Jax said, "and kee

that tone

quiet p

k of his head. Four floors of dead bodyguards were behind them. Ahead, through the cracked fire

oying this,

lit

ld have been a laugh if s

, twitching bodies packed shoulder to shoulder around the revolving doors. The sunrise turn

he rifle wo

steps above him, which put her eyes level with his. In the

ets do you hav

net

, what, a hund

dred and

t wasn't a guess, was i

t every

know it's

y on the east side connects to a service tunnel. It runs under the plaz

w a sch

moriz

second. Then, very s

plans on st

he stairs without

stank of stagnant w

ss the curved walls. Pipes dripped overhead. Rats the size of ca

utated Sewer Rat |

r Core:

him, silent except for th

" Jax said witho

use

s. They're

hitting the floor. When Jax glanced back, Elena was carrying them in one hand, her bare feet p

e said icily. "Four

ke a lovely

ing to r

ep sayi

he caught the corner

ed meters in when the tun

sed a fist, and Ele

rkness-wet and slow, like something massi

ntified Aether s

r Brute | Rank

h for unawakened. M

and I've only go

t?" Elena

death." He kept his voice flat.

cent.You k

u make

e. If I concentrate.

need you

swept across the water, and

, ten feet tall, with too many arms and a mouth that split its torso from collarb

em, and i

"when I say go,

't hol

e to hold it.

rute

G

around the creature's ankles in a brittle white shell. It staggered, one arm flailin

alread

rm swept toward him. He dropped, rolled beneath it, came up beside its massi

prayed. The B

its hip, and fired the pistol point-blank

backward into the

nce

his sleeve. He turned and found Elena staring at him, her ha

t hesitate

n gets peo

uld hav

es

of his sleeve, to the long, ragged cut along his for

noth

not no

. Her fingers were cold, but the touch lingered. She turned his arm into the

infection," s

l li

nd she seemed to hear it herself. She released him. "I

died he

s wo

o

re, but because care was a l

d. "Which is why I'm

faint flush spreadi

re (D-Rank)

sorb

and held it up. It was the size of a fist, glowing a

sor

staggered, caught himself on the pipe, and

Core ab

. Agility +11.

nk: E (Aw

ry Points

l SP:

touched his shoulder

in his arm was already fading. When he flexed his

aid. "I'm bette

his arm, the

re he

stem do

as though tasting it. "That's wha

es

t chos

." Jax started walki

im, bare feet slapp

sn't an

one you're ge

d from the tunnel into gra

es hung with red vines. In the distance, a column of black smoke rose from the ruined sk

nd holding her torn collar closed. She looked smaller out here, her silks

, Jax real

is jacket and

at it. "I do

e shiv

m n

ips are

the jacket and pulled it around her shoulders. It was far to

the collar, hiding a flus

rmured, so quietly

menti

n't go

oo

ked on i

uburb rose out of the mist. And in the center of it, half-hidden beneat

o

o, her blue eyes narrowed, her jaw tight, and beneath

o

it?" s

t's

... s

es

cted a

most s

" he said, and