Chapter 1

Under the scorching sun, the asphalt simmered as if holding the heat captive. The young man's steps were determined, though his face bore a mix of trepidation and curiosity. The world around him seemed to shift, caught between the realms of reality and myth. His destination? A cryptic rendezvous to exorcise a ghoul.

Finally, he reaches the building, amidst the looming shadows of an ancient forest-his first instinct-to scout the surrounding area for the demonic entity that was reported to have been spotted within the vicinity, he dashed into the building, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

"The scent of blood is still fresh, he must have only eaten his captures recently", the hunter thinks to himself. Raising his arms, he makes a hand sign to activate his technique, [shadow creation] to manifest from the shadows three wolves to cast about the abandoned mansion. In scarcely a breath's time since ascending the staircase to the second floor, one of them let out a loud wail, before being decapitated by the ghoul.

The hunter reacts immediately, "shit!" the ghoul exclaims before launching itself through the wall and retreating to the woods for an escape, the hunter follows suit with lightning speed. "Damn it. A hunter!? How could he find me", the ghoul muttered under its breath, "He's fast... I'll have to restrict his movement somehow", then-with superhuman strength unimaginable, proceeded to knock down trees with mere swings of his arm. Unfortunately for the ghoul, the hunter easily manoeuvres through them, "I don't intend to spend too long here, I'll finish you now" he states while he begins to perform another shadow manifestation through hand signs, this time a long sword.

With a graceful and determined arc, his blade cleaved through the air, its hilt firmly gripped in his hand. Swift as a falcon in descent, he brought his weapon down upon the demon, severing its malevolent form from existence in a single, decisive strike. As its head falls to the ground, the demonic entity begins to rot and wither away into nothingness. Just then, a mysterious man appears as a gust of wind blows, draped in an enigmatic robe that hides his figure. He wears a black jacket, trousers, and sandals with an air of refinement, while a straw hat adds an aura of secrecy by casting a shadow over his face. "Young Sez, tell me, would you consider this-- 'adequate' dressing to spill ghoul blood in?", he asks, with a soft grin on his face, "Hello Toka, I received a report on the presence of a ghoul and then sprinted here, didn't think to change," he said, "And besides, it's not like a blue T-shirt and jeans is that uncomfortable for combat… It was only a low grade after all" he added.

"Alright then, you should return to the guild to drop your report, I'll be carrying out an investigation somewhere nearby," said the robed man while looking off into the distance at a neighbouring street. Sez nods in agreement as he submerged himself into the shadow of a nearby tree, completely disappearing as if having never been there.

Rising forth from the shadows of an old mighty tree, Sez walks calmly into the hunter guild's head office located in Krya, the capital city of the Torian Empire. He strode purposefully into the imposing building, his shoes echoing in the marble-floored lobby. The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the polished atmosphere. He approached the front desk, where a receptionist looked up with curiosity.

"Good day, sir. How may I assist you?" she asked politely.

"Evening," Sez replied, his voice steady. "I'm here to drop off a report on a recent ghoul encounter, in the woods near the Lawaku district."

The receptionist nodded, her finger movements resembling dances over the keyboard. "Very well. Please sign in on the visitor's log and provide me with your report's title."

Sez quickly signed in, and with a nod of approval, the receptionist handed him a visitor's badge and pointed him toward the elevators. Sez nodded in appreciation and made his way to the elevators.

Upon reaching the 9th floor, the elevator doors opened to a sleek corridor adorned with modern artwork. Sez walked down the hall, passing employees engrossed in their work. When he arrived at Mr Detoro's office, he then knocked on the door and a strong voice called from inside, "Come in".

Sez entered, finding a spacious office with large windows that overlooked the cityscape. Mr Detoro -a 67-year-old by-the-books former general with a sharp gaze- looked up from his desk.

"Mr Tohir, I assume you have the report on the ghoul incident?" he inquired, his tone business-like.

"Yes, sir," Sez replied, handing over the meticulously compiled document. The detailed analysis of the ghoul elimination, as requested… The report on the suspicious increase in ghoul activity around the Lawaku district"

Mr Detoro accepted the report and skimmed its contents, his interest piqued. "What!? Do you mean to tell me that within the last 2 weeks alone, there have been 314 ghouls spotted? That's preposterous Sez, you understand that?"

