Sam was still surprised Kashi had trusted him with monitoring duties after the absolute disaster of their last training session. He leaned back in his chair, glancing down at the sleek tablet resting open on his desk. The screen glowed softly, displaying the live feeds from Kashi's and Ryan's helmet cams, each framed by a grid of vitals; heart rate, oxygen levels, and a subtle indicator of stress. Whatever conversation they were having in the feed’s audio, Sam tuned it out.

  Cansu coiled herself lazily around his shoulders, the comforting weight of the snake grounding him as his fingers drummed against the desk. He picked up his ring and slipped it back on his finger. He exhaled, hoping tonight would stay uneventful. Villains had a way of keeping to a rhythm, and the Phantoms were no different. Usually, after one of their big attacks, they'd lay low for a few days to regroup. But even with that pattern, Sam couldn’t shake the unease in his chest.

  The Elementals usually took care of the small villain groups in the city but lately they haven't been doing anything which was concerning. Sam's eyes flicked back to the feeds, watching the two glowing figures weave through the darkened streets. He shivered and slipped a sweatshirt over his body suit feeling the cold creep in. He got up, hooking his snake around his neck to check the temperature. It read 68 degrees and Sam turned it up 12 degrees. The terrible part of being a hybrid was how cold he tended to get, another effect of his remnant markings.

  His stomach rumbled and it dawned on him that he forgot to eat something and managed to get Cansu off him, letting her slide over his books. He grabbed the tablet and headed out, making sure to lock the door. The team didn’t have many dinners together because there was usually something going on. So most of the time they got to make whatever because his leader kept the kitchen stocked somehow. Vixen was waiting by the coffee machine when he entered.

  “Hey.” Vixen said, greeting him. Sam nodded, setting down the tablet. “Ah, I see you're monitoring them.”

  “I was surprised he allowed me to.” Sam said, opening the fridge and pulling out one of his premade sandwiches and managed to ignore his instinct to hoard food. “Do you think they’ll find anything?”

  Vixen took out the creamer. “Honestly, if you guys found vials in the truck, I assume there would be more somewhere.” She poured her coffee and the creamer before putting it away and took a sip.

  Sam took a bite of his sandwich, forcing himself to chew slowly instead of devouring it in one go. “Do you really think the mayor would mess with the barrier? It doesn’t make much sense.”

  Aaron came in picking up an apple. “Are we having a food bonding moment?”

  “Yes,” Vixen said. “As for the mayor, I don’t think he would do anything to the barrier and from what Kashi told me, the Phantoms got a hold of some too. I wouldn’t put it past them to do something like take down the barrier. That doesn’t mean to exclude the mayor's original plan with those vials.”

  Aaron hopped to sit on the counter, brow furrowing as he looked between Vixen and Sam. “I feel very behind.” He said peeling an apple with a paring knife in smooth motions.

  Sam told him what they had found in the truck and that was what Kashi was looking for. “We think the vials may be responsible for the tears in the barrier, it's magic so not a lot of things can dissolve it.” Sam said splitting tabs on his tablet.

  They did have a file on Mytherion as it wasn’t common and they technically had their own sub magic that resided in hybrids. They weren’t even sure if there were any magic users that were alive. Sam looked through the file but it didn’t give him anything. “Did you start looking into the vial?” He asked Vixen.

  “I have, I sent some samples to Jade too, so hopefully she can find something on it as well. So far I’m not having luck.” Vixen said, sipping her coffee. “I don’t know how we didn't know about all this until now. There have been several attacks on trucks that come usually by the Phantoms. Somehow they knew about it.”

  Sam pushed himself away from the counter. He stretched, popping his back. “I have no clue where we would get that information because the Phantoms work alone and every other villain group is terrified to disrespect them, I’m pretty sure at least.”

  “You don’t think we could get them to talk?” Aaron said.

