I could already smell the blood in the air before I even reached the warehouse.
The night was thick with the scent of iron, gunpowder, and something older... Something raw and eerie. I crouched on the ledge of a half-collapsed building across the street, watching as the group of rogue criminals made their move. Ten of them. Five mages, four vampires, and a banshee; the perfect cocktail of destruction.
They were professionals, fast and coordinated. The guards stationed around the facility never stood a chance, as they were all taken out easily.
The first sign of trouble came in the form of a whispered incantation. A red-robed mage raised a hand, his fingers twisting in the air like he was conducting an invisible orchestra. The wind shifted, carrying a subtle hum, and the guards around the warehouse froze, literally.
Their bodies locked up, faces contorted in mid-motion, eyes wide with fear. One of the vamps moved in, silent as a shadow, and slit each of their throats with surgical precision.
Efficient. Ruthless. Predictable.
I adjusted my gloves, cracked my neck, and exhaled slowly. S.P.E.C.T.R.A had been tracking these bastards for weeks, waiting for them to make a move. And tonight, they'd finally bitten off more than they could chew.
The banshee, a tall woman with jet-black hair and silver eyes, strode towards the warehouse doors. She didn't even flinch at the bodies cooling around her feet.
With a deep breath, she let out a piercing wail that sent cracks splintering through the reinforced steel doors, shaking the very foundation of the building. The remaining mages followed up with a barrage of spells, shimmering gold runes twisting mid-air before launching a blast of concussive energy straight at the weakened metal.
The warehouse doors exploded inward, a rush of smoke and dust clouding the entrance. They moved in fast, slipping past the debris like wraiths in the night.
I checked my watch. Right on schedule.
Slipping from my vantage point, I landed soundlessly in the alley, my trench coat sweeping behind me. My boots barely made a sound as I stalked toward the gaping entrance of the warehouse, slipping into the shadows like they were a second skin.
Inside, the rogues worked with practiced precision. One of the mages conjured an orb of light, illuminating the interior. Rows upon rows of metal shelves towered over them, each lined with crates marked with the insignia of various supernatural factions. The stolen artifacts business was thriving, and tonight's target was the crown jewel; an object of unknown power buried deep within S.P.E.C.T.R.A's classified archives.
The leader, a vampire with neat blond hair and a cocky smirk, gestured towards a locked steel container at the far end of the room. "There it is. Grab it, and we're ghosts."
Two of the mages approached, murmuring incantations under their breath. The air around the container shimmered, protective wards flaring up, but they weren't strong enough to withstand the combined assault of experienced magic users. Within seconds, the locks hissed open, and the heavy lid groaned as it was pushed aside.
They barely had time to celebrate before I made my entrance.
"You guys really should work on your lookout strategy. It sucks,"
The room went dead silent.
I stepped out of the shadows, hands in my pockets, my crimson gaze sweeping across the group. Ten pairs of eyes locked onto me, their expressions ranging from confusion to pure, unfiltered annoyance. The vampire leader sighed, rubbing his temples like I'd just ruined his entire week.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered. "Ronald Red. Of course, it had to be you."
"Oh, you've heard of me. Lovely," I said, walking forward
The vampire frowned. "It's hard not to know of the infamous night agent. Your reputation precedes you," he said
I smirked. "I'm flattered. Means I'm doing my job right."
The banshee hissed, stepping forward. "Walk away, leech. This doesn't concern you."
"See that's where you're wrong," I said, cracking my knuckles. "You lot have been on S.P.E.C.T.R.A's radar for a while, and stealing from us? Bad move. Now I gotta clean up your mess."
The blond vampire chuckled. "You? Alone? There's ten of us, and one of you."
I rolled my shoulders, feeling my fangs extend slightly. "Sounds fair."
The leader clenched his fist in annoyance. "Your arrogance would be your doom," he muttered, before signalling to his party to attack.
And then, all hell broke loose.