"Yes sir I do, I have already encountered 17 ghouls today, even just recently on the way here"

Mr Detoro rested his forehead downward onto his palm and groaned, his face wearing a frustrated expression. "I'll have to review this thoroughly. You're free to go– make sure you stay reachable in case of anything."

As Sez was leaving the office, his weary gaze swept over the room before he left, exhaustion etched on his face but emotions carefully concealed. The door clicked shut, leaving behind a space devoid of both his presence and sentiment. He checks out and heads out of the office building only to find an unfamiliar face waiting for him just across the street.

A beautiful young lady, her presence radiated an ethereal beauty. Her face was a masterpiece of delicate features, with luminous eyes that held galaxies of curiosity, she moved gracefully, her ebony hair cascading like a waterfall of shadows. Her slender figure held a delicate strength, and every gesture seemed to carry a hint of mystery, like a hidden story waiting to be unveiled.

"Are you Sez Tahir!?" she yells, with her gaze fixed on his. He nods in affirmation then crosses the road, with one arm raised and pointed in the direction of a nearby inn, and asks "Shall we?"

She nodded and walked behind him down the street, Sez noticed that she was dressed uniquely, wearing a long pink dress with intricate gold embroidery designs. But at her side, a beautifully crafted sword hangs in a jewel-encrusted scabbard. It was uncommon for noblewomen to engage in combat, so the sword put him off somewhat, he also noticed that she had a limp in her step, implying an injury.

They reached the inn and he opened the door before her with the grace of a truly refined gentleman, and she stepped inside, her eyes scanning the cosy atmosphere of the establishment. Sez asked the bartender to bring two drinks to his regular table as they went to sit. "So, miss–" Sez was saying before he was sharply cut off by the young lady "Elara… call me Elara".

"Alright, Elara, how may I help you?" Sez asked while locking his gaze with hers.

"My father, Tohken Brayde, has been murdered, and several members of the house of Brayde by a nefarious vampire, at least grade 1," Elara said, with a shaky voice.

"My condolences, Ms Elara… the house of Brayde is one of the 13 great clans, a vampire of grade 1 status would be impossible for most to handle, but a clan head?" Sez wondered.

"All the hunters of the clan were unavailable, doing something beyond my status to know about. It was only the staff who were present that day, Father was already old, he was well into his 90s, the vampire caught him off guard and used a poison technique to kill him" she replied.

"And you?" he asked "That sword you hold, and the concealed shuriken, you don't strike me as the average noblewoman, furthermore, I noticed you walked with a limp…" Sez added.

"Here are your drinks sir, sorry for the delay," the waiter said. He dropped the two drinks and walked away to another table.

Elera sighed, "As you might have heard, the Brayde clan does not believe in women being hunters, they see women as useful only for procreation and other menial labour. And that is why even though I inherited an innate technique, they refused to let me become a hunter, everything I know I learnt on my own from watching and listening to others."

Sez took a sip from his drink and looked at her again, contempt was written all over her, "I can not deny some degree of awareness of the discrimination that occurs in the households of the great clan" he said, but this time a shift in his countenance was noticed, his face wore a sombre shadow.

"Anything the matter?" Elera inquired, having noticed his change.

"Not at all, now tell me– are there others in the house of Brayde, surely there should be hunters that can handle this, why meet an outsider," Sez asked with brown raised.

"They are too busy arguing over who should take over the clan– my brothers, cousins and even uncles are all more bothered about claiming the position of clan chieftain rather than avenging my father" She added.

"It's getting late, we should probably find a place to lodge and head out in the morning," Sez said standing up while glancing at the moon.

"But wait! We haven't even discussed your pay and… " she exclaimed before she was abruptly cut off by Sez saying "We'll do that in the morning, I've already decided to accept the job"

With that, Elera let out a sigh of relief. And so, amidst the warm atmosphere of the inn, Elara and Sez paid for and requested rooms so they could be well rested for what laid forth ahead of them.