  Vixen shook her head. “Pretty sure they would rather kill themselves before ever talking to us or even dare to talk about the Phantoms,” She said, “Anyways, I’m getting back to work to see what that vial might be.” She left the room just as Azar walked in.

  “Did I miss a discussion?” She said flatly. Aaron nodded. She frowned but moved on getting something to eat.

  Sam took his leave to head back to his room. It was much warmer when he stepped in to which he changed into a tank top relishing the warmth. He moved his school work aside and set up the tablet before grabbing his own computer to do some research.

  The Phantoms. Everyone knew the name, but their members remained elusive, at least to the general public. Recently, Sam had noticed a pattern: it was always the same ones showing up during missions. That couldn’t be a coincidence and he wanted to know why.

  He opened the Phantoms’ file, the one his leader had compiled after months of digging. Most of the team hadn’t seen the full document yet, but Sam figured now was as good a time as any to dive in. Vixen was right, someone in their group had to know about the vials. Another question was, who?

  The file listed six members. That wasn’t a lot compared to other villain groups, yet the Phantoms operated like a well-oiled machine, always staying on top. Sam’s eyes skimmed the first entry: Sora. No codename. The notes described her as the youngest, likely just over eighteen, with a penchant for explosives. She didn’t appear to be a hybrid, which was rare for someone involved in this kind of work.

  Next was Storm, real name Zahra. She could manipulate clouds, summoning lightning when they gathered. That seemed to be the extent of her powers, though she wielded a battle axe with excellent skill. The file had a question mark next to the word hybrid, suggesting her status wasn’t entirely clear.

  Draco’s entry was strange. Where his real name should have been, the spot was blank. Sam frowned, finding it odd, almost suspicious. According to the notes, Draco was known for wielding crossbows and had apparently been transformed into a more powerful hybrid. Sam’s brow furrowed further as he tried to make sense of it. Transformed? That didn’t add up. Hybrids were usually born with their powers, and while abilities tended to weaken with each passing generation, they were always tied to a person’s remnant markings.

  But the idea of someone being turned into a stronger hybrid? That was new. His eyes returned to the file, catching a note at the bottom: Can be rehabilitated. The phrase lingered in his mind, heavy with implications. Curious, Sam flipped back to the other two files for Sora and Storm. He hadn’t noticed it before, but both their profiles had the same note.

  Nautilus’ file was mostly blank. Stating that it was a host and not alive. There was a question mark next to it. It stated in the notes: Do not approach alone connected to the undead. No rehabilitating it. Sam shivered when he stared at it. He had seen Nautilus and in general it creeped Sam out. It was starting to make sense why The Phantoms were the top villain group.

  Fallacy’s file was unsettling. It described him as an enhanced being, created through dark magic or false magic. His real name was unknown, though the notes suggested he might have once been human, transformed into...whatever he was now. According to the file, Fallacy had the ability to hack into systems, travel through electronic devices, and even harness Storm’s lightning to amplify his own power. At the bottom of the entry, a stark warning stood out: Do not engage alone. Unlike the others, there was no mention of rehabilitation, just a blank space, as if the possibility wasn’t even worth considering.

  With abilities like these, it was no wonder the Phantoms had cemented themselves as one of the top villain groups. Their powers were unlike anything Sam had ever seen, not even the Elementals, with all their mastery of sub-elements, had abilities remotely close to this.

  Sam hesitated before clicking on the final file. The name Carnage, also known as Victor King, appeared at the top of the screen. According to the notes, Carnage was the most elusive member of the Phantoms, a demon who rarely participated in their missions and had never been seen in action. He was their alchemist, often spotted visiting the underground black market. Beyond that, little was known.

  Sam’s eyes scanned the details, stopping at the warning written in bold letters: DO NOT ENGAGE. Unlike most of the others, there was no mention of rehabilitation. But what really caught Sam off guard were the next few lines: Carnage is believed to have cracked the code for creating genetically modified powers, including hybrids and Elementals.

