Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Parker's instincts didn't just whisper—they screamed, loud and raw, clawing at every nerve in his body like alarm bells going off in his veins. The shadows he was following cut through the ground like ink spilled across concrete, pulling him straight toward that place.

The abandoned building.

The second his eyes locked onto that run-down no longer-in-function structure looming in the distance, something cold slid down his spine.

He'd heard about the place—hell, everyone at school had. It was infamous, practically a goddamn urban legend wrapped in whispered rumors and half-baked horror stories. Every shady deal, twisted little secret, and dumbass teenage recklessness found a home in that hellhole. People said it had history—creepy-ass stories about kids doing fucked-up shit in the dead of night.

Normally? Parker wouldn't have given two shits. He wasn't the type to chase down stupid rumors or care about whatever shady business some hormonal idiot cooked up. But now?

Now, Naomi was in there, he was sure as hell! The shadows streaks of the trail led there.

And Naomi wasn't the type to glance twice at that building—especially not alone. She wouldn't even walk past it if she didn't have to. Which meant something was wrong. Something bad enough to make his heart hammer in his chest like it was trying to punch its way out.

'Fuck.'

His feet pounded against the pavement harder, every step burning like fire up his legs. His mind raced faster than his body could move, cutting through every possibility like a blade. He couldn't afford to slow down. Not now. Not when the shadows were pulling him straight toward the nightmare.

****

Inside, the figure slammed through the rusted door like a wrecking ball, every movement sharp and ruthless. The building groaned under his weight, old wood creaking like it wanted to collapse under the pressure but didn't have the guts to do it.

Naomi's body dangled limply over his shoulder, her head bobbing with each step—unconscious, silent, powerless. The bag strapped across his back barely shifted as he charged down the hallway.

He didn't hesitate. Every corner, every turn—he knew exactly where to go. Behind the building, past the old garden, through the forgotten gates—straight into the man-planted forest. The school had cooked up some "nature preservation" PR stunt ages ago, planting that forest to make themselves look good as supporters of nature. But today?

Today, that forest was going to be his goddamn escape route.

The figure's pace doubled, his breathing shallow but controlled. His destination was clear—the ground floor that used to be the IT room, right next to the dusty-ass musical hall. Hidden in there was his exit. His door. His way out.

But something made him hesitate.

The presence was getting closer.

He stopped dead for half a second, turning his head just enough to sniff the air—like some primal instinct flicked on in his brain. And damn. He felt it.

The energy he got from the scent wasn't normal. It wasn't anything he'd felt before. It was sharp—cutting through the air like a blade—cold as death, and heavy as hell, pressing down on him like the sky was falling. The kind of weight that didn't just settle on your shoulders—it crushed into your bones, made your heartbeat stutter like it wasn't sure if it wanted to keep going.

Although he had no way to feel the Omni Energy, the scent of Parker pretty much gave away how dangerous the energy of the purser wielded.

And then it got worse.

It wasn't just wrong—it was ancient. Like something that had been buried for so long even the earth had forgotten it existed. But now, it was awake… and watching.

Every instinct clawed at him, screaming the same primal command: Run.

It didn't matter what he was—how fast, how strong. That fear? It didn't give a shit. The Fear Of The Unknown was the one thing that didn't discriminate. Didn't care if you were human, vampire, immortal, or a god sitting on some shiny throne. It got you all the same. And right now, it had him in a vice grip.

He didn't need to turn around to know it was close—too close. The energy crawled down his spine like ice water, gnawing at the edges of his sanity. Something wrong was chasing him, and every second wasted was a gamble with death.

His hands moved in the air for a few seconds and then his body reacted before his brain did—legs moving faster, muscles burning as he pushed beyond what should've been possible. Naomi's limp weight dragged against him, but he couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop.

Because whatever was behind him?

Yeah. That was the kind of thing you didn't stay and fight. That was the kind of thing you ran from and prayed you were fast enough to survive.

He didn't need to be told twice. Trusting every gut feeling ripping through his body, he bolted. His form blurred, shadows bleeding out from his skin, twisting around him like smoke cut with the color of old blood. The forest was close—so close.

He just needed to make it.

One step.

One breath.

One second ahead of whatever the fuck was hunting him.

****

{Her trail's moving fast. Too damn fast—no human could ever hit that kind of speed, Master, whoever has her they're not normal} Ere's voice echoed through Parker's mind, sharp and cold like someone just cracked open a window in the dead of winter.

His heart clenched, pulse slamming into overdrive as panic shot through every inch of him like a goddamn lightning strike. No way in hell Naomi was moving that fast on her own. That meant—

Kidnapped. She was being fucking kidnapped by someone with powers.

Faster. Run faster. Run, Parker, run.

The words ripped through his brain like a battle cry, drowning out everything else. His muscles screamed, his lungs burned like hell, but none of that mattered. He pushed harder, legs pounding against the pavement like a goddamn machine on overdrive.

"I could call Ere for help…"

But that meant leaving Tessa vulnerable back at the house. If something went wrong there while Ere was gone? No. He couldn't risk it. This—this—he had to handle on his own.
Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"Shadow Manipulation Bond."

The words shot out like instinct, and in the blink of an eye, his body dissolved—melting into pure darkness. His form stretched, bending into the shadows, becoming nothing but liquid night racing along the ground.

Inside the cursed old building, the shadow moved like liquid death, gliding across the dusty floor and slicing through the air, chasing the faint, dark streaks that marked Naomi's trail. Faster and faster, cutting through space like a bullet—

BAM!

What the hell—