The mages struck first, launching fire and lightning in my direction. I raised a hand, summoning a crimson barrier made from my blood aura construct, and the spells shattered against it like glass. Before they could react, I sent a razor-sharp spear of solid blood hurtling toward the nearest mage, impaling him through the chest. He collapsed, eyes wide in shock before turning to ash.
One down.
The banshee inhaled deeply, preparing to scream, but I was faster. With a flick of my wrist, I conjured blood-forged chains that lashed out, wrapping around her throat and cutting off her wail. She clawed at them, her silver eyes bulging, but the more she struggled, the tighter they constricted. And in the span of seconds, she was no longer breathing.
The vampires rushed me next, moving in a blur of motion. But unlike them, I wasn't just any vampire... I was built different. I was faster. Stronger. Unbreakable.
I sidestepped the first, grabbing his arm and twisting it with a sickening crack before driving my knee into his skull. He crumpled. The second came at me with a dagger, aiming for my heart. I caught his wrist mid-strike and drove my own hand through his ribcage, ripping his heart out in one clean motion.
More spells erupted, but my blood aura formed a shield around me, absorbing the energy before redirecting it back at the lot of them. The remaining mages screamed as their own magic was turned against them, incinerating them where they stood.
Within minutes, only the vampire leader remained, staring at me in shock as his entire crew lay dead at my feet.
I retrieved an handkerchief from my coat and wiped the blood off my hands. Then began walking towards him. "Still think my arrogance would be my doom?"
"Y... You would kill your own kind? What kind of ruler does that?" the leader shuddered
I smirked, revealing my perfect set of fangs. "Well, you were the one who decided to go rogue. And by doing that, you broke the fourth rule in section 209 of the supernatural treaty. So vampire or not, I have to take you down. And spare me the accusations, I'm not even king yet."
He gritted his teeth, clearly filled with rage. "You take orders from humans who are lesser beings. You are a traitor to the vampire race. You don't deserve to be king,"
I clicked my tongue and smiled. "Funny enough, my mother said the exact same thing. But just like you, she was wrong. I don't care about the throne,"
The vampire snarled and lunged, but I was done playing.
With a final surge of power, my blood aura formed a massive crimson blade. I moved swiftly from the spot and appeared behind him, his eyes widened in horror at the realization that he was screwed. One clean slash, and his head separated from his shoulders.
I let out a slow breath, surveying the carnage.
Mission accomplished.
The aftermath of the battle settled like a dense fog. I adjusted my coat and stepped over the remains of the fallen rogues, their bodies already disintegrating into nothing. The warehouse was silent now, save for the flickering of dying magical wards.
I pulled out my communicator, dialing in to S.P.E.C.T.R.A. "Agent Ron here. Targets neutralised. Artifact secured. Send a team for cleanup."
A crackling pause, then a voice responded. "Copy that, Sir. Get back to HQ. The director wants a word."
I sighed, running a hand through my slicked back red hair. Just another night in London.
I exhaled and leaned against a rusted metal crate and began talking to no one in particular. "Guess I should introduce myself properly. The name's Ronald de Ambroise, a.k.a Ronald Red, a.k.a The night agent, and I'm not your average vampire."
"Most vamps follow the old ways of fealty, bloodlines, eternal servitude to the throne. Me? I walked away from all that. I was born into royalty, the next in line to rule Solnon, the ancient vampire kingdom. But sitting on a throne, playing politics, and entertaining centuries-old traditions? Not my style. I wanted something real... Something that actually mattered. So I left my realm and came here in search for that."
"That's where S.P.E.C.T.R.A came in: the Supernatural and mythological phenomena enforcement, coalition and tactical regulation agency. A covert organisation dedicated to keeping the balance between the supernatural and human worlds, making sure creatures like me don't turn England... a.k.a the world into a playground of chaos. We regulate, neutralise threats, and most importantly, keep the supernatural hidden from all your prying little human eyes."