  Sam’s breath hitched as the weight of the revelation sank in. "What?" he muttered under his breath. His heart raced as his mind tried to piece it all together. It would explain how the Phantoms had such unique powers. He thought back to the recent report of a demon spotted in Amshire. Could it be him? He took a screenshot of Victor’s report and sent it to Vixen unsure if she knew. Sam leaned back, staring at the tablet’s screen as his thoughts raced.

  If Carnage was indeed the mastermind behind genetically modified powers, it changed everything. The vials found in the truck might not just be tools for destruction; they could be ingredients for whatever horrifying experiments he was conducting plus going to the black market to gather supplies, it raised even more questions. What was he making? And how far has he already gone?

  Sam sent a quick text to Kashi through his watch, sharing what he’d found. As he waited for a reply, his eyes landed on a file labeled Zander.ex. It was locked. Odd. Sam frowned at the strange name, wondering what could be so important that it required extra security.

  Cansu, his snake companion, slithered down his arm, passing over the faint tattoo etched into his skin. A pang of sadness welled up inside him as he glanced at the faded markings, a bittersweet reminder of what once was. Before he could linger on the thought, his watch buzzed.

  Kashi: I’m looking for evidence because, yes, it crossed my mind that Carnage might’ve had the Phantoms take them.

  Sam exhaled slowly, feeling a little relieved that Kashi was already considering the connection. But the worry lingered even if he knew how capable they were if they did run into trouble.

  A soft knock at the door pulled Sam from his thoughts and he knew who it was not bothering to move his snake. “Come in,” he called.

  Felix peeked his head into the room, offering a casual wave before slipping inside and quietly shutting the door behind him, his tablet tucked under one arm. Without a second thought, he flopped onto Sam’s bed, sprawling out comfortably as if it were his own. His pink toe beans flexed lazily, a gesture so feline-like it made Sam think of him as a cat for a moment. At least he didn’t meow although he sometimes squeaks.

  “Hey,” Sam said quietly, glancing over at him. Felix looked disheveled, wispy black his hair sticking up in odd angles. It struck Sam that he hadn’t seen much of Felix all day. “Where’ve you been?” Felix propped himself up on his elbows, scrolling through his tablet. After a moment, he pressed a button, and a robotic voice spoke. “Leader.”

  Sam nodded, his curiosity piqued. He noticed Felix’s clawed hands looked darker than usual. Felix tapped at the screen again, triggering another response from the device. “Message from Divine. Then took nap,” the robotic voice stated plainly.

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  Sam watched him for a moment, still unsure what Felix’s powers actually were. He sometimes referred to himself as a messenger, but Sam had never pressed him on it. Felix wasn’t the kind to volunteer information, and Sam respected that boundary. Yawning, Sam rubbed his eye. He realized he probably should’ve grabbed some coffee earlier. Normally, he had no trouble staying up late, but tonight, exhaustion was settling in earlier than usual. Weird, he thought.

  Felix watched him with wide eyes. Sam opened his drawer where he kept snacks and a stash of caffeinated drinks but the area was empty besides candy. He shut it, pondering if he should make coffee but decided against it. He glanced at the tablet as nothing on the monitoring had changed. “Nap.” Sam jumped hearing the robotic voice and stared at Felix.

  “Um didn’t you already have one?” Sam wasn’t sure what else to say. “Nap.” The voice said but Felix pointed at Sam. Oh. “I can't, I'm monitoring tonight, anything can happen.” Sam said. He hoped Felix understood.

  Felix stared at the monitor and then back at Sam. He tapped on the tablet, his claws clicking against the surface. “I watch, you nap. I’ve watched leader do it before.” The voice spoke. Sam frowned. “I don’t think so.” He trusted Felix but he didn’t want to risk it. Felix shifted his body to a crouched position as he stared at Sam. He bobbed his head around and then jumped right onto Sam taking him down.

