Threads of Venom

Part 1: "Tracks in the Shadows"

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The streets of Shinjukai were eerily quiet, the glow of neon signs casting fractured reflections on the wet pavement. Miko kept her daggers ready, her eyes scanning for any signs of movement. Beside her, Bai walked with maddening ease, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trench coat.

"You're not even going to pretend to be cautious?" she asked, her voice low.

"Why should I? If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it already," Bai replied, his tone as calm as if they were discussing the weather.

Miko clenched her teeth. "And how do you know that?"

Bai glanced at her, his golden eyes glinting. "I've lived through enough ambushes to know when I'm being toyed with. Whoever sent those hunters wanted to send a message, not finish the job."

"Great," Miko muttered. "So we're dealing with people who think murder is just a warning shot."

Bai's smirk was faint. "Welcome to the world you've inherited, little hunter."

They stopped outside an old warehouse, its windows shattered and walls covered in graffiti. Miko's instincts prickled. "This doesn't look like a Guild outpost."

"It's not," Bai said. "But it's where your attackers came from. Do you trust me enough to follow?"

Miko hesitated, her grip tightening on her daggers. "I don't trust you at all."

"Good," Bai said with a small chuckle. "Then you'll be prepared."

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Part 2: "A Hacker's Warning"

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Miko's earpiece buzzed as Mei's voice crackled through. "Miko! I've been trying to reach you for an hour!"

"Sorry," Miko muttered, stepping into the warehouse after Bai. "I've been a little busy."

"Busy getting yourself killed?" Mei snapped. "Listen, I've been monitoring the Guild's network, and something weird is going on. They're hiding files about the group that attacked you—serious classified stuff. And get this: Bai's name keeps popping up in the same searches."

"Why am I not surprised?" Miko muttered, glaring at Bai's back as he moved ahead.

"I mean it, Miko," Mei said, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "This guy's dangerous. I don't care how hot he is—don't trust him."

Miko rolled her eyes. "You think I don't know that? But he's the only lead we've got right now."

Mei sighed. "Fine. Just… call me if you're about to die, okay?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Miko said, cutting the call.

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Part 3: "Secrets Beneath the Surface"

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The air inside the warehouse was thick with dust, the faint smell of mildew clinging to the walls. Bai moved ahead, his movements silent and purposeful, while Miko trailed behind, her senses on high alert.

"Over here," Bai called, his voice barely above a whisper.

Miko joined him, finding him standing before a rusted metal door. A strange symbol had been etched into its surface—a spiral entwined with jagged lines.

"Recognize this?" Bai asked.

"No," Miko admitted, frowning. "But it doesn't look like Guild work."

"Because it's not," Bai said, pushing the door open.

Inside was a small room, dimly lit by a single flickering bulb. A table in the center held scattered papers, photographs, and a map of Shinjukai. Miko moved closer, her eyes narrowing as she examined the documents.

"These are hunter patrol routes," she said, her voice tight. "Whoever was here knew exactly where to strike."

"And more importantly," Bai added, holding up a photograph, "they knew about you."

Miko stared at the photo—her, Mei, and her uncle, taken outside their home. Her blood ran cold. "How the hell did they get this?"

Bai's expression darkened. "You've been marked, little hunter. And they're not just coming for you."

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Part 4: "Crossfire"

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The first shot rang out, shattering the silence and splintering the wooden beam beside Miko's head. She ducked, daggers drawn, as armed figures poured into the room.

"Great," she muttered. "More friends of yours?"

Bai didn't reply, his focus on the attackers. With a sharp motion, he unleashed a wave of energy, sending two figures crashing into the wall.

"Can't you ever just fight normal?" Miko shouted, diving behind the table as another shot narrowly missed her.

"Normal is boring," Bai quipped, slamming his palm into the ground. A glowing sigil spread beneath him, and tendrils of light erupted, wrapping around the attackers and disarming them.

Miko took the opportunity to leap into action, her daggers flashing as she moved through the remaining enemies with precision.

When the last attacker fell, she turned to Bai, her chest heaving. "What the hell was that?"

"Creative problem-solving," Bai said, brushing dust off his coat.

"Yeah, well, next time, warn me before you turn the floor into a magic trap," Miko snapped.

Bai smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

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Part 5: "A Bitter Truth"

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Amid the wreckage, Miko spotted a folder half-buried under debris. She pulled it free, flipping through its contents. Her stomach twisted as she read the reports.

"They're experimenting on demons," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Guild is capturing them, torturing them... and turning them into weapons."

Bai's expression was unreadable, but his voice was cold. "Now you see why I don't trust hunters."

Miko swallowed hard, the weight of the revelation settling over her. "This doesn't make sense. The Guild is supposed to protect people, not… not this."

"Wake up, little hunter," Bai said. "Your world isn't as black and white as you think."

Miko clenched her fists. "Then I'll fix it."

Bai laughed softly, though there was no humor in it. "Good luck with that. You'll need it."

As they left the warehouse, Miko couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something far worse.

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