The Man With Golden Eyes
1186 Words
Chapter 6: The Man with Golden Eyes
Rain continued to fall over the broken street.
Water dripped from shattered cars and ran along the cracks in the pavement. The distant echoes of monster roars slowly faded into the night.
But the silence that followed felt even heavier.
Because someone was watching.
High above the street, standing on the edge of a rooftop, the mysterious man slowly lowered his hands after clapping.
His golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Ethan stared up at him.
“Who is that?” he asked quietly.
Raven’s expression had become unusually serious.
“That,” she said under her breath, “is trouble.”
The man smiled faintly.
“Oh, Raven,” he said, his voice calm and smooth as it echoed down from the rooftop. “You wound me.”
Raven stepped slightly in front of Ethan again.
“You shouldn’t be here, Lucian.”
Ethan blinked.
“Lucian?”
The man bowed slightly in a mocking gesture.
“Lucian Vale,” he said. “At your service.”
Ethan frowned.
“Do I know you?”
Lucian’s golden eyes locked onto him.
“Not yet.”
With a sudden movement, he stepped forward and jumped from the rooftop.
Ethan expected a crash.
But Lucian landed lightly on the pavement like a falling feather.
Not a single sound.
The Alpha Hunter immediately reacted.
The massive creature growled deeply, stepping between Lucian and Ethan. Its armored body lowered into a defensive stance.
Lucian chuckled.
“Well, that’s new.”
His eyes moved over the enormous monster with curiosity.
“So the legends were true.”
Ethan crossed his arms nervously.
“Everyone keeps talking about legends.”
Lucian looked back at him.
“Because you are one.”
Raven spoke sharply.
“Don’t talk to him.”
Lucian sighed dramatically.
“You always ruin the fun.”
Ethan looked between them again.
“Okay… someone needs to start explaining things.”
Lucian smiled again.
“Fair enough.”
He slowly walked a few steps closer.
The Alpha Hunter growled louder, its claws digging into the pavement.
Lucian stopped immediately.
“Relax,” he said calmly. “I’m not here to fight.”
His golden eyes met Ethan’s silver ones.
“I’m here to help.”
Raven laughed coldly.
“That’s the worst lie you’ve ever told.”
Lucian placed a hand over his chest in mock offense.
“I’m hurt.”
Then his expression suddenly became serious.
“You really don’t know anything, do you?” he said to Ethan.
Ethan shook his head.
“No. And I’d appreciate someone fixing that.”
Lucian nodded slowly.
“Very well.”
He turned slightly, looking at the Alpha Hunter kneeling beside Ethan.
“For thousands of years,” Lucian began, “there has been a balance in this world.”
“Humans lived in the light.”
“Creatures lived in the shadows.”
He gestured toward the massive monster.
“And between them… there were kings.”
Ethan frowned.
“Alpha Kings.”
Lucian smiled.
“Exactly.”
Raven crossed her arms.
“Don’t romanticize it.”
Lucian ignored her.
“The Alpha Kings were not just rulers of monsters,” he continued.
“They were the bridge between worlds.”
Ethan felt a strange chill.
“What worlds?”
Lucian’s golden eyes glowed brighter.
“This one…”
He pointed upward.
“And the other side.”
Raven stepped forward immediately.
“That’s enough.”
But Lucian continued anyway.
“The other realm is where creatures like the Hunters truly come from.”
Ethan glanced at the Alpha Hunter.
“You mean that thing isn’t even from this world?”
Lucian shook his head.
“Not originally.”
Ethan rubbed his temples.
“This is getting insane.”
Lucian chuckled softly.
“You haven’t heard the insane part yet.”
He looked at Ethan carefully.
“The Alpha Kings didn’t just control these creatures.”
“They ruled them.”
Ethan looked down at the Alpha Hunter again.
The creature remained perfectly still beside him.
Waiting.
Obedient.
Lucian leaned slightly closer.
“And every creature in that other realm can feel your return.”
Ethan’s stomach twisted.
“You mean those roars earlier…”
Lucian nodded.
“They were answering you.”
Raven spoke again, her voice sharp.
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t be here.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
“And miss the return of the most powerful bloodline in history?”
He shook his head.
“Not a chance.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You seem very excited about all this.”
Lucian smiled.
“Oh, I am.”
His voice lowered slightly.
“Because the last Alpha King almost destroyed the world.”
The words hit Ethan like ice.
“What?”
Raven’s eyes narrowed.
“Lucian.”
But he continued.
“Five hundred years ago, the last Alpha King opened the dimensional gate.”
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
“The same gate those hunters mentioned?”
Lucian nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Ethan swallowed.
“What happened?”
Lucian’s smile faded.
“War.”
His golden eyes darkened slightly.
“Creatures flooded into the human world.”
“Cities burned.”
“Thousands died.”
The rain fell heavier around them.
Lucian’s voice dropped even lower.
“And the Alpha King who caused it…”
He looked straight into Ethan’s eyes.
“Was your ancestor.”
Silence filled the street.
Ethan felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
“That’s… impossible.”
Raven finally spoke again.
“The story isn’t that simple.”
Lucian shrugged slightly.
“It never is.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair.
“So let me get this straight.”
He pointed at himself.
“I’m the descendant of some ancient monster king who almost destroyed the world?”
Lucian smiled faintly.
“That’s the short version.”
Ethan groaned.
“Great.”
But Lucian’s smile slowly faded.
“There’s just one problem.”
Raven stiffened.
“Lucian…”
He ignored her.
“The hunters weren’t the only ones searching for you.”
Ethan frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Lucian looked toward the dark skyline of the city.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
“Something much worse woke up tonight.”
At that exact moment—
The Alpha Hunter suddenly lifted its head.
Its silver eyes widened slightly.
Then it growled.
A deep, uneasy sound.
Ethan felt the strange power inside his chest react again.
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.
Lucian’s expression had become deadly serious.
“Because it can feel it too.”
Ethan’s stomach twisted.
“Feel what?”
Lucian slowly looked back at him.
“The thing that killed the last Alpha King.”
The street suddenly trembled.
Not like before.
This time it felt deeper.
Older.
More powerful.
Even the Alpha Hunter stepped backward.
For the first time since meeting Ethan…
The monster looked afraid.
Lucian whispered quietly.
“Oh.”
His golden eyes glowed brightly now.
“It found you already.”
- Writer