  “Felix! What was that for?” Sam said pushing him off a bit too hard. He alway forgets that Felix is a lighter weight. Felix just grabbed his shirt and tried to yank him away but it didn’t work. So he just sat on the ground while Sam got up checking his snake who wound back around his neck before she disappeared back on his arm. Sam internally groaned when he looked down at Felix who was tugging feebly on his pant leg. “Please?” Felix whispered. It was hard to refuse him.

  Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine, only for a bit though.” Felix instantly brightened and scrambled on his chair, spinning it around. Sam ruffled Felix’s hair before settling on his bed. He tucked one hand under head as he stared at the ceiling. A wave of exhaustion came crashing down on him again and he struggled to keep his eyes open till they remained shut. “You have a visitor.” Feix’s voice sounded far away as he fell into the depth of darkness.

  “Well this is new.” A smooth voice said.

  Sam’s eyes flew open, and he was met with an endless Void of emptiness. His breath hitched as confusion gave way to a growing sense of dread. What? What’s going on? The darkness pressed in around him, vast and consuming, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.

  “Hello?” he called out, his voice echoing into the nothingness. There was no response, just an eerie stillness. Yet, he could feel it: someone, or something, was there with him. The presence was faint, almost intangible, as though it didn’t fully exist, just like the space around him.

  Sam clenched his fists, his heart pounding. This isn’t real. It can’t be. To prove it, he pinched his arm. Pain flared, sharp and unmistakable, but the Void around him rippled as though disturbed by his actions.

  ““I wouldn’t do that.” Someone said behind him. Sam whipped around to see a man cladded in all black with a demon mask and a hood covering their hair. Red eyes bore into him. A devil’s tail swished behind him. Wait–tail? This man…was a demon. Sam took a step back, were there demons that could invade people's dreams? Was this even a dream? His breathing was fast while his body screamed to get away. He was dangerous. “Calm down kid,” The stranger said. “You're giving me a headache from all your thoughts.”

  Sam took another step back. What was this man? “What do you want?” Sam said through clenched teeth. He was trying his hardest to not let his thoughts spiral and kept repeating “I'm okay, this isn’t real” over and over.

  “I just want to chat, no need for all this.” The stranger gestured to Sam. “Besides, I could have ended you if I wanted too.” Sam gaped at him. What a real people pleaser, Sam thought bitterly.

  “Hey! I take offense to that.” They said. Sam rolled his eyes and crossed his arm to keep himself from shaking. “Stop reading my thoughts.”

  The stranger sighed. “Then stop being so loud with them. The more anxious you are, the louder I can hear them.” He said, crossing his arms.

  Sam took a shaky breath. “What do you want to chat about?” He wished for the comfort of his staff besides what would a demon want with him? The demon stretched and then sat cross-legged on the floor. “Wanted to see how this team was doing. You're all some kind of hybrid with markings from the Divine so it should mean something.”

  Sam shrugged and slowly sat on the ground hunching in on himself. “Not really, it's not doing me any good.” He didn’t want to tell his life story to this demon. They couldn’t be trusted and they would probably laugh if he told them how powerless he really was. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to stop his thoughts.

  You’re… not what I expected, kid,” the demon said, his sharp gaze fixed on Sam as he lounged casually, his tail flicking against the ground. “A lot of potential. Potential you keep running from. That’s one thing you have in common with… him.” The Demon’s voice dropped into a mutter, but the way his words lingered made Sam’s stomach twist.

  Sam’s eyes narrowed, studying the creature before him. “What’s your name?” he asked, his tone measured. “There’s a demon out there, one of the Phantoms, who goes by Victor King. Is that you?”

  The Demon flinched, and that tiny crack in his composure set off every alarm in Sam’s head. “How do you know that name?” The Demon snapped, his voice defensive and edged with something like panic. Sam straightened, his suspicions hardening. “Does it matter? You invaded my mind. I think I have a right to know,” Sam shot back, refusing to let the creature regain control of the conversation.

  The Demon growled low, the sound vibrating through the air, but Sam held his ground. He could feel the tension building between them, thick and dangerous, but he wasn’t about to back down.