"It's a thankless job considerinng we're a shadow organisation, but someone's got to do it. And if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that monsters don't just lurk in the dark. Sometimes, they walk among us, pretending to be human. Well, take me for example. Though I'm not a monster, I'm quite charming."
I stepped into the London night, the city lights flickering against the damp pavement. Another mission down. Another long night ahead.
HQ wasn't far. Just a quick ride across the Thames, hidden beneath an abandoned industrial complex that hadn't seen legitimate business in decades. I slipped into a nondescript black car parked in a nearby alley, the driver nodding at me without a word as we pulled away.
The streets of London blurred past, a mix of history and modernity wrapped in the glow of streetlights. I watched it all in silence, knowing that beneath this city's surface, darker things stirred.
As the car approached the hidden entrance, the driver pressed a button on the dashboard. A section of the old warehouse ahead of us groaned, shifting and splitting apart to reveal a passageway leading underground. We descended into the depths of S.P.E.C.T.R.A headquarters, an underground fortress of steel and magic designed to keep the supernatural world in check.
I stepped out of the car and made my way through the labyrinthine corridors, nodding at the occasional agents who passed me. Most gave me wary glances as vampires weren't exactly the most trusted species around here. Being royalty didn't earn me any favours either. But I still held the prestigious title of being the best field agent in the agency.
At the end of the hall, I pushed open the heavy metal doors to the director's office. Inside, a tall woman with piercing green eyes and short, graying hair stood behind her desk, arms crossed. Director Evelyn Harrow, in her mid forties but yet still beautiful. She didn't waste time with pleasantries.
"You were supposed to report in an hour ago," she said coolly. "What happened?"
I leaned against the doorframe. "Got caught up cleaning up a mess. Same rogues we've been tracking. All dead now."
Her eyes narrowed. "And the artifact?"
"Secure. But we need to talk about security leaks. They knew exactly where to hit."
Evelyn's expression hardened. "We'll handle it. In the meantime, you're being assigned a new case. One that's… delicate."
I raised an eyebrow. "Delicate? That's never a good sign."
She slid a file across the desk. "You leave in the morning. Read up."
I picked up the file, flipping it open to see a photograph of a young woman with striking purple eyes and an air of obliviousness to the world she truly belonged to.
The name under the photo read: Triss Everlane.
And just like that, my night got a whole lot more complicated.
I read through the file and got lost in it's contents, but the director's voice snapped me out of it
"Hope you're ready, Ron. This one's different."
I gave her a tired smirk. "Aren't they always?"
She motioned for me to sit as she tapped a few keys on her computer. A holographic projection flickered to life above the table; a detailed report on Triss Everlane, complete with surveillance images. She looked so ordinary.
"She's human, or at least, she believes she is," Evelyn began. "Works at a small coffee shop in the city, no family records, no supernatural affiliations... Until now."
I frowned, skimming the details. "What's changed?"
Evelyn folded her arms. "We detected an anomaly. Her latent magical signature spiked three days ago, it was strong... Very strong. Something triggered it. Our intel suggests she may be more than she seems. And further consultation shows that she might be a very important asset to the supernatural world, which puts her at risk,"
I leaned back in my chair. "And you want me to babysit her until we figure it out?"
"Protect her," Evelyn corrected. "If she really is what we think, others will come for her. Demons, faes, rogues, maybe even worse. We need to know what she is before they do."
I exhaled, rubbing my temple. "Great. Another assignment where I get to play the hero."
Evelyn's expression didn't shift. "You start your covert mission tomorrow. Don't make contact with her yet. Just observe. We'll assess the situation from there."
I stood, grabbing the file and stuffing it under my arm. "Fine. But if she turns out to be just another oblivious human, you owe me a proper vacation."
Evelyn smirked. "Get this done, and I'll consider it."
With that, I walked out, already dreading the job ahead. Watching an ordinary girl and waiting for signs of magic? Boring. But deep down, something about this case didn't sit right with me.
I had a feeling this Triss Everlane mission was about to turn my world upside down.