects.
</li>
</ul>
GLITCH DETECTED / ERROR
<ul>
<li>
Ghost File Identified: Sarah. Presence persists within neural interface. Memory node remains locked.
<ul>
<li>
Interaction Frequency: Elevated.
</li>
<li>
Unauthorized Task Log Entries:
<ul>
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“Find Sarah” repeated 17 times.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Task Log Error – Status: Impossible, Cannot Delete: “Find Sarah.” (Entry timestamp does not match user input.)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRUPTION LEVELS
<ul>
<li>
Infernum Exposure: 13% (Low)
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<li>
Rift Residue Detected: Active. Recommendation: Cleanse immediately to prevent interface degradation.
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</ul>
GEAR AND RESOURCES
<ul>
<li>
Primary Weapon: Dark Blade Mk-II (Rank C). Edge integrity at 71%. Recalibration suggested.
</li>
<li>
Armor Status: Modular chestplate compromised; right forearm plating missing.
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Credits: 460 remaining.
</li>
</ul>
TASK LOG
<ol>
<li>
Hunt Target: Rift Entity (Low-Class Demon). Take spectators. Payment agreed at 2000 credits.
</li>
<li>
Upgrade Gear: Overdue.
</li>
<li>
Pay for Vehicle Repairs: Overdue.
</li>
<li>
Pay Rent: Overdue.
</li>
<li>
Nutrient Shopping: Overdue.
</li>
</ol>
ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT ANALYSIS
<ul>
<li>
Insufficient data.
</li>
</ul>
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