  “I think we’re done here,” the demon said abruptly, rising to his feet as if to end the encounter on his terms.

  Sam scrambled to his feet, his instincts screaming that this stranger was hiding something. His reaction to Victor King’s name wasn’t just coincidence, it meant something, and Sam couldn’t let it go. “No. Answer me,” he snapped, his voice rising. It was reckless to challenge a creature like this, but Sam didn’t care. He needed answers. The Demon turned, his eyes glowing faintly as his tail coiled tighter around his leg. “What’s the purpose of this?” Sam demanded, forcing his voice to stay steady despite the adrenaline surging through him.

  “I was just checking in,” the demon said with a shrug, though his casual tone felt like a poorly constructed mask. “What’s wrong with that? Oh, and your eye, it looks good, by the way.”

  Sam froze for half a second, his thoughts spinning at the comment. His eye? How did the demon know about that? Sam took a deliberate step forward, his confidence building despite the growing tension in the air. “That’s the partial truth,” he said evenly, his power starting to tingle up his arms, warm and familiar. He needed to know.

  “What else?” he pressed, his voice firm and unyielding. He could see the demon’s tail twitch, a subtle tell that he was striking a nerve.

  The Demon's gaze lingered on Sam for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke, his tone almost dismissive. “You’ll figure your powers out eventually, kid. It’s only a matter of time.”

  Sam tensed, the cryptic remark only fueling his frustration. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, taking another step forward, his voice sharp with suspicion.

  The Demon ignored the question, his tail flicking behind him as he turned toward the void. “You’re too curious for your own good. A little advice? Don’t let it get you killed,” he said, his voice carrying a strange mix of amusement and warning.

  “No. You’re not walking away from this,” Sam snapped, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He could feel his power rising again, the tingle spreading up his arms as his pulse quickened. “You don’t just show up, mess with my head, and leave without an explanation!”

  The Demon looked over his shoulder. “I’m not leaving.” With that, his form dissolved into the darkness like smoke dissipating in the air.

  “Wait!” Sam called, his voice echoing in the empty space. What did this creature know that he didn’t? Sam just stared at the spot where the demon vanished and rubbed his eyes. A cruel joke of a hybrid. He was always told by the Village how much destruction he would bring but Benji at the time told him otherwise. The demon couldn't know his secret. Sam was useless... right? Unfortunately curiosity gnawed at him. He looked around at the inky abyss and then it closed in on him.

  Sam opened his eyes to a soft glow in the room, illuminated by his lamp. He groaned, feeling more tired than ever. His mind hadn’t shut off but his body rested. He looked over to where Felix sat cross-legged watching him but he looked weary. He forced himself up and just held his head in his hands. He’s never had a vivid-dream of sorts or that's what Sam considered it. He wasn’t positive what it was but he wished to never experience it again.

  “Everything still going okay?” Sam finally asked. Felix responded with a thumbs up, popping something into his mouth as he leaned back lazily as his tail twitched.

  Sam’s senses picked up on the faintly sweet scent lingering in the air. He licked his lips, recognizing it instantly. “You got into my candy stash,” he muttered, suppressing a yawn. Felix smirked and held up a gummy, the translucent treat glinting faintly in the light. Sam took it without hesitation, noticing the dark gradient streaking across Felix’s arms as he did. He frowned slightly but kept his thoughts to himself, savoring the burst of sweetness on his tongue. The relief it brought was small but welcome.

  Propping himself against the wall, Sam let his head rest for a moment. His hand instinctively went to his watch, scrolling through to check for any new messages. Nothing. The empty screen didn’t surprise him.

  He lifted his hand, conjuring up a small gust of wind that reached his staff and brought it over. The smooth wood brought comfort to him as he ran his fingers over it. He was concerned about what the demon knew. He’d mention his eye and Sam touched his left eye feeling the light scar that ran through. He covered it with concealer not wanting others pity. The downsides to being marked with Divine was how recognizable he had been during his time spent in the Village. He had never told his leader the truth about his eyes, terrified of what might come.

  How did the demon know? The question gnawed at Sam’s mind, refusing to let go. The only person who had ever seen him in that state was Kashi, the day he’d been found in the hull of that ship, barely clinging to life from the scorpion’s poison. No one else had survived the incident. The hybrid hunters who had taken him prisoner were all wiped out.

  His chest tightened at the memory. The details after that were hazy at best. He remembered drinking the elixir for the poison. The sharp, bitter taste on his tongue, and then… nothing. Just darkness. When he’d woken up, he had felt off but was miraculously alive and in the care of Kashi.

  Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. Maybe it was time to ask Kashi about what had really happened that day. His leader might know more than he’d let on. And if this demon knew something about him, something Sam didn’t even know about himself, he needed answers. Maybe he wasn’t useless after all.

  Felix wandered over, monitor tab in hand, and flopped down onto the couch. He shut his eyes and started to purr softly, the rhythmic sound filling the quiet room. Sam chuckled and reached over to pat Felix’s hair, his fingers brushing through the mess of strands. Turning his attention to the tablet, Sam split the screen and pulled up the security cameras, scanning for any signs of activity. He flipped through the feeds, one after another, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual stillness of the night.

  A sudden crack of snapping branches jolted him, making him jump. His head whipped toward the window, but the thick darkness outside revealed nothing. Sam glanced at Felix, who was already fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. Carefully, Sam stood and grabbed his staff from where it leaned against the wall. His grip tightened as he approached the window, his muscles tense with the hope that it was nothing more than a mutated animal scuttling about. He flipped off the lamp to avoid casting a shadow and stared out into the moonlit night.

  But then came a soft thud. Sam froze, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes darted back to the window. His heart hammered as he noticed a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at him and he gripped his staff tighter when he realized it was a reflection from his room.

  He whipped around ready to scream but his voice was gone and his staff was ripped from his hands by the shadows. It clattered useless to the ground. Sam stared at the same stranger in his dream but a dark gray mask covered their lower face with a cruel smile. A stark contrast to the pale skin that was visible. He didn’t have a hood on this time and Sam noticed long black hair. Two large black horns protruded from his forehead with a longer point swooping back with smaller points on the end. The Demon was clad in the same attire but this time there was a sword strapped to his back.

  Sam couldn’t move even with as hard as he tried, it felt like invisible binds kept him in place. Sam tracked the demon movements as he made his way over to where Felix lay. His mind was spiraling with the possibilities the demon might hurt his teammate. Sam felt anger burn through his body as he couldn’t do anything when the demon placed a hand on Felix’s arm.

  It subsided a bit when Sam watched the dark gradient slowly fade to the normal hue on Felix's arms. Sam scrunched his brows together confused on what just happened. He helped Felix? The Demon stroked Felix’s hair in a gentle way before his head snapped up. His eyes swept over to Sam. “Your eyes are glowing.”

  Sam instinctively looked away, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to calm down. When he looked back, The Demon was gone and he noticed he could move again. But the relief was short-lived. As he glanced down, he saw the shadows, once still, now writhing and retreating. Fear seized him. The Demon had power over the very darkness. A strange mix of fear and fascination washed over him on the whole ordeal. Sam turned on the lamp back on watching the shadows fall shrink back before falling still and Felix stirred slightly.

  “Sam.” Kashi’s voice rang through the tablet, “I think we found something, be on standby.”

  He swallowed and managed to steady his voice before replying. “Copy that.” He glanced at his bodysuit that was folded on his dresser.

  He pulled the blinds shut, the sudden darkness mirroring the confusion in his mind. As he sank back into his chair, a strange sense of unease settled over him. Everything was totally normal. He shivered feeling the phantom touches of the shadows and pulled his sweatshirt tighter, feeling the cold sense of dread sink deep into his bones. He knew, deep down, that this was far from the last encounter with The Demon.